Singer Hikaru Utada Announces ‘Artistic Activity’ Break
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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.
Singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada is going from exodus to hiatus.
According to a message on her homepage from Aug. 9, Hikki (as she as known to her army of fans worldwide) has wrote that following the release of this fall’s Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2 album, she will take time off from her musical career effective next year.
The message finds the musician in a reflective mood, recalling the music video from her single “Automatic,” released 12 years ago when the singer was just 15 years old. She commented that since then, “part of my growth has stopped…as a person.” Hikki now intends to focus on “human activity” over “artistic activity” in the next year for an indeterminate period.
Read the full story here.
PROfessional Japanese-English Conference on Translation PROJECT Tokyo 2010
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JetWit job poster Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08) learned of the following translator’s conference through the Japan Association of Translators, and thought it might be of interest to current and former JETs in the Tokyo area (or those that can get to Tokyo relatively easily). Stephen is a translator based in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Ken, and he occasionally posts job listings and event information for JET alumni.
PROJECT Tokyo 2010 is the third in a series of one-day conferences on translation and interpreting organized by the Japan Association of Translators (JAT; 日本翻訳者協会) for participants to build skills and exchange information about their professions.
Theme: Tools and Workshops: Better, Faster, Richer
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2010
Time: 9:30 to 17:00
Registration opens at 9:00
Venue: TKP Shinagawa Conference Center
3F Takanawa Court, 3-13-1 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Approx. 5 minutes’ walk from Shinagawa Station (Takanawa Exit)
Admission:
Students: ¥4,000
JAT Members: ¥5,000
Non-Members: ¥6,000
Post-conference networking event: ¥5,000
Two-hour buffet meal and open bar
* Registration for the conference and post-conference networking event closes at midday on September 4, 2010. Registration is via the conference website only.
The program will consist of introductions to translation tools, workshops to improve practical skills, and informative sessions from industry specialists.
* Visit the conference website for more details.
Come to PROJECT Tokyo 2010 and find out how you can change the way you work!
WIT Life #114: Sakura Square
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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.
My travels bring me to the mile-high city of Denver, Colorado, not exactly what you think of as a hotbed of Japanese influence. This is why I was surprised to catch a glimpse of hiragana during our city tour this past weekend. Little did I know, but not too far from our hotel was a location called Sakura Square. This plaza is overshadowed by the adjacent shopping area of Larimer Square, but nonetheless worth checking out for its small shrine and Japanese garden featuring a few bonzai trees.
An interesting piece of trivia is that Read More
A recent post on the JALT Hokkaido blog (which is the official blog for JALT Hokkaido) makes some good points in response to the recent Japan Times article titled “Ex-students don’t want JET grounded.”
The Japan Times has just come out with an article “Ex-students don’t want JET grounded.” JET has been around since 1987, and its stable of ALTs has been on the decline since an peak in the early 2000’s. The article briefly lists some pros and cons of JET, and pretty much says the Government Revitalization unit has added the JET program to its list of possible budget cuts.
I don’t know. The article states that since JET began “over 50,000 young foreigners with few, if any, teaching credentials have come to Japan and partied for a year at taxpayer expense. They have usually enjoyed their stay, but their effectiveness in improving the English language ability of their students was never quantitatively measured and, given Japanese students’ performances on international English tests, is questionable at best”. Gee, if the original and long-standing goal has been internationalization, not English improvement, what’s the major beef? Yeah, one look at the Big Daikon web site forum shows a lot of immaturity from JET ALTs, and JET itself does not mandate an ALT must have teaching credentials, but let’s be fair here. Unless JET requires them, they will get more people without such qualifications. A source I know at JET says that there has been an increase in the professional credentials as of late, but it’s a small and slowly growing figure.
Also, if there has been no quantitative measurement of English from Japanese students as a result of any JET ALT participation, how can anyone say either way whether any language venture has been accomplished? You can’t! ALTs and JTEs (Japanese teachers of English) have a mixed bag of relationships. Sometimes they get along famously, sometimes not, and there is a lot of gray area in between. Perhaps what JET needs to succeed is to train the ALTs further in how to deal with JTEs, and get the JTEs in on this training. Wouldn’t hurt to require more Japanese language ability from the ALTs, either.
Click here to read the full post.
JET ROI: Recent JET-relevant media coverage from Kyodo News Service
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JetWit received a request to post job opening from Kyodo News Service (that has already been sent to the JetWit Jobs Google Group and will likely be posted over the weekend on JetWit) to fill a position previously held by a JET alum. In the email exchange, I asked if Kyodo had been covering the possible cuts to JET and JETAA, and the woman there was kind enough to send me links to the below articles from recent months. I thought it might be helpful to share them all in one post.
The Mainichi Daily News:
- “Japan to invite 4,334 youths from 36 countries under JET program” (7/24/2010) http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/news/20100724p2g00m0in058000c.html
Japan Today:
- “Japan hopes to boost British JET numbers after 8-year decline” http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/japan-hopes-to-boost-british-jet-numbers-after-8-year-decline
- “Gov’t to cut program to promote Japan culture in Eastern Europe” (6/16/2010) http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/govt-to-cut-program-to-promote-japan-culture-in-eastern-europe
- “Japan urged to keep program to invite foreign language instructors” (6/13/2010) http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-urged-to-keep-program-to-invite-foreign-language-instructors
Event: “Sake With the Haiku Geisha” reading, August 13 (NYC)
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JET ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK (JETAA NY)
with support from the Consulate General of Japan in New York
Presents
A Special Play Reading of critically acclaimed Off Broadway Play
SAKE WITH THE HAIKU GEISHA
Graphic by JET alum Amber Liang
The JET Alumni Association of New York is pleased to present a limited one-night reading of the critically acclaimed play “Sake with the Haiku Geisha,” written by JET alumnus and playwright, Randall David Cook (Fukui-ken, 1991-93).
Date: Friday, August 13
Start time: 8:30 p.m.
Location: Tinker Auditorium (between Park & Madison Aves.) 22 E 60th St, New York, NY 10065, (212) 355-6100
Cost:
- $5 in advance ($10 at the door) for JET alumni
- $10 in advance ($15 at the door) for Friends of JET
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS ON-LINE VIA PAYPAL
“Sake with the Haiku Geisha” premiered Off-Broadway in 2006 and was based on the collective experiences of three JETs who were placed in Fukui-ken from 1991-1993: an American from South Carolina, a Canadian from Nova Scotia and an English woman from Devon. The structure of the play is inspired by the classic Noh play: an opening ceremony, five acts (each of which uses a different speaker and a spirit or ghost), and a closing ceremony. The show starts on at a farewell party for the visiting JETS, and first three acts are told from the perspective of the visiting JETs, and then the tables turn, and the final two acts are told from the perspective of two Japanese: the supervisor of the Canadian JET, and the geisha’s story, which closes out the play.
The first act, “Sushi and Scones” was a finalist in five major festivals in the USA and England, won the “Best Play” award at the Southeastern Playwrights Conference and was taped and broadcast by as a BBC radio play in late 2005. See a full review of the play in the New York Times.
This event is being organized in cooperation with the Consulate General of Japan in New York.
WIT Life #113: Centenarian crisis
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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 news coming out of Japan has surrounded unsettling discoveries regarding its elderly population. Last week it was revealed that Tokyo’s oldest listed man, who if alive would have been 111 last month, likely died over 30 years ago. According to a report on CNN this morning, currently the whereabouts of about 30 Japanese centenarians are unknown. As discussed in this coverage from Bloomberg, “the disappearance of some of Japan’s oldest citizens is raising concern that some families are bilking the nation’s pension system even as others risk being deprived of payments for the same reason — poor record keeping.” This was a big issue back in 2007 when Read More
Job: Director of Global Classroom, One To World (New York)
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Job posting by Lauren Sethney (Niigata-shi CIR, 2000-2003). Lauren serves as the Program Director at the Japan-America Society in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Via Clara Solomon (former JETAA NY VP and founder of the JETAA Student Services Google Group)
Overall management responsibility for One To World’s Global Classroom, a citywide curriculum resource offered to elementary, middle and high schools under an official contract with the New York City Department of Education. Through Global Classroom, One To World trains and deploys international undergraduate/graduate students and scholars to deliver in-class workshops throughout the five boroughs of New York City and in suburban communities.
QUALIFICATIONS:
-Administrative experience in educational program management
-Teaching experience/teacher training experience; experience in New York City schools and after-school programs a plus; knowledge of school curricula and classroom culture
-International work, study or living experience; experience in global education
RESPONSIBILITIES:
-Program Management & Development (35%):
-Program Delivery & Evaluation (30%):
-Development of international speaker roster (20%):
-Development of Curriculum Materials (10%):
-Financial Responsibility (5%):
-Other duties, as requested
For a complete job description and application procedures, click here.
Baseball: Great catch by Hiroshima Carp centerfielder
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Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JET Alumni community for another edition of JETAA Chapter Beat.
- Shabu Shabu & Karaoke Night – Friday, August 13th. Come out for a night of boiled delicacies and singing mayhem with the group in Sydney.
- Origami Workshop – Saturday, September 18th. Catch up with old friends while learning to fold paper like a pro. Details forthcoming.
- Summer BBQ – Saturday, August 14th, 11:30 to 4:30 at Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver. Enjoy a day of cooking out and fun games with JETAABC.
- Tampa Subchapter Tsudoi – Friday, August 6th, 7:00 at Panera Bread in the Brandon Mall. The Tampa Subchapter will be hosting their monthly Tsudoi, an informal time for anyone interested in Japanese and Japanese culture.
- Sake with the Haiku Geisha Play Reading – Friday, August 13th, 8:30 at the Tinker Auditorium. JETAANY is presenting a one night only reading of the critically acclaimed play “Sake with the Haiku Geisha,” written by JET alumnus and playwright Randall David Cook.
- Japanese Folk Dance, Bon Odori Class – Saturday, August 14th, 2:00 to 3:30 at DANY Studios. Momo Suzuki, founder and director of the Japanese Folk Dance Institute of NY will be teaching a Bon Odori class, so come try your hand at some Japanese dance.
- Nihongo Dake Dinner – Wednesday, August 25th, 7:00 to 9:00 at Gyu Kaku in the East Village. Get your yakiniku fix while doing your best to remember some Japanese at this month’s Nihongo Dake Dinner.
- Samurai Sword Fighting Class – Saturday, September 11th, 2:00 to 4:00 at 440 Studios 4A. Samurai performer Yoshi Amao will be leading a special class on Samurai Sword Fighting, going over a variety of basic techniques with the class. Don’t miss this one of a kind experience.
- DrumSTRONG 3 – Friday, August 6th, 7:30 at the Neurosciences Institute Auditorium in San Diego. The Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana are hosting Drumstrong 3, the third in a series of cross-cultural drumming concerts produced by San Diego Taiko. This year features Leilsa, a San Diego based Tahitian drum and dance group.
- Sushi & Sake Tasting Volunteers Needed – JETAASC is putting the call out for volunteers at this years Sake Tasting Event held at the Kyoto Grand Hotel on August 6th as part of the Nisei Week Festival in Little Tokyo.
- Nihongo Dake Dinner – Saturday, August 7th, 6:00 at West Covina. This month’s dinner is an internationally themed BYOB Pot-Luck, so dust off the Japanese skills and get ready for a flavorful night.
- Hiroshima to Hope – Friday, August 6th, 6:00 to 9:30, on the northwest shore of Green Lake. This annual event seeks to remember those who were lost in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with music, speakers and a lantern floating ceremony.
- Unofficial Happy Hour – Friday, August 6th, 7:00 at Wann Izakaya. Share a drink with friends this Friday night. Just because it is unofficial, doesn’t mean it won’t be a good time.
- 36th Japanese Discussion Forum – Saturday, August 7th, 3:00 at Inner Sunset area of San Francisco. The topic of this month’s forum is the “Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
What happened at your chapter’s event? If you attend(ed) any of these exciting events, JetWit would love to hear about them. Just contact Jonathan Trace with any info, stories or comments.
Kobayshi Cleared of Charges From Nathan’s Arrest
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Competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi with interpreter/publicist Maggie James and attorney Mario D. Romano. (Associated Press)
The case, of which its misdemeanors also included charges of obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct, ended with an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal (A.C.D.). This means that if Kobayashi, 32, stays out of trouble for six months, his record will be restored. This is good news for the Nagano native’s New York fans, since he moved to Gotham earlier this year after receiving a 0-1A work visa in February for his “extraordinary ability or achievement.” His visa status should remain unaffected by the court’s decision.
Read the full story here.
Job: Admin/Marketing Support for International Tour Operator (Seattle)
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During the past 24 years MIR has built a reputation as a leader in pioneering travel to destinations considered obscure, exotic, remote, difficult and even controversial. We are dedicated to delivering exceptional travel experiences in challenging-to-operate destinations such as Russia, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Mongolia and East Europe. We are currently seeking a self-motivated, extremely organized, enthusiastic and detail-oriented individual to join us in an admin/marketing support capacity.
Position Overview
We are looking for someone with solid office skills who thrives in a busy atmosphere and can stay organized despite frequent interruptions. You will provide support to a dynamic, international/multi-lingual staff of travel planners and the Director of Marketing by performing a variety of administrative functions, including (but not limited to): fulfillment of daily catalog requests, coordination of office supplies/machines, managing promotional material inventory, maintaining key databases, assisting with various marketing/research projects as well as liaise with outside vendors for tech support and periodically with consulates/embassies. Read More
Job: Research Assistant (London)
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Via the JETAA and non-JETAA JET alumni LinkedIn group:
A Japanese company in London is looking for someone to join their team to look after Economic and Political Research. This is an ongoing temp position for one year.
Main responsibilities:
- Provide research services, including analytical reports on topical issues and statistical data spreadsheets on the UK economy.
- Check daily newspapers and keep abreast of all other information sources.
- Conduct interviews with academics and business people in order to assess UK and global economic conditions.
- Take initiative to develop and build upon existing contacts with government, academia and business to assist the company in the future.
Essential Skills:
- Sound knowledge of current affairs.
- The ability to produce comprehensive analytical reports on economic, business and political issues at short notice.
- The confidence and enthusiasm to be able to speak intelligently about the current economic situation in the UK.
- Good interview technique and report writing skills.
- A good command of written and spoken English.
- Ability to use Excel spreadsheets to compile statistical data.
- Degree in Economics or similar equivalent.
Desirable Skills:
- Knowledge/experience of Japanese business practices.
- Preference will be given to candidates who have good computer skills, are able to work confidently without supervision and who also enjoy being a member of a team.
For more details, please email your CV to anouska@perfect.eu.com
For this role, unfortunately, we can only accept applications from candidates who already have the right to work in the UK.
Jobs: Btrax looking for Market Strategist and Info Architecture Consultant (SF)
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Via the JETAANCjobs yahoo listserv:
Btrax, a cross-cultural branding and web consulting agency based in San Francisco, has two openings. Both jobs require business level bi-lingual (J+E) skills – applied job experience is a must (JPLT 1 is not needed, but similar level reading/writing is). Initial period of 6-month project with potential extension to Summer 2011. Flexible work environment: either 4 day/week consulting or full-time employment, telecommuting and possible client site trips. Knowledge in the travel or hospitality industry is a highly valued bonus.
*1) Japan Market Strategist*
Requires direct experience with US to Japan market projects, especially user experience and brand localization.
*2) Information Architecture Consultant*
Requires direct experience designing or leading IA and/or multilingual systems, specifically creating specs for J+E bi-lingual websites
If interested and you meet the above requirements, please email your resume to tim@btrax.com – no need for a fancy cover letter (the shorter the better), just let us know where you heard about these positions.
JETs with J.D.s >> The Emerging Debate on Law School Grades, Rankings, and their Importance
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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.
As a prospective student, one of the hardest choices you have to make is which law school you will choose for enrollment. While you naturally want to make sure the school you choose has the faculty and course selections you are looking for, how are you going to choose amongst the schools that meet those criteria? The instinctive choice, one would think, would be to choose the school with a higher ranking. Higher rankings open more doors, right? And if “C’s get degrees,” what need is there to worry about taking a hit to your GPA if it means you get a degree from one of the top schools in the country?
Not so, say two law professors. UCLA law professor Richard Sander and Brooklyn law professor Jane Yakowitz argue that the “eliteness” of your degree doesn’t matter as much as your GPA. When it comes to predicting career success, they say, it’s all about the grades. So, while C’s may get degrees, it’s the A’s that get what pays, if you will. My first reaction to this, not being part of an elite law school myself, was: “Excellent!”
My second thought was: “Wait….. what?”
The rest of my reaction is here.
