May 16

JET alum Chris Johnson headlines Megu’s Sake Supper

chrisjohnson-smUncanny.  Just after learning that one of the world’s leading sake experts, John Gauntner, is a JET alum and will be speaking at Japan Society’s upcoming Annual Sake Tasting and Lecture, it turns out that Chris Johnson (Oita-ken, 1992-95) will be leading the Megu Sake Supper on June 3.  It also turns out that John and Chris know each other well.  (Thanks to Su May and Megan for bringing this to JetWit’s attention.)

Megu Sake Supper Let Delta take you on a sake tour at Japanese hot spot Megu. Join sake expert Chris Johnson on a virtual trip to Japan via a five-course menu at this theatrical TriBeCan gem where the fish is flown in daily and the atmosphere is as authentic as the dishes it serves. Johnson will explain the art of sake pairings for each course, with dishes ranging from sushi to Kobe beef – you’ll be sure to go home with the knowledge to impress at your next Japanese dinner. And if you want to go visit the original Megu in Tokyo, Delta has a new flight launching to Narita on June 4.

Event Details: $100 for five courses with sake, tax and tip not included.
To Reserve:
Call Asleigh Eaves at 917-306-2934 and mention “Zagat Presents.”
Date:
June 3, 2009, 6:30 PM
Megu – 62 Thomas St. (bet. Church St. & W. B’way)


May 16

ファイト!中島みゆきさん

Thanks to CLAIR-NY’s Taichi Hanzawa for posting this nifty video by Nakashima Miyuki on his Facebook status page:


May 15

Unemployed JET Alumni – The Facebook Group

I just found out there’s now a Facebook group for Unemployed JET Alumni:  http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=8123&uid=12199296553#/group.php?gid=12199296553


May 15

JET alum David Leheny – Professor of Japan Studies at Princeton

lehenyThanks to Noriko Furuhata, the JET Liason at the Consulate General of Japan in New York, for letting me know about another JET alum professor:

His info has been added to the JetWit Library in both the Academic as well as Authors/Books sections.


May 15

Felissimo House: Japan Brand – Pop Up Shop – May 18-30

Thanks to Tara Hohenberger (Nara-ken, 2001-03) (PR & Events Coordinator for Felissimo Design House) for sharing  information about some cool upcoming events:

Shop at the Japan Brand Pop Up Shop
May 18th – May 30thAll freshly picked for spring and available in every price range!

Shop from our exceptional array of Japanese artisan products – from unique home décor accessories, stationery, one-of-a-kind textiles, cookware, beautiful fashion pieces and lacquer ware products in every shape and color . Come and see the regional spirit of Japan in specialized craft traditions that have been passed down through generations. Now these centuries-old skills are finding a fresh new expression in these contemporary products.

Felissimo Design House is open to the public
10 West 56th Street, New York City
11AM – 6PM (Closed on Sunday)
212-956-4438

Sign up now at www.felissimo.com for our exciting and informative public events series.

May 21: An evening of Sushi & Sake – Kanpai!
May 23 & 29: Spring Flowers! Create your own Japanese inspired floral arrangement with Eve Suter.


May 15

Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2003-06)–webmaster for both JETAA NY and JetWit–just shared a great new site for non-profit jobs:  Jobs For Change (jobs.change.org/).

Jobs for Change seeks to spark a nationwide movement toward careers in the nonprofit, government, and social enterprise sectors. (Read more about their mission.)


May 15

Job: Assistant to General and Public Affairs at Japanese Consulate (Chicago)

Via JETAA Chicago:

JOB OPENING:  ASSISTANT TO GENERAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Read more below the jump. Read More


May 15

Job: Northwest Marine Trade Association – Sponsorship and Membership Director (Seattle)

Via JETAA Pacific Northwest:

Job Opening at NMTA – Northwest Marine Trade Association

Friends – We are looking for a new Sponsor and Membership Director because Alashia Wartelle (who has done a wonderful job for us) left recently to have her first baby. Mother and daughter Lilly are doing fine J. She is not planning on coming back to work right away…..thus an opportunity for someone. Read More


May 15

Japan America Society Roundup 5.15.09

Current Hiroshima-ken JET Gail Meadows shines a light on some of the upcoming events of various Japan America societies…

JAS of Kentucky

  • JASK Business Summit – Join JASK for a discussion of opportunities and challenges created by the changing economy. This event brings together speakers with national reputation to share insights pertinent to the Japan/America trade relationship in Kentucky and how you can adjust your business to the present economic conditions. The keynote address, “Recent Changes in the Japan/America Trade Relationship”, will be delivered by Richard Katz, Editor-in-Chief of The Oriental Economist Report (TOE) in New York and correspondent for the Weekly Toyo Keizai.
    • Date: Wednesday, May 27
    • Time: 11:30 a.m.
    • Place: Marriott Griffin Gate Resort and Spa
    • For more information and online registration: http://jask.org/events
  • Japanese Idol – Now’s your chance to do your best Susan Boyle impression… Japanese style! JASK wants to find one talented person in Kentucky to be their first-ever “Japanese Idol.” Besides fame, the winner can count on fortune as well – two round-trip airline tickets to Japan from ANA (All Nippon Airways). Audition live, by mail or e-mail. Ten finalists will vie for the prize in August.

JAS of Central Ohio

  • Japanese Monozukuri Practices for the Automotive Industry – This business seminar will offer practical guidance to obtain and sustain business relationships with Japanese manufacturers. The theme of monozukuri – the spirit and quest for manufacturing excellence – will be presented to share insights on the manufacturing philosophies and production processes in Japan.

JAS of Colorado

  • Lecture about Japanese gardens – JASC invites members to attend a lecture by Sadafumi Uchiyama, the Garden Curator of Portland Japanese Garden. The lecture, “Rock and Water: Nature’s Elements in Japanese Garden Design”, will focus on how Japanese gardens embody qualities of nature and the use of rocks and water as two primary components of the garden.

Does your Japan America Society have an upcoming event that you’d like to share with JetWit readers? Email Gail Meadows the info.


May 14

Has JetWit helped you find work?

We post a lot of jobs and other work opportunities on JetWit.  Occasionally I happen hear from JET alums I know that they got a job from a posting on JetWit, or they picked up freelance translation work perhaps.

Anecdotal is nice, but I’d like to get a more concrete sense of how helpful the site has been for finding work or income.

So if you’ve found a job or work opportunity or even a volunteer opportunity through a posting on JetWit, I’d like to ask you to write a short post about it here.  Or feel free to put it in an e-mail to jetwit [at] jetwit [dot] com.

Thanks and yoroshiku.


May 14

Job: Covidien interviewing in Seattle for Tokyo office

Via JETAA Pacific Northwest:

Next Monday, at the University of Washington, an American health-care product maker, Covidien, is going to have a presentation followed by interviews with students interested in working for its Tokyo branch. You can read more about the company online (www.covidien.com), and here are the details for the UW event:

Time: May 18, 2009. 5pm – 8pm
Location: Mary Gates Hall, 074

Schedule: 5pm – 6pm Company presentation, Q&A
6pm – 8pm Private interviews
*6pm – 8pm – staff from kikokugo.com will provide consultation about job search in Japan for those interested.

If you are thinking about staying for the interview, don’t forget to bring your resumes and wear business attire.


May 14

Jobs: International education programs (Chronicle of Higher Ed)

Via the Chronicle of Higher Education’s international education programs job listings:

5/14/2009

5/13/2009

5/8/2009

5/6/2009



May 14

Learning to Blog Workshop #3

jetwitWe just did the third JETAA NY Learning to Blog Workshop on Tuesday night, again at the Cosi cafe on 31st & Park Ave. and again it was successful and a lot of fun.

JET alum attendees included a financial journalist, a music producer, an editor in the publishing world, a junior high school art teacher, and a scholarship program director.  We even had a cameo from my younger brother Greg, who has his own blog called TheDigitialists.com that I occasionally post from on JetWit.

By 8:00 p.m., everyone had their own blog and knew things like:

  • the difference between WordPress, Blogspot, Blogger and Typepad
  • the difference between a post and a page
  • how to change themes
  • how to add widgets, like RSS feeds
  • what an RSS feed is and how to take advantage of it
  • how to create pages and sub-pages

and lots of other useful things for getting their blogs set up for career development and other purposes.

Adren Hart, the guy behind JETAA Ongaku Connection, e-mailed afterwards to say:

I feel like I have a better sense of the basics of WordPress and would be able to create and manage my own blog. I found the background info on the differences between WP and Blogspot, etc. quite useful as well as how to use widgets for specific tasks (e.g., embedding rss feeds from other sites).

Stay tuned for future workshop dates.  If interested, e-mail me at jetwit [at] jetwit [dot] com.


May 14

Japan Society: Summer program for high school students (NY)

Please click on the corresponding links for more details or visit http://www.japansociety.org/. Subscription information is located at the bottom of this e-mail.



Illustration by Ryoko Hirose.

Attention high school educators and students. Registration is open for our popular summer immersion workshop for high school students, A*NI*ME: Japanese Animation Production: Bring Your Artwork & Characters to Life!, scheduled for August 10-14 and August 17-21 with a screening on August 22nd.

Deadline for application: Thursday, May 21, 2009. Complete applications received after the deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.

Animation is a combination of storytelling, visual arts and acting, expressed through both electronic arts and traditional animation skills. In this two-week intensive workshop, participants will learn firsthand about the history of Japanese animation (anime), its unique features and cross cultural influences in Japan and in the U.S., as well as the market & distribution systems. During the hands-on part of the workshop, participants will gain practical experience creating short anime clips using various animation techniques. Learn about scenario writing, character development, storyboarding, and voiceovers under the guidance of anime production experts, scenario writers and designers, including Dai Sato, Japan’s leading anime scenario writer.

Tuition:
$200, includes all materials, books, breakfast and lunch. A limited number of tuition-waivers are available. For more information about this program, please call (212) 715-1203, (212) 715-1254 or e-mail kminamoto@japansociety.org.


May 14

J-News Mini-Roundup: LDP Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Takes Girl for a Joy Ride

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: The two leading headlines for politics this morning in Japan are the election for the new head of the DPJ, and another political scandal involving the ruling party, the LDP. Since I’ve been covering Japanese politics there have been quite a few scandals, including misappropriation of funds that eventually brought down the head of the DPJ, and a scandal at the G7 where the finance minister was reportedly “drunk”. Each newspaper talked differently about the embarrassing acknowledgment from former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Kounoike Yoshitada, that he took a young girl for a ride on the JR line using his government issued pass.

Nikkei “We Left on a Romantic Getaway” The Nikkei states in their first paragraph that the accusation is “roughly true”, according to the general secretary of the LDP party. The rumor that Kounoike took his JR pass that’s supposed to be used for cabinet members and used it to go out with a girl on a “romantic getaway” was verified by the general secretary last night in a news conference.

In response, Prime Minister Aso stated that a pass being used for anything other than its intended purpose is extremely regrettable. He then said, ” I now have to make a new appointment for the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary.” The current state of Kounoike, adds the Nikkei, is that he’s in the hospital.

Asahi Kounoike’s in the hospital, where it is I don’t know”

(Click HERE to read the rest of the post)



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