Event: Third Annual Japan Writers Conference
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Author Suzanne Kamata (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) who also serves as the Publicity Assistant for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, shared the following:
Do you wonder what’s the best way to get your ESL textbook into print and to market? Or how you can have your poem catch an editor’s attention? What’s the best way to get that rough draft novel smoothed out and readable? Why is an abstract such a big deal? How do different translators approach a Japanese text? Or more simply, where are the others who share your interest in the written word?
Possible answers to those and almost any other question one might have about writing, editing, translating, and publishing will be offered up at the Third Annual Japan Writers Conference. This year’s Conference will take place on the weekend of October 17th and 18 on the campus of Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts in Kyoto.
More than thirty writers, journalists, editors, translators, film makers and other wordsmiths will offer up their expertise in fifty-minute presentations, filling both days. And what is perhaps most remarkable is the event is completely free and open to all who want to attend. The Conference is a completely volunteer event.
Among those scheduled to present are novelist and children’s book author Holly Thompson, author/anthologist Hillel Wright, columnist Arudou Debito, literary translator Juliet Winters Carpenter, journalist Eric Johnston, article writer John Spiri, and poet Jane Joritz-Nakagawa. Novelist and diplomat Vikas Swarup has also agreed to appear. There are also plans for various writing groups and organizations to hold special meetings to introduce themselves to prospective members. And there will be a gathering for all attendees and presenters at a local restaurant on Saturday evening.
According to Juliet Carpenter, whose school is hosting this year’s conference, the Imadegawa campus of Doshisha Women’s College, across from the Gosho, is “a terrific location, easily accessible. We have a very nice campus that has a brand-new building with state-of-the- art ‘bells and whistles,’ and some beautiful Meiji-era Registered Cultural Property buildings, nicely preserved.”
Although the Conference takes place in Japan and has a decidedly Japanese focus, it will be a predominantly English-language event. It is also an international affair, with presenters from Canada, the US, China, India and other nations. While some of the presenters are Japan residents, others are short-term visitors and will provide a more global perspective on the writing life.
Complete information about the Third Annual Japan Writers Conference can be had at:
JETAA Northern California Newsletter: Summer 2009 Pacific Bridges now online
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Via Mark Frey (Kumamoto-ken, 2002-06), Editor of Pacific Bridges, the JETAA Northern California quarterly newsletter.
The 2009 Summer Issue of the official JETAA NC newsletter, Pacific Bridge, is now available here! Get caught up on all of your local alumni happenings! Read it online here: http://www.jetaanc.org/newsletter.html or in the “Files” area of our Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jetaanc/files/
This issue’s theme is “Tradition.” Read about how alumni like you are keeping up various traditions near you, as well as other goings-on in the JET alumni world, including:
– Upcoming events like the Shobu Cup Dodgeball Match!
– Stories about local super-star alumni
– Taboos broached in SF Japanese discussion group
– New website for JET writers, interpreters, translators and job-seekers: JetWit.com
– JETAANC Scholarship Winner, Lukas Bonick, Three Years Later
– Natsu Matsuri Picnic Report
– JETAA National Conference report
– Oyaji’s advice column
– Top 10 List
– …and much more!
Please send any comments to [newsletter(at)jetaanc(dot) org]. Share your talents and build your portfolio by volunteering for the next issue (we seriously need more help)! Thanks to everyone who helped to produce yet another great issue.
Mark Frey (Kumamoto-ken, 2002-06)
Editor, Pacific Bridge
Job: HPLC Column Sales (NYC, midtown)
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HPLC Column Sales (Midtown)
A Japanese HPLC column manufacturer seeks a motivated individual to fill their sales position. The main job responsibility is to expand and develop their business in North, Central, and South America by determining and executing detailed sales action plans under the directions of Company’s strategy and Sales/Marketing Manager. This is an entry level position. Read More
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). Recently she’s been watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Big news for expecting parents. Going into effect today in Japan (October 1), child care costs will be borne directly by hospitals. Previously pregnant women would have to pay the one-time delivery/child rearing costs up front and later received 380,000 yen back, but now it will be directly paid by the hospitals at a 40,000 yen increase of 420,000 yen . This was initially proposed in Read More
JETAA Chapter Beat 9.30.09
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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.
- Little Tokyo Walking Tour – Saturday, October 10th, 10:30 A.M at the Little Tokyo Koban. Learn about Little Tokyo and spend the day outdoors with old friends and new returnees.
- Meishi Exchange – October 29th will be JETAASC’s annual Meishi Exchange, an excellent opportunity to meet friends and network. Stay tuned for more details.
- Nomikai Happy Hour – Thursday, October 1st, 5:30 at Golden Gate Park Cafe. Drop by for this month’s event.
- Japanese Discussion Group “Taboo” – Saturday, October 3rd, 3:00 at a location yet to be determined. The topic of this month’s discussion will be “What Will Happen to Hatoyama Japan,” moderated by Shinya Yokota.
- Happy Hour – Thursday, October 8th, 5:00 at Ella’s Wood Fired Pizza. Stop by, have a drink and a few laughs with JETAADC
- Jbook Discussion Group – October 19th, 6:30 at Teaism. This month’s selection is “My Year of Meat(s)” by Ruth L. Ozeki. Get reading so you can be a part of the discussion.
- Tampa Subchapter Tsudoi – Friday, October 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.
- Happy Hour – Monday, October 5th, 6:00 at Zake. Start the week off right with your friends at JETAA Texoma.
- Happy Hour – Friday, October 2nd, 6:00 at Wann Izakaya. Relax after a long week of work with the gang at PNWJETAA.
- 4th Annual Imonikai – Saturday, October 3rd, 11:00 in a Cabin near Crystal Mountain, WA. Imonikai is a party up in the mountains to celebrate the arrival of autumn. Breathe the cool mountain air while sipping hot soup and seeing old friends.
- Transitions 2009 Opportunities Forum and Networking Expo – Saturday, October 17th, 12:00 to 5:30 in Kirkland, WA. Sign up now for this year’s Transitions meeting, a job fair and career forum sponsored by PNWJETAA, the Consulate-General of Japan and some local businesses.
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.
J-News Mini-Roundup: Yen Rises, the Japanese React
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J-News Mini-Roundup is a recurring feature written by Friend Of JET, Jon Hills, who maintains the blog for Hills Learning (www.hillslearning.com). Hills Learning is a NY-based language learning services company offering customized and personal Japanese and Chinese language learning options.
Some of the biggest economic news in Japan, besides the stock and job markets, is always the exchange rate. When the yen gets stronger against the dollar, big Japanese exporters always worry. Their prices become relatively more expensive in other countries, and with that comes a drop in sales.
The newspapers this morning each reported on the reaction to the increase in the yen to 88 yen per dollar. The Asahi focused on this as a headline in their newspaper, where as the Nikkei and Yomiuri decided to list it as second page news.
Asahi It Went Up! Cried Farmers and Factory Workers Alike The Yen, on the morning of the 28th rose to…
Click here for the rest of the article, including other Japanese language and culture articles
From the Hokkaido JETs Yahoo Group:
School: EFL Club (English School for Children)
Position: Full-time children’s English teacher (female preferred)
Potential for promotion to Head Teacher, Teacher Trainer, Assistant Principal for suitable candidates
Starting From: Immediately or as soon as possible
Read More
Job: In-House Interpreter Position with a Global Management Consulting Firm (Tokyo)
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JetWit job poster Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08) learned of the following interpretation opportunity through the Honyaku E <> J Mailing List and thought it might be of interest to former JETs in the Tokyo area. Stephen is a translator based in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Ken, and he periodically posts job listings and event information for JET alumni.
McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, seeks an interpreter for its Tokyo office.
The successful candidate would:
* Interpret from Japanese to English and vice versa for consultants and clients in all types of business meetings, from one-on-one interviews to large-group presentations
* Be proficient in consecutive interpreting, whispering, and simultaneous interpreting using a transmitter or in a booth
* Demonstrate capability across a range of industries, with specialization in one or two, e.g., finance, pharmaceuticals, or high tech.
Applications from university graduates with excellent spoken English and Japanese, and at least five years worth of interpreting experience are welcome.
To excel in this role, you must be flexible in responding to consultant and client requests, strongly motivated to continue improving your performance, and work well under pressure. You must be confident of commanding respect from demanding colleagues, and feel comfortable managing your schedule while working with multiple teams. Strong interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity are required.
The initial contract will be full-time for three to six months, with potential renewal depending on performance and demand.
Interested parties should e-mail their resume in English and Japanese to Helen Iwata by Thursday, October 8, 2009.
Event: Get Your Job Now! – How to get a job with a foreign company! (Tokyo)
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JetWit job poster Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08) learned of the following career workshop being held by CareerCross, and thought it might be of interest to former JETs in the Tokyo area. Stephen is a translator based in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Ken, and he periodically posts job listings and event information for JET alumni.
CareerCross is holding a special seminar designed to give job seekers an added advantage when interviewing at a foreign company in Japan.
Due to corporations reducing their work force over the past year, the market is flooded with experienced job seekers making it an extremely difficult time to get a job. To succeed in an interview you must be 100% prepared and ready to prove you are the best candidate for the job.
CareerCross has brought in Japan’s leading interview skills trainer to teach you how to “Get Your Job Now!” From your cover letter and resume to the interview, learn exactly what works and doesn’t when interviewing in English or at a foreign company in Japan.
You will be able to answer the difficult questions with confidence, as you will be prepared and coached by the very best.
There will also be a section on finding your job online and how to use CareerCross more effectively.
Join CareerCross for one afternoon designed to prepare you for success.
— Get Your Job Now! Space is limited, so sign up now! —
CareerCross Japan Presents:
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TITLE: Get Your Job Now! – How to get a job with a foreign company!
SPEAKERS:
Michael Ghiglione and Bernd Kestler
DATE: October 8th (Thur), 18:30 – 21:00 or October 10th (Sat.), 9:30 – 13:00
ORGANIZER: C.C. Consulting Co., Ltd. / CareerCross
LANGUAGE: English
VENUE: Anaheim University; click here for a map of the venue
COST: 5,000 yen
REGISTRATION & CANCELLATION DEADLINE: October 6th, 2009
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Japan America Society Roundup 9.26.09
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Current Hiroshima-ken JET Gail Meadows, Editor of Hiroshima JET webzine the Wide Island View, shines a light on some of the upcoming events of Japan America societies…
Japanese Obento and Food Culture Workshop — This full-day workshop is designed to introduce Japanese culture to K-12 educators through the life of a lunch box, or “obento.” The workshop will cover related topics about the history of rice cultivation, obento as depicted in the arts, an examination of regional variations in obento and a hands-on session that features how to prepare Japanese style rice and assemble an attractive obento package.
- Date: Monday, Oct. 12
- Time: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Place: Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 E. Waterfront Dr., Homestead, Penn.
- For more information: http://www.us-japan.org/jasp/obentoworkhopflyer.pdf
- 10th Annual Asian Film Festival — Watch the latest Japanese films on the big screens. JSSDT members can get special discounted tickets for $8 through Oct. 5.
- Date: Oct. 15 to 29
- Place: Hazard Center UltraStar Cinemas
- For more information, click here.
Japanese Anime Lecture and Slideshow — Local otaku Keith Goode will discuss a brief history of anime, reviewing some of its stylizations and niches, and showing how it fits into the grand design of Japanese popular culture. Learn about what some of the most popular animes have been and what’s popular now.
- Date: Monday, Oct. 5
- Time: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
- Place: Casa de Luz, 1701 Toomey Road, Austin
- For more information, click here.
- “Celebrate Colorado’s Japanese!” Family Day — JASC members are invited to learn about the contributions of Japanese immigrants to Colorado during this event at the Colorado History Museum. Colorado’s first Japanese immigrants worked on railroads, in coal mines and on farms. Celebrate their enduring legacy with crafts, activities and artifacts available for the whole family. There will be a Denver Taiko performance at noon and 2:30 p.m., and a Japanese tea ceremony demonstration at 1:30 p.m.
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 10
- Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Place: Colorado History Museum, 1300 Broadway, Denver
- For more information, email jascolorado (at) att (dot) net
Does your Japan America Society have an upcoming event that you’d like to share with JetWit readers? Email Gail Meadows the info.
Roland Kelts column in Daily Yomiuri and appearances at the NY Anime Festival this weekend
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****************Here’s the latest Daily Yomiuri column from Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, from his “Soft Power, Hard Truths” series for the Daily Yomiuri. This one about the giant robot Gundam and AKB48 girl-power at this year’s New York Anime Festival, kicking off tomorrow:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/arts/20090925TDY13001.htm
Also, Roland will be at the New York Anime Festival at the Javits Center all weekend and says to JET alums, “Please swing by and say hello if you can.” Here’s his schedule for the weekend:
- Friday, 5:15 to 6:15 pm — Yoshiyuki Tomino (GUNDAM)
- Saturday, 12:15 to 1:15 pm — AKB48
- Sunday, 11:15 am to 12:15 pm — Yui Makino
***********
Pacific Northwest JETAA Opportunities Forum and Networking Expo – Oct 17
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Hot off the presses from the Pacific Northwest JETAA yahoogroup:
Dear PNWJETAA Members & Friends of PNWJETAA,
SAVE THE DATE for TRANSITIONS 2009!!! – REGISTER TODAY!!! SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17th
“TRANSITIONS: PNWJETAA Opportunities Forum & Networking Expo” is BACK!
The Pacific Northwest JET Alumni Association in Cooperation with the Consulate-General of Japan at Seattle and local businesses and educational institutions is proud to present it annual fall career and opportunities event! In conjunction with the recent return of JETs, who have just completed their contracts in Japan, PNWJETAA is putting together a great program open to all PNWJETAA Members & Friends of PNWJETAA!
- LOOKING FOR A JOB?
- CONSIDERING A CHANGE IN CAREER PATH?
- INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COMMUNITY?
- SEEKING TO SHARE YOUR SKILLS AND ENERGY FOR A GREAT CAUSE?
- CONSIDERING GRAD SCHOOL?
THEN YOU NEED TO ATTEND: TRANSITIONS 2009: Opportunities Forum & Networking Expo!
ON-LINE PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED, SO REGISTER HERE: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEpYWE9tajBIUG5PTS1jckd1aVE5OWc6MA
This year’s program will include:
- Opportunities Forum:
o Key note speakers who will address the current job market & grad school options
o Panel (based on needs of those who register, this may break into 2 separate panels) with information & advice for:
§ Getting into the job market
§ Volunteering to serve the community & broaden your social & professional networking circles
§ Strategies on how to use your JET experience when applying to grad school
- Networking Expo – Connect with a variety of organizations including:
o Local Companies
o Educational Institutions
o Community Service Groups
o J-LINK Businesses (J-Link is comprised of companies & organizations owned by or endorsed by PNWJETAA Members)
WHEN – Saturday, October 17th, Noon – 5:30 pm
WHERE – Kirkland, WA
ATTIRE – Dress for Success!
COST – $5 for JET Program Alumni who are registered with PNWJETAA* / $10 for Friends of JETs (FOJs) & Guests
Further event details will be provided to those who register for Transitions 2009.
Thanks to a tweet from Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), I just read the news that Yoshito Usui, the creator of Crayon Shinchan, died after falling off of a cliff. Apparently he was taking photos in Nagano and must have slipped.
Here’s the article: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090922a2.html
This is very sad news. I learned Japanese thanks to Crayon Shinchan. No joke. When I went on JET, I subscribed to Manga-Jin, a now defunct magazine that would do line-by-line explanations of manga. It was studying from an issue of Manga-Jin one day that introduced me to Crayon Shinchan.
I was hooked, and I proceeded to buy ever new Crayon Shinchan book I could find. The relatively simple language combined with use of furigana plus the appealingly crude humor that also inadvertently explained a lot of Japanese social dynamics was exactly what I was seeking in those pre-Internet days of JET.
The news of Usui’s death reminded me that I had a sort of fantasy (long since forgotten) where I would track down Usui-san and thank him and let him know how influential he was in my Japanese language study.
Well, that opportunity no longer exists. But if anyone else wants to share any thoughts or memories about their experience with Crayon Shinchan, feel free to post below.
Job: Bilingual IT specialist (Deerfield, IL)
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Thanks to Bianca Jarvis (CIR Kyoto-shi, 2002-05), the Outreach Coordinator at the Japan Information Center, Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago, for passing along this job listing:
Bilingual IT specialist
6 month contract, located in Deerfield, IL. Interviews will be conducted on-site very soon. The rate is in the $20-$25/hr rate.
Requirements:
************ Read More
New York de Volunteer FUNdraiser – Sept 25
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