Jul 15

Tom Baker reviews cat manga, three new films

Uncategorized Neko Ramen, Repo Men, The Road, Yellow Handkerchief Comments Off on Tom Baker reviews cat manga, three new films

Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91) is a staff writer for The Daily Yomiuri. He usually writes for DYWeekend, the paper’s arts and leisure section. You can follow Tom’s blog at tokyotombaker.wordpress.com. (One recent post is a cautionary tale for anyone thinking of climbing Mt. Fuji.)

Recently he reviewed the manga “Neko Ramen” and the new-in-Japan films “The Road,” “The Yellow Handkerchief” and “Repo Men.” Here are some excerpts:

“Neko Ramen”

“It’s the one real maverick cuisine of Japan,” Tokyo ramen shop owner Ivan Orkin told The Daily Yomiuri in an interview last year. Sushi and other cuisines are bound by highly refined conventions, but “ramen is the story of a salaryman whose life sucks and he sells everything and opens a ramen shop…he’s going to do it his own way.”

The manga series Neko Ramen, which made its English-language print debut last month, is about a ramen shop owner named Taisho who almost perfectly embodies the ethos Orkin described.

Taisho isn’t a former salaryman–or a man at all. He’s a cat. But he did buck convention to strike out on his own. His father was a top cat-food advertising model, and it was assumed that Taisho would follow in his glamorous footsteps. Instead, he ran away from home.

Even when he is reduced to living on the street, he never loses his independent spirit. Eventually he discovers his calling as the master of a ramen shop.

Mangaka Kenji Sonishi lives in Sapporo, a city noted for its ramen culture. He has given considerable thought to the most egregious ways a bowl of ramen could go wrong, and he has Taisho stumble into each of them.

Read the rest of the review here.

“The Road”

…We see this world a decade or so into the aftermath [of a global cataclysm] through the eyes of a father and son (Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee) who are slowly traveling south on foot, hoping things will get better somewhere along the way.

It’s a bleak journey, filmed in such genuinely postapocalyptic locales as hurricane-scoured New Orleans and the blasted slopes of Mt. St. Helens.

One of the film’s most desolate images–which can only be appreciated on the big screen–shows a gigantic highway bridge spanning a valley. Seen from below, the bridge cuts a black swath against the murky gray sky. When the man peers over the side of the bridge, the tiny distant speck that is his head is the only thing in the image to show any movement.

The man and the boy’s long walk is a wire-thin plot onto which brief encounters with varied strangers are strung like widely spaced beads.

At the beginning of most such encounters, the boy wants to befriend and help the person, while the man is suspicious. “Why are you following us?” is his angry refrain, even when the person hasn’t been following them. The middle of every encounter is different, but more than one ends with the pair leaving the person behind, the son worrying that the stranger will die and the father remarking, “He was going to die anyway.”

Often the boy needs to ask, “Are we still the good guys?”…

Read the full review here.

“The Yellow Handkerchief”

The Yellow Handkerchief begins almost like a silent movie. The first scene shows a man named Brent (William Hurt) being let out of a prison cell. He hardly says a word, but the other inmates wish him a sincerely friendly farewell. His silence continues outside the walls as he watches other newly released inmates embraced by their waiting families. No one is waiting for him. His face shows that he is resigned, and he sets off down the road on foot, alone.

This tells us a few things about him, and gives us a few things to wonder about.

In the next scene, he is sitting in a small-town diner when he notices a dark-haired teenage girl (Kristen Stewart) outside the window. She walks over to a boy of her own age and speaks to him.

Brent (and we) can’t hear her through the glass, but she stands very close to the boy without looking him in the face, suggesting a mixture of intimacy and shyness. The boy ignores her for a moment and then walks away to smile at a blonde girl who welcomes his attention as if it were her due. The dark-haired girl sees this and heads into the diner with a downcast look, alone.

This tells Brent (and us) a few things about her, and gives us a few things to wonder about.

Read the rest of the review here.

“Repo Men”

The premise of Repo Men is that in the not too distant future, mechanical hearts, livers, kidneys and other organs are so common that they are sold in shopping malls. But they remain so expensive that you have to take out a scarily high-interest loan to get one. And if you miss a few payments, some even scarier repo men (including a pair played by Jude Law and Forest Whitaker) will find you, Tase you, and gruesomely retrieve the property–which is then rinsed off, repackaged and sold to the next sickly dupe.

Theoretically, such a setup could have been used to send an allegorical message about the world’s various debt crises or the U.S. health care debate, but the plot is just a heap of sci-fi action cliches.

First, evil corporations control everything. Second, new technology improves material standards of living, but leaves people shallow and soulless. Third, those who oppose or question the new order are fated to live in refugee camps or slums. Fourth, a hunter becomes the hunted, joins the people he once oppressed and does battle against his former colleagues. Fifth, the ending…

Read the full review here.

Jul 14

Learn Kanji on the iPad with New “Kanji for Fun!” App

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JET alum Blaine Leckett (Shimane-ken, 1990-92) has designed a new app for the iPad and available at the iTunes Store for Kanji learners everywhere. With Kanji for Fun! you’ll be remembering your Kanji in no time… and have fun doing it!

Kanji for Fun! is a puzzle game where you match up the Kanji character with its English meaning. There is also a reference section that contains the entire joyo Kanji list. In the reference section you can see the Japanese and Chinese readings and have the ability to practice writing each character with the proper stroke order.

First is the game – A simple yet addictive matching game that will have you pairing Japanese characters to their English meanings in no time. Even if you know nothing about Japanese, just playing in practice mode or sneaking a peek at the game list will greatly increase your Kanji proficiency. And if you’re an expert, try some of the more advanced grades and play with a larger grid.

Second is the reference list – With nearly 2,000 Kanji at your finger tips, take a few quiet moments with your iPad where you can learn new characters, study their readings, or practice writing stroke orders with your finger.

For a limited time, Blaine is offering promo codes so you can try Kanji for Fun! for free. Contact him through his site at http://kanjiforfun.com/support to request a code.

Jul 13

Job: Program Specialist, U.S. Department of Education (Washington D.C.)

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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 JETAANY

The Program Specialist position is located in the Department of Education, Office of the Under Secretary, White House Initiative for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI).  The Initiative works collaboratively with the White House Office of Public Engagement and the designated Federal agencies to increase Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) participation in programs in education, commerce, business, health, human services, housing, environment, arts, agriculture, labor and employment, transportation, justice, veterans affairs and economic and community development.

This position requires the performance of a variety of program-related assignments.  The incumbent reviews, plans, analyzes and develops program requirements, establishes and revises operating procedures, reviews operations, and provides technical assistance. For a complete job description and qualifications, visit http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=89210189&JobTitle=Program+Specialist%2c+GS-301-12%2f13%2f14&where=20230&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&x=105&y=8&jbf574=ED.

Jul 13

Job: Native English Teacher Needed for NET Program (Okayama)

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via the JETAA Western Japan Linkedin group:

The Kurashiki Municipal Board of Education in Kurashiki, Okayama is currently accepting applications for one native English teacher to work in junior high school. Applicants must be native English speakers, have lived in Japan for a minimum of 6 months, and possess a university degree. The Board of Education hires instructors directly, and all training is performed in-house.

The contracted employment date begins September 1, 2010 through March, 2011, with the possibility for renewal.

The application deadline in July 23, 2010. Selected applicants must be able to interview in person. Due to the urgent nature of this opening, only applicants currently possessing an Instructor’s visa, Spouse of a Japanese National visa, or Permanent Resident status will be considered.

For more information on the program and to download an application form, please refer to the homepage at: http://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/net/

Questions may be directed to: Ms. Yumi Egi or Ms. Andrea Miyata
net@city.kurashiki.okayama.jp
(086)426-3830

Jul 13

JQ Magazine’s July/August “Hot Button Issue” Out Now!‏

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JQ knows you’re going to see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the summer’s coolest comic book movie, so why not get to know the the guy who started it all, cartoonist Bryan Lee O’Malley?  Their new “Hot Button” issue features an exclusive interview with Bryan, a recap of the new Samurai in New York museum exhibition, and the return of the JETAANY Society Page, plus more! Click here to view.

Additional contents below. Thanks to JQ Editor Justin Tedaldi (Kobe-shi CIR, 2001-02) for another sugoi issue. Contact Justin if you’d like to pitch or write a story for the next issue.

        CONTENTS

• Page 3……..From the Editor, Japan Local Government Center Executive Director
• Page 4……..Nippon News Blotter / Welcome Suzuki-san
• Page 5……..JETAANY Society Page by Goshippu Garu
• Page 6……..JETlog featuring Byron Nagy
• Page 6……..Samurai in New York Exhibition by Mark Brandstetter
• Page 7……..Bryan Lee O’Malley: The JQ Interview by Justin Tedaldi
• Page 8……..Nihonjin in New York featuring Noriko Hino by Stacy Smith
• Page 9……..Book Corner: Nintendo Magic by David Kowalsky
• Page 10……Nichibei Toastmasters by Pam Kavalam
• Page 11……The Funny Page
• Page 11……The Heiz Rocks On by Hugh Prysten

Jul 12

WIT Life #109: Parade

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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.

At Japan Society on Friday night  I saw what has been my favorite movie of the Japan Cuts festival so far, Parade.  A special treat was the attendance of the director, Isao Yukisada, to introduce the movie and take questions after.  He presented the movie as a “slice of the dark side of Tokyo,” and expressed his nervousness and excitement at having his work screened here in New York  for the first time.  The movie explores the relationships between four young people sharing an apartment in Tokyo, as they deal with their respective troubles as well as the danger of an assailant who has been attacking women in the area.  The title refers to Read More

Jul 12

Job: Public Outreach Officer, Polaris Project Japan (Tokyo)

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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 Marc Hitzig (Niigata-ken, 1992-1995)

Polaris Project is an internationally recognized organization headquartered in the United States that has been working to combat human trafficking and modern-day slavery since 2002.  Polaris Project has operated a local office in Japan since 2004.  Polaris Project Japan (PPJ) seeks a Program Officer, who will be responsible for a variety of roles in a small office.  The Program Officer will work under the direction of the Japan Program Coordinator.  The position will be based in the Tokyo, Japan office.  The position’s continuance is subject to extended funding, secured currently for one-year.
 
The Program Officer will:
–Support all general programmatic activities including: victim outreach and identification, victim services, policy advocacy, prevention and youth empowerment, coalition and infrastructure- building, office administration, training and technical assistance, fundraising, strategic planning, leadership development, and grassroots community mobilization.
–Support the general administration of the PPJ Office, including a primary role in the training and coordination of volunteers and training materials development, office management, maintenance of timesheets, Salesforce data management, and response to general office inquiries.
–Play a leading role in public communications, including fashioning a public affairs strategy, managing communications materials, social networking efforts, awareness newsletters, and the PPJ website; and importantly helping to produce a quarterly analysis of trafficking trends in Japan.
–Play a leading role in fundraising, including donor development and relationship management; fundraising events and campaign management; pursuit, and management of grants.
–Play a leading role in legislative advocacy and PPJ’s role in the anti-human trafficking coalition, including interaction with the legislative and executive branch of the Japanese government and the dissemination of trafficking trends analysis to all relevant stakeholders.
 
Qualifications:
–At least three to five years of experience, preferably in the non-profit sector
–Minimum three years of professional experience working in Japan
–Knowledge of government agencies in Japan
–Excellent organizational, written, and oral communication skills in Japanese
–Strong command of both Japanese and English languages
–Experience, competence, and confidence in supervising volunteers
–Experience working in multicultural environments
–Ability to set and balance multiple priorities, plan ahead, and anticipate programmatic needs
–Solutions-oriented, collaborative, self-directed, and self-disciplined
–Resiliently positive and energetic attitude
–Focus on and commitment to human and women’s rights and interest in fighting human trafficking

Degree Preferred: MA; BA required 
Type: Full Time
Salary: $30,000 to $35,000 (DOE) 
Start Date: Available immediately         
Languages Required: English, Japanese    

How to Apply:
PLEASE DO NOT FAX OR MAIL YOUR APPLICATION. All application materials should be sent electronically as attachments to Applications@ polarisproject. org.  Materials should include a custom cover letter, resume, and three references, plus any additional personal statements you may wish to include. The deadline for application is rolling, until a candidate is chosen, so early application is advised. Please write JAPAN Program Officer Position in the subject line of the email.

Jul 11

JET ROI: Top Ten “Best of JQ” Articles That Support Our Cause

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Wondering how JET alums give back to the community and make new connections with Japan after their work on the program is over? JQ Magazine Editor Justin Tedaldi (Kobe-shi CIR, 2001-02) has compiled a list of ten relevant articles from the past two years that exemplify the dedication of our members.

2010 May/June – Bruce Feiler interview (an author who’s probably the biggest “JET celebrity” out there. Wrote his first book about his JET experiences) by Justin Tedaldi

2010 January/February – Aaron Woolfolk interview (JET alum, first African American to direct a feature film in Japan) by Lyle Sylvander

2010 January/February – Peace Corps profile (talks with those who joined Peace Corps after the positive experience they had on JET) by Marea Pariser

2009 Fall – International Visitor Leadership Program interpreting (shows how JETs can become invaluable interpreters to continue grassroots internationalization at home) by Stacy Smith

2008 Summer – Ambassador Nishimiya interview (boosts visibility of new Japanese officials to our readers; demonstrates strong relationships between JETAA chapters and local government) by Anne Koller

2009 Spring – Hikaru Utada interview (probably the longest English-language interview with Utada out there. It was even translated into Japanese by a resourceful fan) by Justin Tedaldi

2009 Spring – JETAANY Author Showcase (names four notable JET alum authors and also stands as a unique event organized by JETAANY) by Gina Anderson and Justin Tedaldi

2009 Spring – President Sakurai of Japan Society interview (this piece examines JET’s relationship with non-profit cultural centers and  is included in Japan Society media kits) by Justin Tedaldi

2008 Fall – Anthony Bianchi interview (JET done good in Japan) by Michael Glazer

2008 Summer – George Rose interview (JET done good at home) by Stacy Smith

Comments are welcome. Spread the word!

Jul 11

Best of JQ: The Bruce Feiler Interview (May-June 2010)

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By Justin Tedaldi, Editor (Kobe-shi CIR, 2001-02) for JQ Magazine. Portions of this interview were originally published on Examiner.com.

Award-winning bestselling author, journalist, and—in his own words—“professional traveler” Bruce Feiler (Tochigi-ken, 1987-88) has been a writing books for nearly 20 years, the most recent of which focused on social issues and religion. Bruce’s new book, The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me, was inspired by his diagnosis with cancer two years ago. Faced with an uncertain future and concerned about his family, he asked six of his peers to form a “Council of Dads” to help guide his young daughters through their lives. JQ spoke with Feiler about the start of his writing career, which began with 1991’s Learning to Bow, an account of his time living in Japan as an English teacher on the inaugural year of the JET Program, as well as his thoughts about the program today.

You’re now cancer-free. When did you receive this prognosis, and what was your treatment like?

I was first diagnosed in July 2008, and I had osteosarcoma, which is so rare that only one hundred adults a year get it. Twenty years ago they would have cut off my leg and hoped, since there was a fifteen percent survival rate. They determined that one cocktail of chemo could be effective, and I had that. I basically had four months of chemo, a 15-hour surgery to rebuild my leg, and then four more months of chemo. So, I’ve technically been cancer-free since my surgery when they cut the tumor out of my femur. I’ve been cancer-free now for about 15 months. I’m full of hope walking forward.

Read More

Jul 11

Best of JQ: Bridge Building with JET Filmmaker Aaron Woolfolk (January/February 2010)

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JET Filmmaker/JQ subscriber Aaron Woolfolk at the New York premiere of his film ‘The Harimaya Bridge,’ December 2009

By Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) for JQ Magazine

Most JETs enjoy telling tales about the cities they lived in. But it’s a select few who take the extra step of making movies that actually take place in them. JETAA Southern California’s Aaron Woolfolk (Kochi-ken, 1992-93) is the writer and director of The Harimaya Bridge, which received a theatrical release in Japan last year and premiered in New York’s Upper West Side in December as part of the African Disapora Film Festival.

The film stars Ben Guillory as Daniel, an American man who travels from San Francisco to Kochi after his estranged son—who works as an assistant English teacher—Mickey (Victor Grant) dies in a traffic accident. There, Daniel’s own prejudices spark rows with his Japanese hosts and daughter-in-law Noriko (Saki Takaoka) as he discovers secrets his son left behind. The film will receive a wider release in the U.S. for spring 2010, and JQ talked with Aaron about the making of the film.

How did you get involved with JET?

During my senior year in college, I ran into a couple of friends who were on their way to pick up an application for the JET Program. I had nothing to do when I saw them, so I tagged along. I had never heard of the program before, but it definitely intrigued me. I had always wanted to experience another culture firsthand, and thought the best way to do that would be to live in that culture, rather than merely visiting it for a limited time.

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Jul 11

Best of JQ: Peace Corps Calls Out To JETs (January/February 2010)

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Lisa Reitmeier and B.J. Whetstine of the Peace Corps at the World AIDS Day panel

By Marea Pariser (Kagoshima-ken, 2003-04) for JQ Magazine

What comes to mind when you think of the Peace Corps? Is it the image of young, daring humanitarians performing HIV/AIDS work across Africa? Or how about the ambitious environmentalist who flocks to third-world Latin America to build aqueducts in the locals’ backyards? Sure, we all know the stereotype—adventurous, somewhat-experienced travelers willing to spend two years out in the bush roughing it with the locals as a result of their passion to see the world and underlying desire to help others.

Perhaps we’ve thought about the opportunity for ourselves. And it’s likely that we all know at least one person who’s a current or returned Peace Corps volunteer. What probably doesn’t come to mind, though, regarding this nearly 50-year-old program—founded in 1961 by the Kennedy administration—is the image of native English speakers flying abroad to teach English as a second language to locals in over 70 countries where the Peace Corps has presence.

Sound familiar? It should.

Read More

Jul 11

Best of JQ: The JET Legacy Lives On: International Visitor Leadership Program Interpreting (Fall 2009)

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Jul 11

Best of JQ: Ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya: Diplomat, Collaborator, Fly Fisher (Summer 2009)

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Anne with Ambassador Nishimiya (photo by Noriko Furuhata)

By Anne Koller (Fukuoka-ken, 2002-2004) for JQ Magazine.

Having been spotted at various local Japan events, JETs were curious to know more about the new Consul General Shinichi Nishimiya.  JQ talked with Ambassador Nishimiya to find out his plans for the consulate in New York and how JETAANY can help.

How are you and your family adapting to New York life?  What has been the hardest part about living in the city and the most satisfying?  What do you miss the most about our beloved Nippon?

We are adapting very well.  The hardest part has been the weather.  Nobody told us that NY weather is this unstable and unpredictable. [Jokingly] I have been told that there is no spring or fall between the long hot summer and a long, cold winter: then how do you describe what we have now? The most satisfying part of living in New York for my wife and I is meeting people.  Everyone has been very welcoming and kind.  I miss ramen!  There are ramen shops everywhere in Japan and they are always open.  You can go to places in New York, but it isn’t the same.  I do think the lack of eating ramen has allowed me to live a healthier life here which my wife is certainly happy about [laughs].

Read More

Jul 11

Best of JQ: The Hikaru Utada Interview (Spring 2009)

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By Justin Tedaldi, Editor (Kobe-shi CIR, 2001-02) for JQ Magazine

 It was perfect timing. Back in January, Hikaru Utada, the New York-born recording phenomenon who before she was out of her teens notched three of Japan’s top ten bestselling albums (including Number One), was back in town working on a new album for the U.S., and JQ spent a full hour with Hikki to talk of many things, including her new disc This is the One, which hit stores in May.

I know you want to talk about the new album and the single.

The song…

I heard it about two and half weeks ago, as I think I was already on the e-mail list from when your last English album came out.

Oh, right, right, right.

So we go way back. Ten years ago I found out about First Love when I studying Japanese as an undergraduate…

Oh, wow.

It’s amazing to be here now talking about it.

I’m humbled [laughs]. Read More

Jul 11

Best of JQ: JETAANY Hosts First Author Showcase (Spring 2009)

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