Job: In-House and Freelance Translation Positions At Nintendo of America (Redmond, Washington)
Career, Jobs, Translating/Interpreting 
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JetWit job poster Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08) learned of the following employment opportunity through the Honyaku E <> J Mailing List and thought it might be of interest to former JETs in the Redmond area and other freelance translators. Stephen is a translator based in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Ken, and he periodically posts job listings and event information for JET alumni.
Nintendo of America is looking for a few experienced J>E translators.
Freelance and in-house work is available.
The group in question translates programming manuals, including SDKs and middleware. No game content.
The target audience is game developers (programmers) knowledgable in C, C++, and Java.
Manuals describe image and sound manipulation and deal with everything from heaps and stacks to high-level animation and audio control.
The successful candidate will be able to write native-level English suited for programmers.
Interested parties should contact John Zimet.
JetWits and Pieces: Japanese toilet training video
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Who says the JET alumni network doesn’t do enough things aimed at JET alums with kids? There are a whole slew of JET alum writers with children’s books, not to mention Suzanne Kamata’s (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) book Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering (which I’m in the middle of reading right now and enjoying very much).
And now this helpful video (which is also good for plain old language study to boot).
Meanwhile, though the video may be unconscious satire in its own right, there are actually several parody versions of this video posted to YouTube as well.
Japan Info Newsletter – June 2009
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The June 2009 edition of JapanInfo is now available online. JapanInfo is published by the Consulate General of Japan in New York/Japan Information Center and is a great source of info for Japan-related things going on in New York and the surrounding area.
Highlights include:
- 45,000 New Yorkers Flock to JAPAN DAY @ CENTRAL PARK 2009
- Ambassador Nishimiya Visits West Virginia
- It’s Easy to Visit Japan : Visa and Quarantine Checks
- Going Global? JETRO Can Help
- The World Heritage Sites in Japan: Spiritual Heart of Kumano and Ancient Pilgrimage Routes
- From the Ambasador’s Desk
- And plenty of things to do and see on the Events Calendar.
JetWit Blog Beat: Isshoni London by Vanessa Villalobos
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Just learned about a terrific blog and resource for UK-oriented JET alums called Isshoni London (http://www.isshonilondon.co.uk/), “the Gateway to Japanese London.” And the best part is it’s written by JET alum Vanessa Villalobos who is also the Communications Officer for JETAA UK.
The site include:
As well as listing of evens covering everything from a Japanese/English meetup picnic in Greenwich to an Okinawa festival to a manga signing event.
You can also follow Isshoni London on Twitter (http://twitter.com/IsshoniVanessa), and Vanessa helpfully includes a list of the “Top Japan-related people to follow on Twitter.”
J-News Mini-Roundup: Corporate Japan Comes Under Attack
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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 language learning options. Their main service is private one on one Japanese language lessons in the NYC area, where the student chooses where and when to have lessons. They’ve also recently expanded to include the Korean and Chinese languages.
Background: The business news today is full of negative headlines for corporations, such as: the necessity to let people go, the difficulty of being in the red, fear of bankruptcy, sales at record lows, etc. Reading the American news it feels as if America is the country being most affected by the Recession. After all, the credit crisis developed from bad sub prime loans mainly being held by U.S. banks, insurance companies, and other unfortunate entities.
Image from "The Nikkei"
Reading the headlines from Corporate Japan today, however, the dismal economic world seems like a small one. Each newspaper reported a different aspect of Corporate Japan that was getting embattled by the current economic crisis.
Yomiuri “Japan Made 40% Less Cars…”
(CLICK HERE for the rest of the article, that includes Japanese News Summaries)
Job: Exec Assistant at law firm with advanced Japanese skills (D.C.)
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Via JETAA DC:
Erin Barnes at Kellen Resources contacted Abby at JETAA DC to say they’re looking for someone with very advanced Japanese skills (i.e., someone who can read and speak Japanese comfortably) . The position is as an executive assistant at a law firm. No prior legal or secretarial experience is required, but she wants someone smart, adaptable, and with strong administrative skills.
If you’re interested, please call her at 202-349-4050 or email her at erin [at] kellenresources [dot] com.
The Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations is seeking an Administrative Assistant for diplomats in the Political Section at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
1. Respond to telephone calls, both incoming and outgoing, with efficiency and professional etiquette
2. Assist in logistics/protocol for conferences, meetings, briefings, receptions, and other official functions
3. Draft and prepare letters and diplomatic correspondence
4. Manage appointment schedules for visiting diplomats and VIPs
5. Edit letters and speeches
6. Give oral or written briefings to diplomats depending on the situation
7. Assist other officers and staff when needed
Requirements/Preferences:
1. U.S. citizenship required
2. Excellent English writing and verbal communication skills at native level required
3. Computer skills, typing skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, and plus) experience required
4. Japanese language skills preferred
5. College degree preferred
6. Basic knowledge about the UN preferred
Position begins: August 2009
Please send a cover letter and resume by Monday, 3 July 2009 by 1:00 p.m. to kentaro-orita@un-japan.org or gochaku@un-japan.org with “PMJ Administrative Assistant Position” in the subject line. No phone calls please.
I don’t know how other JET alumni chapters deal with this issue, but in JETAA NY we refer to members of our community who are not officially JET alums as “Friends of JET” or “FOJs” (pronounced fahjz).
Additionally, the term “WOJ” (i.e., “Wife of JET”) occasionally comes up.
And lastly, while it hasn’t caught on yet, I propose increased use of the term “SOJ” (i.e., “Significant Other of JET”) for those vague and undefined relationships that require a category in the JET context. (Though I suppose FOJ could also apply to “Fiancee of JET” as well.)
How you do deal with this issue in your chapter or JET-vironment? Share comments on this post, or send JetWit an email.
**********************
Miguel Gervais (Saitama-ken, Fukaya City, 2000-03) founded and runs the M.L.C.英会話 (eikaiwa) school in Fukaya City, Saitama-ken which currently teaches approximately 45-50 students. He is originally from Canada and was kind enough to write this article in response to a JetWit request to share his career experience.
Any other JET alums interested in sharing their own career advice, experience and perspectives are encouraged to e-mail your article idea to Steven at jetwit [at] jetwit [dot] com.
Having a Job is Irresponsible
My friend Jack is a fine, upstanding person and a great teacher. He’s been in Japan for untold years, had a job that he liked well enough and is blessed with a wonderful family. Unfortunately, the college that had hired him for the past 10 years or so suddenly refused to renew his yearly contract. In their magnanimity, they told him this one month before he was due to start the new school year. Obviously, this was much too late to find another job.
Jack is a great teacher. He is a valuable asset… and yet he is now unemployed and in rather desperate straits. But things could have been even worse… he could have been forced to leave Japan, just like untold numbers of other teachers after the NOVA debacle. Luckily, he is on a spousal visa and was spared this final humiliation.
Don’t let this happen to you! Life-time employment has never been in the cards for foreign teachers in Japan. Unless you are Read More
JETSites: JET Prefectural Websites and Newsletters?
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JetWit has just created a new page in the JETLinks section of this site called “JET Prefectural Websites and Newsletters.”
So far, the only ones listed are Hiroshima-ken and Akita-ken. There are, of course, many more out there. So please send an e-mail to jetwit [at] jetwit [dot] com to share links for your prefecture’s:
- Website
- Blog
- Yahoo or Google group
- Wiki-site
- Facebook page
- Twitter feed
- LinkedIn group
- Any other crazy new form of media the kids have come up with recently
Thanks and yoroshiku.
Sushi and Sake: JET alum columns
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Elizabeth White (Toyama-ken, 1995-98), the Media Coordinator for JETAA Southern California, has been helping Sushi & Sake magazine collect writing from JET alums for the last few years.
Here’s a link to the JET alum writing on their site, including the latest column by Devon Brown (Tokyo-ken, 2002-04) titled “Taking One for the Team.”
And here are links to columns from past issues:
BACK ISSUES – JET Alumni Association
2008 Issues: December • June • May • April • March • February • January
2007 Issues: December • November • October • September • August • July • June • May • April • March
For anyone interested in contributing to future issues of Sushi & Sake, please feel free to contact Elizabeth via e-mail.
Jobs: International Education Programs (Chronicle of Higher Ed.)
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Via the Chronicle of Higher Education’s international education programs job listing:
6/22/2009
- Ball State University (Indiana) : Director of International Student Recruitment and Admissions, Rinker Center for International Programs
- Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge (Louisiana) : Coordinator 2 (Grants), Office of International Programs
- St. John’s University (N.Y.) (New York) : Associate Director of International Admission (R2758); Office of Admission (Undergraduate)
- Stephen F. Austin State University (Texas) : Director, Office of International Programs
- U.S. Department of State () : Deputy Director of Fulbright Program, Turkey
- University of Maryland University College () : Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
- University of Maryland University College () : Regional Managers
JETSites: Frugalista Japan
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Just came across this interesting blog called Frugalista Japan (http://www.frugalistajapan.com): Money saving tips and ideas for foreigners in Japan! They have a post on something I’d never even considered before but which sounds pretty useful: How to Check Your Credit Score in Japan.
Has anyone else come across this blog before? I know there are a number of similar kinds of useful sites in the U.S. such as Bargain Babe. But this is the first I’ve heard of an English-language one in Japan. Are there others out there?
Job: On-Site Translator (Frankfurt, Germany)
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JetWit job poster Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08) learned of the following employment opportunity through the Honyaku E <> J Mailing List and thought it might be of interest to former JETs in Europe in general and Germany in particular. Stephen is a translator based in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Ken, and he periodically posts job listings and event information for JET alumni.
Aerotek (click here for the Aerotek USA Web site), one of the world’s largest recruitment companies, is looking to recruit Japanese to English Translators for a global household name in Frankfurt. The client has an unrivaled reputation and is known throughout the world as an employer of choice. Click here to view the original thread on the Honyaku E <> J Mailing List.
The Role:
Working for a global household name who is a true global leader in the entertainment industry.
You will be responsible for the translation of a wide range of texts from Japanese to English. These texts will vary in complexity and subject matter.
You will be responsible for proof-reading translations provided by 3rd parties, checking the texts for errors and checking the content and grammar.
Read More
J-News Mini-Roundup: “Talent” Governor, Candidate for Congressman?
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PLEASE CLICK THE DOCTOR for Japanese Lesson Signup
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 language learning options. Their main service is private one on one Japanese language lessons in the NYC area, where the student chooses where and when to have lessons. They’ve also recently expanded to include the Korean and Chinese languages.
Today’s Article:
Background: One of the most amusing parts of Japanese politics is the willingness for politicians to get involved in comedy shows. Although this might sound familiar in terms of American politicians joining Saturday Night Live, David Letterman, or Obama at Jay Leno, the Japanese air tons of comedy and game shows everyday, most of which do not have the star quality of a light night talk show. It is here where the “Talent” Governor, Hideo Higashikokubaru, appears so much that the average viewer wouldn’t recognize him as a governor.
A former comedian turned politician, Higashikokubaru-san uses the television to increase his popularity and discuss his political life. Today he was encouraged to be a candidate for the Diet by Koga-san, the head of the electoral commission. Each newspaper reported a different take on the event…
Asahi “Higashikokubaru: If I were a candidate…” The Asahi reported more detailed commentary…
(CLICK HERE for the rest of the article, that includes Japanese News Summaries)
