Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email

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Position: CBTC Systems Engineer I
Posted by: Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. (MEEPI)
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to Susan Garvan, Staffing Specialist with Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. (MEEPI) for passing along the attached job opening with her company.

Are you a recent or soon to graduate Electrical Engineer or Computer Science Engineer who is “business fluent” in Japanese?   If so, we have an opportunity to use your degree and Japanese language skills while learning the newest technology in the rail transportation industry for the USA. 

In this newly created role the Engineer will learn Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) technology provided to you by Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. (MEPPI).   You will have the opportunity to visit our parent company, Mitsubishi Electric (MELCO) in Japan for up to a year, gaining valuable training on the CBTC Systems.   Upon completion of your training you would return to the USA and will be based at our Pittsburgh, PA headquarters in the CBTC Systems Engineer I role with MEPPI’s Transportation Systems Division.   

As the CBTC Systems Engineer I you will:

• Participate in an initial 6-12 month assignment in Japan learning CBTC technology by working with MELCO engineers.
• Assist with application engineering activities for system design in support of proposals and projects including: requirement specification, architecture and interface description, system integration and development planning, design reviews, development of requirements traceability, software validation and verification, and creation/maintenance of track database.

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Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as art, film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she offers some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.

We have come to the end of this crazy Covid year, and that means it’s time for 今年の漢字 (kotoshi no kanji, or kanji of the year). 密 (mitsu, or close, dense and crowded) was selected, reflecting Japan’s initial response to the virus by promoting avoidance of 三つの密 (mitsu no mitsu or sanmitsu). These are also known as the 3Cs, and refer to 密閉 (mippei, or confined, poorly ventilated spaces), 密集 (misshuu, or crowds of people) and 密接 (missetsu, or close-contact settings). Japan was able to control infection rates to an extent this way, but as in the U.S. there are worries of a surge early next year as a result of gathering during the 年末年始 (nenmatsu nenshi, or year-end holidays). Runners-up to 密 included 禍 (ka, or damage, as in コロナ禍) and 病 (byou or yamai, or disease and illness).

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Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email

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Position: Youth and Outreach Program Coordinator
Posted by: Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
Location: Delray Beach, FL, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to JET alumna, Wendy Lo (Toyama, 2002-2005), who works for the Morikamai Museum for passing along the following job opening:

The Youth and Outreach Program Coordinator will be responsible for the creation and implementation of educational programming for children (K-12) activities and off-site outreach programs (children and adults). This includes children’s activities at our annual festivals, special events, teacher development workshops, Family Fun Days, and our MORY and Summer Tour Plus programs. 

The position requires a creative, dynamic and hands-on individual.  The person must be able to work weekends and evening events. This position reports to the Curator of Education.

More information and to apply: https://morikami.org/job-opportunities/

Posted by Sydney Sparrow. Click here to join the JETwit Jobs Google Group and receive job listings even sooner by email

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Position: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Japanese Language
Posted by: Johnson County Community College
Location: Overland Park, KS, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Thanks to former JETAA USA Country Rep, Dustin Henrich (Osaka, 2012-2014) for sharing this opportunity with the JETwit community:

The Foreign Language Department at Johnson County Community College is seeking a Japanese adjunct professor to teach Elementary and Intermediate level Japanese language courses on Zoom and/or on the JCCC campus. JCCC is located in Overland Park, KS, the second largest city in the state of Kansas and part of the greater Kansas City Metro. The Kansas City Metro is known for its museums, restaurants, and music and art scenes. JCCC is similarly dedicated to creating and maintaining a rich cultural community, with an award-winning contemporary art museum and center for the performing arts located on campus.

For more information and to apply: https://www.aatj.org/jobs/johnson-county-community-college-ks/adjunct-assistant-professor-japanese-language?fbclid=IwAR2xUTM4wQ5grCMLup1myRB_QdoG3-rNdZM00RrtUuR00mPXQWDCaZcECEo

On Tuesday, December 15th, USJETAA hosted its last webinar of 2020 and it featured JETwit’s own, Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-1994) along with Mya Fisher (Kanagawa-ken, 2000-2002), and Kristy Ishii (Gunma-ken, 2016-2018). Each JET alumni spoke about building connections, networking, being proactive, trying something new, and ultimately “making your own luck after JET.” If you missed the webinar, you can view it here.

For other fantastic webinars, sign up for USJETAA here. It’s free to JET alumni!

By Rashaad Jorden (Yamagata–ken, 2008-10; Kochi-ken, 2018-2020) for JQ magazine. A former head of JETAA Philadelphia’s Sub–Chapter, Rashaad is a graduate of Leeds Beckett University with a master’s degree in responsible tourism management. For more on his life abroad and enthusiasm for taiko drumming, visit his blog at www.gettingpounded.wordpress.com.

Before the advent of the JET Program, there were Westerners who taught English in Japan. Joe Palermo was one of them, and he tells his story in No Pianos, Pets or Foreigners!: My Life in Japan in the ’80s.

Palermo arrived in Gunma Prefecture in 1982 as a Mombusho English Fellow (a precursor to modern-day JETs) and his book—whose title was inspired by a phrase he often saw in ads while looking for an apartment—is obviously a walk down memory lane, as well as a collection of “what I did in Japan” stories.

The book could best be described as a score of tales best told over a beer or two (like when he realized he left his shoes in a supermarket parking lot during heavy rain). Some of the anecdotes Palermo shares are products of their time, such as his self-introduction to students, “I am E.T.: English Teacher.” Much of No Pianos, Pets or Foreigners contains tidbits that might really only interest Palermo’s close friends (like the appearance of his house). However, the author excels with his observations of life in Japan, such as illuminating things you may not have been aware of or had totally forgotten, like the tendency of Japanese to rarely go to the dentist.

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Join USJETAA and JETwit’s own, Steven Horowitz along with Mya Fisher & Kristy Ishii for a discussion on making your own luck after JET. They will cover how you can be proactive after JET in finding your next big opportunity. Our speakers will share their own journeys after JET and how they have utilized the JET alumni community to kickstart their careers. The speakers are all at different stages in their careers and have great advice to offer. This webinar will give everyone ways to start connecting and getting involved in the JET alumni community.

December 15, 2020
5 PM PT / 8 PM ET (10 AM Japan time on 12/16)
Register here: https://bit.ly/luckafterjet

By Jack McDonough, 2021 prospective JET

Let’s talk: 2020 has been rough. From Corona Virus to the economic downturn, this year has gone on too long for my liking. For me, and many others, December is a time that is remembered fondly; it’s a break from the monotony of regular life with wassailing, hall-decking, and merry-making. 2020 needs an injection of ‘‘ ’Tis the season” and luckily, for anime fans, we got just that. I’m not talking about Christmas; I’m talking about Attack on Titan.

Attack on Titan originally aired in April of 2013 and is based on the manga Shingeki no Kyojin by Hajime Isyama; it’s one of the most popular manga to ever be released. The first three seasons of the show were produced by Wit Studios and the current season is animated by MAPPA Studios. The anime follows Eren Yeager’s quest for revenge against the human-eating giants that killed his mother and destroyed his hometown… or at least that’s what it used to be about.  My first time watching, I asked a series of questions: “Why are there Titans eating people, why are there giant walls protecting humanity, and how can mankind ever defeat these monsters?” The characters in the show ask themselves those same questions; the story is really a mystery, where the characters know nothing of the giants assailing them, or the cruel world they inhabit. The viewer never knows more than the characters, for the most part, and the viewer and the characters unravel the mysteries together. The “plot twists”  in Attack are unparalleled and take the story from a simple “humans versus monsters” story into something much more dynamic and all-consuming. This, combined with excellent animation, great voice-acting, and an epic soundtrack, creates a fantastic experience.

Attack on Titan: The Final Season couldn’t have come sooner.  The first episode of the season, “The Other Side of the Sea,” was action-packed and conveyed that this season would be the most intense one yet. The new animation by MAPPA does justice to the series. Watching the first episode felt like when the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle finally come together: the mysteries of the world have been unraveled, and all that’s left is to watch and see how Isyama’s characters will react to the truths he has revealed.

I used to say that Attack on Titan was the anime equivalent of Game of Thrones, but this characterization is wrong. While it’s easy to convey the shared dark-fantasy theme between Attack and Game of Thrones, Attack on Titan is so much more than that now: its political, violent, mystifying, and epic. Attack on Titan isn’t just a great anime or a great show, it’s one of the best stories ever told. If you haven’t watched it and you’re a fan of anime, watch it. If you haven’t watched it and you’re not a fan of anime, watch it. Attack on Titan transcends genre and medium and is a must-watch, and it’s all I want for Christmas this year.

As part of the ongoing bilateral forum series U.S.-Japan Subnational Global Young Professionals Forum,we are pleased to invite you to attend as an observer to the City of Honolulu and City of Hiroshima Young Professional Forum, internationally organized by the Koyamada International Foundation (KIF) America, KIF Japan and Junior Chamber International (JCI) Japan andlocally hosted by the JCI Hawaii, JCI Honolulu, JCI Hiroshima, Japan-America Society of Hawaii.

TOPIC:Post COVID-19: Rebuilding Sustainable Business Community Through Sister Cities

WHEN:HST:2pm-4pm on Monday, December 14^thPST: 4pm-6pm on Monday, December 14^thEST: 7pm-9pm on Monday, December 14^thJST:  9am-11am on Tuesday, December 15^th

WHERE: The Forum will be held privately by the Zoom Meeting platform with its interpretation option.

HOW: To register, please click this link – http://kifusa.org/register/ypf and you will be given a Zoom link to attend the forum once your registration is completed.

WHO:

Welcoming remarks

• United States Congressman Ted Lieu (a bipartisan bill “City and State Diplomacy Act”)
• United States Consulate General Osaka Richard Mei
• Mayor of Honolulu Kirk Caldwell
• Mayor of Hiroshima Kazumi Matsui
• Hollywood celebrity Shin Koyamada (movies from “The Last Samurai” and Disney Channel’s “Wendy Wu Homecoming Warrior”)
• Japan-America Society of Hawaii Reyna Kaneko
• Junior Chamber International Japan

American Speakers

• Ms. Delle Tanioka – Senior Account Manager for Automated Healthcare Solutions (AHCS), President of JCI Hawaii 2020
• Mr. Cosmo Hirai – Bishop of Todaiji Hawaii, Vice President of International Development of JCI Honolulu 2020
• Ms. Natalie Millon – State Board member as Community Development of JCI Hawaii
• Mr. Trung Lam – Co-Owner of La Tour Cafe and La Tour Bakehouse, Lifetime Member of JCI Hawaii
• Mr. Tyler Hiranaka – Business Owner, 2018 State President of JCI Hawaii

Japanese Speakers

• Mr. Ryo Sugikawa – Director of Daiichi Building Service Co., Ltd, 2021 President of JCI Hiroshima (Japan),
• Mr. Kazuyoshi Shibuya – Director of Shibuya Co., Ltd, 2021 Permanent member JCI Hiroshima (Japan),
• Mr. Hideki Hayashi – President & CEO of Yamasaki Honsha, Ltd., Chairman of Planning the Next Era City Committee of JCI Hiroshima,
• Ms. Hiromi Ikeda – Waseda Shrine, Chief Priest, 2021 Vice Chairman of the Regular Meeting Committee of JCI Hiroshima (Japan),
• Mr. Hiroshi Michiue – JTB Corp. Competent, 2021 Designing the Next Era Peace Committee of JCI Hiroshima (Japan),

 WHAT: In the beginning of the Forum, elected official and city officials, organizers and special guests will provide brief remarks, welcoming messages and their city’s video presentations. During the forum discussion, each of five wonderful American young professional speakers from Hawaii and five Japanese young professional speakers from Hiroshima will briefly introduce themselves and then exchange dialogue and share their views and personal experiences and stories in response to ten questions prepared by both cities on “Post COVID-19: Rebuilding Sustainable Business Community Through Sister Cities”. In this initial forum series, the Forum has paired six different U.S. and Japanese cities to host forums highlighting American and Japanese young professional speakers from their respective cities. The first Forum was officially launched with the City of San Jose, CA and City of Okayama, Japan. The second installment was executed with the City of San Antonio, TX and City of Kumamoto, Japan. This Honolulu-Hiroshima Forum will be our third installment one.

ABOUT USA-JAPAN SUBNATIONAL GLOBAL YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FORUMAs part of Subnational X Initiative of the Koyamada International Foundation (KIF), the Forumis a public-private partnership (PPP) in a forum series held virtually and organized internationally by the KIF America, KIF Japan, and Junior Chamber International (JCI) Japan in partnership with American and Japanese subnational governments, business organizations and sister cities organizations. The purpose of the forum is for American and Japanese young professional leaders to deepen bilateral economic and cultural people-to-people relationships to foster mutual understanding, as well as to create an international cooperation between communities in the United States and Japan at a subnational level. The final report of the Forum will be presented by JCI Japan as a bilateral recommendation to the United States-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON) in Japan, which will ultimately present it to the Prime Minister of Japan.

What’s Next?The next forum will be the Omaha – Shizuoka Forum at the end of January.

Interested in hosting your forum with us for your city and Japanese city?Please contact Mike Holland, a board member of KIF Japan at holland@kifjapan.org to give you more information!.

By Vlad Baranenko (Saitama-ken, 2000-02) for JQ magazine. Vlad is an avid photographer.

Returning for its second year, the New York City-based holiday light show LuminoCity Festival brings outdoor family-friendly fun to Randall’s Island Park now through January 10. This walking journey takes visitors to distinctly themed sets and dreamlike worlds through a wonderland of fantastical ancient civilizations, lush luminated jungles, and mystical towering light art displays (with opportunities to pick up warm treats and special gifts). At the heart of it are three brilliantly sparkling Christmas trees, creating the perfect backdrop for holiday and Instagram fans alike. JQ caught up with LuminoCity founder Xiaoyi Chen to learn more.

Please tell us about the history of LuminoCity in NYC. From where do you draw your inspiration?

The story of LuminoCity goes back to my time as a student at Pratt Institute here in the city. I’ve always had a love for art and knew that I eventually wanted to create a brand. Originally, I am from Zigong, which is a city located in China that is famous for their annual lantern festival. Through LuminoCity, I was able to combine my interest in art with my cultural background to create a new festival experience. From a business perspective, we chose to stage LuminoCity in New York City because there is a strong market here for large-scale events and the city is a robust economic center.

What is the theme for this year’s light festival?

We drew inspiration for this year’s theme from my travels to South America. This year’s presentation includes distinctly themed sets and dreamlike worlds. There are many different types of light sculptures including lush foliage inspired by the rainforest, whimsical animals, and glittering crystals. At the center of the adventure is Lumi, a magical light bulb and the host of the festival.

Are there any Japan or Asia-related attractions or vendors that this year’s guests can enjoy? 

We have two food vendors who sell Asian cuisine: C Bao (@cbaoasianbuns) and Tojo’s Kitchen (@tojosankitchen).

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The Japan Foundation, New York (JF) and The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP) has launched “Mask Up 2020,” an original face mask design contest open to all U.S.-residing amateur artists – from children to adults – and participation is free. Winning designs will be printed on masks, winners will receive 25 masks; the rest will be distributed. Winners will be announced during a live event on our YouTube channel. For more details: https://cgp.org/news201201

Here is a brief outline of the contest:  

• Deadline: Friday, January 22, 2021 by 6:00pm (EST)  
• Voting: February 8-17, 2021
• Winners announced: March 1, 2021  

Thanks to USJETAA’s Executive Director and JET alumna, Bahia Simons-Lane (Gunma-ken, 2005-2007) for passing along this fantastic opportunity!

JETs on Japan Forum

Submissions are open for article abstracts for the JETs on Japan Forum. The forum is a new partnership between USJETAA and Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA (Sasakawa USA). It will feature selected articles of JET alumni perspectives on U.S.-Japan relations and provides a platform for JET alumni to contribute to deeper understanding of U.S.-Japan relations from their fields.

Authors will receive an honorarium of between $250 and $500 (depending on word length, amount of research, etc.) from USJETAA upon the article’s publication.

Submissions are encouraged from mid-to-senior level professionals who are established in the current fields OR current/recent graduate degree students in both masters and doctoral programs. Submissions should provide in-depth commentary or analysis from the JET alumni perspective of political, economic, or diplomatic ties between the United States and Japan. It should highlight the positive impacts of U.S.-Japan relations on both U.S. and Japanese communities.

Interested authors should submit an abstract of up to 300 words on your proposed topic, your bio, and a writing sample to USJETAA via email to director@usjetaa.org, Subject: JETs on Japan. Abstracts will be accepted until February 1, 2021 and articles are published on a rolling basis from now until the end of February. More info at https://bit.ly/JETsonJapan

*********By Makoto Shirai, secretary, Japan-Insights Research Institute (Non-profit organization in Tokyo)

Dear Friends,

Have you visited the gardens in Tohoku?

Let me introduce an essay from Japan-Insights archives.

The fifth one is on the gardens and landscape of Tohoku by Fran and Jake of KEW.

https://doc.japan-insights.jp/pdf/JIN_TOPIC_20200511153448.pdf

Please share this expert’s experience!

Japan-Insights is a nonprofit open database compiled by leading experts in Japanese studies. The posts present a broad range of historical and contemporary topics that encourage visitors to engage with the real Japan through immersive experiences. Follow the Facebook page and website to learn about and share these insights from around the country!”

#japan #japaneseculture #tohoku

Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as art, film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she offers some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.

Since I last wrote, Joe Biden has been officially declared the winner in the election. My former home prefecture in Japan has a surprising connection to our next President. Yutaka Umeda is the mayor of a 15,000 person small town in Kumamoto called Yamato. The kanji for his name (梅田穣) can also be read as Jo Baiden, allowing him to capitalize on this coincidence. It remains to be seen if he will have as much success as the city of Obama (小浜市) in Fukui Prefecture, which gained much attention when the former president with this name took office.

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By Rashaad Jorden (Yamagata-ken, 2008-10; Kochi-ken, 2018-2020) for JQ magazine. A former head of JETAA Philadelphia’s Sub-Chapter, Rashaad is a graduate of Leeds Beckett University with a master’s degree in responsible tourism management. For more on his life abroad and enthusiasm for taiko drumming, visit his blog at www.gettingpounded.wordpress.com.

There are gaikokujin whose journey to Japan is quite an adventure. One of them is Karen Hill Anton. She takes readers on a tour of her unconventional life in The View from Breast Pocket Mountain: A Memoir (the mountain is the translated name of the area home of her and her husband’s farmhouse). This is a life that sees her become a columnist for two Japanese newspapers as part of a 45-year (and counting) history with her adoptive country.

Anton’s story starts in New York City, where she grew up in a tenement apartment. The author spends most of the early chapters telling stories of life in the city. Her father often struggled to find work (but did so occasionally as a presser) while her mother was institutionalized. View really takes off when Anton details the period when she traveled outside the United States for the first time. Her adventures took her around Europe (often getting around the Old Continent by sticking her thumb out), where she hung out with a cast of colorful characters, including Swedish painter and textile artist Moki Karlsson, the mother of Swedish music star Neneh Cherry.

The European portion of the book includes more than anecdotes involving interesting figures she met. Anton adroitly captures the vibe of not just a bygone era, but apparently a different planet from the United States—writing that it’s “common sense” in Denmark (where she gave birth to her first child) to put babies outside. You get the sense that she’s completely in tune with her surroundings there as she includes other fascinating tidbits about the Scandinavian country. Through her writing, she comes across as someone who can feel at home almost anywhere.

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