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.
Last night I attended the shinnenkai for New York’s very own Battenkai, or group for Kyushu people (Batten comes from Kyushu-ben and means but, and kai means gathering). There are several kenjinkai or prefectural groups here in the city, but Kyushu has this joint group instead of individual ones for each prefecture. I have been attending their events since two summers ago, and it is always a diverse mix of people. You can find accountants, jazz singers, lawyers, graphic designers and karate instructors, all of whom have interesting stories to share.
Battenkai gatherings always include some form of entertainment, and last night’s was no exception. It featured several different acts to welcome the new year. First we were regaled by a beautiful shamisen performance by Read More
Foxhound87: New Year’s
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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 arrived back from my trip home just in time to celebrate New Year’s in Japan! There is a lot going around New Year’s in Japan. After dinner on December 31st, a friend and I settled in to watch all the magical TV programs. There are two shows, that I’m aware of, that are shown specially on the 31st of December.
Show 1: Kōhaku Uta Gassen (“Red vs White singing contest”)
“Popular singers (and singing groups) split into two teams, women in the red team and men in the white, which then alternate while competing for the audience’s heart throughout the evening. At around 11:30 pm, the final singer (or group) sings, and the audience and a panel of judges are asked to cast their votes to decide which team sang better. The winning team gets a trophy and “the winners’ flag.” The program ends at about 11:45 pm.”
-http://satoh490625.blog50.fc2.com/blog-entry-781.html
This show was really fun to watch. I got to watch all the popular artists in Japan including Arashi and Ikimono Gakari. These two groups are INSANELY popular here. In addition to pop music, some traditional singers are also invited to the contest. One enka singer was dressed like a glamorous baby crane. I looked away from the television for a moment. When I looked back, she was RIDING A GIANT CRANE complete with flapping wings. I wish I had a picture of my reaction. It was priceless. By the way, the white team won. Guy power!
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
JET alum/cartoonist Lars Martinson gives radio interview
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JET alum and 'Tonoharu' creator Lars Martinson.
Check out this great radio interview with JET alum/cartoonist Lars Martinson (Fukuoka-ken 2003-2006), creator of the four-part graphic novel Tonoharu. Lars talked with radio station KFAI out Minnesota in December. Hear him talk about the creation of his book, which tells the tale of an ALT wrestling with the challenges of living in rural Japan (sound familiar, anyone?). Lars lived in rural Fukuoka for three years and spent several years post-JET crafting the novel based on his experiences.
For those who are interested, Tonoharu Part I and Part II (which just hit book shelves in November) can be found here:
Also be sure to check out JetWit’s recent interview with Lars Martinson.
Foxhound87: I. AM. SANTA.
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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.
On December 14th, I became the embodiment of joy and happiness in the world. I became Santa Claus. I was told weeks before that I would being playing Santa Claus for a local kindergarten. Soon after, my Kyoto Sensei told me that another kindergarten had requested my thespian skills. That’s right, I was in high demand.
The morning of the 14th, my Kyoto Sensei picked me up from school and we traveled together to the first kindergarten. We were greeted by a very nice lady who escorted us into the conference room. She gave me the costume (including eyebrows and beard), then left to let me change. The costume fit fine. It was the beard I was struggling with. It would not stay above my ACTUAL beard. I worried that the kids might see my brown beard beneath the costume…and Christmas would be ruined. I went over my lines for the show one more time, drank some hot tea, and mentally prepared myself for what was about to come…
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
Job: P/T Bi-lingual Accounting Clerk (Pennsauken, NJ)
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via the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia. Posted by JET alum Gail Cetnar Meadows (ALT, Hiroshima-shi 2007-10).
*Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JetWit. Thanks.
Job Position: Bi-lingual Accounting Clerk
Job Description:
Subaru of America has a temporary part-time accounting clerk positin open in the Fuji USA (FUSA) department located at 7041 North Park Drive in Pennsauken, NJ.
This position is 25 hours per week for about two months. Subaru is looking for a Japanese/English bi-lingual candidate with accounting experience and a thorough knowledge of Quickbooks accounting software. The candidate must be totally fluent in Japanese. The person would support the General Manager of FUSA, manage both U.S. and Japanese payroll, handle invoices from outside vendors and assist the General Managers with budget preparation. This opening is immediate and the salary is negotiable.
How to apply: Send resumes as soon as possible to Pamela E. Epps at pepps@subaru.com.
See the original posting on the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia website here.
Job: Japanese Copywriter (Remote position)
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via the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia. Posted by JET alum Gail Cetnar Meadows (ALT, Hiroshima-shi 2007-10).
*Note: If you apply for this position, please let them know you learned of it from JetWit. Thanks.
Job Position: Japanese Copywriter
Job Description:
- This position entails writing short blog entries (approximately 450 to 500 characters) about every day, personal PC issues.
- Incorporate keywords that will be provided (usually 3 to 5, but may vary at times).
- Work with the coordinator to develop a stylistic voice.
- Follow general guidelines/instructions provided by the coordinator.
- Research and familiarize oneself with PC issues and news.
Requirements:
- Must be fluent in Japanese (written and verbal).
- Must be able to submit 20 articles per month.
- A positive attitude and professional demeanor are also required.
- Good understanding and knowledge of Japanese media and culture is a plus.
- This is a project-based/part-time job, where you can work from home or anywhere else as long as you have a reliable internet connection.
For more information: http://jasgp.org/content/view/817/132/
How to Apply: Send your resume in a Word doc format to hlee@ascentive.com
Japan America Society Roundup 1.5.11
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JET alum Gail Cetnar Meadows (ALT, Hiroshima-shi 2007-10), co-founder of Hiroshima JET webzine the Wide Island View, shines a light on some of the upcoming events of Japan America Societies…
11th Annual Mochitsuki New Year’s Celebration — Celebrate the New Year Japanese style with demonstrations of mochitsuki (pounding sweet rice with a mallet and mortar to make rice cakes) and sample the end result with anko, kinako, nori, or Sendai’s special zunda-mochi. The afternoon will feature live performances by taiko drummers, a children’s choir, traditional Japanese dancers and a kimono demonstration. Other activities include New Year’s games for children, origami, calligraphy, and ikebana. Cost is $8 for non-members, $5 for members, $2 for children aged 6 to 12 years, free for children ages 5 and under.
- Date: Sunday, January 16
- Time: 2 to 5 p.m.
- Place: Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc., 2801 Telecom Parkway, Richardson, Texas 75082
- For more information, click here.
- Contact: info (at) jasdfw (dot) org or 214-342-2022
- Pittsburgh Sushi Experience — How’s a resolution to try more sushi sound? In 2011, the JAS of Pennsylvania will visit four Pittsburgh sushi restaurants. The first gathering will be at the trendy Penn Avenue Fish Company, where you can sample fusion sushi and a host of other aquatic offerings. Be sure to bring your business card to participate in a drawing for a gift card.
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 20
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Place: 308 Forbes Ave. (near Honus Wagner), downtown Pittsburgh
- For more information, click here.
Speaker Series Presentation — Dr. William R. Farrell will give a presentation titled “From Black Ships to a Black President: Images and Reality in US-Japan Relations.” Using wood block prints, post cards and political cartoons, he will take the audience on a lively tour through history, viewing events such as Commodore Perry’s arrival, the road to Pearl Harbor, World War II, the Occupation, trade wars and the current international situation.
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 27
- Time: JASGC annual meeting at 5 p.m. Speaker presentation at 5:30 p.m.
- Place: Taft Center, 425 Walnut St., Cincinnati
- For more information, click here.
Does your Japan America Society have an upcoming event that you’d like to share with JetWit readers? Email the info to Gail at gail (at) jetwit (dot) com.
Sukiyaki Survey: Can you get a raw egg at Japanese restaurants in the U.S.?
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Will Japanese restaurants in the U.S. give you a raw egg for sukiyaki or gyudon or other purposes?
In my limited experience, they won’t offer it on the menu, I believe due to health code restrictions. But my understanding is that if you ask for it, they’ll give it to you.
Does anyone else have any perspective or experience with this? Have you obtained one successfully? Been denied?
Please share your responses in the comments section of this post.
Yoroshiku!
Job: Housesit a Remote Tropical Home (Palau)
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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 up for living off-the-grid on a remote island for free, a sweet year-long housesitting gig is immediately available in Palau. Just like JET, you’ll be expected to maintain good relationships with everyone else on the island while living in a fishbowl. More details can be found here.
WIT Life #146: 明けましておめでとうございます！
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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.
A big akemashite omedetou gozaimasu to everyone! 今年もよろしくお願いいたします。 I hope everyone had a good end to the year and that you are feeling ready for the Year of the Rabbit that we have now entered. I spent the night of 元旦 (gantan) or New Year’s Day with co-workers from the Japanese restaurant that I used to waitress at, and we enjoyed osechi ryouri in lacquer boxes and bowls of ozouni as we watched 紅白歌合戦 (kouhaku uta gassen) or the Red and White Singing Contest. The white or men’s team won for the 6th consecutive year with a healthy margin of over 50,000 votes.
Aside from the usual vapid J-Pop and classic enka, I was really struck by singer Kana Uemura’s トイレの神様 (toire no kamisama), or The Toilet Goddess. This acoustic ballad is a whopping almost ten minutes long, and it tells the story of Read More
Job: Shinjo Ito Postdoctoral Fellowship in Japanese Buddhism (Berkeley)
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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 Center for Japanese Studies at UC Berkeley is offering a one-year postdoctoral research fellowship, starting July 1, 2011. Fellows receive a stipend of approximately $40,000 plus benefits. The deadline for applications is February 15, 2011. Additional information on the fellowship can be found here.
Job: Account Executive at Japanese credit company (NYC)
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via Quick USA. 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: Account Executive at Japanese credit company (NYC)
Job Description:
Maintain current merchants in addition to the internal database of merchant information. Recruits new merchants to honor its credit cards in the assigned area. Sets up new account information, and resolves customer issues/problems. Work outside approx. 55% – 65%, per day.
Salary: Around 40K
Location: Manhattan
Requirements: Native fluency in English. 1-2 years of work experience. Understanding of credit card industry is a plus.
How to apply:
If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your resume to hoshino@919usa.com
Job: Junior High School Assistant Language Teacher (J-ALT) Positions
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via JET alum Adrian Heinel (1996-99). 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: Junior High School Assistant Language Teacher (J-ALT) Positions
Employment Conditions:
1 Duties and Responsibilities
(1) Assist teaching junior high school foreign language classes
(2) Support in-service English education trainings
(3) Assist with producing English teaching materials/activities
(4) Help with English speech contests
(5) Participate in special events
(6) Support and advise junior high school English teachers
(7) Participate in any other activities as directed and/or requested by the teacher in charge or the principal
2 Eligibility
(1) Be a native speaker of English
(2) Must have at least a 4-year university degree
(3) Be able to attend the interview
(4) Must currently reside in Japan
(5) Applicants with conversational Japanese speaking ability preferred
(6) Applicants with a current valid visa preferred
(7) Applicants with TEFL certification preferred
(8) Applicants with a valid Japanese or international license preferred
3 Remuneration
(1) Salary: ¥320,000 per month (increasing to ¥330,000 after 2 years, ¥340,000 after 5 years of service)
(2) Japanese taxes will be paid by the city
(3) Half of shakai hoken (government social health insurance system) will be paid by the city
(4) No bonuses will be provided
(5) No relocation, transportation, or housing assistance will be provided
4 Working Hours
(1) Monday – Friday, including break time, 35 hours a week.
(2) 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. when working at the Board of Education (including a 60 minute break)
(3) 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. when working at schools (including a 45 minute break)
5 Method of Choosing Successful Applicants
(1) Only Successful candidates will be contacted for interviews
(2) Applicants will be screened by an interview that will include both English and Japanese
Apply by email with CV/resume, letter of introduction, photo, scanned teaching certificates, diplomas, transcripts, proof of a valid visa as well as a valid passport, and (if possible) letters of recommendation to: Mrs. Miwa and Ms. Kawazoe at kakegawarecruit@gmail.com by January 25th
Chinese Classes NYCJ-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.
Mandarin Chinese Class listings can be found at: Chinese Classes NYC or Chinese Classes Online
Cantonese Class listings can be found at: Cantonese Classes Online or Cantonese Classes Online
Are you interested in learning a new language for the New Year? As I myself living in Japan have discovered, Chinese is quite an interesting and fun language to pursue. Please read our article about Learning Chinese Basic Phrases for some advice on which phrases are necessary to master when greeting fellow Chinese speaking comrades. Happy New Year!
Japan Fix: Tampa (Part 2)
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By Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Lily Lam (Kagawa-ken, 2004-09)
If you read the previous Japan Fix: Tampa post, then you know of some quality JET-recommended places in Tampa to get your Japan Fix on. It turns out, however, there’s more to tell and Tampa is even Japanese-ier than previously thought. You just have to know where to look. (In our case, we were forced to look because the places listed in the previous Japan Fix: Tampa post happened to be closed this past Monday thanks to the holidays.)
So read on for Japan Fix: Tampa (Part 2):
Japanese Food
I Ai Sushi (as in, “I love sushi”) is a cozy Japanese restaurant with an izakaya section on their menu tucked away in a shopping mall on 33614 W. Waters Ave. that also features a Marshalls (aka America’s “Ito Yokado”) and an Albertsons. Perhaps the Japanese-iest touch of all is their business card which, in true Japanese fashion, includes a crude yet cute map of the mall with an arrow pointing to where the restaurant is located.
I had the good fortune to go with St. Petersburg native, uber-foodie and fellow alum Lily Lam (Kagawa-ken, 2004-09) who heard about the place from a friend whose mother happens to be Japanese. (Notably, Lily actually lives and works in San Francisco these days. We only got in touch when she responded for the JET-Sister City List Project and, in the course of e-mailing, we realized we would both be in the Tampa-St. Pete area for Christmas.)
I Ai Sushi is owned by a Japanese couple who hail from Osaka and opened the restaurant about 3 years ago. Tasteful Japanese art on the walls is accented with a Hello Kitty clock as well as autographed photos of several Japanese ballplayers who have eaten there.
We started with a bottle of warm sake. And perhaps the nicest thing about the sake was that rather than present us with a long list of detailed descriptions of sakes from all over Japan, they just brought us some decent sake. Somehow I found this lack of choice to be reassuringly natsukashii. (Remember lunch in your junior high schools?)
From the izakaya menu we ordered gyoza (savory and yummy), kinpira gobo (which had a surprising and tasty kick to it), maguro yama kake (mountain potato with tuna sashimi–not commonly found in most U.S. Japanese restaurants) and, from the specials menu that night, shishamo, which are small, batter-fried and very pregnant fish. According to Lily, this was a common feature of her school lunches. Somehow I made it all this time without ever being aware of their existence, due most likely to the fact that I’ve spent most of my life avoiding fish. However, given my vow this year to make efforts to expand my palate, I took a couple bites. Right in the belly. And you know, it wasn’t so bad. Especially with a little lemon on it. (Lily noted that in her school lunches, there was no fried batter and no lemon. Just rubbery pregnant fish.)
These, of course, were just the warmup dishes, the mood setters. Because in the chilly (by Florida standards) 40 degree evening, we quickly discovered that the menu also featured various forms of nabe including sukiyaki, which we both ordered. They let us cook it right at our table. The beef was Japanese-thin and nicely marbled. The veggies were exactly what they were supposed to be. And the broth had that sweet-salty flavor that brought back memories of my first sukiyaki experience on a cold day in a friend’s unheated home gathered round a kotatsu with school colleagues.
I knew enough to request a couple raw eggs (since American health codes prohibit restaurants from offering raw eggs on their menu). And we were in business chowing down and exchanging stories of JET days past.
And for a final Japanese touch, they brought us (un-ordered) a dessert of grapes, hand-whipped cream and choux creme/シュークリームfilled with vanilla ice cream all on a plate. A very nice finish to the meal.
With our bellies full of washoku and a bit of nihonshu, it was of course time for….
Karaoke
After searching Google Maps and Yelp on our iPhones, it was determined that the best karaoke options would be Korean noreban (i.e., karaoke box) joints. Tampa Karaoke was the obvious choice, but one Yelp review mentioned something about gero in one of the rooms. So first we checked out One Family Korean Restaurant and Karaoke on 7030 West Hillsborough Ave. It was a bit hard to find at first along the commercial strip, but sure enough there was a Korean market, restaurant and karaoke place all in one warehouse-like looking building. Unfortunately for us they were all closed.
Tampa Karaoke it would be. And it was actually not so bad. Slick, chi-chi, high class and newly renovated are all words I would not use to describe the establishment. But the young Korean-American guy at the desk was very friendly. And the price was right at $25 per hour for a room. It’s also worth noting that this is a BYOB place (like Bar Toto in Korea Town in NYC), which is great if you happen to know about it in advance (which we didn’t).
We asked if there were Japanese songs in the books and were told that indeed there were. We eventually found them, however they were organized by song title only which made it a bit hard to search. That inconvenience, however, was mooted by the fact that we could only find 2 or 3 songs that we actually knew. And we decided to fault that partly to our own limited J-Pop knowledge and partly to Tampa Karaoke’s limited selection.
Getting into specifics, I was able to find “Kampai” (Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi) and “Kimi Ga Iru Dake” (Kome Kome Club). But no “Ashita Ga Aru” or “Banzai” or any other songs by Ulfuls (aka Japan’s answer to Hootie and the Blowfish). Lily, meanwhile, found “Sakura” (Kobukuro), a well-known sappy graduation song as well as “Life is a Boat” (Rie Fu). (Though she regretted not finding “Tegami” by Angela Aki.) Sore demo, we ended on a good note with that Japanese standard, “Take Me Home Country Road” (Jo-n Den-ba).
We realize there is more Japan to explore in the Tampa-St. Pete’s area. But it may just have to wait until next Christmas. However, given that I’m currently “stuck” in Florida due to the Blizzard of 2010 and can’t get a flight back to NYC until Sunday, January 2, I’ve decided to head east in search of more JET-ventures. So stay tuned for….
Japan Fix: Del Ray Beach & Miami!
Tell us where JETs should go in your area to get their Japan Fix. E-mail jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
