WIT Life #15: Power Spots
Japan Trends, WIT Life, Writers 
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). In her recent posts, she’s been watching the news in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
A visit to a shrine, or hatsumoude, is an essential part of Japan’s oshougatsu. This year’s visits incorporated the idea of power spots, or places from which you can receive special energy. Depending on what sort of wishes people hoped to fulfill, they made visits to “power spot shrines” targeted to their desires. The third most popular request was for success in business, and one temporary worker interviewed expressed hope that work would continue to come to him. Currently laborers such as himself make up 1/3 of the work force, and their protests have received much news coverage.
The second most popular request was for luck in love, with one woman insisting that the shrine she had been visiting for the last couple of years during oshougatsu was the reason she was able to get married last year. Incidentally, the idea of searching for a marriage partner in the same way as searching for a job has become so prominent in Japan that the expression “konkatsu” has come into vogue. This phrase derives from Read More
James Kennedy short story in Chicago Reader + New Yorker Cartoon Game
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James Kennedy (Nara-ken, 2004-06), author of The Order of Odd-Fish, has a short story in the Chicago Reader this week. It’s called “The Most Dangerous Beard In Town” and, according to James, “it’s whimsically illustrated by the very talented Jeremy Russnak.”
Bonus recommended reading: On his blog today, James shares the results of a New Yorker cartoon game he invented and then played with his family. One hat is filled with everyone’s New Yorker style drawings and another with urbane punchlines. The drawings and punchlines are paired randomly, and the results satirize nicely.
Job: Japanese speaker/writer needed – P/T (South Tampa, FL)
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Via JETAA Florida:
In today’s USF newspaper, there was an advertisement saying, “P/T Japanese spk/writer needed in S. Tampa. Contact Misty for details. (813) 870-2400”
2009 JET Programme Essay Contest
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In case you haven’t recently checked the CLAIR website, here is the official announcement about the 17th Annual JET Programme Essay Competition. This year’s submissions are due by Friday, March 13, 2009. This annual contest is open to both current and former JETs.
Shannon Rochelle Quinn
JETAA USA Country Rep 2006-2009
Prizes (tentative, based on last year)
- Japanese Language Division
Grand Jury Prize \ 100,000 (1 entry)
Prize for Excellence \ 50,000 (1 entry)
Honourary Mention \ 10,000 (3 entries)
- Foreign Language Division
Grand Jury Prize \ 100,000 (1 entry)
Prize for Excellence \ 50,000 (1 entry)
Honourary Mention \ 10,000 (3 entries)
(Click “Read More” for details) Read More
WITLife #14: Mooooooooo….
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). In her recent posts, she’s been watching the news in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! Welcome to the year of the cow. I hope it is a happy and healthy one for all! I received some electronic New Year’s greetings from friends in Japan, and the noise a cow makes in Japanese (「モー」) was often used as a dajare (pun) in the phrase: “Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.” Gotta love Japanese humor!
Social woes are already plaguing Japan in early 2009. During the end of the year a provisional “Toshikoshi Haken Mura” was set up in Hibiya Park for temporary employees who have become jobless/homeless due to premature cutting off of their contracts. This was a village where they could live over the holidays, and on the eve traditional toshikoshi soba (extra-long soba connecting the new year to the old) with mochi in it was served. One 40-year old recipient said that it was the first proper meal he had had in two weeks. When asked about his prospects for the new year, Read More
Deadline: Thursday, January 8, before 5:00p.m. EST
Welcome to the JetWit Haiku Challenge! The challenge is to submit one or more haiku using the designated word. The best haiku submitted wins the prize.
This challenge is courtesy of Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S., published by Palgrave Macmillan. You can also follow Roland on his blog japanamerica.blogspot.com.
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Designated word: “Pop” (you must use this word in your haiku; multiple submissions welcome)
- Deadline: Thursday, January 8, before 5:00p.m. EST
Prize: Free copy of Japanamerica + Susan Napier’s Anime: From Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle mailed to you.- Form: Haiku are typically 5-7-5 and have a seasonal reference. (Though the form actually has a fair amount of flexibility.)
- E-mail responses to: jetwit /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com
Job: Associate at Burson-Marsteller (Tokyo)
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Via Indeed.com Tokyo jobs:
Burson-Marsteller is an international PR and communications firm. I’m aware of at least one JET alum who works for them.
Click read more to read about the position and how to submit a resume for it. Read More
Job: Asst Director, International Student Services – State University of NY College at Plattsburgh
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Via the Chronicle of Higher Ed jobs page:
Position: Assistant Director, International Student Services
Institution: State University of New York College at Plattsburgh
Location: New York
Date posted: 12/26/2008
Assistant Director, International Student Services
Staff members in International Student Services (ISS) at the State University of New York, College at Plattsburgh are attentive to the unique needs and concerns of international students. ISS is looking for an Assistant Director to administer immigration advising and to assist with professional functions related to international student enrollment management. This position requires limited international and/or domestic travel, as well as some evening and weekend work. Read More
JetWit Vacation – Akemashite omedetou!
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JetWit will be on hiatus during the Christmas/New Year’s break. But we’ll be back posting in the New Year.
明けましておめでとうございます!
Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!
Happy New Year!
Translations agencies bad practices – LinkedIn group
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I just found out there’s actually a LinkedIn group called “Translations agencies bad practices.” A JET alum with whom I’m linked recently joined it, according to one of those LinkedIn updates you get that tells you who has done what recently.
In its own words:
“If you had or have non payment issues, or other bad experience, with a translation agency, use this group to tell us about, as it is useful information for all freelances in this sector.”
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1536857&trk=nus_grp
Omedetou!
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Omedetou gozaimashita to JETAA NY Secretary Meredith Wutz who’s had a rather big week.
- Her fantasy football team, Machine Gun Kelly, defeated Takashi Daito’s Hamamatsu Eel-Dogs by 0.7 points after trailing by 45 points going into the Monday night game to win the first ever JETAA NY Fantasy Football League, consisting of 5 JET alums and 5 football-loving members from CLAIR New York, and…
- She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Kiyora Linda, on December 18. :-)
Me-ri Kurisumasu!
WITLife #13 – Emperors, Towers and More Nesting
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). In her recent posts, she’s been watching the news in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Today (already yesterday in Japan) celebrated the birthday of two of this country’s fixtures, the Emperor and Tokyo Tower. The former turned 75 and the latter 50, and both have been showing slight signs of aging.
In the customary palace visit open to the general public, Emperor Akihito apologized for causing people to worry regarding his health, as he is still fighting a cold. Because of this, many of the usual events surrounding his birthday will be canceled or postponed.
Tokyo Tower has recently undergone renovations such as a new elevator and new illumination, and author Lili Frank was on hand to offer greetings at its 50th anniversary party. He wrote the 2005 best seller Tokyo Tower, later made into drama and movie versions (which I liked so much that I’m now reading the book and enjoying it just as much).
*News of this year’s nesting phenomenon continues, and two trends regarding Christmas cakes are “mini” and “luxurious.” Mini cakes as small as 5-10 cm in diameter are wildly popular, as people would rather be able to try several different kinds instead of just one. On the other hand, high-end Christmas cake is also selling well. Whereas your typical strawberry shortcake goes for 500 yen, these luxury cakes are as much as 2,500 yen each.
As one consumer explained, “This is something I buy only once a year so I might as well go all out!”
Christmas Song for JETs
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Back in the mid-1990s, a weekly humor/lampoon-style magazine called The Alien began publishing in Nagoya. A lot of the humor was just cynical gaijin jokes recycled in different forms (which of course we loved). But occasionally there were gems like a verse from a song parody they ran at Christmas time that did a good job of capturing at least one relatively common Christmas memory for most JETs.
Workers’ Wonderland (sung to the tune of Winter Wonderland)
Have to work
On Christmas
For lunch plain rice
De-licious!
We’re slaving away
Day after day
Wilting in a workers’ wonderland
Note: I just did some Internet research and found a Wikipedia entry explaining that The Alien has evolved into the present day Japanzine. I also found a blog post on Jason’s Random Thoughts: Yet Another Gaijin in Japan that opines on Japanzine and, more importantly, has various posts in the comments section by a couple former writers for The Alien plus references to a couple of the great gaijin bars from the Nagoya scene back then. Natukashii!
Job: Translator Needed (Manhattan)
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Translator Needed (Manhattan)
Reply to: see below
Date: 2008-12-22, 4:32PM EST
Translator is needed to translate website in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. Please contact Mr.O’Neal at Staffinstantly.com to schedule a interview. At 917-477-2813 between 9am to 12pm Monday thru Friday.
PostingID: 967378471
WITLife #12: Net Café Refugees and More Auto Protests
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03). In her recent posts, she’s been watching the news in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
The phenomenon of “net café refugees” became a hot topic in Japan last year, when it was estimated by the Health Ministry that 5,400 people with no fixed addresses, mostly those in their 20s, slept at 24-hour Internet cafes for as little as 1,000-2,000 yen per night. These legendary facilities house small cubicles equipped with reclining chairs, computers and TVs, and many cafés allow free soft drink refills. Some even have showers.
In this dismal economy, usage of net cafés has been on the increase. A café profiled in this morning’s news said that it offers a rate of 59,520 yen per month for those staying longer than 30 days, and that out of its 58 rooms, 50 were occupied long-term.
One such resident who volunteered for an interview said that he had been there for over six months. After losing his real estate job two years ago when his company went bankrupt, he has been struggling to make ends meet as a day laborer. However, being 39 prevents him Read More
