Job: Administrative Staff at Kyushu University
Jobs 
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via Jet alum Joel Dechant. 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: Administrative Staff at Kyushu University
http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/g30/employment.html
Job Description:
The Global30 Project Office at Kyushu University is looking for Administrative staff. Click on the link below for more details.
http://www.isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/intlweb/news/news/ad0207_g30.pdf
Job: Job Listings via JETAANY
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via JETAANY. 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 any of these positions, please let them know you learned of it from JetWit. Thanks.
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English into Japanese Quality Manager – Linguistic Opportunity – Nationwide!
Japanese into English Quality Manager – Linguistic Opportunity – Nationwide!
Recreational Specialty Instructor (RSI) @ Shofuso Japanese House & Garden, Phila
Researcher/assistant reporter with Japanese Newspaper
Job:Server at Japanese Fine Dining Restaurant, NYC
Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations seeking Speech writer/Editor
JETAA UK job listings!
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Thanks to JETAA UK Web Content Editor Fiona Steele I just learned that JETAA UK has a section on their most excellent website that provides current job listings:
And here’s the RSS feed:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/JETAAUKJobs
(JETAA UK also has a nifty interactive map on its homepage that tells you how many JETAA UK alums there are from each section of Japan. And if you click on a region, you can see a list of all of the JET alums from a given prefecture. However, you can’t see any information about the individuals unless you have a login and password for the site.)
WIT Life #153: Sapporo Snow Festival
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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 snow here in NYC that we have received in abundance this year is pretty as it’s coming down, but it soon turns into dirty mush or slush beneath our feet. For those looking to enjoy more pristine snow-covered landscapes, look no further than Sapporo’s 雪祭り (yuki matsuri) or Snow Festival. Held every February in Hokkaido’s capital, this hugely popular week-long event brings in 2.5 million visitors and features perennial favorites as well as new sculptures each year. It began in 1950 when local high school students built six snow statues in Odori Park, and five years later the 自衛隊 (jieitai) or Self-Defense Forces joined in and made the first of the colossal sculptures for which the festival is now known. For those of us not lucky enough to be able to see the works in person, please enjoy them virtually with the following video of this year’s festival which began yesterday.
Akita Global Network Newsletter – Vol 2
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Hot off the presses, it’s Volume 2 of the Akita Prefecture Global Network Newsletter (“AGN”). This newsletter is part of Akita-ken’s efforts to stay connected with its JET alumni as well as study abroad students who were based in Akita-ken. And this issue features an essay by Dan Dooher (Akita-ken, 2006-10)
To get on the e-mail list for this pdf newsletter, please contact the Akita Prefecture International Affairs Division at: kokusaika@pref.akita.lg.jp The newsletter welcomes submissions from alumni as well.
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JETs in the News: Lars Martinson featured in Japan Times article on ex-pat comics
Blogs, Books, Cartoon/Illustration, Celebrity, Interview/Profile, Japan Trends, JETs in the News, Notable JET Alums, Return on JET-vestment, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on JETs in the News: Lars Martinson featured in Japan Times article on ex-pat comics
JET alum and 'Tonoharu' creator Lars Martinson.
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JET alum/cartoonist Lars Martinson (Fukuoka-ken 2003-2006), author of the graphic novels Tonoharu: Part Two and Tonoharu: Part 1, is the focus (along with Adam Pasion, author of the Sundogs anthologies) of a thoughtful Japan Times article by Gianni Simone on comics about Japan “that tell it like it is.”
Here’s the link to the article: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20110205a1.html
And below are a few excerpts about Martinson from the article:
The comic life of expats in Japan
Americans Lars Martinson and Adam Pasion tell it like it is with cutting-edge manga
By GIANNI SIMONE Special to The Japan Times
Tales of expat life in Japan all too often get blown out of proportion and quickly become picaresque adventures that little resemble real life.
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Luckily for us, many comic artists who have lived here seem to be more level-headed and have tackled the subject with a more realistic, no-nonsense approach.
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As the title suggests, “Tonoharu: Part Two” is not Martinson’s first foray in the field of expat comics: He self-published the first volume of this four-part saga in 2008 thanks to a grant from the prestigious Xeric Foundation.
Martinson, 33, first arrived in Japan in 2003 to work as an assistant language teacher, and spent the next three years working at a junior high school in a small town in Fukuoka Prefecture. His second stint in this country was in 2008 when he studied East Asian calligraphy under the auspices of a two-year research scholarship from the Japanese government.
Travel had played a pivotal role in his life (he had lived in Thailand and Norway as well), so when he came up with the idea of producing a graphic novel, he decided to make foreign travel a central theme.
“I planned from the start to turn my Japanese experience into a comic,” Martinson says, “even though I didn’t want it to be a mere autobiographical story. So I chose a 20-something American like me as the protagonist, but added a fictional group of eccentric expatriates living in the same rural Japanese town.”
At times living in the middle of nowhere was a challenge. Still, Martinson has no regrets about those three years spent in Kyushu.
“I’m actually a city slicker,” confesses Martinson, “and would love to live in a huge city in Japan at some point. Also, I’m sure that expat communities are awesome, but they can also separate you from the native population. When you live out in the country, you don’t have the option to just hang out with other Westerners, and this can force you to get involved in the host culture in ways you probably wouldn’t otherwise.”
Click here to read the full article: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20110205a1.html
Click here to read more JetWit posts about Lars Martinson:
Click here for Lars Martinson’s official blog/website: http://larsmartinson.com
Foxhound87: Setsubun!
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
Setsubun is a bizarre festival in Japan. I know that calling a Japanese festival bizarre is redundant, but bear with me. Setsubun is the day before the beginning of Spring in Japan. It literally means, “seasonal division.” Roasted soybeans are thrown at an Oni (demon or ogre), while the people say “Demons out! Luck in!” (鬼は外! 福は内!, Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!?). Although this is not common practice in households anymore, most people attend a shrine or temple’s spring festival where this is done. I recently went to Setsubun.
I decided to go to Setsubun with Center of the Universe (Tenri) JETs. We hopped the bus from Tenri Station and walked about 10 minutes to Oyamato Shrine. We walked through the large gate and wandered onto the shrine’s grounds. There was a large bonfire, so we gathered there for a moment to warm up. As I was warming my hands, I noticed an older woman walk up to the fire and throw a department store shopping bag into the fire. My first thought was, “Are people burning their garbage on sacred ground?” Turns out, there was stuff inside the bag. Though no explanation was given to me, I assume people burn things that bring bad luck or memories. Again, this is a guess.
The priests had set up a stand selling bags of soybeans. Each bag had a number in it that corresponded with a prize. I won a bag of potato chips. Yay. Another JET won an apple. Um…yay? When the ceremony started, we moved to the action. 2 priests were sitting on stage next to large drums. They said something in Japanese, hit the drum, and reacted as if horrified. The “demons” had arrived.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
JET ROI: Mainichi Daily, Japan Times article highlights major foreign policy impact of JET alumni
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Update 2/12/11: The same article also subsequently appeared in the Japan Times. This time with Ben Dooley (a former CIR) getting the byline. Here’s the link: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110210f3.html
Thanks to James Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) (Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA), author of the July 3 “JET on the Chopping Block” post and one of the newest members of the JETAANY Board of Directors) for making JetWit aware of this article:
Here’s a great article that just appeared in The Mainichi Daily News titled “Returnees of English-language program key to Japan-U.S. ties.” Notably, the article quotes several JET alums who are established foreign policy experts including:
- Michael Auslin – Director of Japan Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.
- Ben Dolven – Current director of the East Asia division at the Congressional Research Service, the U.S. Congress’ official think tank
- Michael Green – Head of Japan Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former head of the Asia team under President George W. Bush’s National Security Council (Note: Michael was a “Monbusho English Fellow (MEF), a precursor to the JET Program.)
- Andrew Ou – Currentlyworking in the U.S. Embassy’s political section
Here’s a link to the article: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/news/20110205p2g00m0fe017000c.html
Here’s the text of the article:
Returnees of English-language program key to Japan-U.S. ties
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) — When current participants in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program gather, the discussion often focuses on English teaching methods. When the program’s U.S. alumni get together, however, talk often turns to a weightier subject: U.S. foreign policy towards Japan.
Since the program was established in 1987, it has brought tens of thousands of young Americans to Japan to engage in cultural exchange, with a focus on teaching English.
Although the program has an uneven track record when it comes to improving Japanese students’ English, it has quietly and unexpectedly become a powerful tool for achieving another objective: grooming the next generation of American leadership in U.S.-Japan relations.
Michael Auslin, a former participant of JET and prominent Japan expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said recent attacks on the program by the Japanese government’s budget screening have focused on the quality of its English teaching, while ignoring a more important feature as one of Japan’s most valuable tools for conducting “public diplomacy” both with the United States and other countries.
JET’s success in this regard is perhaps best demonstrated by the number of former JETs occupying Japan-related positions in both the academic field and the U.S. government. The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo alone employs 25 former JETs, and JET returnees have done Japan-related work at the highest levels of the U.S. government.
“The JET Program created a fairly large cadre of people who had Japan experience,” says Ben Dolven, a former JET and current director of the East Asia division at the Congressional Research Service, the U.S. Congress’ official think tank.
“You’ve got a core of people who have had this experience all over, who are now part and parcel of U.S. policymaking on Japan,” he said.
Dolven’s point is illustrated by an anecdote told by Michael Green, the head of Japan Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former head of the Asia team under President George W. Bush’s National Security Council.
Green, who participated in a precursor to the JET program, was tasked with putting together a group to examine how the 2001 election of Junichiro Koizumi as Japan’s prime minister might affect its relations with the United States.
The task force consisted of Japan experts from various government agencies, ranging from the Central Intelligence Agency to the Treasury Department.
“The interesting thing about it was that you had all of these people from all of these agencies, who had been JETs…” or, like Green, had participated in similar programs in Japan, he said.
The group put together a set of recommendations that “became, in many ways, a blueprint for President Bush’s first meeting with Koizumi,” Green said.
Dolven said since JET program participants often work in rural areas, the program gives them a more nuanced view of the “real” Japan, a background that provides crucial context for better understanding the country and making informed policy decisions.
“There are lives being lived all over the country, and if you are just focused on Tokyo, you miss so much,” Dolven said.
Auslin also said that JET is probably the most successful, institutionalized, organized way to get young foreigners to obtain a deeper understanding of the “real” Japan.
This sentiment is perfectly embodied by Andrew Ou, a former JET now working in the U.S. Embassy’s political section.
While on the JET program 10 years ago, Ou developed a relationship with Ichita Yamamoto, now a leading figure in Japan’s main opposition Liberal Democratic Party. Ou cites this connection, as well as his JET experience with Japan’s local politics, as invaluable to his current work analyzing Japanese politics.
“You can’t put that into an equation and come out with a figure of how important it is for bilateral relations,” he said. But he believes that his own and others’ experiences on the JET program “add up to invaluable benefits for the U.S.-Japan relationship.”
Recent criticism of the JET program comes at a time when many scholars have observed an increasing tendency in Japan towards turning “inward,” contributing to what the Japan Center for International Exchange, a New York-based think tank, has called an erosion in the “the institutional base of U.S.-Japan policy dialogue and study.”
Ou finds criticism of the JET program especially disappointing. “I think as a group, JET alumni have a bigger impact on bilateral policy than any other,” he said.
And that is what makes it essential to “emphasize how important the JET program was and is for me and countless other diplomats,” he said.
(Mainichi Japan) February 5, 2011
Learn Chinese New York – Chinese Language Night
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J-DOC, C-DOC, and K-DOC are recurring features written by Friend Of JET, Jon Hills, who maintains the blog for Hills Learning (www.hillslearning.com). Hills Learning is a NY-based language learning services company offering customized and personal Japanese, Chinese, English, and Korean language learning options.
This event listing can be found at: Chinese Event NYC or Chinese Classes Dallas.
Are you interested in learning Chinese, and celebrating Chinese New Year at the same time? Come join the staff at Hills Learning for a fun night out to celebrate the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival. This is a great opportunity to Learn Chinese in New York, so please join and bring your friends. Oh yeah, 新年快乐! (Happy New Year in Chinese)
Job: Business Development Associate for Japanese NPO (NYC)
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via MAX Consulting Group. 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 Number: F6581
Location: NYC
Industry: Non-Profit
Title: Business Development Associate
Job Description:
Primary Duties: Discover companies willing to invest in Japan, especially in Service and Environment industry. Attend trade shows and visit potential companies. Follow up and assist those companies willing to develop business in Japan. Secondary Duties: To assist alliance between Japan and the US in high-tech industry, bring American corporate employees to Japan and vice versa and coordinate business meetings. Assist promoting export business from Japan. Sales experience is preferred but not a must. Some Business Trips. Proficiency in Japanese is preferable, but not a must.
Please email your resume to info @maxjob.com or call 212-949-6660.
Job: Japanese Web Designer (Seattle)
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via JETAA Pacific Northwest via Craigslist. 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: Japanese Web Designer (Seattle)
Job Details:
JEN, Inc. (www.jeninc.com / www.youmaga.com), a Japanese media company in Seattle Washington, is looking for a full time or freelance web designer. Japanese language skill must be native level. Experienced in website production / updates is preferred.
Skill Required:
Please reply with a cover letter, resume and a link to your samples.
Contact: 206-624-5777 / email@jeninc.com
NYTimes column: “Dominating the Man Cave” by JET alum Bruce Feiler
Article/Journalism, Books, Celebrity, Notable JET Alums, Writers Comments Off on NYTimes column: “Dominating the Man Cave” by JET alum Bruce Feiler
A thoughtful column in today’s New York Times on the topic of ESPN and man culture by JET alum Bruce Feiler, author of Learning to Bow, Walking the Bible and several other best-sellers including his recent book The Council of Dads:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/fashion/06ThisLife.html?_r=1&src=twrhp
JETs with JDs >> What Student Loan Reform Means for the Law Student
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Andrew R. McCarthy (Akita-ken, 2005-08) is a law student at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law focusing on international trade, business, and tax. He currently runs the blog JETs with J.D.s, an information source for current JET alumni law students and prospective law students for career paths and approaches within the current legal market. For those considering law school and trying to comprehend the costs and the risks of such an endeavor, he also recommends The Law School Tuition Bubble.
When you’re graduating with a great legal mind, $100k in student loan debt, and the best job offers you have are all tossing you $50k or less, what is there to do? Roll over and die, perhaps? This JETs with J.D.s post looks at the basic structure of student loan reforms, particularly the expansion of income-based repayment, and why it’s going to be an often consulted resource for the law graduates in the “Lost Generation.”
Full post is available here.
Justin’s Japan: Interview with stylist Haruo Noro on NYC’s Lunar New Year Celebration
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Haruo Noro brings his unique stylings to NYC's Lunar New Year Celebration Saturday, Feb. 5. (Courtesy of Julia Dubrovich)
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Haruo Noro came to the U.S. to open his own salon after finding success as a stylist in Japan and London. Last year, he worked with the networking site AsianInNY on their “Lucullen” Lunar New Year Fashion Show for designer Joyce Huang. Today (Feb. 3) marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, and to ring in the Year of the Rabbit AsianInNY has teamed up with the Greater Chinatown Community Association to present their Lunar New Year Celebration this Saturday in Manhattan. I caught up with Noro, who is again working with his stylists and make-up artists for this distinguished cultural event.
Please tell us about your journey to New York from Japan.
I was born and raised in Aomori, Japan, within a family of stylists. My initial training, cutting technique, discipline and inspiration was born here as well. As my experience grew, so did my thirst for new adventures. I wanted to see the world of fashion and beauty. I wanted to expand my knowledge and creativity.
The salon sponsored me to continue my education in London at the Vidal Sassoon Academy, which is where I first experienced a full variety of hair types and textures. London opened my mind through its culture and fashion, giving me the confidence with my skills and the possibilities in the styling industry.
I have been lucky to have had an offer as an assistant to a top stylist in New York City, Oscar Blandi, through which my learning experience continued. I fully blossomed into a complete stylist during my time there. I continued on to Rita Hazan and then my path became clear. I opened my very own salon, which is in the vision as I have always imagined. Fashion, beauty, diversity and creativity here is endless.
How did you first get involved with AsianInNY? What events have you worked on with them before and what was the reaction from the public?
I first got involved with AsianInNY in 2010. When I heard about this opportunity, I was very excited to be part of the Lucullen Fashion Show at the Lunar New Year Celebration. I was especially enthusiastic about having the support of the Asian community in New York, which I am a part of. The designer loved our work, a sophisticated braided bun, which complimented the garments and added a stylish flair. We have received many positive reviews and are happy to be back this year as a sponsor for AsianInNY’s biggest Lunar New Year Celebration in New York City, this time doing both hair and make-up for two designers, as well as singers participating in the show.
What kind of styling are you doing for the upcoming Lunar New Year Celebration and who are you working with?
We will be styling for two designers Way Zen and Janet Zheng. I will be working with my salon team. Haruo Noro Salon will be doing both hair and make-up. The hair for Way Zan collection will be simple yet romantic, loose updos. The hair for Janet Zheng menswear will be natural yet edgy. The make-up lead artist Wenya Chang describes the look as a beautiful look that simply emphasizes the natural beauty of the woman. Light shimmery brown on the eyes, with a rosy flush on the cheeks and a glossy natural lip color. Most importantly, a sexy, dewy complexion.
How would you describe your own style in determining the perfect cut? Did you find yourself adapting your creativity in order to match the image of the Lunar New Year Celebration?
I am always inspired by the artistry in the designs and intuitively create what I see as a companion piece of art. I strive to create a masterpiece each and every time.
Click here for the complete interview.
Music City JETAA (aka Nashville) reveals its new logo!
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Via Music City JETAA President Terry Vo, who is also the JET Program and MEXT Coordinator at the Consul-General of Japan in Nashville:
“We JUST revealed our new logo at the JET Returnees Welcome Reception last Friday, January 28, 2011 at the Consul General’s Residence.”
“We had over 20 JET alumni attend from Tennessee and Kentucky and it was a REALLY successful event. The evening began with Consul General Sato’s high regards for the JET Program and how he sees JET Alumni as “one of the greatest assets in Japan-U.S. relations.” Consul General Sato then asked for the five recent returnees to give short speeches about their experience on the JET Program.”
Meanwhile, here are some upcoming events for JETAA Music City:
- Saturday, February 12th – Cooking Night with Master Sushi Chef Toshihiro Nishimoto, 6pm (Attached is the information)
- Sunday, March 27th– Hanami (More info to come!)
