Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as art, film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she offers some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful holiday weekend, and that your Thanksgiving was filled with lots of food, fun and family/friends! This is the season of expressing gratitude, and I can’t help but be thankful for this venue where I can share my thoughts. Specifically, I’m grateful that I began my Japanophile journey in high school and that it’s taken me this far.

My work as an interpreter is slowly starting to rebound, and I am deeply appreciative for that. I was tickled to find that there is an interpreter out there who recently received official recognition for his skills, that being none other than the Angels’ two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.

Following Ohtani being deemed the American League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) this year, Mizuhara received a Most Valuable Interpreter (MVI) award from the Angels. On Twitter, fans wholeheartedly agreed with the team’s sentiment: “The existence of Ippei is indispensable not only for Shohei, but for all of us.”

Read More

************By Makoto Shirai, secretary, Japan-Insights Research Institute (Non-profit organization in Tokyo)

Dear Friends,

Have you visited the land of the Japanese blade?

Let me introduce an essay from Japan-Insights archives.

The twenty-fourth one is on The Soul of the Japanese Blade by Dr. Erich Pauer.

https://topics.japan-insights.jp/Public/pdf/japan-insights_jp/topics/JIN_SoulOfJapaneseBlade.pdf

Please share this expert’s experience!

Japan-Insights is a nonprofit open database compiled by leading experts in Japanese studies. The posts present a broad range of historical and contemporary topics that encourage visitors to engage with the real Japan through immersive experiences. Follow the Facebook page and website to learn about and share these insights from around the country!”

#japan #japaneseculture #blade

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

---

Position:  EFL Instructor
Posted by: Kaichi Nihonbashi Gakuen (KNG)
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to JET alumnus, Jonathan Andreano (Kagoshima-ken, 2011-2013) for passing along the attached job opening at his current institution.

Kaichi Nihonbashi Gakuen (KNG), an authorized International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in Tokyo, Japan is currently seeking bilingual instructors to join its teaching faculty from April 2022. The school is a six-year combined junior and senior high school implementing the Middle Years Program (MYP) and Diploma Program (DP). To offer immersion learning experiences, 30% of full time faculty are either native English speakers or bilingual Japanese.

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please view the below document.

December 1, 2021

Find your timezone: 7pm EST (6pm CST, 5pm MST, 4pm PST, 2pm HST)

REGISTER HERE

Join the Florida JET Alumni Association on Dec 1st for an important virtual discussion on the legacy of the Japanese Americans (“Nisei”) who served in the US military during World War II amidst strong anti-Japanese feelings in America after the Pearl Harbor attack. In this webinar, Hawaii-based entrepreneur Stacey Hayashi will discuss her manga, “Journey of Heroes” about the 100/442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), and the movie that she produced, “Go for Broke! An Origin Story” (Best Hawaiian Film, 2017 and 2018 Feature Film). She will be joined by General David A. Bramlett (US Army, Ret.) and Tokuji Yoshihashi (US Army, Ret.), who bravely served in the all-Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

---

Position: Various Positions
Posted by: Mitsuwa Marketplace
Location: Various States, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Here are listings at Mitsuwa Marketplace shared by JETAASC:

Mitsuwa Marketplace, a beloved grocery store in Southern California that provides customers access to high quality Japanese food, products, and services, has several job postings available on its website.

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

---

Position:  Program Coordinator, Asia Program
Posted by: The German Marshall Fund of the United States
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Here’s a job received directly from the organization:

The Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States is hiring a full-time Program Coordinator in its Washington, DC office. GMF’s Asia Program fosters coordinated U.S.-European approaches to common challenges in the Indo-Pacific region while building closer U.S.-European-Asian partnerships.

The Program Coordinator will coordinate day-to-day administration of the Asia Program and lead planning and organizational efforts related to the Indo-Pacific region, particularly our Japan, Taiwan, and Korea portfolios, which includes the Japan Trilateral Forum, the Taiwan Trilateral Forum, the Young Strategists Forum, and other U.S.-based convening. Other responsibilities include liaising with GMF’s internal and external networks, preparing budgets and proposals, event logistics and communications, intern management, drafting program materials, fundraising, research and editorial support, and other items.

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here.

JETwit’s JET Alum Movers & Shakers is produced by Ryan Hata (Tottori-ken, 2014-2017), Margie Banin (Kochi-ken, 2005-2007), and Jim Walsh (Fukushima-ken, 2018-2020). Want to be featured next? Submit your information here.

Accomplishment:
Stephanie Toriumi wrote a book about her time on JET in Ishigaki City, Okinawa.

Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture is home to the southernmost city of Japan and known for its coral reefs, village traditions, and folk performing arts. Stephanie calls Ishigaki City her new home while serving on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme.

As she immerses herself into the rich and vibrant culture, Stephanie discovers that behind the pristine blue and rosy red colors of the island lies a dark history of bloodshed, malaria, tsunamis, and more. Through her interactions with islanders, she comes to understand the meaning of Shimanchū, the term they use to identify themselves.

Shimanchū: A Memoir of Ishigaki Island offers a captivating glimpse of past and present life in the Yaeyama Islands from the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom to modern-day Japan through the author’s lens as a nisei from Hawaii.

Public Information:

Amazon Kindle (US):
https://amzn.to/3DqBakh

Amazon Kindle (Japan):
https://amzn.to/3qQwe4Z

Apple Books:
https://apple.co/3FsHdW2

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

---

Position: Finance and Grants Director
Posted by: Densho
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to PNW JETAA for forwarding the following opportunity:

As described from their website, “Densho is a nonprofit organization…with the initial goal of documenting oral histories from Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II. This evolved into a mission to educate, preserve, collaborate and inspire action for equity.” They are looking  to hire a Finance and Grants Director

Application Process: For more information and to apply please click here: https://densho.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Job-Description-Finance-and-Grants-Director.pdf 

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

---

Position: Japanese Instructor
Posted by: The George Washington University
Location: Washington, DC
Contract: Part-Time

Here is a job in the D.C. area passed along to us:

The Japanese program at George Washington University is seeking a part-time instructor of Beginning Japanese who will replace a current instructor for one semester (Spring 2022).

The instructor will teach four 50-minute drill sections on Monday and Wednesday in close coordination with the instructor in the lecture section. A candidate must have a near-native proficiency in Japanese and an MA in a Japanese language related field such as language pedagogy, linguistics, and Japanese literature.

Application Process: If you are interested in the position, please contact Shoko Hamano at hamano@gwu.edu.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

---

Position: Program Officer for Japanese and Korean, Critical Language Scholarship
Posted by: American Councils for International Education
Location: Washington, DC
Contract: Full-Time

Here is jobs in the D.C. area passed along to us:

The CLS Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is an immersive language and cultural program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Each summer students spend 8-10 weeks abroad studying one of fifteen critical languages. The program includes intensive language instruction and cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains. 

Based in Washington, DC, the Program Officer for Japanese and Korean reports to the CLS Program Manager and is responsible for program administration and logistics, communication with program participants and partnering institutions in regions providing Japanese and Korean immersion language programs.

The Program Officer will also remotely manage a team of Resident Directors, and work with a team of regional Program Officers to analyze program successes and challenges. In addition to planning and managing in-person study abroad programs, the Program Officer will also work on virtual programming for Japanese and Korean languages. This is a full-time position. Knowledge of Japanese or Korean is preferred but not required.

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

---

Position: CFO Encore Fellow
Posted by: Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Here’s an opportunity passed along to us:

The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center is seeking a CFO Encore Fellow.  You can learn more about the Fellowship at  https://bit.ly/CFOJACCC.

Application Process: Additional information on the Encore Fellows program can be found at this link.  If this isn’t the right opportunity for you, but you want to learn more about the program, please reach out to me at jbamberger@encore.org.

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

---

Position: Marketing & Administrative Assistant
Posted by: Milliman
Location: Seattle, WA or Portland, OR, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to PNW JETAA for passing along the following opportunities:

Positions available in Portland and Seattle for Marketing & Administrative Assistant.  

Milliman is among the world’s largest providers of actuarial, risk management, and technology solutions with consulting and advanced analytics capabilities encompassing employee benefits, healthcare, property and casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services. 

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here.

JETAA‎‎‎‏‏‎​ Podcast Beat is a weekly round-up of current JET and JET alumni podcasts and podcast appearances compiled by Emmalee Manes (Toyama-ken, 2016-19)

Do you have a podcast or did you recently appear in a podcast? Help us share it with the community by filling out this form.

Welcome to the JETAA Podcast Beat! We’re excited to share the newest podcast episodes from JET alumni and current JETs. If you have the chance, please enjoy listening to one of these recent episodes this week!

Healthy Life「健康的な生活」with Patrick!

Emmalee and Patrick talk about ways that they exercise, how to stay healthy at work, and reasons why they think it may be easier to live a healthy life in Japan.

インスタ: @yoppareikaiwa

メール: yoppareikaiwa@gmail.com

是非、インスタでメッセージをください〜

聞いてくれてありがとうございます！

He Said, She Said

I spoke with Christy Burke, president and founder of Burke & Company, a public relations and marketing firm specializing in legal tech, and Doug Austin, editor of eDiscovery Today, a publication covering the electronic discovery industry, about their new podcast: He Said, She Said. We discussed the first episode focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, the key takeaways, topics for future programs, and trends driving e-discovery and legal technology forward.

What’s New in the Legal News: Free Speech and Violence

The USLawEssentials Law & Language podcast continues its What’s New in the Legal News series with a discussion of the civil lawsuit against organizers of the violent 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. In that rally, ‘white nationalists’ gathered to protest the removal of a statue and then violently attacked plaintiffs. The lawsuit alleges that the organizers and protestors conspired to commit the violence and should be held liable for the injuries they caused.

Daniel Edelson and Stephen Horowitz discuss the lawsuit – –  Sines v. Kessler – – which was brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1985. 42 U.S.C. § 1985 is a statute that enables plaintiffs to sue people in federal court who conspire to violate their civil rights.

Japan Travel Destination: Hokkaido ft. Kay Allen

In this episode, the Krewe are re-joined by a guests from season 1, Kay Allen (Japan National Tourism Organization) to discuss all things Hokkaido! With the distinction of being the largest prefecture in Japan, Hokkaido offers some of the top winter sports experiences in Japan, incredible natural landscapes, and the chance to learn about the culture and history of the indigenous Ainu people. The Krewe and Kay take listeners on a journey through Hokkaido, exploring what to see and do, where to stay, how to travel there, and so much more! If you are planning a trip to Japan (especially Hokkaido) for the future, this is an episode you do not want to miss!

Design Adjacent: W. David Hubbard on the hows and whys of creativity

W. David Hubbard is Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Verizon. He leads Verizon’s marketing, intellectual property, and new media law and policy team. David also serves as general counsel for the philanthropic Verizon Foundation, dedicated to solving critical social issues in the areas of education, health care and energy management, particularly in underserved communities. In this episode of AIGA Design Adjacent, host Bennie Johnson talks with David about not only the creative field but his path and why creativity was instrumental in career and offers listeners an opportunity to hear how legal and marketing can work together.

************By Makoto Shirai, secretary, Japan-Insights Research Institute (Non-profit organization in Tokyo)

Dear Friends,

Have you visited to the land of gold and silver?

Let me introduce an essay from Japan-Insights archives.

The twenty-third one is on Cipangu, Land of Gold and Silver by Dr. Regine Mathias.

https://topics.japan-insights.jp/Public/pdf/japan-insights_jp/topics/JIN_LandOfGoldAndSilver.pdf

Please share this expert’s experience!

Japan-Insights is a nonprofit open database compiled by leading experts in Japanese studies. The posts present a broad range of historical and contemporary topics that encourage visitors to engage with the real Japan through immersive experiences. Follow the Facebook page and website to learn about and share these insights from around the country!”

#japan #japaneseculture #silver

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email.

---

Position: Program Leader
Posted by: CET Academic Programs (Multiple Positions)
Location: China, France, Italy, Japan, or USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to JET alumna, Kate Maruyama (Osaka, 2005-2008) for passing along the following job opening with CET:

CET is seeking program leaders for our High School and Pre-college summer programs. Pre-departure, the Program Leader works closely with the Global Perspectives Team to develop location specific academic and reflective activities, excursions, and discussion topics, based on the core course curriculum and learning plan. While on-site, the Program Leader is responsible for implementing these activities and facilitating these discussions, with the support of the Local Coordinator.

The Program Leader is also in charge of student health, safety, and behavior, and stays with the students in a hostel or hotel during the second city excursion.

Locations: Siena, Italy; Toulouse, France; Malaga, Spain; Osaka, Japan; Shanghai, China; Washington, DC

Application Process For more information and to apply, please click here. The application deadline is January 1, 2022.