Casting Call Auditions! Japanese Americans in Seattle
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Casting Call for Japanese Mini-Series: In March, Japanese TV producers will hold auditions in Seattle for a couple of minor roles in a mini-series to be broadcast in Japan. Shooting is scheduled for May 16 in Seattle. The drama follows a Japanese American family from their immigration to the United States, through hardships during World War II, to their lives today.
Audition Dates: March 8 (Mon.) and March 9 (Tues.)
Union Status: This is a non-union job.
Shoot Date: May 16 (Sun.) in Seattle, subject to change
Role: Japanese American Boy
Age: 15-17
Skill: English speaking, conversational Japanese a plus
Role: Japanese American Girl
Age: 12-15
Skill: English speaking, conversational Japanese a plus
Please send your resume and headshots and indicate which date you are available to audition.
Email photos and information to jaminitv@gmail.com
Roland Kelts to speak at Kinokuniya (NY) on March 6 as part of “Ponyo Day”
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Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, will be speaking at Kinokuniya in NYC as part of “Ponyo Day.” The event is this Saturday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and Roland will be speaking at 4:00 pm. (This appearance hot on the heels of his Atlanta book signing on March 4!)
JET alum Chris Kennedy helps launch Tokyo branch of translation and localization co. Keywords Int’l
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JET alum Chris Kennedy recently helped his company, translation and localization specialist Keywords International, set up a Tokyo branch.
Here’s the press release: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/55566/Keywords_International_Limited_Launches_Branch_Office_inTokyo.php
Chris added that, “Translation and localization are definitely fields that former JETs can get involved with, so if there is anything I could do to provide some information about the field, or anything similar, just let me know.”
Job: Yokohama English school seeks part-time teacher
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A local English school for children in Yokohama who learned about JetWit from a JET friend shared the following job listing:
NATIVE ENGLISH TEACHER
- Fun, local English school for children aged 2-15 looking for a friendly part-time native English teacher to join our team.
- 3-4 hours/day, 2-3 days/week, 2000yen or more/per lesson (40-, 50- and 60-minute lessons).
- Teaching location: Yokohama city, Hakuraku station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line.
- Proper visa, BA/BS required. Experience teaching English to kids and/or adults, and TESL/TEFL/TESOL certification preferred.
- APPLICANT MUST CURRENTLY RESIDE IN JAPAN.
- Transportation allowance (to 1000yen/day).
- Six-month renewable contract.
- Application deadline; End of March, 2010.
- Position available from Mid of March, 2010.
- Please apply by e-mail with CV/resume, letter of introduction, photo, availability and visa status.
- Contact: Shige Satsuma, Proud Academy Corporation. 34-28, Kandaiji 4-chome, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama 221-0801.
- mail to: info@esbkids.com
- http://www.esbkids.com
All the JETAA Southeast alums will have a chance to meet and hear Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, speak at Keenesaw State University in Atlanta, GA on Thursday, March 4 from 6:30-8:00 pm. If you happen to go and say hi, let him know you heard about the event on JetWit. Also, email JetWit (jetwit [at] jetwit.com) to let us know how the event was so we can share it with the rest of the JET alum community.
Here’s the flyer with all the relevant info for the event:
Asian American Writers’ Workshop: MATCHMAKER – Speed dating hosted by author Kavita Ramdya and comedian Jen Kwok
Celebrity, Events, Food & Drink, Networking, Writers Comments Off on Asian American Writers’ Workshop: MATCHMAKER – Speed dating hosted by author Kavita Ramdya and comedian Jen Kwok
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I received a wonderful request from author Solmaz Sharif, Managing Director of The Asian American Writers’ Workshop, regarding an event that she thought might be of interest to the JET alumni community:
Matchmaker:
Speed dating hosted by Kavita Ramdya and Jen Kwok
Saturday, March 6, 7-9 PM
- Location: The Asian American Writers’ Workshop16 W 32nd Street, Suite 10A btwn 5th Avenue and Broadway
- Cost: $20 for members / $30 for non-members
- Purchase your tickets here before March 5, 2010 and give us an idea who we should set you up with. For more information you can also visit aaww.org or call 212.494.0061.
Tired of making eyes at readings and not approaching the hottie next to you? Wondering how you can meet people that’ll compliment your bookcase? Interested in hearing more about love in Asian America? Keep it in the family and let the Workshop help you find the one at our first ever speed dating event. The Asian American Writers’ Workshop presents MATCHMAKER, a special event about how we meet, mingle, and marry in Asian America.
Kavita Ramdya, author of Bollywood Weddings: Dating, Engagement, and Marriage in Hindu America, discusses how second-generation Indian Americans get hitched, a tricky negotiation involving arranged meeting, Mom and Dad, and, of course, lots of dancing.
The event will be hosted by stand-up comedian Jen Kwok, the hilarious mastermind behind Date an Asian, her self-described comic ode to “the awesomeness of dating an asian guy.”
You will receive the following premiums:
- A month’s worth of dates squeezed into one night as you move table to table closer to the one
- Finger foods to keep the attention where it counts
- A signature Workshop cocktail
- A horoscope reading to predict your compatibility
Job: Development Associate at the Japan Society (NYC)
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The Japan Society is looking for a development associate for their headquarters in New York City to coordinate their giving and donors program.
DUTIES:
- Manage daily membership operations, including the timely processing of Individual and Corporate renewals, upgrades, gift acknowledgements and solicitation materials, with follow-up by phone when necessary.
- Field inquiries via Individual and Corporate membership phone lines, email inboxes, providing member service/troubleshooting as necessary, while referring more complex inquiries to appropriate Japan Society staff.
- Fulfill Individual and Corporate member benefit obligations and requests, including complimentary catalogues, gallery passes and Executive Courtesy Cards.
- Track cultivation and stewardship of Individual and Corporate prospects in Raiser’s Edge; update Individual and Corporate member records on Raiser’s Edge as needed.
- Help research and identify new membership and donor prospects in consultation with Managers of Individual and Corporate Giving.
- Perform daily website uploads and Convio updates.
- Follow up on returned mail and file all copies of correspondence as needed.
- Support Special Events and Annual Dinner as required.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of three years related development administration experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Must be a flexible and detail-oriented team player with ability to multitask.
- Strong interpersonal and organizational skills, and strong written, oral and intercultural communication skills are essential.
- Experience with database processing (preferably Raiser’s Edge—including the building of queries and custom reports, and prospect tracking utilities) required.
- Knowledge of Japanese culture a plus.
Bankruptcy Man vs. Mortgantua – Part 6
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Bankruptcy Man and Bankruptcy Bill are cartoons created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. For more cartoons, original bankruptcy haiku and even a bankruptcy country song, go to bankruptcybill.us.
Do you work in bankruptcy or restructuring? Now you can join the JET Alumni Restructuring & Bankruptcy Group on LinkedIn.
Additionally, if anyone would like to take a stab at translating the cartoon into Japanese for JetWit’s Japanese fans out there, feel free to post in the comments section of this post. Some cultural explanation might be helpful as well, given that Japanese bankruptcy laws are very different than the U.S.
Events: Translation Workshop in Japan
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Are you living in Japan and looking to get into the translation and editing industry? The Society of Writers, Editors & Translators (SWET), a thirty-year old community of English wordsmiths in Japan, is hosting an event on art translation in March. If you’d like more information about SWET, please click here.
WHEN: Sunday, March, 7 2010 – 3:00~5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Kobe Centre Plaza Nishi-kan, 6F, Room 11 / http://www.kscp.co.jp/map/map.html
FEE: SWET & JAT members 1,000 yen/non-members 1,500 yen
RESERVE: kansai@swet.jp
ABOUT:
Translating literature related to Japanese art presents unique challenges. Not only are there issues of origin, as in the case of Buddhist deities, but
the presentation of traditional Japanese art has been targeted at a specific audience up to now, namely one that is educated and Japanese. Since the
language used to describe art can be difficult to read—as can the exhibition title itself at times—an English translation may be helpful not only to English readers but also to some native Japanese. Seen in this light, English translation in the art field can be invaluable tool to reach
new audiences, both domestic and international. This presentation will focus on technical issues related to translation, as well as the wider social
implications surrounding them.
Eric Luong is a full-time instructor at the Kyoto University of Art and Design, teaching English, art, and comparative culture. Originally from
Toronto, Canada, he works as a translator for the Hosomi Museum in Kyoto and as a freelancer specializing in Japanese art history.
Fellowship: Japan Liason for Polaris Project (DC)
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This posting comes from Idealist, a job listing site for those interested in non-profit, educational or activism work around the world.
The Polaris Project, an international non-profit organization aimed at stopping human trafficking, is looking for a bilingual fellow to work at their office in Washington, D.C. for 4-6 months. The fellow will facilitate communication between the D.C. and Japan offices and play a large role in global initiatives.
ROLES:
* Assisting the executive management team and PPJ staff in developing and implementing:
+ Programmatic activities, both PPJ-centered, and joint office initiatives
+ Operations/Financial policy and mechanisms
* Fundraising initiatives, including identifying funding sources in both the US and Japan
* Translating financial, press, and other materials for internal use and public distribution
* Working with the PPJ office and individual departments on other activities as assigned
* Assistance in Performance Measurement management for PPJ
* Assistance with annual Questionnaire from the Office to Combat and Monitor Trafficking in Persons.
QUALIFICATIONS:
* Strong commitment to human trafficking and human rights generally.
* Business-level English and Japanese language skills – both writing and speaking. (Non-native Japanese speakers: JLPT level 1 or 2 certification preferred)
* Interested in working with a dynamic team and resiliently positive attitude
* Strong interpersonal and organizational skills
* Strong writing and analytical skills
* Ability to multi-task and effectively operate in a fast-paced environment
* Ability to work in a diverse office environment with people of different backgrounds
* Legal, Operations, Development, Financial background a plus
* Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred; Current enrollment in a baccalaureate program also considered.
HOW TO APPLY: Apply directly online here.
Paid Internship: News Writers at Bloomberg (Tokyo)
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This listing came from Journalism Jobs.
Bloomberg News, one of the world’s leading financial news wire services and media organizations, is looking for interns at their Tokyo bureau for the summer. Interns work for 10 weeks and are paid.
ROLES:
- Reporting and writing
- Contributing to coverage of financial markets, companies and economies.
- Producing breaking news stories under deadline pressure.
- Responsibilities may also include monitoring other media and writing spot features.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in Communications Studies/Mass Comms or any equivalent experience is required
- Interest in financial markets, companies and economies
- Prior reporting experience is essential
- Prior experience working in a real-time news environment is desirable
- Ability to work within a team under deadline pressure
- Fluency in English and Japanese is preferred
- Applicants must be available to work for 10 weeks program in Jul/Aug 2010
HOW TO APPLY: Apply directly on their website here.
Other openings include a bilingual receptionist at the Tokyo bureau, customer service representatives and technical service representatives.
Job: Web Account Manager for Coach Japan (NYC)
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This job listing came from Media Bistro, a career blog and listing site for media jobs.
The luxury brand COACH is looking for a bilingual web producer to manage and maintain their online presence, especially the Japanese language copy on their site, at their offices in New York City.
ROLES
- Work closely with the Interactive Creative Director, NY Creative and Production Teams, and Coach Japan business partners to identify, develop and define creative business solutions.
- Act as primary liaison between Creative Services & the Coach Japan business team.
- Implement and improve the maintenance, traffic, communications, translation, and approvals system for Japan and International.
- Manage the day to day/monthly maintenance and updates of the Coach Japan website and assist with US projects.
- Project manage and drive strategic initiatives (US, Japan and select International).
- Communicate project status and schedules to all key stakeholders.
- Update Project Lists with key dates, progress & team leaders weekly.
- Request and distribute creative brief for all site enhancements and emails from Coach.com business team.
- Analyze project requirements, develop iteration plan, and assess opportunities for future growth and maintenance.
- Partner with merchants on monthly page updates and with vendors for implementation on the website.
- Manage the creative production of emails.
- Work closely with art director to provide all creative information.
- Distribute priority list and confirm feasibility of schedules with art director.
- Ensure projects and project milestones are delivered to agreed timelines, budgets and quality levels.
- Order all art and catalog PDFs through production and confirm that art director has all recent/accurate art.
- Partner with copywriter to obtain and review copy.
- Prepare all website/email copy for translator.
- Partner with merchants on monthly page updates and with vendors for implementation on the website.
- Route layouts through Creative Services and Coach.com business team for final approval and ensure deadlines are met. Schedule approval meetings as necessary.
- Attend strategy/brainstorm meetings and contribute ideas for site enhancements.
- Manage budget where appropriate.
QUALIFICATIONS
HOW TO APPLY? Apply directly online at Media Bistro.
Tom Baker writes about umami, food science
Article/Journalism, Events, Food & Drink, Uncategorized, Writers Comments Off on Tom Baker writes about umami, food science
Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91) is a staff writer for The Daily Yomiuri. A big part of his beat is the Pop Culture page, which covers manga, anime and video games. You can follow Tom’s blog at tokyotombaker.wordpress.com.
He also writes about food. Here is a recent article about a food science exhibition currently running at Tokyo’s Miraikan museum. The latter half of the story focuses in on the scientific-culinary concept of umami, often called the“fifth taste”:
How many calories are there in a 500-milliliter bottle of a zero-calorie soft drink? If you guessed zero, you might be right. But the correct answer could be as high as 24. This is one of the many fun facts visitors can learn at “It’s a Tasty World–Food Science Now,” an exhibition running through March 22 at the Miraikan science museum in Odaiba, Tokyo. Under Japanese law, according to a display debunking food myths at the show, a drink is “zero calorie” as long as it has less than five calories per 100 milliliters. (A note on vocabulary: A “calorie” and a “kilocalorie” are the same thing.)
Other displays include sniffable containers of food scents, which you can mix to create new aromas; videos of food processing factories, where plump onions comically pirouette on industrial peelers; and a glowing green tank of euglena, a photosynthetic microorganism seen as a promising future food source. Too bad its Japanese name, midori mushi–green bug–isn’t exactly appetizing….
Read the rest of the article here.
Tom Baker interviews “Coraline” Oscar nominee
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Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91) is a staff writer for The Daily Yomiuri. A big part of his beat is the Pop Culture page, which covers manga, anime and video games. You can follow Tom’s blog at tokyotombaker.wordpress.com.
He also writes about movies. Here is his interview with stop-motion animator Henry Selick, whose film “Coraline” is a nominee for best animated feature in the Academy Awards to be presented on March 7:
When the nominees for best animated feature film are read out at the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood next month, there will be one computer-graphic animated film (Up), two traditional 2-D animated films (The Princess and the Frog and The Secret of Kells) and two stop-motion films (Fantastic Mr. Fox and Coraline).
“I feel very lucky to have lived long enough to still be making films in this era,” Coraline director Henry Selick told The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo last week. His two previous features, Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and James and the Giant Peach (1996) came out before the Oscars introduced an animated feature category in 2001.
Coraline has already won several other prizes, including an Annie animation award for Japanese production designer Tadahiro Uesugi.
Coraline, based on a novel by Neil Gaiman, is the story of a young girl who discovers a secret passage to an alternate universe where all the things that annoy her in the real world have been changed. But like a gingerbread house in a fairy tale, this seemingly delightful place turns out to be a trap from which she must escape.
Read the rest of the article here.
Tom Baker reviews “Uncharted” video games
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Tom Baker (Chiba-ken, 1989-91) is a staff writer for The Daily Yomiuri. A big part of his beat is the Pop Culture page, which covers manga, anime and video games. You can follow Tom’s blog at tokyotombaker.wordpress.com.
Here is his latest video game review, of “Uncharted” and “Uncharted 2” which Sony recently released as a box set in Japan:
My pal Nate is such a great guy that he keeps hanging out with me despite the fact that I’ve gotten him killed hundreds of times, usually by explosions, gunfire or plunges from cliffs. It’s a good thing he’s made out of pixels, or this relationship would be a lot harder on both of us.
Digital though he may be, Nathan Drake, the lead character in the Sony PlayStation 3 video games Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007) and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009), is so lifelike and likeable that it is not unusual for players to think of him as someone who really exists.
The two games, re-released Feb. 18 as a 7,980 yen box set, are swashbuckling adventures from the Indiana Jones school in which our hero and a few friends hunt for treasure in exotic locales while fighting off gangsters and pirates who are also after the loot. And also as in Jones’ world, events take a paranormal turn once the treasure is uncovered…
