WITLife #41: Drugs for all!
Japan Trends, JETAA Chapters, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life 
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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.
Starting today in Japan, as a result of loosening of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, consumers will be able to purchase nonprescription drugs at convenience stores and supermarkets. With this deregulation, conbini and supermarket chain operators will be allowed to sell most nonprescription products such as cold and stomach medicine at outlets staffed with registered sales clerks.
Currently, consumers can only buy nonprescription products at drug stores where pharmacists are in attendance, but the legal change will allow consumers to buy such drugs at conbini around the clock. A conbini operator senior official said that Read More
Japan America Society Round-up 6.01.09
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Current Hiroshima-ken JET Gail Meadows, co-editor of the Wide Island View, shines a light on some of the upcoming events of various Japan America societies…
Beer Garden Party – JET alums, here’s your chance to relive those glorious sudsy summer nights with a cool bottle of Kirin beer, music and your tomodachi on one of the best rooftops in downtown DC. Kanpai! There’s a suggested donation of $15 at the door.
- Date: Thursday, June 11 (RSVP by June 10.)
- Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Place: 1900 K Street NW, Rooftop (Farragut North & West Metro Stations)
- For more information: http://www.us-japan.org/dc/
Friendship Golf Scramble – JASK is gathering in western Kentucky at one of the state’s most popular private golf courses. Teams compete in a four-person scramble, with players grouped by handicap. $100 per player.
- Date: Monday, June 22
- Time: 1 p.m.
- Place: The Course at Olde Stone
- For more information and online registration: http://jask.org/events?eventId=63225&EventViewMode=EventDetails
Does your Japan America Society have an upcoming event that you’d like to share with JetWit readers? Email Gail Meadows the info.
J-News Mini-Roundup: Economic Woes Plague Japan
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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.
The U.S. economic news hasn’t been that bad, lately. Just last week was released some of the most promising consumer confidence numbers since the recession began, and the stock market has been slightly gaining over a period of time. In fact minus the effects of the Swine Flu, and some people might say the U.S. economy is showing signs of recovery.
Not so in Japan. The effects of the recession that have already taken hold have been exacerbated by…
(CLICK HERE for the rest of the article, that includes Japanese News Summaries)
JetWit Blog Beat by Crystal Wong
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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 formerEnglish-language writer for Kyodo News. She now works as a media planner in Chelsea and sorely misses all her favorite midtown ramen joints.
The shift from spring into summer seems as good a time as any to take stock of where you’re at with your goals as we hit the six month mark for 2009. Or better yet, maybe it’s just time to take a break from the grind and go on a much needed vacation. Either way, we see all these themes at play here at Blog Beat as we go through the blogroll.
Take a peek at some of the JET alumni reporting from their divergent paths:
From Tokyo, Lars Martinson gives us insight into the name behind a Japanese indie rock band.
Kevin and Aaron share tips on traveling in Japan.
Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-2006) is headed west for a summer internship.
A house grows in Japan: JET alum Toby Weymiller shows us the adventure of building his own home.
JetWit is cho-beri excited that Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) has been invited to serve as the keynote speaker for the JETAA Canada National Conference this weekend in Toronto.
The national conference, which is being hosted by JETAA Toronto, is an opportunity for officers from Canada’s JETAA chapters to get together, brainstorm, exchange information, discuss the nitty-gritty of grant-in-aid funding and by-laws and form relationships that will help lay the groundwork for future generations of JET alumni in Canada and elsewhere.
Speaking of which, JetWit’s own Canadian roots have blossomed in recent months thanks to Toronto native Stephen Palanik (Fukushima Ken, 2004-08), a translator currently living in Japan who has been posting job listings on JetWit as well as events and updates from the Canadian JETAA-sphere.
In his speech, Steven (Horowitz) will be discussing the topics of communication and cross-chapter collaboration and afterwards possibly also trying out the wonderful sport of curling. (Is that still in season in late May?)
WIT Life #40: One Coin Deals
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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.
One of Japan’s recent innovations for battling the ongoing recession is providing consumers with products or services that can be paid
for with just one coin (the phrase ワンコイン that refers to this phenomenon has been getting a lot of traction lately). Today there was a feature focusing on 500 yen (or one coin) health related services and how they are boosting business for many establishments.
One location profiled was a place where you can get various health factors evaluated. Here they provide a “one coin menu” which offers Read More
New JETAA NY Twitter Feed
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JETAA NY now has an official Twitter feed.
- Here’s the link: http://twitter.com/jetaany
Here’s the RSS feed (which is also now in the sidebar of JetWit): http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/42224409.rss
Update: JETAA NY’s official Tweeter is JET alum Janelle Jimenez. If you have anything you want her to send out to the JETAANY-sphere via Twitter, just send an e-mail to her at tweeter [at] jetaany [dot] org.
By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2005-08)
Don’t be such an Aso.
I should really fucking stop reading the articles on Japan Today. Simply because the comments crack me up. A majority of them are incredibly hateful, but the vapid self-righteous immaturity just makes me lose my shit.
So Aso, with superhuman speed, rescinded his statement about having kids as an “obligation” he has fulfilled. Smooth, Aso. Could you imagine Obama stumbling over that pitfall? There’d be rioting in the streets and then the Dixie Chicks would get involved…
Admittedly, using such terms to describe reproduction is a bit harsh, especially for a politician. No woman wants to hear about her uterus placed under any guideline, especially by their supreme leader. This is not the Third Reich, after all. Politicians are icons and the populace look to icons as shining paragons who watch their mouths– or at least have their mouths watched for them. Bless Koizumi for being a politician divorced with scattered spawn– a hipster, long-haired, Elvis-loving fuck. I miss him and have a crush on him in the same way any normal person might yearn for Jean-Luc (Picard, that is.)
Sorry, I digress… Read More
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.
Background: SMAP is one of the most popular boy bands in Japan. Anyone that’s been to Japan and done Karaoke will probably tell you about their songs. Just turn on the TV and you’ll see the very popular Smap Smap variety show. According to Wikipedia SMAP leader Nakai was the highest tax payer of any entertainer in Japan in 2003.
In late April of this year, SMAP member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi was arrested for indecent exposure in a public park. He was found not guilty by authorities, and is scheduled today to return back to showbiz on the show Smap Smap. The Japanese newspapers each had their own account of the Smap member’s return.
Yomiuri He’s Back As Popular Than Ever This summary of the article basically sums up Yomiuri’s reporting of the return of Tsuyoshi Kusanagi. They quote him by saying “I’m happy to have my job and start from square one. I apologize for any inconvenience caused to my band members, and I also thank the fans for all their encouraging words.” The “encouraging words”, according to Yomiuri, were about 45,000 letters sent by fans during his one month absence. Yomiuri paints a picture of Tsuyoshi both as popular as ever, and also as busy as ever. After his debut on Smap Smap tonight Tsuyoshi then is scheduled to appear on “Waratemoii” the following day.
Asahi He Has Risen and Reformed The Asahi fails to mention the massive fan mail and rigorous schedule of Tsuoyoshi and instead…
(Click HERE to read the rest of the post)
Job: Accounting and General Affairs for a Trading Company (NYC)
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Via Max Consulting:
Industry: Trading (Import/Export)
Title: Accounting and General Affairs
Job Description: Accounting and General Affairs Staff in a trading company.
JetWit link on official JET Programme site
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A.J., the official mascot of JetWit (designed by Zi Mei (Saitama-ken, 2002-05))
Big news: Just learned that JetWit.com has been added to the JET Programme website’s Links page in the “After JET” section. http://jetprogramme.org/e/links/index.html#after
Needless to say, A.J. is beside himself with shiawase.
Event: Tokyo Authors and Illustrators Networking Night
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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
SCBWI Tokyo Authors & Illustrators Networking Night
Time: Thursday, June 11, 2009, 7:00 pm onward
Place: The Pink Cow, Villa Moderuna B1, 1-3-18 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0002 (Tel. 03-3406-5597 www.thepinkcow.com)
Fee: Entry is free to SCBWI members and non-members. Drinks and food are charged individually.
RSVP: RSVP to info@scbwi.jp by June 9.
This event will be in English and Japanese.
Come and join fellow writers, illustrators and publishing professionals at the fourth annual SCBWI Authors & Illustrators Networking Night at The Pink Cow in Shibuya. SCBWI members and non-members are welcome. Mix and mingle, talk shop or just get to know each other. Feel free to bring along copies of your books, portfolios and other materials to share. Great Pink Cow food and drinks available to order at the bar! Please see www.thepinkcow.com for a map.
For more info: info@scbwi.jp / www.scbwi.jp
J-News Mini-Roundup: Aso and Hatoyama Face Off
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Scene from the movie "Faceoff"
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.
Background: Earlier in the year Mr. Ozawa, the leader of the main opposition party in Japan called The Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ, resigned. Although Mr. Ozawa of the DPJ didn’t directly admit it, his resignation was probably influenced by the Nishimatsu Construction scandal, where his secretary was accused of embezzling money. Since the DPJ has elected a new leader, Mr. Hatoyama, to lead them into battle over the snap election that is highly rumored to take place this summer. The first confrontation between Prime Minister Aso and Representative Hatoyama took place last night on the floor of the Diet. Each newspaper took sides.
Asahi “Hatoyama is a Man of the People” The opening paragraph of a political article gives the background, and the second paragraph tells who the newspaper thinks was victorious. The Asahi, reporting on the commentary about “Money and Politics”, quoted Hatoyama in their second paragraph: “While Prime Minister Aso’s power is bureaucratic, the DPJ is a party where we derive our power from the national populace, the local citizen, and the everyday average person.” The Asahi doesn’t even mention Aso’s response until their third paragraph, where they claim “his response was abstract, and commented about the financial crisis and the North Korean problem.”
Nikkei “The Prime Minister Calls for Responsibility” While the Asahi focused on the articulate words of Hatoyama and his criticisms of bureaucratic power
(Click HERE to read the rest of the post)
Job: Sushi Historian (Cambridge, MA)
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Thanks to Therese Stephen (Iwate-ken, 1996-99), former Philly Subchapter Representative, for passing on this job posting from the National Association of Japan-America Societies (NAJAS) jobsite:
Company: River Bird Studios
Job Title: Sushi Historian
Job Description: Research and guide a historically accurate adventure story focusing on the early development of modern sushi, techniques, tools and ingredients to be told in a sequential monthly art strip. Candidates should be bilingual in English and Japanese.
How to Apply: Send an email to roho[at]aerealcity[dot]com with a brief description of your sushi related knowledge, and writing experience if any (not required).
Click here for job listing on NAJAS site.
