Japan’s Financial Crisis and Its Parallels to U.S. Experience
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Japan’s Financial Crisis and Its Parallels to U.S. Experience, edited by Adam S. Posen and Ryoichi Mikitani
Has anyone out there read this book? If so, care to share your thoughts on the premise by posting a comment?
WIT Life #25: Laughing the Blues Away
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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.
As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine and the same effect is being seen in Japan. These upsetting economic times have brought a boom in rakugo, mandan and other forms of entertainment that have people laughing out loud. In Tokyo’s Chiyoda-ku, there was a rakugo gathering where attendees cited their reasons for coming as “the need to let it all out, laugh away my troubles.” Another man expressed the fear that because of the bad economy, he didn’t know how much longer he would last at his company, and coming to the performance allowed him to temporarily forget about his worries.
In a small theater in Shinjuku, 45-year old guitar mandan Piroki entertained a crowd in his get-up which included a bow tie and hair in a ponytail. While he strummed along, he told a story of Read More
JetWit on SWET list
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Sako Eaton, the webmaster for the Society of Writers, Editors and Translators (SWET), recently invited me to post an introductory message on their website (www.swet.jp) about JetWit and the Writers Interpreters Translators (WIT) Group.
My hope is that this introduction will help foster collaboration among members of our respective communities. I encourage JetWit readers to delve into the SWET website as it offers terrific perspectives and resources.
As mentioned recently in this post on JetWit, SWET is based in Tokyo and has been in existence for 25 years. You can read their full history here.
Job: Assistant Producer – Womax Media (Los Angeles area)
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Via JETAA Southern California e-mail group:
Job Opportunity with Wowmax Media
Job Title: Assistant Producer
Company: Wowmax Media, LLC
Location: Torrance, CA
Status: Full-time, Employee
Relevant work experience: 3-7 years
Career Level: mid-level
Educatio Level: Minimum Associates Degree Completed or Equivalent
Job Description:
Wowmax Media, LLC is a “bridge” company that directly connects the North American and Japanese markets and businesses. Womax Media is a comprehensive production and marketing firm dealing with intellecutal property. The synergies created by having a Japanese partner with direct contacts in Japan and the US allow Wowmax Media to provide unique marketing and production services to copanies and individuals engaged in this business in the US and Japan, including original writers, who create intellectual property, producers, investors, character and content licensing agents, licensees of characters for commercialization, and distributors, while concurrently pursuing the maximization of value. In addition to working with private companies, Wowmax Media is conduct consulting assignments for government agencies. Read More
JetWit Blog Beat: The Cheetos Makeover
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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 former English-language writer for Kyodo News. She now works as a media planner in Chelsea and sorely misses all her favorite midtown ramen joints.
Nothing brightens a gloomy winter morning faster than a dose of that irresistible Engrish the Japanese churn out so prolifically (despite our best efforts to guide them otherwise).
Cartoonist Lars Martinson (Fukuoka, 2003-2006), author of the graphic novel Tonoharu: Part 1, shares a gem found on a bag of “Gourmet Cheetos”: http://larsmartinson.com/sophisticated-junk-food/
JETAA Chapter Beat 2.2.09
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Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JET Alumni community…
- 2009 JET Programme Interview Volunteers Needed – Wednesday, February 11th through Thursday, February 19th. The Consulate General of Japan is looking for JET Alumni to help serve as interview registration assistants.
- San Francisco Nomikai – Thursday, February 5th, 6:00 at Cafe de Soleil. Join in for the first Nomikai of the year down in the Lower Haight.
- Japanese Discussion Group – Saturday, February 7th, 3:00. The topic this week is “Surveillance Society.” Come debate whether or not CCTV is hurtful or harmful to the freedoms of society.
- Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership(CAPAL) Happy Hour – Wednesday, February 18, 6:00 at Gazuza. Join in and make some professional contacts or just some new friends at CAPAL.
- Greeters Needed in JET Program Office – February 13, 17, 18, 19 and 20th, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 at the Consulate General of Japan in New York. Two volunteers needed to greet applicants for the 2009 JET Programme. Come down and give back to the JET.
- Japan-A-Mania! – Saturday, February 28th. JETAA, Big Brothers Big Sisters of NY and NY de Volunteer is hosting a day of Japanese culture and activities for NYC kids. Help out and share your love of Japan with the kids.
- JETAANY Subchapters – Announcing three new JETAA New York Subchapters: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New Jersey. They are always looking for new members and new events, so join up today.
- JETAA Florida Elections – Have a hand in the future of JETAA Florida and submit your name to become an officer. Openings range from Webmaster to President, so make sure to sign up by February 15th.
- Kimono Exhibition – Sunday, February 8th, at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota.
- World Heritage Photo Exhibition – February 9th through the 20th in the University of South Florida College of Business Atrium. 31 photos of world heritage sites in Japan will be on display so do not miss it.
- FLUID Pub Night – Wednesday, February 4th, 6:30. Two for one on bottles of Asahi and free edamame. Don’t miss this chance to sit back and join your friends at Fluid.
- Annual Ski Trip – February 7th and 8th, Devil’s Head Ski Resort in Merrimac, WI. Hit the slopes with JETAA Chicago and have some winter fun at the 3rd biggest ski resort in the Midwest.
- Kodo Taiko Concert – February 17th at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
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.
Japanese Convenience Store Clerk Dissertation by JET Alum
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I recently learned about an interesting JET alum named Gavin Whitelaw (whom I’ve never met) whose doctoral dissertation at Harvard’s Reischauer Institute involved 18-months of “observant” participation as a convenience store clerk in Japan. Through his writing he then “sought to describe the lifeworld of these stores and understand their cultural significance as industrial system, social arrangement, and personal practice.”
In August 2008, Gavin began working in Tokyo on a new collaborative project through the Asian-Japan Research Center. The project focuses on “the role popular culture plays in the formation of Asian identities” and “the impact of Chinese and Japanese trends in other Asian societies.”
Click here to read Gavin’s introduction with regard to the project. If I can get in touch with him, perhaps we can post a link to his unique dissertation in the near future.
Traveling Tastebuds: How to Pop Every Kernel
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Devon Brown (Tokyo-to, 2002-04) is a freelance writer with a focus on food. You can read more of her writing at TravelingTastebuds.blogspot.com.
Remember about a year ago when the whole microwave popcorn = cancer thing broke out? After years of eating a snack that smelled like hot plastic and left a slight tingle on my tongue I came to the conclusion that maybe it was time to put the packets away and return to the old fashioned method. So over this past year I’ve pretty much perfected the process and a recent blog post by famed food writer Michael Rhulman inspired me to share because, while his method is good, mine is better. http://blog.ruhlman.com/ruhlmancom/2009/01/popcorn.html#comments
Click here to read the rest of the post…
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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.
Following up on the Tsukiji auction controversy I discussed here recently, one segment of the news took the pulse of different Japanese attitudes towards foreigners visiting the country. All of the respondents seemed to attribute any trouble they have experienced to cultural differences and not poor manners on the part of gaijin. 
The first spot was the discount store Daiso in Asakusa, where several signs clearly spell out what is not acceptable behavior in the store. For example, a comfortable looking low counter was a place many foreigners had been resting their weary legs. As this is not what Daiso intended the space for, it had to create a sign reading “Don’t sit on the counter.” Another problem the management encountered was Read More
Job: CIR in Gumma-ken
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Interesting. I knew companies like Interac offer a sort of private-sector version of ALTs. But I didn’t know there were private CIR positions like this one listed on Gaijin Pot for a position in Kusatsu-shi, Gumma-ken by a company called Heart English School.
http://www.gaijinpot.com/job_view.php?jid=23029
Jobs: International Education Programs
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Via Chronicle of Higher Ed international programs job listings:
2/2/2009
- Montclair State University (New Jersey) : Director of Study Abroad and International Student Exchanges
- Texas A&M University at College Station (Texas) : Director, Office for Latin American Programs
Learn more in our Employer Profiles
1/30/2009
- INTO Oregon State University (Oregon) : Center Director
Thunderbird Grads?
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I saw on the JETAA Pacific Northwest e-mail list that a JET alum is looking for perspectives and advice from other JET alums about Thunderbird School of Global Management’s program. If you graduated from Thunderbird, please feel free to get in touch with me if you’d like to talk to the JET alum. Or go ahead and post your comments below.
Translation “checking” question and answers
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A Japanese native-speaker recently asked about rates for “checking” a translation. She was translating a resume and references for a client and her husband (an English native-speaker) was going to check her translation. The client asked how much she charges for checking, and she wasn’t quite sure how to respond.
JetWit put the “checking” question out to the Writers Interpreters Translators (WIT) Group and received the below responses. Feel free to post additional thoughts/advice in the comments section below:
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I wouldn’t charge less than 50% of my rate to translate the piece in the first place since, frankly, checking is a huge pain in the ass.
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Editing is typically 30-40% of your translating rate.
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Is the question about a Quality Manager or translation quality control type of position? Are they asking for one project or as a full-time job? Depending on that, the rates will be different. However, it is best to keep in mind that quality managers for translation companies usually don’t get paid very well, even though it’s a lot of tedious work!
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I usually charge 10 yen per word. This may seem like a lot, but the work usually involves a lot of retranslation. Checking can mean that you are supposed to confirm the contents. If the translation is poor, it can be a nightmare.
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NPR’s Studio 360 has a Japan fetish this morning with three separate and excellent stories on different aspects of Japan collectively titled “High Finance & Old Japan.” Definitely worth visiting their site to listen to the stories and watch accompanying video slide shows as well.
Below are the summaries taken from the Studio 360 website:
Pico Iyer: Outside Man
Travel writer Pico Iyer has lived in Japan for 20 years. And while he knows the locals still see him as an outsider, he told Kurt that this status helps him pay attention to his surroundings. Iyer says Japan is like a “2000-year-old person wearing a micro-skirt, with an artificial tan and carrying a surfboard.” Special thanks to Matthew Cavnar.
No Time for Tea
The tea ceremony is a 400-year-old ritual for making and presenting green tea. But in Japan’s fast-paced techno-centric society – one increasingly fueled by coffee – we wondered how the tea ceremony can survive. Studio 360’s Jenny Lawton talked with tea masters, old and young, to find out.
Suicide Forest
Aokigahara is the name of the forest at the foot of Mount Fuji. It’s been mythologized in Japanese literature as a sacred place for people to end their lives – and every year close to a hundred suicides are committed there. Studio 360’s Pejk Malinovski went to the forest to uncover its haunting allure and how the place lingers in the Japanese psyche.
It turns out that the phone interview that JETAA NY Quarterly Magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) had scheduled with Hikaru Utada for 1pm on Friday was a mistake–they actually wanted him to do it in person!
So Justin headed out (did his boss know where he was going?) and spent an hour or so chatting away with “Hikki” and asking her various questions he had requested and collected from readers via the “Ask Hikaru a Question!” JetWit post that ran on Thursday. Utada’s parents even showed up at the end giving Justin a chance to chat with Hikaru’s dad for a short while.
The article will run in the Spring 2009 issue of the JETAA NY Quarterly Magazine. But there may be some recorded clips of the interview posted here on JetWit as well as on the jetaany.org sometime in the next month.
Meanwhile, JetWit web traffic spiked mightily over the last two days as a result of the Utada posting on Thursday. It turns out that once word got out of Justin’s JETAA NY interview with Utada, a number of fans posted the item in the comments sections of several Utada-related blogs. Make sure to read the first one below which includes an entertaining discussion among several people of good questions to ask Utada as well as whether to submit a question even though they’re not JETs.
http://hikaru.sc/showthread.php?t=2265
