Mar 16

Upcoming Events to Support Japan

Events Comments Off on Upcoming Events to Support Japan

I know a lot of donation information has already been made available on this site, but for those who want to be involved with events actively supporting the cause here are two coming up in NYC that I would like to pass along:

• Run for Japan: Sunday, March 20 from 8:30-1 @ 72nd St. & 5th Ave. (Central Park): http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=203082156369673

• SUPPORT JAPAN: Moms Get Together in Union Square to Raise Funds and Awareness: Welcome to anyone who wants to help Japan (not just moms)!  Please join us in supporting the victims of Japan’s 3.11 earthquake.  This event will raise funds, awareness, and show our support for the victims of the disaster. The worst earthquake in the history of Japan, followed by a tragic tsunami and shocking nuclear plant disasters, is more than the Japanese can handle on their own. You can imagine how scary and horrible the past week has been for millions of Japanese people.  Thousands of people are dead, tens of thousands are still missing, and more than 120,000 are displaced from their homes. Yet there is still time to help reduce the pain and suffering caused by the disaster.  Please gather in Union Square across from Whole Foods this Thursday, March 17 between 3pm and 6pm dressed in RED and WHITE, and bring handwritten signs or anything else to personally send a message of encouragement to the Japanese people.  New Yorkers are incredibly generous.  We hope to encourage passers-by to donate directly to charities supporting victims of the crisis in Japan.  We prefer checks written directly to charities, but accept small cash donations on their behalf as well.  100% of your generous tax-deductible contributions will go to charities.  We are currently performing due diligence on which ones are the most efficient ways to support the relief effort.  We are considering charities which transmit 100% of donations to Japanese relief efforts.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact: Naoko Fitzgerald @ 917-783-7013, naoko.tf@gmail.com.

Mar 16

WIT Life #156: 4th Annual Peace Festival

Events, Film, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #156: 4th Annual Peace Festival

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.

Like most of you, I have spent the last couple of days glued to the coverage of the earthquake/tsunami/radioactive fallout news from Japan.  I left Tokyo the day before the quake and was shocked to come home to the awful news.  The feelings of helplessness and immense sadness can be overwhelming at times, so I was happy to be able to help out as a volunteer interpreter at the 4th Annual Peace Festival this weekend.  It just felt like the right place to be in the midst of all that is happening.

On Saturday night I attended the world premiere of Twice Bombed: The Legacy of Tsutomu Yamaguchi, which told the amazing tale of this first officially recognized double atomic bomb survivor (二重被爆者 or nijuu hibakusha) who passed away last year at the age of 93.  Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th respectively and was a truly inspiring figure, beginning his speaking out about his experience just five years before he died.   Up until that point, his wife and daughter had encouraged him to stay silent as they were scared that Read More

Mar 16

Earthquake: Hope Letters for Children in Japan

Earthquake Tsunami, Translating/Interpreting, Volunteer Add Comment (1)

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.
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About Hope Letters:

David Chan of Ottawa, Canada has started a voluntary initiative to share letters of hope written for students in Japan by people around the globe. Letters will be collected, translated into Japanese, posted on the following site: http://hopeletters.wordpress.com, and distributed via Japanese media and local schools/organizations. Currently there are 6 volunteer translators across Canada. Read More

Mar 16

Earthquake Updates by Prefecture 03.16.11

Earthquake Tsunami Add Comment (2)

JET Taylor Anderson (Ishinomaki) - still unaccounted for

This post is now out of date.  See more recent posts please.

10:42 am NY time, Wed Mar 18

Unaccounted for JETs

*10:08 pm – Nothing new to report unfortunately.  I’ve been checking the “Foreigners from Miyagi” and “Sendai Earthquak Family & Friends Link” and checking with other sources.  But no new info on unaccounted for JETs.

*Ngaroma Riley – possibly a JET.  Was contacted by a journalist from New Zealand trying to get in touch with her.  Said she’s a colleague of Iain Campbell who is a JET in Sendai (and who has been doing great work in trying to gather info on unaccounted for JETs).

Still some unaccounted for JETs to my knowledge including  Taylor Anderson (despite earlier reports that she was located) and Monty Dickson.  Email jetwit [at] jetwit.com with additional info/updates as well as any photos or things you would like to share about them. Read More

Mar 16

Earthquake: Interview with Spokane JET in Fukushima

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Via PNWJETAA. 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.
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The following is an Interview with Matthew Giles from Spokane who is a JET in Fukushima. This article was published by the Spokane Review.

“The earthquakes just keep coming.”

For recent Gonzaga University graduate Matthew Gilles, his dream job of teaching English to schoolchildren in Iwaki, on the northeast coast of Japan, has become something else.

“I hate it,” he said Friday. “Even when we’re not having an earthquake, my body is shaking.”

Gilles, 23, who has been in Japan since August, said small temblors are fairly common in Iwaki, so he didn’t respond at first when the big one hit Friday, shortly after he’d gotten off work earlier than usual.

For the rest of the article, click “Read More”.
Read More

Mar 16

Job: Bilingual Japanese Actors/Actresses Needed for Feature Film

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Bilingual Japanese Actors/Actresses Needed for Feature Film

via Jet alum Kia Cheleen (CIR, Aichi-ken 1996-98, ALT 1998-1999). 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: Bilingual Japanese Actors/Actresses Needed for Feature Film

Job Details:

Read More

Mar 16

Job: Legal/Administrative Assistant at Law Firm (Washington DC)

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via JETAA DC. 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: Legal/Administrative Assistant at Law Firm (Washington DC)

Job Details:

We are currently seeking to hire a person for our legal assistant/administrative assistant position having the following qualifications:

• Fluent in Japanese and English to assist DC intellectual property lawyers and Japanese staff in dealing with Japanese and U.S. clients.
• Experience in English and Japanese word-processing software.
• Interest in intellectual property issues (preferred).
• Bachelor’s degree desired, but not required.
• Technical/scientifi c background is a plus, but not required.

Read More

Mar 16

Job: Sasakawa Peace Foundation Fellowship at Pacific Forum

Jobs Comments Off on Job: Sasakawa Peace Foundation Fellowship at Pacific Forum

via JETAA DC. 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: Sasakawa Peace Foundation Fellowship (Resident/Nonresident)

Job Details:

The *Sasakawa Peace Foundation Fellowship (SPF)* is a new program at the Pacific Forum that focuses on US-Japan relations and includes both resident and nonresident fellows. We are currently seeking applicants from Japan and the US for the nonresident program and for the summer 2011 resident program.

Interested young professionals who have an MA, PhD, or equivalent work experience are encouraged to apply. Participants should anticipate attending 2-4 conferences in the Asia-Pacific region as Pacific Forum Young Leaders in the coming year.

Read More

Mar 16

Life After the B.O.E.: March11, 2011

Cartoon/Illustration David Namisato, Life After the B.O.E. Comments Off on Life After the B.O.E.: March11, 2011

Life After the B.O.E. is a comic series about the JET experience by David Namisato (Aomori-ken, 2002-2004), a professional illustrator currently living in Toronto.
Visit David’s website at www.namisato.org.

Mar 15

JET Prefecture Round-up 03.16.11

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Emily Lemmon, Shiso-shi ALT  2009 to present, and editor of Hyogo Times, gives a little taste of what JETs are doing around Japan.

Ongoing

Man up for Japan – a campaign launched across prefectures not affected by the earthquake and tsunami damage. Every JET is encouraged to donate ichi-man (100,000) yen on payday, or before if possible, either via bank transfer or at a post office or Family Mart. So far, 2,303 JETs are planning to participate. See the facebook event page for more information.

Aomori – Aomori JETs, led by Travis Emery, are compiling and delivering supplies to some affected regions, including Minami Sanriku. There are many drop-off locations, including people’s homes in Morioka and Hiroskai, and a school in Oga.

Upcoming

Shikoku Region
Kochi – Yusuhara Fijian/Indian Cooking Day, April 3rd (10am – 2pm). Parents of CIR Kavita will give cooking lessons and demonstrations. Recipes to be distributed in English and Japanese. (Flyer) Cost is free, all donations go to Tohoku Earthquake relief efforts.

Kochi – Windbeat Concert, March 26th, ticket proceeds and CD sale money will be donated to aid earthquake affected region. More information here.

Tokushima – Annual Tokushima AJET Touch Rugby Tournament, to be held the 28th and 29th of May in a beautiful camping ground in Tokushima Prefecture.

Accomplished

Block 6 and 7 V-Day Party in Osaka raised 14,000yen, originally for other causes, but now being donated to provide rice in the earthquake affected region.

Mar 15

Earthquake: Volunteer Information for People in Japan

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Via AJET Website.  Thanks to JET Mike Maher-King (Fukui) of Smile Kids Japan for all his efforts with this:

http://ajet.net/lang/en/2011/03/16/volunteer-information-for-people-in-japan

Mar 15

Earthquake: Official National JETAA USA Fund Established

Earthquake Tsunami Add Comment (7)

I know that many of you have been awaiting next steps on a national JETAA USA fund. We’ve been in correspondence with JETAANY and JETAANC to work on a way to run a national fund through one of our 501c3′s (just found out that Great Lakes is one, as well!). After a lot of email conversations and a considerable amount of due diligence, JETAANY has graciously agreed to convert the JETAANY fund that was announced on Friday to the national JETAA USA fund!

The purpose of this fund is to bring the 19 U.S. chapters together in an organized and concerted effort to raise funds aimed at helping rebuild the affected areas in Japan. Instead of having 19 separate small funds, we felt that if we created a national initiative to drive fund-raising for Japan, it would bring together the JETAA USA community and inspire more overall participation from JET alumni in America. Read More

Mar 15

Earthquake: Perspective From Japan

Advice, Article/Journalism, Earthquake Tsunami, Volunteer Comments Off on Earthquake: Perspective From Japan

Written 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.
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“How can we help?” is the most frequently asked question I have been hearing over the last few days. For my neighbours in the small coastal town of Hodatsushimizu in Ishikawa prefecture, situated on the Sea of Japan, the horror of last week’s tsunami which effortlessly wiped out whole towns is only too poignant. Friends in my local JET and foreign communities are struggling to understand the truth of the situation due to the disparity between the seemingly down-played reports in the Japanese media and sensationalist approach to reports by certain western press. However, everyone is ready and willing to help in whatever way they can. Also eager to help are family and friends around the globe, who are constantly being bombarded with shocking headlines and devastating images of the disaster, causing tensions to run high as my presence in Japan makes them all the more connected.

When the earthquake struck shortly after 2:45pm Friday March 11th, I was sitting at my desk at work, when I started to feel a strange dizziness. It wasn’t until a minute later when other colleagues mentioned the same that we realized we were experiencing a tremor. Registering at only magnitude 3 here in Ishikawa prefecture, the earthquake was largely unfelt, with most people only noting a slight swaying and a seasick-like feeling. However, the length and number of aftershocks indicated the seriousness of the situation at the epicenter, as confirmed by the news reports that started to come in.

Like everyone else around the country (and world) we followed the news in disbelief and shock, uncertainty and a feeling of helplessness taking over. As the extent of the disaster began to unfold over the following days, these feelings have only intensified. While things remain calm and ‘normal’ here in Ishikawa (we are all going to work and have no shortages of food/water/electricity/gas), the nerves of the Japanese, foreign community, and family & friends back home are being tested daily. Although we are not directly affected here, we are all suffering from mixed feelings of fear, confusion, heartache and love for a country that is our home. For all of us now, remaining positive in the face of so much sadness and uncertainty is key.

How Can We Help?

[Donate Money]

This is the most effective and encouraged way to help. Various different funds and suggestions of organisation accepting donations have been doing the rounds. For direct donations to specifically address JET needs in affected areas, AJET has set up the AJET Relief Fund. (There are other recommended relief efforts supported by AJET also listed on the site).  Also, the JET Alumni Association (JETAA) is organizing a large fund raising effort as well.  Details to come.

Other suggested ways to donate:

Be careful to donate through official channels as reports of criminals using this tragedy for monetary gain are already being reported.

[Volunteer]

Planning is underway to assign volunteers once official groups can be coordinated. People are urged to stay where they are until official groups are in place. (The strain on limited supplies and infrastructure in the affected areas is already too great and unorganized volunteers would unfortunately cause more of a hindrance rather than a help).

Volunteer information once available will be posted on JetWit as well as on http://ajet.net/. Various groups that you can join have been set up on facebook, such as this one: I am/will be in Japan and want to volunteer in Tohoku

[Give Blood]

Check where you can donate locally. Here’s one resource listing blood donation rooms: Blood donation rooms etc. Do make sure to check if you can actually donate as there are strict rules. Here’s a good source of info on this: Who can and can not donate blood in japan

[Save Electricity and Don’t Over-Stock Supplies]

As scheduled blackouts are in place for most areas in the North-East, the whole country is being encouraged to save as much electricity as possible. Over stocking of supplies is being discouraged as panic has lead to stores selling out in the Tokyo area, raising concern that this will cause further strain on supplies needed in the worst stricken areas.

[Offer Your Couch]

A group has been setup on CouchSurfing where people in Japan can offer their homes as temporary accommodation for those affected by the earthquake. Check here: http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=39703

Mar 15

Shizuoka 6.0 earthquake or aftershock

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Update:  “There was a 6.0 in Shizuoka, then two small aftershocks (according to JMA, one of the aftershocks was actually a 5.6 quake in Tohoku.”

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Strong quake of upper 6 jolts Shizuoka Pref.

Kyodo News

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 jolted Shizuoka Prefecture and its vicinity, including Tokyo, on Tuesday evening.

The 10:31 p.m. quake registered upper 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the eastern part of Shizuoka, and upper 5 in the eastern part of Yamanashi Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

No tsunami warning was issued.

Just saw FB updates about 6.0 earthquake or aftershock in Shizuoka.

Mar 14

Volunteer Translators

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[via JET alum and Brooklyn-based translator Philip Schnell via Charles Aschmann]

The Japan Association of Translators (JAT) is compiling a list of interpreters willing to volunteer their services to help rescue crews and other people providing help to victims of the earthquake and tsunamis. We are starting by compiling the list, publishing it on the website and trying to contact organizations that are responding. If you are willing to volunteer, either travel or perhaps (if the location allows) electronically, please send your information to webmaster@jat.org.

Please include the following information.

1. Full name

2. Address

3. Language pairs

4. Phone number

5. Mobile phone number

6. Skype name (if you have one)

7. Other means of communication, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

8. Extent to which you can help. (travel, tele-interpreting, etc.)

9. Any other information you feel would be useful.

Also, this Facebook group has been started for translators to provide free translations of disaster-related information:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_160310604024009