Job: On-Site (JPN) Translators Needed *URGENT*
Jobs 
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via Honyaku listserve. 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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Job Position: On-Site Japanese to English Translator
Job Details:
We have a current project in Tokyo with a prominent international Law Firm where we are supplying on-site Japanese translators and Japanese Bilingual individuals to assist on a document review (Japanese). The work MUST be done on-site (Minato-ku). We are looking for 3 additional professional Japanese translators to work on this project. It is expected to last from now until at least the end of 2010 (potentially longer).
Requirements (Translators) Three independent contractors:
Contact:
Alejandro Gonzalez
TransPerfect Translations
www.legal.transperfect.com
Tel: +1 415.615.9191 x2588
If qualified and interested please send your CV in English to agonzalez@transperfect.com and include the phone number where you can best be reached at before 10:30AM (Tokyo time) this week.
Interview with Competitive Eater Takeru Kobayashi
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Justin with Kobayashi and Friend of JET Sarah Goebel.
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.
Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi is a three-time Guinness World Record holder for competitive eating. He burst on the American scene in 2001 at Coney Island’s annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest by downing 50 dogs in 12 minutes, doubling the previous record. Kobayashi went on to win the contest six consecutive times while shattering other gastronomic records around the world.
After a shocking arrest and subsequent dismissal of charges in July at this year’s Nathan’s event, Kobayashi returned to the stage last night at the Japan Arts Matsuri in Brooklyn for another challenge: to become the world’s fastest 12-inch pizza eater. While he fell less than 20 seconds short of the 1:45 record (saying afterward that the pie was softer than he anticipated), there was no doubt among the crowd that the champ will give it another try in the near future. Hours before taking the stage, I spoke with Kobayashi through his interpreter Emiko Watanabe for this rare English language interview.
What kind of training does one have to do to be the world’s fastest pizza eater?
I had to practice how to use a knife and fork, because I have to use it for this challenge. That was the main thing.
That’s interesting. Most people don’t use a knife and fork to eat a pizza.
It would be much easier if I was allowed to use my hands instead. So it’s going to be a little harder.
What’s your favorite kind of pizza?
Pizza Margherita.
How are things after July 4th? Do you find that you’re more popular and recognized in New York from people on the street?
[laughs] I think so; I feel that I’m more recognized than before. I was famous before as a six-time champion [at the Nathan’s contest], but after Independence Day this year, people think I’m more interesting and have humor, so people notice me a lot more than before.
Where do you live in New York?
Manhattan.
Many celebrities in America are known for their talent, but personality is also important. Are you making more efforts to do things like learn English to become a bigger celebrity here?
I started going to an English school last month.
What kinds of things do your fans ask when they recognize you?
They don’t really ask anything, but they do ask to take a picture with me.
Any memorable encounters?
I met this fan who didn’t recognize me at first. She was an African American lady, and when she first spoke to me, she just thought I was a cool or cute Japanese guy. We talked, but then she recognized who I was, saying, “Oh my God! Oh my God!” It turns out that she was scrapbooking all of my articles from Independence Day, and the reason she did that is because she thought I was cute. When she realized that I was the same person, she went out of control screaming.
Click here to read the rest of the interview.
Via Dan Dooher (Akita-ken, 2006-10):
After reading your most recent JetWit Diary post, I wanted to share with you something Akita Prefecture has just recently started:
The Prefecture’s International Affairs Division is trying to reconnect Akita JET alumni and study abroad students with the prefecture via a bi-monthly newsletter called, “Akita Global Network.”
In the International Affairs Division’s own words:
“The project hopes to reach people who have left Akita to both maintain connections to Akita and elevate overseas awareness of our prefecture. We are planning to issue “Akita Global Network Newsletter” bi-monthly. Please enjoy it with your friends and family.”
If there are other former JET alums out there from Akita interested in receiving this pdf newsletter, please contact the International Affairs Division at: kokusaika@pref.akita.lg.jp
The newsletter welcomes submissions from alumni as well.
Dan also wondered if any other prefectures are doing something similar. If you are aware of any similar efforts, please email jetwit@jetwit.com. Yoroshiku!
Gunma-ken JET alum and Florida JETAA Newsletter Editor Bahia Simons-Lane has a good post on her blog–Bahia Portfolio: Posting about Japan, language and education–on the debate concerning benefits derived from the JET Programme.
A little more about Bahia and her background:
Bahia was an Assistant Language Teacher at a girls’ high school in Gunma Prefecture for 2 years, then she worked for the Gunma Prefecture Board of Education as the Assistant Language Teacher’s Advisor. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in International and Intercultural Education.
Kobayashi Headlines New York’s Annual Japan Arts Matsuri
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Eating champ Takeru Kobayashi competes at JAM 2010 Nov. 13. (Courtesy of Rei Miura/NPO American Dream Japanese Network)
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.
“Ultimate Food Fighter” Takeru Kobayashi returns to eat another day to break a new Guinness World Record as the special guest of the 8th Annual Amnet New York Japan Arts Matsuri this weekend at Java Street Hall in Brooklyn. While traditional Japanese matsuri, or festivals, occur in the summer, this year’s edition of JAM will sport some of today’s best, most energetic Japanese performing artists working in New York. With the entire event will be aired live worldwide via Ustream, JAM will beat the drum for Japan and Japanese culture through art and entertainment. New Yorkers know Kobayashi primarily as the six-time winner of the Nathan’s International July 4 Hot Dog Eating Contest, but on Saturday he will attempt to break the Guinness world record for the quickest time for downing a 12-inch pizza.
Sunday, Japanese singer-songwriter Senri Oe will perform piano with his own jazz trio, featuring Semar on bass and Joe Abams on drums. This year, JAM expects to draw a two-day total of over 800 ardent fans of Japanese arts. Over the two days, the popular “Talent Night” will feature nearly two dozen up-and-coming singers, dancers, musicians and other performers who successfully made the cut before JAM’s judges. Brooklyn-based Japanese drum group Taiko Masala is one of the performers poised to bring Japan a bit closer to the borough, and an audience participation dance demonstration by Yosakoi Dance Project 10tecomai (featuring JETAANY member/JetWit contributor Kirsten Phillips) is guaranteed to raise the roof.
For the complete story, click here.
Job: Interpreter (Tokyo)
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via Honyaku listserve. 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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Job Position: Interpreting job offer in Tokyo
Job Details:
McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, seeks an interpreter for its Tokyo office.
The successful candidate would
We welcome applications from university graduates with at least five years’ interpreting experience in a business environment.
To excel in this role, you must be flexible in responding to interpreting requests, strongly motivated to continue improving your performance, and work well under pressure. You must be confident of commanding respect from demanding colleagues, and feel comfortable managing your schedule while working with multiple project teams. Strong interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity are required.
The initial contract will be full-time for six months, with potential renewal depending on performance and demand.
Contact:
To apply, please send your resume in English and Japanese to helen_iwata at mckinsey dot com by Wednesday, November 24, 2010.
Job: Assistant Director, Corporate Planning – Bilingual Japanese
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via Careerbuilder. 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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Job Position: Assistant Director, Corporate Planning
Job Details:
Job Requirements:
For more details, and for how to apply, click on the following link —>
Job listing at careerbuilder.com
Job: Business Development Coordinator (1 year temp)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Business Development Coordinator (1 year temp)
via Actus consuluting. 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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Job Position: Business Development Coordinator.
Job Details:
Japanese nonprofit organization seeks a Business Development Coordinator. This is a long-term temp assignment for a year. Main purpose of this position is to find and assist small-mid size US companies to start business in/with Japan. Will be mainly in charge of retails in environmental business. Frequent business trip included.
Job Requirements:
Salary: $17/hr
Location: New York, NY
Contact: Sayaka Takeda (212-575-7840, stakeda at actus-usa dot com)
Please forward your resume and cover letter in an MS Word format to apply.
We will review your application and will get back to qualified candidates to set up a preliminary interview with our recruiter in charge of this position. Please understand that we do not pass resumes to the hiring company without this process, and we take this process seriously. Look forward to your application.
Talking Bra (Yes, a Talking Bra) to Stimulate Japanese Tourism
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"Welcome to Japan": Electronic buttons running down the centre of the garment triggers audio greetings in English, Chinese and Korean. (AFP)
Courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald.
As Japan hosts a Asia-Pacific summit this week, a women’s underwear maker on Wednesday unveiled a bra that is meant to lift spirits as well as bust lines and support the country’s tourism sector.
Triumph Japan showcased its bustier-style “Welcome to Japan! Bra” that it said was inspired by a tour guide’s uniform, features a display for images of sightseeing spots and can greet visitors in three languages.
A row of three electronic push buttons running down the centre of the garment triggers audio greetings in English, Chinese and Korean.
“Furthermore, tour guide flags are inserted on each side of the bra,” the company said. “When not used to guide tourists, the flags act as side stays, providing good support and creating an attractive bust line.”
Read the complete story (with video!!) here.
Don’t believe the hype
Article/Journalism, JETs in the News, Return on JET-vestment Comments Off on Don’t believe the hype
A recent post on InsideJapan News Network titled “Japan Plans US Teacher Training Scheme” cites a Daily Yomiuri article about a new proposed project to send Japanese teachers to the U.S. for two years of training. The Yomiuri article suggests that if this new project were to go forward, it would mean the end of the JET Programme.
However, after checking with several well-versed sources both in and out of the Japanese government, it sounds like the article’s analysis is inaccurate. Apparently, it would most likely be complementary program (if it even happens) and would not mean the end of the JET Programme.
To paraphrase one source, it wouldn’t make sense for President Obama to back a plan that would reduce the number of jobs for Americans.
Lars Martinson’s “Tonoharu: Part Two” reviewed by BoingBoing
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JET alum Lars Martinson recently released his follow-up graphic novel Tonoharu: Part 2. Here’s the review by Mark Frauenfelde of BoingBoing:
“Tonoharu Part Two: Excellent graphic novel about an English teacher in Japan”: http://www.boingboing.net/2010/11/10/tonoharu-part-two-ex.html
(Editor’s note: I have a copy of Tonoharu: Part 1, and every time I show it to a fellow JET alum and they start reading it, they end up reading the whole thing (which takes about 15 minutes). It’s really terrific and very unique.)
Return of the Samurai
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Thanks to JET alum Margie Banin (who works as an “Ex-pat Coach”) for sharing a nice NY Times article titled “Return of the Samurai” which comments on the 150th anniversary of the first Samurai delegation to visit the U.S. in 1860.
Among other interesting tidbits, there was apparently almost a scandal when several of members of the Japanese delegation were found naked together in their hotel bathtub.
JetWit Diary is a new feature by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94), founder and publisher of JetWit. Steven is available on a consulting basis to assist organizations with any membership building, social media consulting, creative communications and writing needs.
Early November for JETAA chapters usually means welcome back receptions and career forums. It also means a great opportunity to gather JET-relevant info.
Here in New York, one thing that was clear in Ambassador Nishimiya’s speech at the JETAANY Welcome Back reception is that JETAA has played a significant role in helping to communicate the value of JET to the Japanese public and that JETAA’s efforts have been noticed and appreciated. Those efforts have helped at the central government level to push back against some of the negative and often not-so-well-informed commentary that was getting out there.
That said, I also learned from a recently returned Aichi JET that Aichi will no longer take on prefectural JETs as of the coming year. That news is a bit concerning. Because if budget cuts at the local level take a toll on the JET Programme, and in turn the future number of JET alums, then that means a shift in our priorities.
Going forward, perhaps we need to focus our energy on local governments in Japan and finding ways to help them get a better return on their JET-vestment. It’s worth noting that many JETs are already giving back to their local governments in lots of ways. JETs have set up businesses, have brought tourists, have nurtured sister city relationships and done other things that have provided value. You may not have heard about most of them, but they’re happening. Which means on that level, the challenge is to identify them, gather them and make sure people know about them (e.g., by writing about them on JetWit, on chapter websites, in the media, etc.)
But it also means that the JET alumni community may need to be more innovative and creative (just like that time you were asked to teach a class with 2 minutes’ advance notice and no lesson plan). It would be extremely helpful to our cause if we can figure out more ways to tap the energy of the JET alum community and channel it towards the benefit of local governments in Japan.
The JET-Sister City List Project is one attempt in that direction. But the next step is to figure out what else we can do with it.
Another simple but effective way to lay the groundwork to make things happen is to build up affinity groups such as the JET Alumni Travel & Tourism group, the JETAA Education Professionals group, the JET Alumni Non-Profits group, the JET Alumni Writers group and the JET Alumni Policy & Government group. And if you can think of another group that would be good to have, then go ahead and set it up and we can post it on JetWit.
Whatever we do as a community, it’s clear that now is the time to step up. And keep in mind that every problem is also an opportunity.
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JetWit Bits
- One recent returnee at the Welcome Back Reception mentioned she found her job in NYC via JetWit and pointed out something I hadn’t really considered: That it’s hard to find jobs back home while you’re in Japan, and JetWit seems to do a good job of filtering through JET-relevant jobs in ways that Monster.com and CareerBuilder don’t. That said, I also realize that JetWit is fairly America-centric. Not by design, but just because that’s where I live and that’s where most job listings come from. If anyone in the UK, Australia, New Zealand or elsewhere wants to start posting JET-relevant jobs on the site, by all means please get in touch.
- “What do people do after JET?” Another recent returnee told me that’s the question that was on her mind as she finished her contract. And she appreciates that JetWit answers it. Her comment reminded me that that’s the same question that drove me back in 2002 when I became the JETAANY Newsletter editor. I had no idea where people went after JET and what they did. As a result, a lot of the articles were driven by my curiosity to figure out the answer to these questions, one JET at a time. We still probably don’t the answer for maybe half the alums out there. (Contrary to popular belief, there is no central or government JET alum list anywhere that tracks where people are and what they’re doing.) But now, at least, we know a great deal more than we used to. And that’s helped strengthen the community and also created a positive feedback loop where the strength of the network draws in more JET alums who were previously off the radar screen.
- Thanks to everyone for spreading the word about the JET-Sister City List Project. I’m enjoying all the responses that come in. And I noticed that JETAA Hawaii and JETAA Pacific Northwest posted the request to their membership which has led to more submissions. Speaking of which, I’ll be in Seattle this weekend to visit some JET alumni friends and am fortunate that my trip happens to coincide with the JETAA PNW Happy Hour at Wann Izakaya! (Also, if anyone in Seattle has an extra pack ‘n play lying around, let me know. :-)
Gambarimashou.
Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
Brooklyn, NY
Bo-Peep’s US tour
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For more info, visit www.examiner.com/japanese-culture-in-new-york/tokyo-s-bo-peep-rocks-the-northeast.
Job: Uniqlo International Store Management Trainee Program
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via Jet alum Pam Kavalam. 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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Job Position: Store Management Trainee Program
Job Details:
UNIQLO is looking for enthusiastic individuals who will train in Japan for six months where you will learn to develop work schedules, assess effective visual merchandise layouts, manage inventory levels, motivate and develop a team and successfully deliver UNIQLO’s fundamental principles of customer service with the ultimate goal of becoming a part of the store management team in New York.
Job Requirements:
How to Apply:
For more details go to www.uniqlo.com/us/employment
