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.
Japan’s recovery efforts continue to take place, and while it is easy to feel helpless in the face of the disaster’s aftermath we can each help out in our own small way. I would like to highlight some upcoming events that will enable you to contribute to the cause 
while enjoying good food and music.
First up is Dine Out for Japan Relief, a week-long event in which the 70+ participating restaurants are donating 5% of their proceeds to Japan’s tsunami recovery and relief efforts. There are many familiar Manhattan Japanese favorites like Read More
Via a post to the Miyagi JET Reunion Facebook group by William Henning:
“This [map of Miyagi] ought to give you some idea of how your area fared. Scroll down for .pfds of maps showing approx. how far the water reached along the Miyagi coast.”
- See map 10 for Natori, Iwanuma, Sendai, Tagajo, Shiogama.
- See map 9 for Higashi Matsushima and Ishinomaki.
- See map 8 for Kitakami (Kahoku), Ogatsu, and Onagawa
- See map 7 for Shizugawa and Utatsu.
Ibaraki Update: Socks
Earthquake Tsunami 
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From a blog by Jason Kelly (not a JET). FYI, Ibaraki Prefecture was also hit hard by the earthquake but has not gotten as much attention as the harder hit areas of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima.
Into Ibaraki
We received an emergency request for socks from North Ibaraki City, hit hard by the earthquake and tsunami, and located only 73 km (45 mi) south of the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plants. We faced two questions: Was it safe to travel closer to the radiation, and could we justify using precious gasoline for such a long trip?
On the first question, we checked radiation levels for the area and found them to be eight times higher than near our base in Sano —
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post.
Here’s an article from the Salvation Army’s blog about an ALT named Lis Bennett (not a JET) who was teaching at a school 25 miles from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant when the earthquake struck. She was evacuated from the area and shares some of her experience in the article.
Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA) Update: 03.23.11
Earthquake Tsunami, Notable JET Alums Comments Off on Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA) Update: 03.23.11
The Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA) has been an excellent source of updates via the earthquake section of its website as well as its Facebook page. The kind of info you’re likely not getting from CNN or network news. Notably, JET alum James Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) is the Director of JCIE/USA’s New York office. Here’s the latest update:
March 23 Excerpts (http://www.jcie.org/earthquakeupdate.html):
* AARJ responds to a Sendai welfare organization assisting the elderly, which had run out of resources.
* Peace Winds Japan distributed kerosene & stoves in Minamisanriku-cho for those without heat.
* All medical facilities in Rikuzentakada were destroyed in the earthquake; …NICCO’s team is providing mobile medical services in Otomo-cho.
JapanGanbare: Messages of encouragement and support through manga art!
Art, Earthquake Tsunami Comments Off on JapanGanbare: Messages of encouragement and support through manga art!
A thoughtful approach to supporting Japan through original and creative images by manga fans:
Send a message of encouragement and support through your own manga art!
漫画を使って日本を応援しましょう！
Japanese fundraising on the streets of NYC
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Ganbare Japan!
Japanese volunteers ask for donations on behalf of the Lions Club in front of Grand Central Station, New York City. Polite yet persistent. Volunteers have been active in this way throughout the city for the last week.
What’s going on in your neck of the woods?
Photo by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
Taylor Anderson’s high school establishes fund in her honor
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St. Catherine’s High School in Richmond, VA has set up a fund in honor of Ishinomaki JET Taylor Anderson who attended St. Catherine’, according to an article in the The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The below is from the fund website (www.st.catherines.org/tayloranderson):
“The St. Catherine’s community is mourning the loss of Taylor Lane Anderson ’04. The Anderson family confirmed that their daughter’s body was found on March 21 in Japan. Our School family is devastated by this discovery.
Taylor was a four-year day student who quickly became involved in school activities after she arrived in the ninth grade. She was Co-Editor of the Atelier and a member of Model UN. Taylor touched many hearts while at St. Catherine’s, taking her unique gifts and talents to the country of Japan. As part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, Taylor spent the past two years teaching English to kindergarten, lower school and junior high school students in the coastal city of Ishinomaki. She was last seen after the March 11 earthquake, but before the tsunami devastated the coast of Japan.
St. Catherine’s is so proud of Taylor for living the School’s motto, “What we keep we lose; only what we give remains our own.” She exemplified what it means to be a St. Catherine’s alumna and she will long live as a role model for our community. Taylor touched the hearts and lives of so many people at St. Catherine’s. Circumstances like these, while unimaginably sad, remind us of the value and the power of faith, family and friendship.
The School has established the Taylor Anderson ’04 Memorial Gift Fund. All money raised will be given in Taylor’s memory to benefit the relief efforts in Japan, the country she loved so dearly. St. Catherine’s will work with the Anderson family to direct the funds in the way that best honors Taylor’s legacy. Our hope is to help with the rebuilding of the schools in the region where Taylor taught.
Please leave your thoughts, memories and condolences below and they will be shared with the Anderson family.”
NHK TV today showed a video (in Japanese) of Taylor Anderson’s father Andy Anderson visiting Ishinomaki and laying flowers where Taylor’s body was found. It’s very moving to hear her father say, “Taylor loved Ishinomaki, and we do too.” And as a JET it’s hard to look at the background scenery in the video and not feel that sense of familiarity that this could be any town in Japan.
Sayonara! 6 CLAIR-NY staff set to return to Japan
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It happens every year, but it’s always sad to say goodbye to the CLAIR-NY (aka Japan Local Government Center) staff members who finish their terms and return to Japan at the end of March. Those departing this march include (left to right):
- Yuko Nishida (Izumo City government, Shimane Prefecture)
- Shinya Abe (Tokyo, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)
- Taichi Hanzawa (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture government), who previously served as the JETAA USA Liaison
- Chizuko Kawamura (Hiroshima City government), who served as JETAA Canada Liaison this year and JETAA USA Liaison the previous year
- Kazuaki Nakajima (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department) (not pictured)
- Akiko Tanabe (Tottori Prefecture government) (not pictured)
Minasan arigatou gozaimashita. O-tsukare sama deshita. Nihon ni kaete, ganbatte kudasai!
Note on CLAIR-NY/JLGC: The staff of the JLGC is comprised of local government workers from various cities and prefectures along with some central government workers, all of whom are selected to participate in a 3 year program. The first year they spend working and learning together in Tokyo. The latter 2 years they spend in one of a number of CLAIR offices in various countries.
Tokyo JET alum photojournalist seeks contact with displaced Tohoku JETs
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Thanks to Ed Snook of JETAA Tokyo for sharing this information:
JETAA Tokyo member Wes Cheek is planning on visiting the Tohoku region beginning Friday for a photojournalism assignment. He has expressed an interest in trying to get in touch with JETs who may have been displaced by the recent earthquake/tsunami. Additionally, Wes welcomes contact from any family or friends of JETs in Tohoku who would like him to try and get in touch with JETs.
- To contact Wes, you can e-mail Ed Snook at career [at] jetaa-tokyo.org.
- For updates on Wes and more information about his trip, go to Wes’ blog where you can find details and updates about his trip.
JETAA Northern California benefit raises over $7,000
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KTVU Morning News in San Francisco has a whole feature on JETAA Northern California’s fundraiser. SF Consulate JET Coordinator (and JET alum) Peter Weber is interviewed. I think I saw a brief shot of JETAA US Country Representative Rod McLeod. And it sounds like Canon Purdy may have been there as well.
Good work JETAA Northern California! Yoku ganbatta!
Click here for the video: http://www.ktvu.com/video/27302416/index.html
MSNBC: Family holds out hope for missing American teacher “Monty-san”
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The latest coverage of still unaccounted for Rikuzentakata-shi, Iwate-ken JET Montgomery “Monty” Dickson.
MSNBC: Family holds out hope for missing American teacher “Monty-san”
By Miranda Leitsinger, Senior Writer and Editor, msnbc.com
“Almost everyone in the town of Rikuzentakata on Japan’s northeast coast knew teacher Montgomery Dickson, or “Monty-san,” as the locals call him.
But the tall American hasn’t been heard from since the March 11 quake and tsunami slammed the northeastern coast of the island nation, and any surviving villagers in the town of 23,000 who might have spotted his familiar face apparently have left. An International Medical Corps team that visited Rikuzentakata in the wake of the double disaster found it “was completely destroyed by the tsunami and no persons were present. Showing the depth of the tsunami wave and extent of the destruction, water marks were observed at a height of up to 10 meters (nearly 33 feet) on the sides of hills.”
CLICK HERE for the full article and to read more about Monty.
JETwit featured in CLAIR NY (aka Japan Local Government Center) Newsletter
Article/Journalism, Interview/Profile, JETs in the News, Local Government, Notable JET Alums, Writers Comments Off on JETwit featured in CLAIR NY (aka Japan Local Government Center) Newsletter
Here’s a link to the Spring 2011 Issue of the JLGC Newsletter, published bi-annually by CLAIR NY (aka Japan Local Government Center).
This issue includes a feature on JETwit.com (PDF) which I was asked to write a few months ago. It’s hopefully a helpful explanation of the background and purpose of JETwit. However, post-3/11 I have to admit it also feels dated and I feel somewhat conflicted about posting it now given what’s still going on in Japan.
Job: Academic Manager
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Academic Manager
via JETAA Toronto. Posted by Dipika Soni (Ishikawa-ken, 2003-06). Dipika currently works as an in-house translator for PFU (a Fujitsu company) in Kahoku-shi, Ishikawa-ken. She is also the vocalist for the Japanese hardcore punk band DEGRADE.
*Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JetWit. Thanks.
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Job Position: Academic Manager
Job Details:
Pacific Language Institute (PLI) – A Kaplan Company – is looking for a dynamic Academic Manager to lead and grow PLI’s academic team and program.
