Dan Dooher, an Akita-ken ALT and who also serves as the Prefectural Advisor, recently let JetWit know about their English-language guide to Akita-ken for JETs.
http://www.akitajet.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
Not sure if other prefectures have done something similar or if this is standard, but Akita-ken has put together a fantastic wiki-style site. When you first arrive you see a map of Akita divided into cities. Clicking on a city leads to a whole wealth of useful information for any JET (or any English-speaker for that matter) who’s planning on going there.
The left sidebar includes links to topics such as Entering JET, Financing, Travel, Health, Driving, Computers and Phones, Entertainment, Volunteer Opportunities and other extremely helpful topics. On the right are feeds for “Latest Discussion” and “Events/Updates.” And scrolling down leads to a Calendar as well as an Article Spotlight featuring “What is the Akita International Sumo Taikai?” (Note: How come my prefecture didn’t have a sumo taikia?) (Additional note: How come the internet didn’t exist when I was on JET?)
Do other prefectures have JET sites like this? (We know, for example, that Hiroshima-ken has The Wide Island View, a terrific e-zine for the JET community there, published by Gail Cetnar Meadows and Josh Zimmer.)
If so, please send the link to JetWit along with any other info and we’ll be more than happy to post it on the site for the benefit of readers.
Job: Japanese teacher (Seattle, WA)
Jobs 
Comments Off on Job: Japanese teacher (Seattle, WA)
Via JETAA Pacific Northwest:
Please forward this email if you know of an experienced Japanese teacher looking for a position:
The Issaquah School District (20 minutes east of Seattle) is currently interviewing for Japanese teachers. Washington State teaching certificate and endorsement in Japanese preferred, but experienced teachers without these credentials may also apply.
Submit your application online at:
https://web. issaquah. wednet.edu/ jobs/jobs. aspx?id=746&type=1&int=External
JETAA NY Webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) is settling into his summer internship at Creative Commons in San Francisco and is working on a site called OpenEd that will act as a kind of portal for the open education community.
Lee-Sean suggested that the JET community, which already does a lot to share their lesson plans and ESL games, might be a good group to engage on OpenEd site.
Lee-Sean has started a a preliminary Wiki page and says he would welcome any input as well as more links to relevant resources. Since the site is a wiki, anyone can create an account and edit the site.
http://opened.creativecommons.org/OER_for_JET_Programme_Participants
Pre-Departure Orientation: The Documents!
Advice, JETAA Chapter Beat Comments Off on Pre-Departure Orientation: The Documents!
Thanks to JETAA NY Webmaster Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06) and JETAA NY President Megan Miller (Hyogo-ken, 2000-02), below is a link to all of the PowerPoints and PDFs of presentations at the JETAA NY Predeparture Orientation which was held this past weekend on Saturday, June 20, 2009.
http://jetaany.org/2009/06/21/2009-jet-pre-departure-documents/
- Asian-American JETS (Powerpoint)
- Travel In and Out of Japan (PDF)
- Japanese Etiquette (Powerpoint)
- Life as a JET (.ppt)
- Vegetarian in Japan – Vocabulary Sheet (Word Document)
- Vegetarian in Japan – Wallet Card (Word .doc)
- Vegetarian in Japan – Wallet Card (Word .docx)
- Women’s Issues Seminar (.pptx)
If you have documents, or links to documents, from the Pre-Departure Orientation in your chapter, please feel free to e-mail them to jetwit [at] jetwit [dotc] com and we’ll post them here for the benefit of JETs as well as for the benefit of JET alums who will organize future Pre-D Orientations. Also, please feel free to e-mail a write-up about your chapter’s Pre-D Orientation and how it went. Other chapters would love to hear about it.
Event: SWET Summer Party
Events, Networking, Translating/Interpreting, Writers Comments Off on Event: SWET Summer Party
The Society of Writers, Editors, and Translators presents:
The SWET Summer Party!
Event: SWET Summer Party
What: Club Party
Host: Society of Writers, Editors, and Translators (SWET)
Start Time: Sunday, July 26 at 1:00pm
End Time: Sunday, July 26 at 4:00pm
Where: Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, Kantokutei Hiroma
Click here to see more details and to RSVP.
Japan America Society Roundup 6.22.09
Japan Society Round-up Comments Off on Japan America Society Roundup 6.22.09
Current Hiroshima-ken JET Gail Meadows, co-editor of the Wide Island View, shines a light on some of the upcoming activities of various Japan America societies…
- After the Crisis: Corporate Governance in Japan — Experts from Japan and the U.S. will shed light on critical issues and future directions in corporate governance in Japan and abroad. The luncheon keynote address will be given by Anne Sheehan, Director of Corporate Governance for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System. The cost is $100 for JSNC members who register before July 15.
- Date: Friday, August 7
- Time: 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Place: Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St., San Francisco
- For more information, click here.
JAS of the State of Washington
Tanabata Festival — Tanabata is a Japanese festival celebrated on July 7 every year. The festival represents the meeting of Orihime and Hikoboshi. The Milky Way separates these lovers except on July 7, when they are allowed to meet only once a year on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. At this informal event, you can hear the story of Tanabata, write your wish on a piece of paper and hang it on bamboo. Advanced registration is required with a deadline of July 6. To register, click here.
- Date: Tuesday, July 7
- Time: 6 to 7:30 p.m.
- Place: Japan-America Society of the State of Washington Office/Waterfront Balcony, World Trade Center West, 2200 Alaskan Way, Suite 400, Seattle
- For more information, click here.
- Career Fair — Network, establish connections and be interviewed by Japanese companies who are hiring for a variety of levels of experience and backgrounds. Attendance is free and open to JASP members and friends. To register, click here.
- Date: Friday, July 17
- Time: 9 a.m. to noon
- Place: USX Tower, Room 1080,
- For more information: http://www.us-japan.org/jasp/events.html
Down Home Japanese Cooking & Sake Tasting — Sample premium sake from various parts of Japan and find out how to enjoy sake using sight, smell and taste. You will also learn how to match the beverages with a selection of Japanese summer cuisine. The cost is $40 for JASG members. Register online by July 13.
- Date: Thursday, July 16
- Time: 7 to 10 p.m.
- Place: Taka Sushi & Passion, 375 Pharr Road, Atlanta, Georgia
- For more information: http://www.jasgeorgia.org/
Does your Japan America Society have an upcoming event you’d like to share with JetWit readers? Email Gail Meadows the info.
JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong (Iwate-ken, 2002-04) is a recurring item featuring posts from the blogs of various JET alumni. Crystal is a former English-language writer for Kyodo News. She now works as a media planner in Chelsea and sorely misses all her favorite midtown ramen joints.
BlogBeat recently spoke with JET alum Janice Momoko Chow (Saitama, 2005-2006), a New York based-brand consultant and strategist about her blog.
A brand new addition to our blogroll, Janice describes Momoko Mashups as a place for her “thoughts and musings on fashion & style, art & design, technology & innovation, sustainability, New York City, and how everything transcends into culture and our everyday perceptions.” The site was created a year ago and continues to evolve as she adds new bits and pieces from her continuous quest for fun and fresh things to explore around the world.
Hailing from sunny Temple City in Southern California, Janice studied Brand Development and Psychology at the University of California-San Diego. While living and working in Tokyo, she fell in love with a life immersed in fashion, contemporary art, and design while working as a brand consultant for a range of clients, including Levi Strauss.
“It was an incredible experience,” she says. “I explored and tasted many different things that I wouldn’t normally be interested in. I sought after the latest sho chu spirits, sustainable electronic batteries, talked to the boys and girls who notoriously hang out in Harajuku, chatted with art students, and visited the denim mills south of Osaka.
Janice is now working on developing a communications and brand strategy for artist Suzy Taekyung Kim, while also working on ongoing projects from The Lambesis Agency as a brand consultant. You can find more about her work here.
Job: Purchasing Assistant at Major Japanese Telecommunication Company (NYC)
Jobs, Uncategorized Comments Off on Job: Purchasing Assistant at Major Japanese Telecommunication Company (NYC)
Via Actus Consulting:
Title: Purchasing Assistant at Major Japanese Telecommunication Company
Location: Midtown, Manhattan
Starting Date: July 13th
Job Description:
- Equipment Purchase
-Equipment Purchase Administration- Place an order to vendors according to Purchase Plan Form in a timely manner.
-Maintain the order status and feed back to sales rep. or the concerned accordingly.
-Keep records for other process like acceptance and account payable.
********** Read More
Job: Retail Manager and Store Clerk Positions Available (Torrance, CA)
Jobs, Uncategorized Comments Off on Job: Retail Manager and Store Clerk Positions Available (Torrance, CA)
Via JETAA Southern California:
Position: Retail Manager
Company Name: Interplace Inc.
City: Torrance
Job responsibilities and qualifications:
- Manage a retail store of sports related products.
- Japanese language skill is a plus.
- Must have great communication skill.
- Must be interested in sports.
Description: Full-time(including weekends)/permanent position with benefits. The salary is apex $13/hr.
How to apply: Please send WORD formatted resume to fumi[at]interplace-agency[dot]com.
Job: Secretary to Senior Diplomats of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN (NYC)
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Via JETAA New York:
The Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations is seeking a Secretary to senior diplomats at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
1. Manage appointment schedules and prepare daily and weekly schedule for senior diplomats
2. Respond to telephone calls, both incoming and outgoing, with efficiency and professional etiquette
3. Coordinate logistics/protocol for conferences, meetings, briefings, receptions, and other official functions
4. Draft and prepare letters and diplomatic correspondence
5. Prepare and mail invitation cards for official functions
6. Prepare and mail greeting cards for senior diplomats
7. Prepare table cards and tray cards for luncheons and dinners
8. Research topics related to the United Nations and Japan as required by the Mission staff members
9. Update and develop contact information including the bio of VIPs as well as invitation list databases
10. Receive and sort incoming mail
11. Assist the official functions as a receptionist
12. Receive guests and serve tea
13. Respond to inquiries
14. Give oral or written briefings to senior diplomats dependent on the situation
15. Receive dictation from senior diplomats, take accurate and quick notes, and keep records or write up summaries as required Read More
New Google Group for JetWit Job Listings!
Jobs Comments Off on New Google Group for JetWit Job Listings!
We’ve set up a Google Group called JetWitJobs for distributing job listings on a current basis. The group is open to JET alumni, current JETs and of course Friends of JET.
Sign up if you’d like to receive alerts of new job listings from JetWit.
(Note: Jobs can only be posted by the group administrators. If you have a good job listing for the JET alumni community, please send an e-mail to jetwit [at] jetwit [dot] com.)
Click HERE to sign up for JetWitJobs: http://groups.google.com/group/jetwitjobs?hl=en
Job: Sales Representative for Sysco Foods (Ventura, CA)
Jobs, Uncategorized Comments Off on Job: Sales Representative for Sysco Foods (Ventura, CA)
Via JETAASC:
Sysco is the largest foodservice distributor in the U.S. It’s Ventura location is seeking an outside Sales Representatives in the San Fernando Valley. Sales Representatives are responsible for performing various sales, customer service, and credit activities, including but not limited to the following:
Sales Activities:
- Increase existing accounts sales through the presentation of products, ideas, uses, and applications of products to meet sales and profit objectives.
- Develops new accounts through analysis, personal and telephone contacts, and other sales techniques.
Customer Service:
- Updates customer on a continuous basis about new products, services, and pricing information to enhance customer satisfaction.
- Provides service to existing accounts by resolving any customer issues and concerns.
Credit Activities:
- Provides customers with company credit terms and manage credit conditions to maximize sales opportunities as well as maintain receivables levels.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Must be bilingual English and Japanese.
- Sales experience required, food sales experience a plus.
- Proficient in basic computer skills (Windows, MS office, Outlook).
- High School diploma required.
- Must be able to work independently.
Compensation depending on experience. Excellent benefits.
Please email resume to hrm[at]ventura[dot]sysco[dot]com.
Job: Program Coordinator at the Consulate General of Japan in Nashville
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Program Coordinator at the Consulate General of Japan in Nashville
This job opening came via Emily Winckler (Niigata-ken, 2002-05), the Cultural Affairs Division Program Coordinator at the Consulate General of Japan in Nashville:
Program Coordinator at the Consulate General of Japan in Nashville
This is the position that coordinates the JET Progam process along with several other programs and activities. If interested, tune up your 6-string (guitar, banjo or shamisen) and get your resume ready for the folks in Music City.
Click the link below for full details and application info:
http://www.nashville.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/culture/JET/JET%20Coordinator%20Position.htm
Travel: Aitai Japan
Japan Trends, Translating/Interpreting Comments Off on Travel: Aitai Japan
aitai Japan
I just found out about an interesting travel website called aitai Japan (translation: “I want to meet” Japan) (www.aitaijapan.com), which bills itself as an “association for independent tourist assistance in Japan” and explains that it is “a guide/interpreter service with listings of enthusiastic volunteer guides who can offer free tourist assistance for independent travelers on their visit to Japan.”
It reminds me of a great organization in New York City called Big Apple Greeters (a good place for JET alums to volunteer, by the way) which pairs up a volunteer with any visitors to New York looking for a friendly local to walk around with for a few 
hours. Except aitaiJapan seems to be doing this on a national level and really helping tourists cross through what can seem like intimidating language and cultural barriers to non-Japanese.
If anyone out there has had any contact or experience with aitaiJapan, please feel free to share, either by posting a comment or by sending an email to JetWit.
Event: Children’s book illustrators gather for Bologna Children’s Book Fair (Tokyo)
Books, Career, Cartoon/Illustration, Networking, Writers Comments Off on Event: Children’s book illustrators gather for Bologna Children’s Book Fair (Tokyo)
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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:
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators presents
Creative Exchange: The Bologna Experience with Ayano Imai, Kiyo Tanaka and Shimako Okamura
Come join illustrators Ayano Imai and Kiyo Tanaka plus designer/illustrator Shimako Okamura as they share their experiences at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the most important global event in the children’s publishing industry. Included in the topics shared at this exchange of ideas and information will be first-hand experiences of being selected for the Illustrators Exhibition, opportunities that resulted from attending the fair, and more. Visit the Bologna Book Fair site (www.bookfair.bolognafiere.it) before this event, and bring along all your questions and ideas about submitting to the exhibition and promoting your work at the book fair.
Time: Saturday, July 11, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Place: Tokyo Women’s Plaza, Conference Room 1
5-53-67 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (by the Children’s Castle and United Nations University) For a map see www.scbwi.jp/map.htm
Fee: SCBWI members 1,000 yen; non-members 1,500 yen
This event will be in English and Japanese.
