Japan America Society Round-up 4.7.09
Japan Society Round-up 
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Current Hiroshima-ken JET Gail Meadows shines a light on the upcoming events of various Japan America Societies…
- Program on HR Issues for Japanese-owned companies – Are you an HR professional working for or with a Japanese-owned company? If so, this program is for you. It’s called “Surviving the Economic Downturn: Human Capital Strategies for Japanese-Owned Companies.” Learn about the economic challenges facing Japan and America today and what they mean to you as an HR professional. This program will focus on the cultural expectations of workers and management in Japanese-owned companies. It also will explore the impact of U.S. labor laws for companies that are working to cut their employee-related expenses or restructure their U.S. workforce.
- Date: Thursday, April 16
- Time: 8 to 10 a.m.
- Place: Holiday Inn Rolling Meadows, 3405 Algonquin Road, Rolling Meadows, Illinois
- For more information: http://www.jaschicago.org/en/events/Default.aspx?eventid=67
Free Lectures at Portland State University – The JAS of Oregon invites members to attend two free lectures at Portland State University by Dr. Donald Keene, an American scholar of Japanese literature. The first lecture, “World War II Diaries by Japanese Writers”, will be on Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m. in the Native American Center, Room 110. The second, “Behind the Scenes with Mishima Yukio; A Conversation with Donald Keene”, will be on Friday, April 17 at noon in Smith Memorial Student Union, Rooms 327 and 328. For more information: http://www.jaso.org/Keene_2009.doc
- Concert by Masakazu Ito – The JAS of Colorado invites members to enjoy a music program featuring guitar masterworks, including the Grand Solo by Fernando Sor, Sonatina by Frederico Moreno Torroba, Koyunbaba by Carlo Domeniconi, Collectici Intim by Vincente Asencio, Sakura by Yuquijiro Yocoh, and La Catedral by Agustin Barrios. Tickets are $35 and include post-concert wine and hors d’oeuvre reception at the Mary Williams Art Gallery.
- Date: Saturday, April 18
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Place: The Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder
- For more information: http://www.thedairy.org
Furoshiki Workshop – Have you ever considered how much trash you produce with gift wrap? Or plastic bags? Shopping bags alone account for 2 million tons of garbage each year in the U.S. Subtract yourself from that statistic by attending this workshop about how furoshiki, a square piece of wrapping cloth traditionally used in Japan for carrying things, can be used to cut down on the amount of trash you produce. The workshop will explore the history of the colorful cloths, examine other cultures that use similar “green” wrapping methods and show how furoshiki can express personality through design and color. Cost is $20.
- Date: Wednesday, April 22
- Time: 1 to 4 p.m.
- Place: University of Pittsburgh, 4130 Posvar Hall
- For more information: http://www.us-japan.org/jasp/furoshiki.pdf
Does your Japan America Society have an upcoming event you’d like to share with JetWit readers? Let us know by emailing Gail Meadows the info.
Bankruptcy Bill #14 – Online Dating
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Bankruptcy Bill is a cartoon created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. To see more strips as well as original bankruptcy haiku, go to bankruptcybill.wordpress.com.
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Another good post from my brother Greg on TheDigitalists.com, this one on Kindle and the future of book publishing. Definitely worth a read by JET alums authors and those working in publishing, especially on the heels of the JET Alumni Author Showcase.
Much of the chatter surrounding Mark Bowden’s Vanity Fair piece on the New York Times has focused on the anonymous quotes slagging publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. But what I found the most fascinating was the passage dissecting Sulzberger’s invocation of the phrase “platform agnostic”:
When the motion-picture camera was invented, many early filmmakers simply recorded stage plays, as if the camera’s value was just to preserve the theatrical performance and enlarge its audience. To be sure, this alone was a significant change. But the true pioneers realized that the camera was more revolutionary than that. It freed them from the confines of a theater. Audiences could be transported anywhere. To tell stories with pictures, and then with sound, directors developed a whole new language, using lighting and camera angles, close-ups and panoramas, to heighten drama and suspense. They could make an audience laugh by speeding up the action, or make it cry or quake by slowing it down. In short, the motion-picture camera was an entirely new tool for storytelling. To be platform agnostic is the equivalent of recording stage plays.
I had a similar thought last week when, after months of reading about it and stealing envious glances at it on the subway, I had a chance to play around with the Amazon Kindle. It’s a pretty cool product, though it’s clearly still early in the product life cycle; I’d guess it’s roughly analogous to where the iPod was six or seven years ago. But I also realized that in terms of societal impact, we’re even earlier in the process. So far, the Kindle has made the tiniest dent in terms of how books are distributed. In the coming years, it will change how they’re promoted. And one day in the not-too-distant future, it will begin to transform our entire notion of what a book is.
Read the rest of this entry »
Thanks to JET alum and professional translator Joel Dechant (CIR Kagoshima-ken, 2001-04) for sharing this link to the jobs page for the International Association of Business Communicators, which can also be found on the Job Site Links page in the Job Searching section on JetWit.
Bonus link: On a somewhat related note, Joel also shared a useful link to the Social Science Japan forum of U of Tokyo: http://forum.iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp/
North Korea Missile Launching: Different Reactions from Different Perspectives
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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.
Nikkei (Business Perspective) – The Ministry of Finance is discussing decreasing the maximum value of money allowed to be sent into North Korea. Currently transactions totaling over 1 million yen are prohibited. Businesses take note: if any transactions are not reported fully, financial penalties will incur.
NHK (Scientific Perspective) – NHK this morning interviewed experts on missile behavior to analyze exactly what type of missile was launched by North Korea. If the missile was designed for launching satellites, as claimed by North Korea, then the missile would have to have gone much farther and straighter than had occurred.
Asahi (Comical Perspective) – Prime Minister Aso was asked “The long range missile fired from North Korea today traveled further than the one previously. Do you think this shows that North Korea’s ability to develop technologically is progressing? ” Aso replied: “You’re speaking to the wrong person. You should ask a technology expert.”
Job: News Assistant/Staff Reporter at The Asahi Shimbun – Washington, DC
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Via the JETAADC jobs yahoo group:
News Assistant/Staff Reporter
Organization: The Asahi Shimbun
Location: United States (Washington, DC)
Contact Information: Hiring Manager
Email: asahidc at nationalpress dot com
Description:
Duties include assisting our Washington-based political correspondent with articles by conducting thorough background research, attending press briefings, gathering news and views, arranging interviews, and closely following developments in the area of U.S. domestic politics. Some administrative support, such as transcribing interviews and other assignments, is also required.
This is a reporting position with no article-writing or byline opportunities. Salary is $32,000 to $35,000. Compensation includes overtime pay, excellent medical/dental benefits, and 401(k).
Please email cover letter and resume. No clips or phone calls, please.
Qualifications:
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree (master’s degree preferable). Background in U.S. politics is highly desirable. Japanese language is helpful but not required. U.S. citizenship is required.
2010 Japanese Government Scholarships
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Via JETAA Pacific Northwest:
Subject: 2010 Japanese Government Scholarships
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2010 Japanese Government Scholarships
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The Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle is now accepting applications for the following 2010 Japanese Government Scholarships for studying in Japan.
U.S. citizens living in the states of Washington, Montana, and Northern Idaho are eligible to apply at our office.
The application forms are available on our website at: http://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp
Job: Executive Director at Volunteers in Asia – San Francisco, CA
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Via the JETAA Northern California jobs yahoo group:
Volunteers in Asia (VIA) is dedicated to increasing understanding between the United States and Asia through public service and service learning programs promoting cross-cultural education.
VIA is seeking an Executive Director who is a strategic manager with a strong personal and/or vocational commitment to expanding global cooperation and understanding through service learning and/or international education. Candidates should also be able to blend effective business methods with the mission of the organization.
Read More
Japan Local Government Center (JLGC) Newsletter – #65
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The Japan Local Government Center (JLGC) Newsletter (Vol. 65) is now available online (PDF). Make sure to check out the page-3 feature on the always ganbatte-ing JETAA USA Liaison Taichi Hanzawa entitled appropriately enough: “A Year in My Life as the Liaison for JETAA America.”
FYI, The JLGC (also known as CLAIR New York) is essentially JETAA’s headquarters and also where JETAA NY holds most of its meetings.
A JET alum translator e-mailed with the below questions. Feel free to share your response in the comments section of this post, or e-mail to jetwit at jetwit dot com if you’d prefer your comment to remain anonymous.
1) At the moment, the Japanese economy is doing just terribly. Has anyone seen declines or reductions in the amount of work they are receiving?
2) In the longer term, as well, the economy doesn’t look like it is going to improve much, either. How do they feel about the prospects for making a business out of translating, are they feeling pessimistic for the future?
Via the Honyaku Group
Marc Adler has just posted some info about a job in Austin, Texas on the Honyaku discussion group. It involves sorting through a large amount of Japanese documents for a law firm and simply sorting them into their different types (invoices, etc.), and may take around two months. For further info you can find his original posting here:
Corrected job description via the Consulate General of Japan in Miami:
Program Coordinator in MIAMI, FL
Description:
The Japan Information and Culture Department of the Consulate General of Japan in Miami has an opening for a program coordinator. This is a full-time contract position. The ideal candidate will be fast-paced, results oriented, creative and flexible. Excellent interpersonal skills and communication skills in team planning, public speaking and presenting are required.
“Bankruptcy Lover” – by Bankruptcy Bill and The Fresh Starts
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Bankruptcy Bill is a cartoon created by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) and Gideon Kendall. To see more strips as well as original bankruptcy haiku, go to bankruptcybill.wordpress.com.
Ladies and gentlemen, debtors and creditors, we are pleased to share the debut single by Bankruptcy Bill & The Fresh Starts….
“Bankruptcy Lover“
http://bankruptcybill.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/bankruptcylovermp3.mp3
(Click either the link above or the image below to listen.)
Bankruptcy Bill & The Fresh Starts groupies can get their…
Click here for the lyrics and explanatory notes as well as a note on copyright and use restrictions. Read More
WIT Life #32: Hisashiburi Hello
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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.
I have been on a bit of a hiatus as I was traveling around Japan for the last 2 weeks! It’s always great to go back and experience what a wonderful, crazy, beautiful, amazing country it is. This trip was particularly special as I had the chance to visit my JET hometown of Kumamoto where the sakura were in full bloom!
The ones in Tokyo were just starting to bud, but I unfortunately wasn’t able to see them in all their grandeur. I was, however, able to Read More
JET alum Michael Auslin to moderate panel on North Korea missile launching
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Testing the Obama Administration: Implications of a North Korean Missile Launch
Event Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2008
At this event, JET alum and AEI’s Director of Japan Studies Michael Auslin will moderate a panel that will discuss the implications of a North Korean missile launch, including how the launch will affect U.S. relations with other countries in the region, and the future of the six-party …
