Visit all 47 prefectures in Japan in 100 days — for free! (But there’s a catch…)
Cultural Outreach, Japan Local, Local Government, Travel/Tourism 
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I’ve seen this posted several places and also had it sent to me by JET alum and President of Music City JETAA Terry Vo (2007-09, Kumamoto-ken) . So while no JET alums would be eligible, maybe our extensive alumni community might know someone who is.
The Offer: Some lucky person will win 100 days to visit all 47 prefectures in Japan and blog about it.
The Catch: You can’t have ever lived in Japan before.
More Info Here: http://travelvolunteer.net/
By the way, for tourism info on all 47 prefectures, here are the tourism sites for each prefecture (which I organized in a JETwit post back in early June):
- Local Japan: Prefecture Tourism Links: https://jetwit.com/wordpress/2011/06/02/local-japan-prefecture-tourism-links/
Japan Fix London: Hyper Japan – Interview with Mary Moreton
Article/Journalism, Events, Film, Food & Drink, Fundraising, Japan Fix, Japan Trends, Notable JET Alums, Volunteer Comments Off on Japan Fix London: Hyper Japan – Interview with Mary Moreton
Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London as is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, writing and translation.
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It’s not surprising that London has changed a lot during the years I’ve been away in Japan. Being the “most populous municipality in the European Union”, rapid development, modernization and globalization are to be expected. However, it still throws me of guard when my British friends now drop ‘katsu-don’, ‘kirin beer’, and ‘kawaii’ into everyday conversation. I know those words weren’t part of my vocabulary before I took off for my life as an ALT!
For a recently returned expat like me, it is a huge comfort to see Japanese culture so widely embraced in my home city. Which is why I was particularly excited to hear about HYPER JAPAN, a three day event promoting all the different aspects of Japanese culture that make it so appealing to us in the west. Determined to get my ‘Japan-fix’ to fight off the homesickness, I applied for a volunteer position and was delighted to discover one of the Hyper Japan team, Mary Moreton, was a fellow ex-JET. Not one to miss a chance to share JET stories, Mary kindly agreed to meet me one soggy London afternoon.
Hi Mary, sorry for dragging you out in this! Could you start by telling me a bit about your time on JET – why you applied, where you were based?
I was a CIR in Aomori City CIR from 2002 – 2005. I studied Classical Japanese Literature at University, which was a really interesting course that I enjoyed a lot, but not necessarily a degree that could lead straight to a clear career path. I wasn’t interested in working in say finance in the city like many of my friends, and I had spent time in Japan before (I did a year out in Osaka), so I decided to apply for JET.
How did you find Aomori compared to your experience of living in Osaka? I would imagine it to be quite different!
Yes, it was completely different to my previous experience of living in the city. I remember in my first week, there was another girl from UK who was based at the kencho, and we decided to meet up and explore one day. We walked around for about 10 minutes until we realised there really wasn’t much to see! It was totally different from my experiences of urban areas such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe.
What did you do after JET?
After returning from JET, my first job was as a PA for the European director of a Japanese electronics company where I was working in a mainly Japanese environment. Even though I had left Japan, during my working day, things weren’t too different. Although I felt that my unique point was my Japanese ability, I did not necessarily want to restrict myself to working for Japanese companies. I then went on to work for a British based Insurance broker. I worked in their Japanese department, so I was still using Japanese but not working in a completely Japanese environment as I had been used to. I had always been interested in translation, so in addition to working, I decided to do a part-time MA in translation. In the end I had to quit my job to focus on my dissertation in the last term.
With my MA finished I then decided to do freelance translation and signed up with several Japanese agencies. Not all of them gave regular work, and there were certain areas of translation (technical) that I couldn’t do, but after settling into a good relationship with a few coordinators, I managed to find my niche. Through that I did some work for the Sushi Awards, which led to my current position with Cross Media. Once again I am working as the only native English speaker in a Japanese company, but I enjoy it a lot as I get to promote all the things I love about Japanese culture and cuisine, and share it with a whole new audience.
Could you tell us a bit about the background of Hyper Japan?
The Eat-Japan Sushi Awards have been around for a few years. Japanese food is a lot more popular now in the UK than when I left in 2002 to go to Japan. Now there are so many places around where you can try Japanese food, and there is a lot more scope to promote it – which is where the idea for the sushi awards came from.
Japanese anime, manga and games have always had a fanbase in the UK and the rest of Europe, and there is a large Japan Expo held in Paris which mainly focuses on these aspects of Japanese culture.
I think most people think that Japan is cool, but not necessarily for just one thing. There are separate events to cater for cosplay, anime, and sushi fans, however there wasn’t anything that brought all these together – which what Hyper Japan attempts to do. In the same way that people who live in Japan experience the old and the modern co-existing harmoniously (you could find a Shinto shrine next door to a pachinko parlor), Hyper Japan aims to showcase both the contemporary and classic sides of Japanese culture under one roof.
To read the rest of the interview, click ‘Read More’.
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Job: Public Relations/Administrative Coordinator (NY)
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Via JETAANY. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Public Relations/Administrative Coordinator (NY)
Job Details:
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York is seeking a full-time Public Relations/Administrative Coordinator for a position commencing in Mid-August. Successful candidates must be professional, service-oriented and able to handle a variety of duties. Experience working in Japan or at a Japanese company is a must. Candidates with a business background are strongly preferred. Japanese language ability is a plus, but not required.
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Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (July 2011)
Cultural Outreach, Food & Drink, Notable JET Alums, Writers Comments Off on Sake World e-Newsletter by John Gauntner (July 2011)
The July 2011 issue of the Sake World e-newsletter by JET alum and the leading non-Japanese sake expert in the world, John Gauntner (a.k.a. “The Sake Guy”), is now available online.
Go to John’s Sake World website for more information as well: www.sake-world.com
WIT Life #175: Japan Cuts 2011
Film, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #175: Japan Cuts 2011
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
The 2011 Japan Cuts Film Festival at Japan Society is back and better than ever, with a lineup of 32 films and 33 screenings in total. Like last year, I decided to volunteer in various roles such as ushering and ticket taking, as that allows you to stick around and enjoy the movies. The first movie I worked at was Love & Loathing & Lulu & Ayano (名前のない女たち) which was screened this past Friday night.
Director Hisayasu Sato, known as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings of Pink” for his work in ピンク映画 (pinku eiga) or soft-core porn films, incorporated his background into this movie released in Japan last year. It tells the story of a meek OL who is scouted in Shibuya to work in Read More
Video: “Tonoharu” explained in unique video by creator Lars Martinson
Books, Cartoon/Illustration, Cultural Outreach, Humor, Notable JET Alums, Uncategorized, Video, Writers Comments Off on Video: “Tonoharu” explained in unique video by creator Lars Martinson
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Lars Martinson (Fukuoka-ken 2003-2006), author of the graphic novels Tonoharu: Part Two and Tonoharu: Part 1, has put together a rather unique video that “explains” the Tonoharu series in a marvelously tongue-in-cheek way. (BTW, does anyone know if there’s a Japanese term for “tongue-in-cheek”?)
Anyway, have a look at the video. I think it’s fair to say that no one has captured the JET/living in Japan experience in as intricate a way as Lars has:
JET ROI: “The JET Program’s Finest Hour”
Article/Journalism, Blogs, Earthquake Tsunami, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Uncategorized, Volunteer Comments Off on JET ROI: “The JET Program’s Finest Hour”
David Jacobson, a former Monbusho Scholar who now works for Seattle-based Chin Music Press (founded by former Monbusho English Fellow Bruce Rutledge), has just posted a really terrific piece titled “The JET Program’s Finest Hour“ about the role of JET and JET alumni in response to the Tohoku Earthquake Disaster. David did a particularly effective job of documenting the topic and pulling information together in a way that had not been done to date. And it demonstrates a very clear “Return on JET-vestment.”
Here’s the link: http://chinmusicpress.com/blog.php?action=display&entryID=13
David comments that the JET Program’s “support this spring, in the aftermath of the devastating March 11 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, may have marked the program’s finest hour.” And his research helps document information such as:
“Within hours after the disaster, Eric Butler, a former JET who lives in Calgary, Alberta, created a Facebook page, Foreigners from Miyagi. He intended it as a place to discuss how to help the quake victims, but within days it attracted nearly 700 users, many in Japan, and morphed into a forum for those seeking the whereabouts of JETs or others in disaster areas.”
The article also acknowledged and put JETwit’s role in perspective in the larger context:
“Editor (and JET alumnus) Steven Horowitz began a similar effort providing up-to-the minute updates on JETwit, a blog that has evolved into the de facto central information source for the JET alumni community. But he also saw his role as helping JET alums become involved in the relief effort, listing opportunities for volunteers, translators, even offering practical advice for those in Japan. And he recommended that JETs get the word out: “Make yourself available to talk to schools, churches, companies, other organizations. Engage your grad school or college alumni offices. Wear a button that says, ‘Ask Me About Japan.’”
Job: Product Manager – Japanese Products at Yelp (SF)
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Via JETAA Northern California. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Product Manager – Japanese Products at Yelp (SF)
Job Details:
At Yelp, we pride ourselves in being a hyper local product. Yelp is already available in nine countries and we’re starting to work on bringing Yelp to Japan. This role will involve customizing the Yelp product to make sure it feels truly local to our users in Japan.
We need a Product Manager who can design beautiful-but-simple features, crank out mockups and is passionate about how culturally unique different countries are. You should be fluent in Japanese and a definite plus is if you currently live in or have spent a large amount of time (at least 10 years) living in Japan.
Read More
Job: Development Coordinator at Institute of International Education (NYC)
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Via idealist.org. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Development Coordinator
Job Details:
Job: 2 Positions at Council on Foreign Relations (NYC)
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Via idealist.org. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
(1) Job Position: Assistant Director, Academic Initiative
Job Details:
The Assistant Director, Academic Initiative, will manage CFR’s efforts to connect educators and students at the high school, college, and graduate-school levels with CFR’s research tools—this includes planning student briefings, academic conference exhibitions, and higher education workshops; developing academic modules; and creating the monthly Educators Bulletin enewsletter.
For more details see: http://www.idealist.org/view/job/9xt3hFST8874/
(2) Job Position: Assistant Director, Outreach Initiatives
Job Details:
The Assistant Director, Outreach Initiatives, will manage the general programming and marketing of CFR’s Academic, Religion and Foreign Policy, and State and Local Officials initiatives—this includes assisting with the planning and implementation of the Outreach initiatives’ online and social media presence, conference call series, outreach events, conference exhibitions, enewsletters, and print and online advertising.
For more details see: http://www.idealist.org/view/job/hbjdKH5JMk5P/
Job: 2 Positions at Asia Society (NYC)
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Via idealist.org. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
(1) Job Position: Senior Program Officer, NYPP – Policy Programs
Job Details:
Asia Society, a prestigious, global, educational and cultural non-profit seeks a Senior Program Officer, New York Public Programs-Policy Programs, to have the overall responsibility for developing, managing and conducting NYPP’s programs in the Policy area; working with other NYPP staff to develop and execute interdisciplinary programs, particularly those existing on the boundaries of Policy and Business.
For more details see: http://www.idealist.org/view/job/j7KFhFBfbcxd/
(2) Job Position: Program Assistant, NYPP Policy & Business Programs
Job Details:
Asia Society, a prestigious, global, educational and cultural non-profit seeks a Program Assistant to assist responsible senior staff in all aspects of production and administration of New York public programs across the fields of policy and business programs.
For more details see: http://www.idealist.org/view/job/6JZbFbX9k3xd/
Job: ESL temp position (NY area)
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Via JETAANY Board Member and former JETAANY Vice-President Katrina Barnas. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika has recently moved back to London and is currently looking for new work opportunities related to Japan, translation, or other fields.
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***Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JETwit. Thanks.***
Job Position: Programmes Assistant
Job Details:
EAC Summer Language camp is looking for part-time experienced ESL instructors to teach European teenagers at its summer camp at SUNY Maritime in the Bronx. TEFL certified is not required but it is a plus.
Pay is $575 per week for approx. 20 hours a week.
Teaching takes place mainly in the morning between 9am and 12pm.
Positions range in length from 2 – 6 weeks and begin soon.
How to Apply:
For more information please write to bogdan.markiewicz@gmail.com or call 347-909-8681.
A walk across the Canadian Rockies to maintain awareness for Tohoku situation
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Posted by Alisa Wylie to the Japan Earthquake Disaster Relief Idea Exchange group on Facebook (started by Atlanta-based JET alum Emily Duncan):
Steve Johnson is a friend of a friend who returned to Canada from Japan last year. He’s walking across the Canadian Rockies to raise/maintain awareness of the situation in Tohoku.
Steve also says: “I have prepared a presentation and talk that aims to share my experience in the endlessly fascinating Japanese culture and thereby connect Canadians to this event. Furthermore, I hope to encourage people to develop their natural feeling of connectedness to current events and to take action when they feel passionate about an issue, whether it be global or local.”
The blog includes a list of charities and disaster relief projects where people can send donations if they wish. Please share this info with anyone who might be interested or even be able to help reduce their expenses!
http://www.walkforjapan.blogspot.com/
Dreams Come True to hold rare concerts in U.S. Any JET alums going?
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Just heard from Aaron Woolfolk (Kochi-ken) (writer and director of the film “The Harimaya Bridge”) that he’s going to the Dreams Come True concert in L.A. in October and that they’ll also be playing concerts in Seattle and NYC as well as free concerts in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.
Here’s a June 28 post about the concerts from Anime News Network.
If you’re a JET or JET alum and plan on going, post a comment here and let the JET alum community know.
JET alum Josh Zimmerman crafts a name for himself in ABC News article
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Thanks to Gail Meadows (Hiroshima-ken, 2007-10), former Editor of the Hiroshima JET online newsletter The Wide Island View and current resident of metro Detroit for sharing this item about her former Wide Island View Co-Editor Josh Zimmerman (Hiroshima-ken).
According to an ABC News article titled “From Whittling to Knitting: How Modern Men Craft,”
Joshua Zimmerman’s creative outlet is tinkering with small electrical projects. The 28-year-old, fourth-grade teacher in Milwaukee makes Altoid tin USB chargers and flashlights, and small robots from toothbrush heads and solar battery chargers. His creations usually can be made with a few bucks and a few parts, often from recycling old electronics.
He simplifies ideas he finds online, assembles them in kits, and sells them from his online shop, Brown Dog Gadgets, and at Etsy. He also posts the instructions for all of his projects, most of which take under an hour for a novice and require a little metal soldering.
Here’s a description of the Altoids Solar iPhone/iPod/iPad Charger direct from Josh’s Brown Dog Gadgets website:
After weeks of sweat, blood, and soldering burns we’ve finally done it. We’ve made a solar charger for all the iProducts out there! Now you can charge up your iPhone, iPod, and even the iPad via the wonder of solar.
What separates this from our Solar Altoids USB Charger is that you can actually charge up those iProducts, which you’ll also find separates us from most solar USB chargers out there.
The charger works by recharging two high capacity rechargeable AA batteries through the included 4V solar cell. When you need to charge up your iPhone or iPod just plug it in via the three foot retractable cable. Then relax, because you deserve it
Features:
4V Solar Cell
2X High Capacity Rechargeable AAs (Between 2500-3000 mah)
3 Foot retractable charging cable.
Your choice of a fun Altoids tin.
Has been tested on and works with any iPod Classic, iPod Nano, iPhone, and iPad. We honestly went to a store and tried it out on all of the display models. We’re just happy that it works with our iPhone 4!
***iPods and iPhones will not directly charge up from the solar panel. You need to first charge up the internal AA batteries to a certain level before an iPod or iPhone will actually charge from it.
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Hey Josh, any chance we could order some with the JETwit logo? :-)
