Tom Baker interviews sci-fi notables Charles Stross and Sharlto Copley
Article/Journalism, Celebrity, Interview/Profile 
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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.
Recently he interviewed two notable figures from the world of science fiction: novelist Charles Stross, the Hugo Award-winning (and Seiun Award-nominated) author best known for his “Merchant Princes” series, and actor Sharlto Copley, who plays the lead role in the movie “District 9.” Stross in now in Japan to attend the newly launched Hal-Con science fiction convention in Saitama, while Copley was there to promote his film, which just opened in the country. Here are some excerpts:
Charles Stross photo by Sjbradshaw at en.wikipedia
CHARLES STROSS:
Stross has also written “hard” science fiction, such as his novels Saturn’s Children and Accelerando, which imagine technologically advanced futures in deep detail. Readers of those books may notice a sprinkling of Japanese vocabulary, such as “bishojo,” “chibi” and “kawaii.”
“There were particular reasons for wanting to use it [Japanese vocabulary],” Stross explained. “One issue is globalization of culture. Japan is unusual in that it’s one of the few societies other than North-American-stroke-Anglosphere ones successfully exporting its culture globally. You will find Hello Kitty in shops in the U.K., you will find her in Germany, you will find her all over the world. There’s far less in the way of, for example, German cultural exports. So if you’re going to portray a near future, it is one that is going to be Japanese-influenced to a greater or lesser extent.”
Saturn’s Children is about a robot created to serve humans who must get on with her life in a universe where humans have gone extinct. She’s one of a long line of nearly identical “sibs” who sometimes share their memory chips with each other, blurring distinctions between the individual and the group…
Read the rest of Tom’s interview with Stross here. (And read his review of Saturn’s Children here.)
Sharlto Copley photo by Natasha Baucas
SHARLTO COPLEY:
As Wikus [Copley’s character] works for a heavily armed private company called MNU, another big issue in District 9 is the movement of military power into the hands of corporations, a phenomenon that has been prominent in recent world news due to the involvement of U.S. contractors such as Blackwater in the war in Iraq. In the movie, MNU is portrayed as a menace, which made Copley’s comment on the topic a bit of a surprise.
“That started with Neill’s fascination with [a South African military contractor called] Executive Outcomes,” Copley said. “That’s actually the start of modern-day privatization, when the South African government changed, and you had incredibly high-level professional soldiers…that had nowhere to go. They weren’t going to work for the new government, and they formed a private military company that went and sorted out various conflicts in Africa–and did amazingly well, actually. It was very controversial, but you couldn’t argue that when 50 guys went in and solved a problem that the United Nations couldn’t with 5,000, that there was definitely something to be said for that.”
Read the rest of Tom’s interview with Copley here.
Japan America Society Roundup 4.10.10
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Current Hiroshima-ken JET Gail Cetnar Meadows, Editor of Hiroshima JET webzine the Wide Island View, shines a light on some of the upcoming events of Japan America Societies…
Sumo Night — Have you packed on a few pounds since you left Japan? Ever find yourself dreaming of going back and thinking, “Hey, I wonder what it actually takes to be a Sumo wrestler, anyway?” Well, come find out. At this event you can learn all about this traditional Japanese sport, its history and the techniques required to become a Sumo pro.
- Date: Tuesday, April 20
- Time: 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.
- Place: University of Texas San Antonio, on the lawn area between the Arts Building and the Main Building by the flag poles (or UC 2.212 Harris Room if there’s inclement weather).
- For more information: http://www.utsa.edu/eai/2010/Sumo.pdf
- Concert by the Columbus Japanese Women’s Chorus — The name of this group, Hanamizuku no Kai, translates to “Dogwood Group”, chosen in honor of the early 1900s exchange of Yoshino cherry trees and Dogwood trees between the people of Japan and the United States. The trees symbolize the friendship and sharing between Japan and America. With an aim to share the gift of music and friendship, Hanamizuki no Kai sings a variety of lyrical songs, nursery rhymes, pop music and folk songs in both Japanese and English.
- Date: Sunday, May 2
- Time: 3:30 p.m.
- Place: Church of the Redeemer Moravian, 3883 Summitview Road, Dublin, Ohio
- For more information: http://jasco.osu.edu/events/2010/HANAMIZUKINOKAI.pdf
Sushi class — Learn the basics of making your own sushi from Sake Bomb, the sushi supplier to the Cincinnati Reds. The fee is $25 for members, $40 for member couples or $38 for non-members.
- Date: Sunday, April 18
- Time: 2 to 4 p.m.
- Place: 3572 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio
- For more information: http://jasgc.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=22
JAS of the State of Washington
- Teaching Responses to Catastrophe: Hiroshima and the Holocaust — Professor Alan Tansman of the University of California, Berkeley, asked scores of university students to consider how individuals and cultures respond to the devastation of large-scale violence. Students closely examined the words and images created by individuals who chose to express their suffering, and considered the psychic, cultural, historical and political dimensions of responses to violence. Professor Tansman’s work focused on comparative context through the cases of Nazi violence against European Jews, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as other forms of violence experienced by the Japanese in World War II. In his presentation, he will discuss the pedagogy of teaching this material.
- Date: Friday, April 16
- Time: 4 to 5:30 p.m.
- Place: University of Washington, Seattle campus, Communication Building, Room 226
- For more information: http://jsis.washington.edu/japan/events.shtml#_2288
Does your Japan America Society have an upcoming event that you’d like to share with JetWit readers? Email Gail Meadows the info.
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.
The other night I had the pleasure of meeting the author Jake Adelstein (pictured here on the Daily Show) who wrote the sensational book Tokyo Vice, the story of his time as a crime reporter in Japan. This absorbing memoir traces his path from Sophia University student to full-time reporter at the newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, a notable feat for a foreigner. He spent 12 years covering the underbelly of Japan, and as expected the bulk of his talk concentrated on the yakuza.
He discussed how this Japanese mafia is known as a second police force, or a necessary evil (必要な悪 or hitsuyou na aku). As tracked by the police they number Read More
WIT Life #86: 日本の企業家精神
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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.
Last night I attended a symposium on Entrepreneurship in Japan (日本の企業家精神; nihon no kigyouka seishin) hosted by the Columbia Business School’s Center on Japanese Economy and Business. The three panelists (two present, one via video from Tokyo) represented a variety of generations and backgrounds. In 1985, American-born Ernest Matsuo Higa revolutionized Japanese home pizza delivery after obtaining the exclusive license to Domino’s Pizza. Atsushi Imuta (participating from Tokyo) quit his job at a Japanese bank to found RISA Partners, an invesment banking firm. Kohei Nishiyama, the youngest of the group who was raised in Columbia and went to university in Japan, invented the Design To Order system which allows manufacturers to reduce risk by carrying out product development based on customers’ requests.
An article on Japanese entrepreneurship in last month’s Eurobiz Japan highlights how within the Japan’s educational system there is the idea of Read More
Any JET alums working in International Development?
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I’m looking for JET alumni who have experience in the field of international development.
Please contact me at sboegema [at] gmail.com to let me know:
-Where you work and what you do
-If you have time to be interviewed for a JetWit series on careers in international development
-If you’d be willing to be contacted by fellow alums seeking career advice and perspective on the international development scene
Thanks a bunch!
Stephanie Boegeman
(Akita-ken, 2006-09)
Job: Part-Time TESOL Teaching Position (Pennsylvania)
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Two part time TESOL Instructors are needed in State College, Pennsylvania. Lessons will typically take place on or near local University campuses Saturdays and Sundays for three consecutive weekends (up to 6 courses per year, dependent on student registrations). Please visit www.oxfordseminars.com/Pages/Teach/teach_outline.php for more information about our curriculum.
TESOL Instructors prepare and facilitate TESOL teacher training certification courses using curriculum developed by Oxford Seminars and tailored by each Instructor to suit their strengths. The curriculum and resource materials provided minimize preparation time for class sizes of 15 – 25 students and include:
- Lesson planning;
- Classroom management techniques;
- Skills development (vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, listening, speaking, reading and writing);
- Contemporary second language acquisition methodologies;
- Strategies for acquiring ESL teaching jobs around the world.
Event: 女子会3月会! Next Joshikai SF, Thurs, Apr 8 — A meetup for Japanese women and women connected to Japan (San Francisco)
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Here’s an invitation to the next San Francisco Joshikai: a regular bilingual meet up for the Japanese & Japanese-connected women of San Francisco, organized by JET alum Beth Hillman.
The next Joshikai event: Thursday, April 8
For the next Joshikai gathering, we’ll meet again for an evening of networking and girl talk at Postrio, a unique and stylish downtown bar. (We had a great time there this month, so we decided to keep the same location!) Mingle, chat and share stories with other women in English and / or Japanese. Any skill level of Japanese is welcome, and this will be a great opportunity to practice your Japanese and connect with women who have similar interests. They’ve extended the happy hour for us until 7 pm; specials include cocktails, beers and wine, as well as yakitori, pork belly and other bar appetizers — all starting at $4! We’ve reserved the mezzanine lounge area, so we’ll have a comfortable place to relax. Feel free to join us whenever is convenient, and bring friends!
女子会の皆 さん、
3月の会合にもたくさんの方々に来ていただきました。ありがとうございました！特に、今回の会合場所であるPrescott Hotel内Postrioは、落ち着いた雰囲気と美味しいカクテルが大好評でした。マネージャーのJunさんのご厚意でホテルツアーまでしていただきま した。Junさん貴重なお時間とおもてなし。ありがとうございました。
あんまりにもイイ感じ♪♪でしたので、次回の会合もPostrio のMezzanine Loungeで行います。お友達も誘ってどしどしお越し下さい。今回もHappy Hourが7時まで延長です！
今 回も特にゲストスピーカーの方はいませんが、ちょっとした自己紹介タイムを設けようかなとも思ってます。これやってみたい！これがお勧め！とかあれば教え てください。みんなでリラックスしながらおしゃべり、情報交換、ネットワークに花を咲かせましょう！（やっぱり今回も男子禁制です。）
Date: 4/8, Thursday
Time: 6 pm – 9 pm (With happy hour prices until 7 pm! Please come and leave at whatever time works best for you!)
Location: Postrio, 545 Post Street (on Post between Mason and Taylor, just 5 blocks from Powell BART), (415) 776-7825
http://www.postrio.com/
http://www.mychoyce.com/postrio/search
No need to RSVP, but feel free to send any questions or comments to Beth and Nobuko at joshikai.sf [at] gmail.com.
We’re also on Twitter (http://twitter.com/joshikaisf)!
Jobs: School Program Coordinator & Webmaster/Office Manager at the Japanese Embassy (DC)
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The Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC), Embassy of Japan, is looking for a School Program Coordinator and a Web Master/Office Manager at the Japanese Embassy in Washington D.C. Both positions are full-time and require permission to work in the United States. These positions will open up in mid-July. Read More
Job: Senior Communications Manager at The Asia Society (SF)
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The Asia Society is looking for a Senior Communications Manager at their offices in San Francisco.
ROLES:
- oversees the international media relations function of the Communications department to enhance and protect the reputation of The Asia Foundation
- writing, editing, planning, and presentation skills, with the ability to prepare media relations plans, press releases, press kits, opinion-editorials, and speeches as well as advise on strategy
- high-impact media outreach, public relations efforts and by fostering and maintaining relationships with external audiences globally
REQUIREMENTS
- 7 – 10 years in the pubic relations field, ideally with an international relations or policy, or aid and assistance focus. Knowledge of international affairs, foreign policy, development, and especially current issues in Asia
- Demonstrated experience working directly with foreign correspondents and top-tier U.S. and international media outlets. Demonstrated results designing and executing strategic public relations programs
- Understanding of reputation management, crisis communications, and thought leadership disciplines.
- Superb communications skills, especially writing and editing a high volume of materials.
- Inherent sense for urgency and ability to interact readily with high-level individuals, such as diplomats and government officials.
- Strategic communications experience working in Asia in an embassy, bilateral, or multilateral setting a plus.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite. Familiarity with print and online news resources, media trends tracking software (i.e. Meltwater, Cision, Factiva, etc.) , and research tools ( Lexis Nexis, etc.).
- Candidates must be willing to travel in developing Asia.
Education: Bachelors degree in Journalism, Communications, English, Asian studies, International Relations, or related field; Masters degree preferred.
HOW TO APPLY: Click here.
Job: Web Coordinator at The Asia Society (SF)
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The Asia Society is looking for a web coordinator in their San Francisco office. The coordinator will work with the communications team to build on the Web site content, copy, strategy, design and implementation, as well as their social media efforts. Copy editing, photo editing, blogging, social media strategizing and search engine optimization skills are all involved.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelors degree in Communications, Public Relations, or in Fine Arts, Design, Photography, International Relations, or related field.
- Excellent communications skills
- Substantial professional web experience and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, design tools, including Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and web content tools
- In-depth knowledge of web content best practices, usability, and the social media realm with emphasis on the use of Facebook, Twitter, and blogs as effective outreach tools for an organization
- Candidates should have a strong eye for design, strong attention to detail, and comfort with and ability to be point person on web projects, and ability to interact with colleagues near and far in a very proactive and positive manner
- Ability to closely monitor and report on relevant social media and web communications trends to capitalize on outreach.
- Awareness of basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) opportunities.
- Knowledge of international relations/current affairs in Asia strongly preferred.
- Minimum 3-5 years professional experience in web content as an editor, designer, or communications professional.
- Knowledge of working with a Content Managing System, HTML/CSS, Google adsense, Adobe Suite (Flash and Illustrator)
HOW TO APPLY: Click here.
Job: Executive Associate at Asia Society (NYC)
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Asia Society is looking for an Executive Associate to support the Vice President, External Affairs by providing administrative support for all activities of the Vice President’s office, establishing systems to manage the flow of administrative work in the External Affairs Department and developing and directing the department’s office policies and procedures.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Answering telephone calls from a wide array of individuals in the U.S. and Asia, including trustees, high-level donors and staff. This requires exceptional communication skills combined with a high degree of sensitivity, confidentiality and diplomacy and the ability to take detailed messages.
- Scheduling appointments and maintaining Vice President’s calendar.
- Editing or composing outgoing correspondence for the Vice President.
- Collecting and assembling background materials for Vice President’s daily schedule.
- Performing word processing and spreadsheet applications.
- Maintaining the Vice President’s files.
- Handling Vice President’s travel arrangements and other reservations.
- Maintaining budget for External Affairs Department.
- Using Raiser’s Edge to research information, produce reports.
- Carrying out research projects of various kinds, from individual gift histories to developing new methods of handling various administrative projects.
- Developing systems, policies and procedures for administrative workflow in the department to increase efficiency.
- Assistance with special projects and events as needed.
- Organizing and analyzing mail for proper disposition
- Attending meetings and taking notes, as necessary.
- Providing administrative support to the Board of Trustees’ Development and Nominating Committees.
- Providing support to the Director of Special Events, Director of Major Gifts and Director of Corporate Relations when time permits.
- Other duties as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor’s degree and 4-5 years demonstrated experience acting as right-hand to senior level executive preferred.
- Outstanding written, verbal and organizational skills required.
- Advanced Microsoft Office knowledge (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and interest and ability to learn new programs as needed.
- Database management experience preferred.
- Must be flexible, highly organized, able to set priorities and manage multiple tasks, take initiative, and be able to come up with creative solutions to resolve problems.
- High degree of confidence and ability to exercise independent judgment required.
- Ability to work with trustees, volunteers, major donors and all levels of staff with tact and good judgment.
- Knowledge of and interest in Asia a plus
- For benefits information go to: www.asiasociety.org/jobs.
HOW TO APPLY:
Email cover letter and resume with salary expectations to: HR@asiasoc.org. List job code 114 and job title in the subject line. Resumes without cover letters will not be considered.
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/job_item.jhtml?id=290300011
Tom Baker covers the Tokyo anime fair
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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.
His most recent article covers last week’s Tokyo International Anime Fair, where 3-D technology was a major theme this year. Here is an excerpt:
Put on your glasses, and you’ll see better. Turn on your glasses, and you won’t believe your eyes. At the Tokyo International Anime Fair (TAF) 2010, held March 25-28 at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center in Koto Ward, 3-D effects were popping up all over the place. Some effects were simply good, and others were mind-blowing.
Plenty of people got to see for themselves, as total attendance was 132,492 over the four days, an increase of 2 percent over last year’s figure…
Read the rest of the article here.
WIT Life #85: New start
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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.
Whereas here in the States today we celebrate April Fool’s Day, April 1st in Japan is a beginning. It is the start of the new fiscal and school years, and the blooming and subsequent falling of the cherry blossoms serves as a way to mark this transition. This morning’s news outlined several changes that will be taking place in accordance with the new year, but whether they will make life in Japan easier or harder remains to be seen.
- The child allowance law giving parents 13,000 yen per child per month goes into effect today, fulfilling one of the DPJ’s key campaign pledges. It differs from Read More
JETAA Chapter Beat 4.1.10
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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.
- Social Night – Saturday, April 10th, JETAABC is holding a get together and social night. Stay tuned to JETAABC for more details.
- Sumidagawa & Curlew River Opera Premiere – Thursday, April 15th, 8:00 the City Opera of Vancouver and NIkkei Place is giving a sneak preview of an upcoming Japanese dance and Western Opera experience. Be sure to check out the main event May 26, 27, and 28th at Frederic Wood Theatre, UBC.
- Vancouver Ikebana Spring Show – Saturday April 17th and Sunday April 18th, 12:00 to 5:00 at the Oakridge Centre Auditorium in Vancouver. The Vancouver Ikebana Association is holding it’s annual show for Japanese flower arrangement, including teacher demonstrations each day from 1:00 to 3:00.
- Chicago Cubs Gameday – JETAA Chicago is selling upper deck tickets for the May 1st Chicago Cubs home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Cheer on the home team with your friends and fellow JET Alumni.
- Happy Hour – Friday, April 2nd, 6:00 at Wann Izakaya. Get together on the eve of Sakura Con for a drink with friends and fellow JET alumni.
- JETAAPNW General Meeting – Wednesday, April 7th, 6:30 to 8:30 at the Convention Center Atrium in downtown Seattle. Get together with the alumni board and discuss upcoming events and the future of JETAAPNW.
- “Scenes of Childhood: Sixty Years of Postwar Japan” Photo Exhibit – April 12th through the 21st at the Seattle Center Pavillion, Seattle Center. This year’s Seattle Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival is hosting a special exhibit of 100 photographs that focus on the daily lives of Japanese children dating from the end of World War II to the present.
- Hanami Picnic – Saturday, April 10th, 11:00 to 3:00 at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park. Celebrate the coming spring Japanese style with JETAANC.
- Tampa Subchapter Tsudoi – Friday, April 2nd, 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.
What happened at your chapter’s event? If you attend(ed) any of these exciting events, JetWit would love to hear about them. Just email Jonathan Trace with any info, stories or comments.
JET alums who work on “human trafficking” issues?
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Are there any JET alums out there who work on or are somehow involved in dealing with or researching or reporting on the issue of human trafficking?
I’ve received an inquiry from a current JET who is interested in working in this field and would appreciate the opportunity to talk or email with any JET alums currently working on this issue.
You can just send an email to jetwit @ jetwit .com if you’re willing to be contacted.
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
-Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
