Roland Kelts on Japan’s News Zero interviewed by Sho Sakurai
Books, Celebrity, Interview/Profile, Japan Trends, Roland Kelts, Uncategorized, Video, Writers 
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Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99) was recently interviewed by Sho Sakurai on Japan’s News Zero program. Click here to watch the clip on YouTube. (Good opportunity to practice your Japanese a bit as well. :-)
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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.
A little while back I profiled the trend of men and bento making, and it appears to be going strong with advocates receiving the new moniker “Bento Boys.” I was recently doing some copy editing of a market research report which discussed this topic, and though it would be interesting to share as a follow-up. Previously I mentioned the “Oyaji Bento” blog, and this report highlights a blog of a similar nature called “Kyo no Bento.” Below is an excerpt from the report:
“Previously in Japan, frugality was a virtue but stinginess was not welcomed. Now the Japanese do not think someone is necessarily stingy when they are saving money in the process. There are increasing numbers of Read More
Job: J->E In-house translator – Daiwa Institute of Research (Tokyo)
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Posted by Daiwa Institute of Research on the Honyaku Google Group:
In-house J-E Translation Position at DIR
Daiwa Institute of Research is looking for a full-time, in-house J-E translator for analyst reports covering Japanese stocks for our Tokyo office. A successful candidate should have some knowledge of economic topics and a basic understanding of accounting. Securities industry experience is also welcome. In addition to strong Japanese reading ability (Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 1 preferred), we seek candidates with strong writing skills and the ability to paraphrase difficult Japanese texts. Read More
KRAZY! Roland Kelts to speak at Japan Society (NY) this Thursday
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Japan Society Lecture
Talking KRAZY! Japan’s Evolving Pop Culture
Curatorial Panel Discussion
Thursday, March 12, 6:30 PM
Left to right: Bruce Grenville, Toshiya Ueno, and Roland Kelts, photo © Matthias Ley.
What are the forces that drive the narrative and artistic sophistication of Japanese manga and anime? What accounts for their dominance in Japanese visual culture and their international popularity?
Join KRAZY! curators Bruce Grenville, Senior Curator at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and Toshiya Ueno, Professor of Sociology at Wako University, in conversation with Roland Kelts, Lecturer at the University of Tokyo and author of Japanamerica, together with moderator Joe Earle, Director of Japan Society Gallery, as they discuss the continuing evolution of visual culture in Japan.
Followed by a reception.
Tickets
$15 non-members
Japan Society Members free
Advance ticketing is required. Please call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm.
Translators Corner: Translating Obama, Audaciously
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Posted by translator and writer Jamie Graves (Saitama-Ken 2002-2003). JetWit invites other translators to post commentary on for Translators Corner as well. Contact translatorscorner atto jetwit dotto com if interested.
While President Obama’s name has proved remarkably compatible with the Japanese language (I wish MY name were that easy to write in kanji), his eloquent rhetoric has proved a little bit more difficult. There is currently an excellent discussion on the Google Honyaku Group about how to translate the now iconic phrase “The Audacity of Hope“. The title of the official Japanese translation of the book conveys only one meaning of the phrase, meaning something like “Revitalizing America, By Embracing Large Hopes”. You can find the discussion on how to accurately render the poetic brevity of “The Audacity of Hope” here.
I thought the first suggestion “あえての希望” (Aete-no-kibo, “daring to hope”) best captured the succinctness of the original phrase. It was followed by many interesting, and occasionally very funny suggestions, as well as some fascinating digressions on what exactly the meaning and feeling of the word “Audacity” are in the original phrase.
Particularly interesting was how people were looking for something to convey the brash feeling of audacity, how the phrase relates to the already popular “Boys Be Ambitious” (青年よ大志を抱け), and the slightly dark (and prescient) joke that “オーダシティ” may soon enter the Japanese language as is.
For those who are interested, Dwight Van Winkle posted an interesting link to a list of official translations of the “The Audacity of Hope” in many different languages.
Job: Director of International Programs – Purdue University-Calumet (Indiana)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Director of International Programs – Purdue University-Calumet (Indiana)
Via Chronicle of Higher Ed’s international programs job page:
3/9/2009
- Purdue University-Calumet (Indiana) : Director of International Programs (Chief International Officer)
SWET Workshop: Problems with Presentations? The Doctor is In! (Tokyo)
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Via the e-mail list for the Tokyo-based Society of Writers, Editors and Translators:
Problems with Presentations? The Doctor is In!
If you usually work with words, but are wondering how to make the most of your presentation software, this hands-on seminar is for you.
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2009 10:15 – 16:00 (lunch break 12:00-13:00)
Place: Sophia University, Library room 524
Price: 10,000 (SWET members), 15,000 (non-members)
Presenters: Hugh Ashton & Shuji Yoshida
Language: English
Participants: Up to 12 Read More
By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2005-08)
The trip home was poetic. Trying to spare myself the tremendous charge for checking more than 2 bags on a flight, I condensed the entirety of my JET existence into three bags. One of them (a duffel bag to be precise) broke 30 minutes before the takyuubin people were due so we Macguyver-ed the fucker up with twine and a paperclip and hoped for the best.
How I thought that bag could not be the source of hilarious drama is beyond me.
You should have witnessed me getting it onto the plane. Narita is like some parallel universe where things have to go right even when they are noticeably falling apart. The lack of stress at Narita is downright fucking scary for an airport. Bless its hallowed grounds.
So let me present you with reason #718 of just how stupid I can be. Read More
Kinokuniya sets up JET Alumni Author section
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In anticipation of the upcoming JET Alumni Author Showcase (set for March 22; e-mail authors at jetaany dot org to rsvp), Kinokuniya has set up a table featuring books by JET alumni authors. The table is on the ground floor in the main aisle, right by the magazine section and features the following books:
- Japanamerica – Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99)
- The Order of Odd-Fish – James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06)
- Zorgamazoo – Robert P. Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04)
- Learning to Bow – Bruce Feiler (Tottori-ken, 1989-90)
- Importing Diversity: Inside Japan’s JET Program – David L. McConnell
- Hitching Rides with Buddha (originally titled Hokkaido Hitchhiking Blues) – Will Ferguson (Nagasaki-ken, 1991-94)
*See a more complete list of JET alumni authors and their works at https://jetwit.com/wordpress/library/authorsbooks/
Stop by Kinokuniya and take a look!
Other Kinokuniya-related information that may be of interest to you:
- Kinokuniya now offers an Anime/Manga Membership Card – for $15 you get 10% off all of your purchases. You can find the application form at the checkout desk in their stores.
- Anime Day @ Kinokuniya – Sunday March 15 (1073 Avenue of the Americas & 40th St. in NYC) – 11am to 6pm – First 10 fans dresses as Zetsubou-Sensei will win Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei Vol. 1 from Del Rey Manga!
- Japanese Young Artists’ Book Fair_3rd – Feb 15 thru March 8 – Comics, graphic books, picture books, art books, phtoograph books, poetry books, art object books and more at 4 different locations in NY: Kinokuniya (Midtown), Printed Matter (Chelsea), St. Mark’s Bookshop (E. Village), Spoonbill & Sugartown, Booksellers (Williamsburg) and
JETAA DC Bookclub Update
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Via JETAA DC:
Hi all,
After a great first meeting in February, our book club is officially alive and kicking. The March meeting will be on Monday, March 30 at 6:30 location TBA (please let me know if you have any thoughts). We will be discussing Out by Natusuo Kirino.
Here is a brief summary courtesy of Publishers Weekly: “Four women who work the night shift in a Tokyo factory that produces boxed lunches find their lives twisted beyond repair in this grimly compelling crime novel, which won Japan’s top mystery award, the Grand Prix”
Let me know if you are interested in coming or if you have any questions. Here are some discussion
questions to consider along the way.
I hope to see you on the 30th. Happy Reading,
Jillian
Job: Credit Analyst and Corporate Treasury Relationship Manager (Chicago)
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Via JETAA Chicago:
JOB OPENING: CREDIT ANALYST & CORPORATE TREASURY RELATIONSHIP MANAGER
Credit Analyst
- – Analyzing the credit worthiness of existing and potential Japanese corporate borrowers
- – Minimizing the Bank’s credit risk by assisting in the development of acceptable deal structures
- -Conduct credit control and portfolio management assessments with senior credit members This person may be out of undergrad or have 1-3 years of experience. For those with no experience he/she must have finance or accounting degree. Corporate Treasury Relationship Manager
- – Manage the business development activities with Japanese corporate relationships in order to create new revenue streams
- – Partner with senior corporate bankers in development of business plan and sales execution Required background
- – 3-6 years of treasury management or cash management experience
- – Fluent in Japanese
Interested parties please contact Ben Godfrey at bgodfrey@ michaelpag e.us.com
On Wisconsin: New JETAA subchapter starts in Wisconsin
JETAA Chapters Comments Off on On Wisconsin: New JETAA subchapter starts in Wisconsin
According to the weekly JETAA Chicago e-mail webletter, there is now a JETAA Wisconsin subchapter. Any interested Wisconsonians can join the yahoogroup at at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wijetaa/.
The best thing in sushi since vinegar…
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Posted by Jamie Graves (Saitama-ken 2002-2003). Jamie is a freelance translator specializing in food, cooking and literature.
In case you haven’t seen this yet, a totally charming little YouTube video shot in a kaiten-zushi place in Hokkaido.
That parade of faces is absolutely priceless.
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James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, has a new blog post in which he “attacks” the American Library Association in a uniquely entertaining way. Below is an intro which doesn’t even begin to do justice to the full post.
In January the American Library Association held its Midwinter Meeting in Denver. Teenagers were invited to talk about their favorite books that were nominated for YALSA’s “Best Books for Young Adults” list.
It was reported that one fan of The Order of Odd-Fish wore a three-foot-long red-and-white fish hat in its honor, declaring that the book was “incredibly, ridiculously funny. You just don’t see books like this very often.”
I was able to track down a photo of the gentleman. His name: Kevin Buckelew. I have written a factual account the incident below.
You can meet James on March 22 at the JET Alumni Author Showcase in New York, along with Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, and Robert Weston (Nara-ken, 2002-04), author of Zorgamazoo. Space is limited to RSVP to reserve your spot. Details at http://jetaany.org/authors.
Job: Director, Office for Latin American Programs – Texas A M (TX)
Jobs Comments Off on Job: Director, Office for Latin American Programs – Texas A M (TX)
Via Chronicle of Higher Ed’s international programs job listings:
3/4/2009
- Texas A&M University at College Station (Texas) : Director, Office for Latin American Programs
- Learn more in our Employer Profiles
