JETAA Chapter Beat 5.20.09
JETAA Chapter Beat, JETAA Chapters 
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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.
- East Bay Nomikai Happy Hour – Thursday, May 21st, 6:00 at Conga Lounge. Celebrate summer’s imminent arrival with Mai Tais, friends and JETAANC.
- South Bay Nomikai – Friday, May 22nd, 7:00 at the Tied House in Mountain View. In case you can’t make the event Thursday, come down to south bay for a drink.
- JETAANC Book Club Meeting – The next official meeting of the Book Club is happening in June. The discussion will center around “Silence” by Shusaku Endo. Start reading so you’ll be ready come June.
- JETAA DC Alumni Social Event at Pimlico Race Course – May 23rd at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD. The first race is 11:30 and admissions is free.
- J-Lunch – Wednesday, May 27th, 12:00 at McCormick & Schmicks. A small get together for Japanese people and anyone interested in Japan.
- Walk for Rice – Saturday, June 20th, 8:00 to 12:30 at Seward Park. Join PNWJETAA in a free 2.5 mile fun run and walk-a-thon to benefit the Asian Counseling and Referral Sevice Food Bank.
- Camp JET at Lake Arrowhead – May 29th – May 31st at Lake Arrowhead. Spend the weekend roughing it with JETAASC.
- Sushi Rolling at Satsuko – Tuesday, May 27th, 7:00 at Satsuko. Learn how to roll your own sushi so you’ll never go hungry again.
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.
James Kennedy interviewed by School Library Journal
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Great interview with James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, by Elizabeth Bird of the School Library Journal. JET-riffic bonus: They use Zorgamazoo author Rob Weston’s (Nara-ken, 2002-04) blurb in the opening paragraph of the interview, and they’ve included the video clip of James from the JET Alumni Author Showcase.)
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/1160044516.html
Roland Kelts to host talk with Hayao Miyazaki in July
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According to a news item on the Anime News Network (which was first reported by Publishers Weekly journalist Kai-Ming Cha in her personal blog), Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, will host a talk with Hayao Miyazaki (director of Spirited Away among other animated films) on July 25 in Berekely, CA. Miyazaki will be making a rare U.S. appearance to receive the second annual Berkeley Japan Prize for lifetime achievement, presented by the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
This is familiar territory for Roland, who hosted a talk with novelist Haruki Murakami last October when Murakami was presented with the first Berekely Japan award.
Books: “Sake’s Hidden Stories” by JET alum John Gauntner
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JET alum John Gauntner (a/k/a “The Sake Guy”) has just announced the publication of his new e-book, Sake’s Hidden Stories: The Personalities, Philosophies & Tricks of the Trade Behind the Brew.
From John’s Sake World Newsletter:
Sake’s Hidden Stories will give you a view to what goes on in the sake industry behind the brew we all love so much. The book goes into stories much deeper than the information we most commonly encounter; way beyond simply what ginjo-shu is, what junmai-shu is, or what the role of koji is. You will learn about the personalities behind the sake. You will see in just how much detail some brewers make sake, and how each is different in where importance is placed. And most significantly, something that has not been written about in any book on sake in English, you will meet more than a dozen brewers, and encounter their personalities. You’ll see what makes them tick, what drives them in their work, and how their histories and idiosyncrasies affect the sake they brew.
John, by the way, was the featured speaker in last night’s Annual Sake Tasting and Lecture at Japan Society in New York.
JET alum artist Laurel Lukaszewski’s 3 upcoming shows (DC area)
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Laurel Lukaszewski (Kagoshima-ken, 1990-92) will be participating in three upcoming shows in the DC area for anyone interested in joining and supporting her at the opening receptions or stopping by while the exhibits are up.
This Thursday Sculpting Time opens at VisArts in Rockville’s Town Center and next Thursday Flora opens at the US Botanic Garden followed on Friday by the opening of Artomatic. All of the events are free and open to the public.
Sculpting TimeOpening Reception: Thursday, May 21, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Exhibition Dates: May 21 – July 26, 2009Venue: VisArts, 155 Gibbs St., Rockville, MD 20850 (four blocks from the Rockville Metro Station on the Red Line)Gallery Hours: Mon – Sat 10 am – 5 pm, Sun 12 – 5 pmParticipating Artists: Kyan Bishop, Nathalie David, T. Rachelle Ellis, Warren Frederick, Laurel Lukaszewski, J.J. McCracken, Louise Radochonski, Eric Serritella, Novie Trump, Judit Varga, Catherine White, Xutihttp://www.visartscenter.org/
Flora: Growing InspirationsOpening Reception: Thursday, May 28, 6 – 8 pm
Exhibition Dates: May 23 – October 12, 2009Venue: United States Botanic Garden, East Gallery, 100 Maryland Avenue, Washington, DC (Federal Center West Metro or Capitol South Metro)Hours: 10 am – 5 pm dailyhttp://www.usbg.gov/education/events/Flora-Growing-Inspirations.cfm
Artomatic 2009Opening Day: Friday, May 29, 2009, noon – 1 am
Exhibition Dates: May 29 – July 5, 2009Venue: 55 M Street, SW, Washington, DC (Navy Yard Metro Station–building is on top of station)Hours: Wed & Thurs noon – 10 pm; Fri & Sat noon – 1 am; Sun noon – 10 pm; Closed Mon & TuesMy space is located on the 8th Floor.http://www.artomatic.org/
Continuing:A Fine Line–Works by Noelle K. Tan and Laurel Lukaszewski
Exhibition Dates: now through JulyVenue: 505 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC (corner of 9th & E) (Archives or Gallery Place Metro)Hours: 8 am – 7 pm weekdayshttp://project4gallery.com/invitations/afineline/index.html
For more information about Laurel and her work go to www.laurellukaszewski.com. To see a list of JET alumni artists on JetWit go here. (You’ll notice it’s an extremely short list, so if you’re a JET alum artist or you know of any JET alum artists who should be included, send an e-mail to jetwit [at] jetwit [dot] com with name, prefecture, years and any links and contact info and it’ll be added to the list.)
Job: Administrative Asst – Congress Section, Embassy of Japan (DC)
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Via JETAA DC:
Administrative Assistant for the Congress Section, Embassy of Japan
Job Posting Date: May 18, 2009
General Description: The Embassy of Japan’s Congress Section is now seeking a qualified Administrative Assistant. This job provides an excellent opportunity to work for a foreign diplomatic mission while gaining insight into both congressional and international affairs from a unique professional perspective. Read More
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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.
アラ還 (arakan) describes Japanese around 60 years of age, and it comes from (アラウンド還暦 or around kanreki). 還
暦 (kanreki) refers to one’s 60th birthday celebration. This buzzword is picking up on the previously popular アラフォー (ara fo-), coming from the phrase アラウンド40 (Around 40) which was also the title of a 2008 drama regarding this time of life. This phraseology can also be applied to other decades as well. For example, instead of disclosing my age I can simply reply that I am アラサー (ara sa- or around 30).
As you might expect, like baby boomers here in the States arakan are not taking aging lying down. A segment in this morning’s news featured Read More
J-News Mini-Roundup: The Clash of Cell Phones
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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.
Background: For companies who produce consumer products in Japan there are two times a year they contemplate releasing their new product lines: summer and winter. This is because summer and winter are when the massive consumer base in Japan receives their biannual bonuses. Docomo has gotten a contract to produce a phone using the Google Android, while Softbank will be 
producing the iphone. The newspapers ran headlines this morning about the preparation being done for the anticipated battle between Softbank and Docomo this summer, and which side is going to be triumphant.
Asahi: “Docomo Releases for the First Time a Google Cell Phone. Softbank Increases Animation…” This headline alone from Asahi makes it quite obvious which cell phone provider they support. Each paragraph in their article on the release of cell phones details the Docomo phone, and how it will utilize Google’s superior android technology, along with their “easy to use” email capability. Google’s also sold over 1 million of their smart phones, the Asahi adds, and Docomo’s president stated “This phone will make a big impact.”
The selling point for the Softbank phone, which the Asahi doesn’t mention until their last paragraph in the article, is the fact that it’s solar-powered. The Yomiuri elaborates.
Yomiuri: “Softbank Releases a Solar Powered Cell phone” Yomiuri doesn’t even mention Softbank’s rival…
(Click HERE to read the rest of the post)
For all the journalists and aspiring journalists out there, and heck, for all the writers too, Greg from TheDigitalists.com addresses a relevant question in the larger quest to figure out how newspapers are going to make money on the internet: What would micropayments mean for journalists?
Writing opportunity: Japan Now e-Newsletter
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Just saw this posted on the Japan Intercultural Consulting group on LinkedIn:
Japan Now is currently seeking articles for publication. We would like brief articles about Japan, of around 600 words. We are particularly interested in cultural articles, but pieces about Japanese politics and economy (some specialized knowledge preferred) or Japan-US relations are welcome as well. If you have anything you would like to contribute, please contact us with your submissions–your article may be selected for publication in this nationwide online newsletter of the Embassy of Japan.
We are also looking for submissions about the Fulbright Memorial Fund (FMF) program or the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. If you are a participant within the last ten years in either of these programs and would like to write about your experiences, please contact us at the email address below.
Japan Now is a newsletter that serves anyone who is interested in Japan and its culture. Until 2005, we had been a printed nationwide newsletter of 10,000+ circulation, but we have recently converted to an online format, allowing quick access from readers all over the world. Our most recent issues, both printed and web-based, are online at: http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/JNindex.htm .
If you are interested in writing articles for any of the above categories, please contact the Japan Now staff at jnow[at]embjapan.org. Questions and requests for sample articles are welcome at this address, as well as direct submissions. If an article is selected for publication, we would like to pay a token honorarium (the amount will be decided according to the length and content of the piece). Creators retain copyright to their work.
Job: Producer – Nippon TV (DC)
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A nifty job listing direct from Nippon TV. Press briefings at the White House, national travel and more. See below:
Employer: Nippon TV
Title: ProducerCity: Washington
State: District of Columbia
Position Type: Full-Time Entry Level
Start Date: June 1st, 2009 Read More
Roland Kelts on “Redline” director Takeshi Koike
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In his latest Daily Yomiuri column, “Soft Power/Hard Truths,” Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, sits down with “Redline” director Takeshi Koike to discuss his latest work and delve further into the heart of manga and anime.
J-News Mini-Roundup: Japan’s Panicked Reactions to Swine Flu
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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.
Background: It’s been over a couple weeks since the first suspected case of Swine Flu appeared in Japan’s airport. Although internationally Japanese citizens have reacted swiftly to any threat of contamination, including flying employees home, evacuating to safer countries and sending out blast warning emails through embassy channels, domestically the fever of swine flu had not yet caught on. This past weekend the main newspapers were littered with headlines on reactions to the swine flu. The reported cases are both in Osaka and Hyogo prefecture. Government officials as high as the Prime Minister are making public commentary, while stories of schools closing and international conferences being cancelled are becoming common place.
Asahi “135 Reported Cases of Infection” Over half of the headlines on the Asahi this morning told of the penetration of Swine Flu into Japan and Japanese society. The headliner read “135 reported cases, not just young and old people but bankers, shop keepers…” As in New York City however, Japan’s also finding that the majority of cases are being reported from Junior and High schools both within Osaka and Hyogo prefecture. Students with infected classmates are finding their schools being shutdown. The Asahi tells of the banker, who was just “going about their daily job” when a reported older man came in to get money and possibly infected her. Or the convenience store worker, who had diligently been wearing a mask but still managed to contract the flu from one of his customers.
Nikkei “A National Policy Response is Necessary” While the Asahi reports about the already infected inhabitants and their schools and communities reactions, the Nikkei tells of how everyone else is preparing for the worst.
(Click HERE to read the rest of the post)
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.
We’re well into spring, the flowers and trees are blossoming and likewise the JET blogosphere is busier than ever! Check it:
We have an awesome new addition to the blog roll, from JET alum Toby Weymiller, currently residing in lovely Hokkaido with his wife Maiko and cat Bomber. He has some amazing photos up of his new house to be, and is also organizing workshops around each phase of the house build. Check it out if you’re lucky enough to be in the neighborhood.
Writer Kelly Luce (Kawasaki, 2002-2003) is another recent addition to the blogroll. Follow her literary adventures here.
Author Suzanne Kamata, (Tokushima-ken, 1988-90) shares news of her winning weekend in Tokyo, where she found out that both her books, Call Me Okaasan and Losing Kei were nominees in the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards right on the heels of the launch party for her new book.
Also, if you’re thinking ahead to August, Robert Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-2004) will be at the Kidspark Festival in Kitchener, Ontario in August.
Photos from JET alum David Flynn
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David Flynn (Osaka, 1987-88) has shared links to three galleries of photos taken in Japan.
A little context: David was one of the winners of the 2007 JETAA Kintestu Essay Contest and went on the free trip to Japan in December 2007 along with the other contest winners. What made David’s perspective somewhat unique was that he was not only the only winner from the first year of the JET Program, but at the time of his trip his daughter was also a JET!
- JET photos 1987-88
- December 2007 Kintetsu JETAA Essay Winners trip (during which he visited his daughter who was in Japan as a JET)
- Pictures of Japan
