Bankruptcy Bill #5: Law Firm Publications
Cartoon/Illustration, Humor, Writers 
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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 bankruptcy haiku, go to bankruptcybill.wordpress.com.
JETAA Philly Mud Shack Social Night – Photos!
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The JETAA Philly subchapter Mud Shack Social Night on Saturday, November 15 was a big hit! Subchapter rep Renay Loper reports, “”We painted pottery, made jewelry, enjoyed some Japanese food, traded JET stories, and laughed the night away! Everyone was excited that the Philly group was re-awakening! Based on the feedback – even from those who couldn’t make it – I am already looking forward to our next event!”
To be in the loop on future Philly events, just e-mail PhillyRep atto jetaany dotto org
JETAA Chapter Beat – 11.24.08
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Freelance writer/editor Jonathan Trace (Fukuoka-ken, 2005-08) takes us on a walk around the JETAA community…
Texoma (aka JETAA Chapter 9)
* Friday, November 28th — Beaver’s BBQ – Come support a local legend-in-the-making at Beaver’s BBQ around 7pm.
* November 1, 2008 — December 17, 2008 Madame Kawakita, ongoing film series
Cinema Japan: A Wreath for Madame Kawakita ($5.50 – 9.50 per movie)
– Friday, November 28 — 8:40 p.m. Her Brother
Kon Ichikawa’s powerful family drama, set in the Taisho era, with virtuoso performances by Kinuyo Tanaka and Keiko Kishi
– Saturday, November 29 — 5:00 p.m. Zigeunerweisen
Seijun Suzuki weds surrealism to ghost story to evoke the late 1920s in Japan as a period of changing mores akin to Weimar Germany.
– Sunday, November 30 — 3:00 p.m. Tora-san’s Sunrise and Sunset
A Japanese populist classic from Yoji Yamada’s Tora-san series. Our bumbling proletarian hero has adventures in the Tokyo suburbs and in the arts.
Check out the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive for more dates!
* Saturday, December 6 — Nihongo Dake Dinner. Time and place TBA
* Saturday, December 13 — JETAASC Bonenkai. Time and place TBA
* Saturday, December 6 — 2008 JETAA Portland Bonenkai.
Time: 6:30 p.m., Location: Bush Garden, Cost: $12 per person.
Join JETAA Portland’s end of the year party. Make sure you bring a gift for the White Elephant Gift Exchange. Bring your unwanted or most hilarious omiyage from Japan (ike a dancing Pocari Sweat can). One of our most attended events of the year, reserve your spot now. Seating limited!
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.
JET alum Lars Martinson, author of the graphic novel Tonoharu: Part 1, just completed a 10-part series on his site (larsmartinson.com) all about self-publishing. While he writes from an “alternative cartoonist” perspective, he offers valuable insight and experience for any JET alums in the writing or publishing business.
Perspectives include:
- Cartooning is a poor career choice, so make sure you have alternative revenue streams
- Seek funding such as the Xeric Grant, Monbusho scholarships and other sources of funding
Taking advantage of Amazon Associates, and selling related merchandise- Suggestions on how to create an effective online presence
- How to find established distributors in your field
- How to manage sales and money
- Plus plenty of other helpful concrete suggestions gleaned from personal experience and struggle
You can also read a nice article about Lars from the Winter 2008 “Digital Media” Issue of the JETAA NY Newsletter, written by Alexei Esikoff (Fukushima-ken, 2001-02).
Two Upcoming Events with Sake Sommelier Chris Johnson (Oita-ken, 1992-95)
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Sake sommelier Chris Johnson (Oita-ken, 1992-95) will be sommelier-ing at two upcoming events. FYI, Chris is also the owner of Bao Noodles, the Vietnamese-style restaurant on 2nd Ave. between 22nd & 23rd Sts., and has provided gift certificates for several JETAA NY Newsletter contests.
Zagat’s Presents
THE ART OF SAKE PAIRING
December 8, 2008, 6 PM & 8:30 PM
Kyotofu, 705 Ninth Ave. (bet. 48th & 49th Sts.)
Join infamous New York sake sommelier Chris Johnson at this award-winning Midtown Japanese spot for a an informative six-course dinner pairing food and sake.
Event Details: $75 for six courses with sake and cocktails, tax and tip not included. More information here.
ASIA SOCIETY PRESENTS
Panel Discussion
Wine and Spirits with Asian Cuisine: A Perfect Pairing! (with live webcast)
Savory Productions / Saveur Magazine
Date: December 1st
6:30 – 9:00 pm
Location: New York
Asia Society and Museum, Auditorium, 725 Park Avenue, New York
Cost: $15 students; $15 members; $30 nonmembers
Buy Tickets Online
Phone: 212-517-ASIA
Web: http://www.savoryproductions.com/
Panelists:
– Cynthia Sin-yi Cheng, Founder, cyn-et-vin; Wine Editor, Cravings, New York
– Chris Johnson, Mixologist and Sake Master, Bao 111, New York
– Litty Mathew, Mixologist, Modern Spirits, Monrovia, California
Moderator:
– James Oseland, Editor in Chief, Saveur Magazine
Get more information here.
Top 10 List: Ways JETAA Would be Different If Obama or McCain Were Your JETAA Chapter President
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(From the Fall 2008 JETAA NY Quarterly Newsletter) (Click here to see previous JETAA Top 10 Lists.)
Who would be a better president, McCain or Obama? Maybe that’s the wrong question. Perhaps the focus should be on what presidency they should really be running for. And thus the question is begged, what would be…
The Top 14 Ways JETAA Would be Different If
Obama or McCain Were Your JETAA Chapter President
14. Early bird special nihongo-dake dinners
13. JETAA Delaware’s Tax-Free Shopping Day
12. Beach Boys parodies about genocide replaced by Morning Musume parodies about market turmoil
11. General skepticism about president’s claim that while on JET he “could see South Korea” from his school’s window.
10. Promises of lower noodle taxes for Joe the Ramenya-san
9. Onsen trips…in Maui
8. President shows off “maverick” side by putting tonkatsu sauce on okonomiyaki
7. Chicago deep dish served at Newsletter stuff n’ mails
6. Softball Tournament in Brooklyn replaced by Moose Hunting Tournament in Staten Island
5. Next happy hour destination: USS Intrepid!
4. Election opponent branded as a terrorist after admitted to having bought a phone card from an Iranian guy in Ueno Park in 1995
3. Uniqlo shopping spree for the veep
2. Position on yaki-niku enkai? “Grill, baby, grill!”
1. “I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this sake”
(Want to see more? Click here to see previous JETAA Top 10 Lists.)
JETAA Update: Cincinnati/Kentucky taking off
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Jimmy Jackson reports from Cincinnati that he’s now in touch with Thad Johnson across the river in Lexington, Kentucky, and that Thad has been working on an upcoming JET alum event for people in the area.
If you’re in the area and want be a part of it, contact Jimmy Jackson at jimmyj1640 /atto/ yahoo /dotto/ com.
Job Listing: Japanese-English Quality Managers (Midtown, NYC)
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Saw this on Craigslist NYC. FYI, there are a couple JET alums who work or have worked for Transperfect.
Italian, French, and Japanese-English Quality Managers (Midtown East)
Reply to: job-928614895@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-11-21, 2:52PM EST
TransPerfect Family of Companies
www.transperfect.com www.translations.com
Quality Manager – Italian, French, and Japanese-English Read More
Reviewed by Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi 2001-02) (Originally published in the JETAA NY Fall 2008 Quarterly Newsletter)
The flames are all long gone
But the pain lingers on
-Pink Floyd, “Goodbye Blue Sky”
For all the good they’ve done advancing equal rights and universal peace in the generations since World War II, the U.S. and Japan continue to struggle with charges of insensitivity and unfair treatment of minorities stemming from that era. Two important new films highlight the historical signposts of the Japanese American internment camps of 1942-44, and the growing international tensions surrounding Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine.
Passing Poston, a documentary by journalists Joe Fox and James Nubile, premiered in America this past summer. Its narrative unspools through the tales of four of the 17,800 Japanese-American internees forced to live at Poston in Arizona, one of the 10 War Relocation Authority centers launched five months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. While the camps were devised by the U.S. government under the guise of internal defense, they were ruled unconstitutional two years later by the Supreme Court, with formal apologies finally issued by Congress in 1988 and 1992, along with $1.6 billion issued in combined reparations to survivors and heirs.
Opening with a propaganda film from the U.S. Office of War Information to set the mood of the time, Read More
Book Review: Japan Rising by Kenneth Pyle
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Reviewed by Lyle Sylvander (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) (Originally published in the JETAA NY Fall 2008 Quarterly Newsletter)
Bookstores are stocked full of tomes charting the recent rise of India and China. The IT and computer programming revolution in the former and the manufacturing explosion in the latter have accompanied such massive population growth in both countries that the world’s attention has naturally shifted to that region of Asia.
In this context, Kenneth Pyle’s new book Japan Rising: The Resurgence of Japanese Power and Purpose may seem anachronistic, as a holdover from the 1980s, the decade when, to quote a book from the era, Japan would be “first among equals.” But Pyle, a Professor of Asian history at the University of Washington, makes a strong case for Japan’s continuing relevance in the international global community, both politically and economically. His book is a fascinating account of Japanese foreign policy history, from its origins in the Meiji era to its current strategic calculations.
Much commentary has been made about Japan’s ability to preserve tradition while adapting to foreign Read More
Akiko Wada, interviewed at Kinokuniya by Store Manager John Fuller
By Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02)
If you’ve ever watched TV in Japan on New Year’s Eve, chances are you’ve seen Akiko Wada. One of Japan’s most celebrated stars, the singer and entertainment personality has made over 20 appearances on the annual Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red-White Song Contest). To celebrate her 40th year in show business, the “Female Emperor” performed a landmark one-night-only concert, Power & Soul, at Harlem’s renowned Apollo Theater on September 29.
Born in Osaka, the headstrong Wada made her recording debut in 1968, shortly after dropping out of high school at age 17. The following year, she broke big with “Doushaburi no Ame no Naka de” (In the Pouring Rain), with pop stardom and numerous variety show hosting gigs to follow. With her tall, stocky build and direct nature, Wada is something of an anomaly in the Japanese entertainment world, where women are less encouraged to speak their mind or even think about criticizing their peers.
Three days before the Apollo date, Wada held court at a press event in Midtown’s Kinokuniya Books. Hosted by store manager John Fuller, the conference (conducted entirely in Japanese) kicked off with an a cappella performance of “Amazing Grace” from American vocal trio The Wild Women, who also opened Wada’s concert.
The superstar then emerged from the back to thunderous applause, fielding questions from Fuller and the Japanese media. She gushed about New York, which she’s visited eight times, and explained that she hand-picked the Apollo over venues like Carnegie Hall because of the “sacred place”‘s ties to the R&B acts that inspired her growing up.
Other questions focused on her rehearsal of English-language songs Read More
Seeking JET alumni authors
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Are you a JET alum? Have you ever written a book? Do you know of any JET alumni who have authored a book?
JetWit is trying to track down any and all JET alumni authors, well-known and obscure. If you’ve ever written a book or know of another JET alum who has, please e-mail any info to stevenwaseda /atto/ jetwit /dotto/ com.
Below is a list of JET alumni authors JetWit knows about. (To see the books they’ve written, go to jetwit.com/wordpress/library/authorsbooks/.)
- Auslin, Michael
- Beaton, Hamish (Osaka, 1996-99)
- Feiler, Bruce (Tottori-ken, 1989-90)
- Ferguson, Will (Nagasaki-ken, 1991-94)
- Kelts, Roland (Osaka, 1998-99)
- Kennedy, James (Nara-ken, 2004-06)
- Klar, Nicholas (Prefecture, Years)
- Kootnikoff, David (Prefecture, Years)
- Levitas, Ethan (Prefecture, Years)
- McConnell, David L. (Prefecture, Years)
- Tessler, Manya (Prefecture, Years)
By Kirsten Phillips (Niigata-ken, 2007-08) (from the Fall 2008 JETAA NY Quarterly Newsletter)
I had frequented many an urban Japanese supermarket in my college days, but a megastore like Mitsuwa always meant something special. Mostly because it required bus fare, a map, and a ranger with a sword to reach the distant shores of Edgewater, New Jersey. Crossing state lines just for konnyaku? A mad quest, indeed.
But if you want something bad enough, you’ll go the distance.
I can definitely say that it’s really not as complicated to reach Mitsuwa in New Jersey as some New Yorkers may think. There is a regular and convenient bus service that leaves from Port Authority directly to and from Mitsuwa. But, why bother hitting up Mitsuwa if you can get Japanese goods at Sunrise or Katagiri? Well, just for the sheer variety and size. Going to Mitsuwa is definitely a fun and less-cramped experience than going to the more local NY spots.
Besides, Mitsuwa offers a lot more than just quality yam starch jelly. It is the experience that makes me cough up the change and head on over. As well as an impressively-stocked supermarket, Mitsuwa also offers an authentic shokudo/kissaten cafe experience serving quickly made and reasonably priced Japanese dishes. Everything from tonkatsu to Japanese-style pasta is served in the often-crowded food court. There is also a delicious bakery for those who long for freshly baked an pan and miss eating toast as big and fluffy as a pillow. There’s even a small stall devoted to sweet festival treats such as tai-yaki and oban-yaki. Read More
JetWit Society Page – by Yoku Shitteiru – 11/21/08
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JetWit Society Page is written by Yoku Shitteiru who knows well.
Hello my loyal readers and welcome to the new on-line version of the Society Page column about JET alumni!
But enough about you, let’s talk about last night’s JETAA New York Happy Hour at Revival (15th St & Irving Place). For some reason, over 30 JET alums came out and took over the second floor of the place despite cho-beri-samui evening weather, perhaps incentivized by the happy hour deals, extended to 8pm thanks to JETAA Social Coordinator Monica Yuki’s Manhattan-style negotiating savvy.
WKRP in New York? Many in attendance were bikkuri-shita‘d by the sudden yet now-predictable annual surprise appearance of John Sandoval (Mie-ken, 1992-95), who was in from Cincinnati on Procter & Gamble business. Apparently there aren’t enough karaoke nights in Marge Schott’s furusato (though if JET alum Cincy native Jimmy Jackson has his way, there may be some of those coming soon)….Meanwhile, Queens-ken was in the house last night courtesy of super-teacher Cindy Hoffman, with Brooklyn-ken represented by translator Jamie Graves and NHK Associate Producer Marea Pariser as well as by Wynne Wu and Steven Too. Even New Jersey-ken sent party delegates including JTB employee Chau Lam and Seton Hall grad student Glen Milan….Thanks to Nandita, now a Manhattan-jin since she took over brother Neel’s 
apartment after he skipped town for Nashville to finish his M.D.), “disco nap” became the English vocab lesson for the night…And Marea had the story of the night, explaining how she needed to find a family in the NY area that would let the NHK morning show crew film its Thanksgiving dinner live from the family’s home. Turns out they found a farming family outside the city that sells to the Green Markets and was thrilled to host NHK. Why? Because their daughter was a JET, married a Japanese guy, and now lives in Nagano. All of which means that now she’ll be able to see her family on Thanksgiving live from Japan! (Sugoi yo!)….JETs Are Everywhere Moment: When a random lad from the rowdy, neighboring non-JET crowd rushing out the door paused to read Steven’s shirt (JETAA NY – 日本語分るよ!) and blurted, “Man, I do understand Japanese! I’m a JET!” and continued on his misguided way….As the JET crowd eventually dissipated and the second floor was taken over by cult of people brainwashed to believe that singing along with “Piano Man” is never a bad decision, Monica led a small crew of JET alum detritus to Stand (12th St & University) for pricey but tasty burgers, shakes and potato sticks, not to mention an educational “tramp stamp” citing.
That’s all for this edition. See you in the JetWit future.
Tokoro de, Yoku Shitteiru welcomes the sharing of any JET-related info from any JET-related events as well as news of engagements, weddings, births, new jobs and other fun and JET-worthy items. Just send an e-mail to yokushitteiru/atto/jetwit /dotto/com.
Cincinnati JETAA?
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Jimmy Jackson is trying to get Cincinatti/Northern Kentucky JET alums together. If you’re interested or know anyone in Cincinnati who might be, even if they’re not a JET alum, get in touch with Jimmy at jimmyj1640 /atto/ yahoo /dotto/ com.
I think Randall Crowder may officially be the chapter rep for the Great Lakes Region and is in Cincinnati, but I don’t have contact info for him. Also, former JETAA NYer John Sandoval (Mie-ken, 1992-95) is in Cincinnati now working for Procter & Gamble.
Great Lakes had been defunct for a while until Scott Norman in Detroit and Randall in Cincinnati have made efforts to bring it back in the last few years. So if you guys and other people can all link up and get some momentum, that would be JET-tastic! (Note: Not a real word.)
