Jan 21

Saving JET: JET Alumni Groups….by Prefecture

Local Government, Networking, Return on JET-vestment, Uncategorized

What does “Saving JET” have to do with joining your JET prefecture’s LinkedIn group?

The biggest threat to JET (and JETAA) now is attrition at the local government level as prefectural governments increasingly choose to reduce costs by getting ALTs from dispatch companies rather than hiring JETs.
The most effective way to counter this trend is to demonstrate a positive ROJ (“Return on JET-vestment”) at the local government level.
Local governments have expressed a strong interest in being able to connect and communicate with JET alumni who worked in their prefectures.
JET Alumni have never been organized by prefecture….

……until now. So please do your part and sign up for your respective JET Alumni LinkedIn Group below. It’s one small act of giving back to your prefecture that can make a big difference over time.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

–Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, Kariya-shi, 1992-94)
jetwit [at] jetwit.com

Prefectural JET Alumni LinkedIn Groups

FYI: All groups below were created in connection with JetWit and not by the prefectural governments. They’re just intended to help facilitate future communications.
Current JETs and Monbusho English Fellows (MEFs) welcome too, as always. Additionally, prefectural and other government employees as well as residents of each prefecture are welcome to join the groups.
If anyone would like to be a “Manager” for their respective LinkedIn group, that would be very helpful. Just get in touch. Primary role will be approving requests to join the group.
You may of course join other groups in addition to your own prefecture’s group if it’s helpful to you.

Note on Methodology: I took a relatively awkward approach to setting this all up. I created subgroups via my LinkedIn account. However, LinkedIn only lets a user create up to 10 groups and up to 20 subgroups, so I had to create a new LinkedIn account (“Jet Wit”) and use that account to set up the rest of the prefectural alumni groups. Not ideal, but it seemed to be the best solution under the circumstances and given limited resources. It’s always better to have something than nothing. I’m very open to any ideas and suggestions on better ways to set this up.

Jan 20

National AJET’s “Life After JET”: Andrew Sowter

Advice, Career, Interview/Profile, Uncategorized

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National AJET shares former JET participants’ experiences – and a little advice – with current JETs in their new monthly interview, Life After JET. Contact lifeafterjet [at] ajet.net to be featured in future posts.

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This month, we further explore ways to build a teaching career in Japan from the JET experience. We interviewed Andy Sowter, a former-Prefectural ALT who taught at high schools and elementary schools for four years in Nara. After completing a Masters Degree in Applied Linguistics / Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), he is now a lecturer at Kwansei Gakuin University in their Intensive English Program.

Andy recommends that JET participants looking to use JET as a springboard to teach at a Japanese university need to start preparing early. Many universities look for experience presenting and publishing and “the Mid-Year Training Seminars are a good place to start.” In addition, he recommends that university job-seekers “join JALT and attend a few meetings to get a feel for the people you will be competing with for jobs.” For more advice from Andy, see the full interview or check out AJET’s Life After JET links page to find more information about the qualifications, resources, etc mentioned in this article.

National AJET: I know that you started working on your Masters while on JET. Since you didn’t have a background in linguistics before that, did you need to do any extra preparation?

Andy Sowter: I started doing my Masters during my 3rd year of JET, I finished JET after my 4th year to complete my Masters full time in Australia. Working and studying with a young family was difficult [so take] advantage of the extra free time that JET often gives you to study (either Japanese or a qualification).

To apply, I had to write a letter to the program chair stating the reasons why I thought I would be able to complete a degree in Applied Linguistics coming from a science-based background. Before applying I corresponded with the program chair to make that personal connection, I think this helped. However, I did also have a CELTA degree and three years of teaching experience to back up my application.

I was very happy with my results as I think they reflected the amount of effort I put into my studies. Seriously, anyone who decides they want to do further study has to commit, it takes a huge amount of time and effort.

NAJET: Can you tell me a little bit about your Masters programme?

Andy Sowter: My program was done through an Australian-based university called Griffith University. They had a distance education masters program [that was recommended by other JETs]. The program was designed to be completed part time over two years. It was completely course based (i.e. no thesis, just huge assignments). Two of the courses required evaluation of classroom teaching and lesson planning. I chose to go back to Australia to complete these but I could have done it externally if I could have found someone here in Japan willing and qualified to do so. By going back to Australia and completing my courses internally I managed to complete my degree in 18 months.

NAJET: What kind of requirements are there for teaching in Japanese universities?

Andy Sowter: It is getting harder and harder to get jobs as student numbers decline. To succeed in the Japanese university system you need a Masters Degree. In addition, you [must have] teaching experience in a university, [be published], [have Japanese language proficiency], and contacts [to] acquire better teaching positions.

When I started out, I took part time jobs. I managed to get some publications and made good contacts. After a year teaching part time, I [got] a full-time contract position and then relatively quickly a second better full-time (contract) position (my current job).

Click here for the rest of the interview.

Jan 20

Update: JET-Tourist Tally Project

Return on JET-vestment

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Check out the latest numbers for the JET-Tourist Tally Project (i.e., how much tourism revenue alone does JET generate directly for the Japanese economy?)

https://jetwit.com/wordpress/2010/12/08/project-how-much-tourism-revenue-has-jet-generated-for-japan/

Tentative conclusion thus far?
With over 250 respondents to date, it looks like it’s fair to say that the average JET generates tourism revenue for Japan in an amount equivalent to about 1/5 to 1/6 of their salary. In other words, you could argue that 1/5 to 1/6 of the budget for JET salaries should be subtracted right off the bat for discussion purposes. This is in addition to other return on investment from JET (e.g., financial, diplomatic, cultural).

Jan 20

Job: InternAsia Program (Cambodia)

Jobs international development, Internship, marketing, travel, under 35

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Stephanie Boegeman (ALT, Akita-ken, 2006-09) gets her kicks from finding fun crazy ways to see the world and getting paid to do it. She is constantly in search of job, internship, and travel ideas to add to her site Playing With Hire, in the hopes that more JET alumni and like-minded souls join her in her quest to find creative, inspiring, and unique ways to make ends meet.

If you’re looking for a first step into the world of international development, you may want to consider interning with the Parivartan Project in Cambodia. Applicants must be able to commit to a year abroad, and be between 22 and 35 years old. Detailed information on the program can be found here.

Jan 19

Justin’s Japan: Nintendo 3DS Comes to America March 27

Article/Journalism, Japan Trends, Justin's Japan

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3D gaming becomes reality when the Nintendo 3DS hits stores March 27. (Nintendo Co., Ltd.)

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.

Nintendo announced at a press event today (Jan. 19) that its newest handheld video game console, the Nintendo 3DS, will be available in North America on March 27 for $249.99, hitting stores less than a month after its Japanese debut.

The 3DS is the latest incarnation of Nintendo’s portable DS series, which have sold more than 135 million units worldwide since 2004, making it second to Sony’s PlayStation 2 in total sales. Nintendo’s hook this time that should push them over the top employs a method called autostereoscopy, which provides gaming on a special screen without the need for 3D glasses.

Other features include special augmented reality games, backward compatibility with other DS titles, a Virtual Console service for users to purchase Game Boy and Game Boy Color favorites, 3D movie support, StreetPass and SpotPass mode for wireless and Internet gaming, and a Mii Maker that creates a Mii avatar based off a photo taken with the 3DS’ built-in camera. Other interactive functions, like a pedometer and a 3D camera on the back of the device, are expected to increase the console’s appeal to non-gamers as well, according to Nintendo of America’s president Reggie Fils-Aime.

Click here for the complete story.

Jan 19

Justin’s Japan: Anime Smash ‘Evangelion 2.0’ Invades North America

Article/Journalism, Film, Justin's Japan

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Asuka Langley returns in 'Evangelion 2.0,' opening in New York Jan. 21. (Eleven Arts/FUNimation)

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.

This Friday (Jan. 21), Cinema Asia Releasing, Eleven Arts and FUNimation Entertainment are set to launch the second installment of the Evangelion film series, as Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance premieres in New York and nearly 80 other locations in North America.

Presented in English, 2.0 is the second film in a four part series that re-imagines the sci-fi animated blockbuster TV series Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996). Written and directed by series mastermind Hideaki Anno, the film was one of the top five highest grossing Japanese films of 2009 with box office in excess of $40 million. The franchise itself has grossed over a billion dollars to date, and has become a staple of cosplayers worldwide.

Prior to this week’s debut, the film—which blends apocalyptic mecha action and adolescent angst with thought-provoking religious iconography—bowed at festivals around the world including France, Germany, Finland and Australia. The preceding installment, Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone (2007), will also screen in New York for two nights starting today (Jan. 19).

Click here for the complete story.

Jan 19

FoxHound87: “Awesome” originates in the Iga Ninja Village

Uncategorized

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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.

I visited the ninja village of Iga in Mie Prefecture. There were (are?) two major ninja clans in Japan: Iga Clan in Mie and the Koga clan in Shiga. I boarded the train bound for Kamo, Kyoto then switched to the super rural trains to get to Iga. It only took me about 1 ½ hrs to get there. The scenery of Mie was very pretty, but also pretty empty. It’s hard to believe there is a prefecture more rural than Nara. It was also snowing. I have experienced a little bit of snow in Nara City, but it was just a small dusting. ACTUAL snow was falling in Mie. The Floridian in me was actually excited, especially because I was warm and cozy in the train.

The city of Iga is covered in ninja imagery. Ninja cartoons animals, fake weapons shops, and tourist pamphlets line the streets near the train station. I met with my crew (about 11 other Nara JETs) and we made out way to the ninja museum. The entrance to the ninja museum is a stone stairway. The addition of black ice made this trek a bit more nerve-racking.

We finally reached the entrance, paid for the museum AND show, then entered the replica ninja house. Our ninja guide sat us down in the tatami room and began her explanation of the ninja house. Because she did not speak English, she pulled down from shades which had the English explanation printed on them. The guide showed me all the ways my apartment sucks…

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.

http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/

Jan 18

Jobs: High School and Elementary Teachers Needed (Ibaraki)

Jobs

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Via the Fukushima JETs listserv:

Tsukuba International School (TIS) is looking for a full-time elementary school teacher and two full-time junior high school teachers to start in September 2011. If you are a certified teacher and you are looking for an opportunity to stay in Japan after your JET contract finishes, please have a look at the job ad below.

Tsukuba International School Seeks Full-Time Elementary School Teacher
Read More

Jan 18

Job: Administrative Assistant at Embassy of Japan (Washington, DC)

Jobs, Uncategorized

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Via Shinpai Deshou, an online resource to help Japanese Studies majors figure out how to make a living doing what they love:

The Economics Section at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC currently needs an administrative Assistant. Position is open until filled, and more details can be found here.

Jan 18

Justin’s Japan: Japanese Sci-fi Film ‘GANTZ’ Holds World Premiere This Week

Film, Japan Fix, Justin's Japan

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'GANTZ' world premiere is Jan. 20 in the U.S. (Courtesy of Nikkatsu)

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.

GANTZ, a new sci-fi film from Japan, is making its international world premiere at 325 U.S. movie theaters (including three in New York City) in an exclusive one-night event on Thursday, Jan. 20. Based on the long-running manga and anime series originally created by Hiroya Oku, GANTZ stars two of Japan’s biggest leading actors, Kazunari Ninomiya (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City), who will both participate in an special live interview exclusive to this event.

Presented by NCM Fathom and New People, in association with Dark Horse Comics, GANTZ tells the story of childhood friends Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, who are accidentally killed while trying to save another man’s life. Rather than find themselves in the hereafter, however, they awaken in a strange apartment in which they find a mysterious black orb they come to know as “GANTZ.” Along with similar abductees, they are provided with equipment and weaponry and manipulated into playing a kind of game in which they are sent back out to the greater world to do battle with alien beings, all while never quite knowing whether this game is an illusion or their new reality.

Click here for the rest of the article.

Jan 18

WIT Life #150: Tiger Mask, Toshiba’s Strides and a Moncchichi Milestone

Japan Trends, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers

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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.

Recent articles from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times brings bright tidings from Japan in the midst of a new year which has started with PM Kan’s low popularity ratings and a still lagging economy. One WSJ article describes the recent phenomenon of the Tiger Mask movement. On Christmas Day last year, a gift of 10 school bags was left at a child welfare facility with a note signed by “Naoto Date.” This was a reference to a character from a popular 1960s manga and TV anime called Tiger Mask. Naoto Date was a wrestling hero who went by the name Tiger Mask and who had grown up in an orphanage.

This act of generosity made by someone adopting this name has inspired numerous copycat donations, and in total there have been Read More

Jan 18

Any JETs or JET alums in Kasugai, Komaki or Inuyama (Aichi-ken)?

Uncategorized

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If you’re a JET or JET alum who lives or lived in Kasugai, Komaki or Inuyama, or anywhere in the vicinity, please get in touch ASAP at jetwit [at] jetwit.com. We may need your help.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

-Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, Kariya-shi, 1992-94)

Jan 18

Any JETs or JET alums with Georgia connections in Japan?

Article/Journalism

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Via JET alum Jessica Cork who works at the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta:

Trevor Williams, the editor of Global Atlanta, will be visiting Japan at the end of this month and would like to interview some young professionals or entrepreneurs in Japan, preferably those who have Georgia connections. If you are interested, please contact him directly:

Trevor Williams
Editor, www.globalatlanta.com
twilliams@globalatlanta.com
Office: (404) 377-7710
Mobile: (706) 615-4599

Jan 17

Jobs: Academic Positions and Fellowships for Japanophiles

Academic, Career, Jobs

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Via Shinpai Deshou, an online resource to help Japanese Studies majors figure out how to make a living doing what they love:

Lots of great academic posts have been popping up lately on Shinpai Deshou, including:

Lecturer in Japanese at University of Michigan
Deadline: Jan 30th
Associate Professor in International Exchange at Tokyo Gakugei University
Deadline: Feb 10
The Takahashi Fellowship in Japanese Studies at the Walter H. Shorenstein
Asia-Pacific Research Center
Deadline: Position open until filled
Instructor for Manga and Animation at the IES Abroad Tokyo Center
Deadline: Position open until filled

Jan 17

Justin’s Japan: Interview with Jazz Pianist Marcus Roberts

Article/Journalism, Interview/Profile, Justin's Japan

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The Marcus Roberts Trio performs in NYC Jan. 18-23. (Courtesy of Florida State University)

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.

Blind since the age of four, at 21 years old Marcus Roberts was invited by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to join his band in the mid-’80s, playing on such Grammy Award-winning albums as J Mood and Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. 1. Six years of touring with Marsalis followed, establishing Roberts as one of the vanguards of young American jazz pianists. Roberts formed his own trio in 1993, and since then he’s been indefatigably presenting his interpretive style around the world as a musician, recording artist and assistant professor of jazz studies at Florida State University.

This week finds the Marcus Roberts Trio, with Rodney Jordan on bass and NEA Jazz Master/Wynton’s little brother Jason Marsalis on drums, in a weeklong residency at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. I spoke with Roberts about his discovery of jazz, the role of technology in his life as a musician, and his thoughts on working with legends like Marsalis and Seiji Ozawa.

What can fans expect from your upcoming shows in New York?

They can expect sort of a wide range of what we like to choose from our repertoire—we have a pretty broad repertoire. We play standard tunes of [George] Gershwin and Cole Porter; we play blues by [Thelonious] Monk and [Duke] Ellington; we play [John] Coltrane’s music; we have a lot of original music that we play; and Jelly Roll Morton. It’s going to be a little bit freer this week, you know. We’re just going to look through the book and pick kind of a historical tour of jazz, if you will.

What was your introduction to jazz?

I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and I first started playing piano in church. I was self taught for four years, from eight to 12, and then at 12 I was listening to the radio and I happened to hear Duke Ellington. And I just remember being really enamored with his touch; his style; the chords he was playing. And it went from there; I went from Duke to Louis Armstrong and then I ventured to Miles Davis and Coltrane and Monk, and one by one as the years went on, I got more deep in being interested in how these guys were playing all this stuff that they were coming up with, and how I could emulate that.

Who was your first love in music?

Probably Duke Ellington; I think my real first interest was him. And also [jazz pianists] Teddy Wilson and Mary Lou Williams—I remember hearing Mary Lou Williams with Benny Goodman, and that always struck me. I guess when I’m listening to a great jazz artist, what I’m really always looking for is something that can be taken even outside of the context that they put it in, and I’m able to personalize it and identify my own personality and identity within it. So, honestly, there are many great artists that I love.

Growing up, how did you come to learn about Japan?

I don’t know—I think the first time I went to Japan was with Wynton in 1987, and then I believe went again with a quartet in ’89. But my most memorable experiences of going to Japan have always been with the great conductor Seiji Ozawa. He invited me there a couple of times, and we’ve done Gershwin’s Concerto in F there a few times. It’s probably one of the highlights of my career, going there, doing that with him, because he’s such an innovator, such a great man, and he’s always been very interested in the relationship between how jazz and classical music can be collaborated together, and we always enjoyed working with him there in Japan.

What was it like performing with the maestro?

Oh, my God, absolutely incredible—he is just amazing. He knows that score inside and out, and his dedication to just greatness in general, he’s very infectious. And my band and the other musicians always knew that it was going to be a great performance, because he just wasn’t going to have it any other way. If he had the schedule for rehearsals, I’d talk to him, and by the time we got going, he’d been up since four o’clock in the morning studying scores, making sure that everything was going to be all right. So, he taught me a lot about how you put things on the stage and how you continue to push yourself to reach a real level of expertise and communication with an audience.

Do you enjoy traveling? Where are some of your favorite places around the world?

I enjoy traveling; it’s always fun. It’s always a blessing to be able to play to people and hopefully inspire them through the music you play to have a better day or just something they might be going through. For me, I pretty much will go anywhere, but I love Italy because of the food there, you know? I like going to New Orleans because of the food—I like a lot of places, but I can’t single out a whole bunch of them. I think it’s more about just the variety of the different cultures and the places you can go, because all those different localities have different things that they bring to you, and I guess, from my perspective, since every year we’re going to different places, I guess I’m more intrigued with the act of traveling itself, wherever it is. I also like France for the desserts, and Japan for the sushi. [Laughs]

Click here for the rest of the interview.

Prefectural JET Alumni LinkedIn Groups

Nara JET Program Alumni (set up by Savannah Maynard)

Click here for the rest of the interview.

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