Roland Kelts column in Daily Yomiuri and appearances at the NY Anime Festival this weekend
Article/Journalism, Blogs, Books, Cartoon/Illustration, Events, Japan Trends, Roland Kelts, Writers 
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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
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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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BAPCPA Man #9: BAPCPA Man vs Mortgantua – Part 2
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BAPCPA 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.
Click here to see a larger image of the cartoon.
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.
Japan Society (NY) Weekly eNewsletter – Sept 21-27
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J-News Mini-Roundup: Prime Minister Hatoyama Leaves Japan for the First Time
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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.
In early September Prime Minister Hatoyama and his party the DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) won a historic election. For the first time since the second world war, the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) is no longer in power, and the DPJ is now in the driver seat in the Japanese government. How things will change, and what this means for Japanese diplomacy, has yet to be seen.
Prime Minister Hatoyama left Japan with his wife last night for the United States, and for the G20 summit. Each Japanese newspaper reported something different about what policies and goals the Prime Minister would have on his first diplomatic mission.
Asahi “Prime Minister Hatoyama Leaves for the U.S. for his Speech at the G20” The Asahi describes in their first paragraph how the Prime Minister sees this trip to the U.S. as…
Click here for the rest of the article, including other Japanese language and culture articles
From the JETAASC newsletter:
WEN CHAO CHEN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF EAST ASIAN STUDIES
The Next Generation Leadership in Asian Affairs Fellowship
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Application deadline is January 15, 2010. Fellowships begin June 1, 2010, and conclude May 31, 2011. For further information and application materials please visit Next Generation Fellowship:
http://nbr.org/about/nextgenfellowship.aspx
JETAA New York Softball Tournament – PHOTOS!
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JET alum Francis Lee took a whole bunch of great photos from the JETAA NY Softball Tournament, held last Saturday, September 12. The winners in the two divisions were Kintetsu and Docomo. (Though JETAA NY was one error away from holding the lead in that game! :-) Special thanks to JETAA NY Vice-Prez Monica Yuki for organizing, to Liz Wanic for captaining the JETAA NY squad and cheering with extreme genki-ness, to Ito-en for once again providing cold, yummy tea drinks, and to all the teams for coming out, having fun and keeping the tradition alive!
Teams (in no particular order):
- JETAA New York
- Japan Local Government Center (JLGC) + Consulate General of Japan in New York (i.e., the parent organizations of JETAA)
- Columbia’s Center on Japanese Economy & Business (ably managed by Jennifer Olayon)
- Kintetsu
- Mitsubishi (featuring Zack Ferguson)
- Docomo
- QUICK USA
- TV Japan (starring Scott & Keiko Hiniker :-)
Dozo shyashin wo mite kudasai!
http://www.columbia.edu/~fl104/Softball
Learning Kanji – Beginner Concepts and Simple Strategies
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The Japanese Doctor 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. Their main service is private one on one language lessons in the NYC area.
The most daunting yet fulfilling to learn alphabet in Japanese is Kanji. Kanji literally means “Chinese character,” because literally the alphabet derived from Chinese characters. In English, it’s similar in that the roman alphabet came from Latin, however Japanese Kanji words and Chinese words are actually quite similar. So much so that Japanese speakers can look at a Chinese newspaper or book and get at least a general understanding of what’s going on, I myself could do a job search in Chinese without ever learning how to speak a word of the language. Unlike learning latin however, Kanji is central to the Japanese language and must be learned if a Japanese language learner is to attain any form of reading fluency. This article will touch on some basics of learning Kanji, and hopefully get readers started in the right direction to learn Kanji efficiently.
Before diving into Kanji it’s important that the reader know…
(CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article)
AKB48 U.S. Debut Concert In NYC
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ALL-FEMALE MUSIC GROUP
US DEBUT WITH FREE FULL CONCERT @ WEBSTER HALL NEW YORK CITY
New York – Tokyo is happy to announce the US debut of Japan’s popular music group AKB48. AKB48 will perform at a full concert at Webster Hall in NYC on Sunday, September 27.
AKB48 is a very unique, theater based, all-female music group created by famed songwriter/producer Yasushi Akimoto in 2005. AKB48 consists of 66 female members ranging from ages 14 to 26 (as of Sep. 2009). The group is divided into four groups – A, K, B, and Trainee. With the concept of “Idols you can meet everyday”, the group practically performs almost every day at their own exclusive AKB48 Theater in Akihabara, Tokyo. Their stage presence is an eye candy to the fans due to their multiple costume changes throughout the show. These busy pop stars take on diverse challenging work by hosting their own TV show and appearing in movies and commercials. Not to mention their multiple collaboration work with artist Takashi Murakami. (Their recent single CD cover was illustrated by Murakami).
AKB48’s first international appearance was at the Japan Expo in Paris this past July. Now they are set to arrive in NYC with select members preparing for the best possible US debut! They will show what Tokyo girls are about in show business. In addition you will get to experience their cute fashion and full smile power.
AKB48 Official Website: www.akb48.co.jp
AKB48 in NY website: www.newyork-tokyo.com/wp/akb48
Media contact: taeko@newyork-tokyo.com
New York – Tokyo Music Night: Fashion Week After Party
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To celebrate Fashion Week and the coming of Fall New York – Tokyo is hosting a Fashion Week After Party this Friday, Sept. 18th with guest DJ/Model Ansoni!
There will also be a photo shoot by Mayu. The party wouldn’t be complete without the open bar from Asahi Beer from 10PM-11PM would it? Join us this Friday for a good time! RSVP for the party below.
SEPTEMBER 18TH (FRI.) 10PM – 4AM
PLAN B: 339 E. 10TH STREET (AVE. B), NYC
GUEST DJ/MODEL: ANSONI
DJ KEIICHIRO AND DJ SHINNOSUKE
FREE ASAHI BEER 10PM-11PM
PHOTO SHOOT BY MAYU
FREE WITH RSVP: www.newyork-tokyo.com/wp/nytmn4
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JetWit knows that a lot of JET alums are interested in working in the fields of international education programs and student services, so we asked future international ed expert Pam Kavalam (Shiga-ken, 2007-09) to talk to some JET alums in the field and share her conversation for the benefit of the JET alumni community:
Spotlight on University Administration
by Pam Kavalam (Shiga-ken, 2007-09)
Are you looking for a career that can utilize some of the skills you learned over in Japan- cross-cultural exchange, working with students, and (for the truly lucky) the offer to travel again? Think about working at a university- either in international exchange or student affairs. I sat down with Shannan Spisak (Kawasaki-shi, 96-98) to talk about her experience from the JET Program to higher education administration.
Tell me about your journey into the field of international education.
Shannan: After I came back from JET, I moved to New York City with a friend and worked at a private Japanese company for 2 years. I decided to switch careers to move into the international arena; the United Nations in particular interested me. I went on a number of informational interviews with fellow former JETs working in the field and they all recommended graduate school. I decided to study Peace Education and International Exchange at Teachers College, Columbia University. In order to finance my education, I took a job working as Assistant to the President of Barnard College while attending classes part-time. During the process of completing my M.A., I realized I had grown more interested in the education component of my degree than its relation to UN work. Consequently, my focus shifted towards seeking a career in international exchange in higher education.
What do you do now?
Shannan: I work at the Institute of International Education (IIE) in the Global Scholarships Division. The IIE is a 90 year-old non-profit organization that runs over 200 programs around the world, including the Fulbright. I manage three international scholarship programs through the GE Foundation and the Chubb Insurance Foundation. I organize the review and selection of applications, notify finalists, award grants, and manage special components of the scholarships such as Leadership Development Seminars and Career Workshops. I also coordinate Read More
