Daily Yomiuri Column by Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99)
Article/Journalism, Blogs, Celebrity, Japan Trends, Roland Kelts, Writers 
Comments Off on Daily Yomiuri Column by Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99)
There’s a new Daily Yomiuri column out today by Japanamerica author Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99). In his periodic column (“Soft Power/Hard Truths”), he comments on American perceptions of Japan and of foreigners, touching on his recent on-stage interview with Haruki Murakami in San Francisco as well as the recent matchup of the Rays’ Akinori Iwamura against the Red Sox Hideki Okajima.
Job opening for School Program Coordinator/ Office Manager in DC at the Japanese Embassy\’s Japan Information and Culture Center, posted to the JETAA DC grouplist by Melissa Chasse (Gifu-ken, 2003-07), the Press Relations Officer at the Japan Information and Culture Center(JICC) , Embassy of Japan. Read More
Japan’s Newspapers
Article/Journalism, Career, Japan Trends, Uncategorized Comments Off on Japan’s Newspapers
Interesting article from the Washington Post by Blaine Harden (with contributions from Akiko Yamato) on the newspaper business in Japan, for anyone interested or working in journalism in Japan. The gist of it is that while the newspaper business has been undermined by the internet, it’s been supported by the large number of older folks who all prefer newspapers to the internet and therefore there aren’t that many young readers to lose.
Electric Chair Bear
Blogs, Cartoon/Illustration, Graduate School, Humor, Writers Comments Off on Electric Chair Bear
Click here to see a recent blog post from Lee-Sean Huang (Oita-ken, 2004-06) on the Electric Chair Bear project he’s working on with his classmates. Lee-Sean, who is the JETAA NY webmaster as well as the JetWit.com webmaster, is currently doing grad work in alternative media at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) which requires a great deal of blogging on topics that are simultaneously fascinating and completely esoteric.
This is a little off-topic, but I suppose I can justify it on the basis that celebrities doing commercials in Japan are cultural ambassadors just like JETs.
I had no idea that Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Ben Stiller and some of the others had ever done commercials in Japan. Click here to see the Top 21 from The Popcorn Trick. Thanks to Alexei Esikoff (Fukushima-ken, 2001-02) for making me aware of the existence of this vital site.
Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) snapped this photo of Iron Chef Morimoto holding the Summer 2008 “Sports” Issue of the JETAA NY Newsletter a few weeks ago at a signing event at the Anime Festival at the Javits Center in NYC. Major props to Justin for the foresight and planning to get this shot.
Interview with Roland Kelts in Consulate e-Newsletter
Interview/Profile, Roland Kelts, Writers Comments Off on Interview with Roland Kelts in Consulate e-Newsletter
I get the Consulate of Japan’s (NY) monthly e-newsletter, and in the October issue I noticed they have a nice interview with Roland Kelts (Osaka, 1998-99) about Japanese pop culture and his book Japanamerica.
Published by the Consulate General of Japan in New York / Japan Information Center
Japanese Pop Culture
Japanese pop culture, such as manga (comic books) and anime (animation), is attracting more and more people outside of Japan. In the following interview, Mr. Roland Kelts, half-Japanese American writer and lecturer, tells us about his observation on this phenomenon as well as his teaching experience in Japan.
JIC (Japan Information Center) : Your position as a resident of Tokyo and New York is unique. What do you see happening now from your vantage?
Mr. Kelts : I think both countries are undergoing severe transitions. America is losing its central place in the world’s imagination. And Japan is finding its current position, as America’s ‘little brother,’ to borrow Takashi Murakami’s term, untenable. A lot of people are looking to Japan for guidance, and Asia is rising fast. Japan needs to understand and accept its own unique strengths.
JIC : But you also teach Japanese students about their own culture-as a half-Japanese American. What do they tell you?
Mr. Kelts : In Japan, a lot of my students are stunned to learn that foreigners care about their cultural products. They (my students), know they’re cool-but they don’t care that much, because they are sincerely worried about their futures. They think that Japan is over, finished, and they are amazed to find that young Americans think they are the hottest culture in the world. Read More
Welcome to JetWit.com (beta version)
Uncategorized Comments Off on Welcome to JetWit.com (beta version)
Welcome to JetWit.com. 
There may still be some tweaks and changes to come, especially if anyone has any comments or suggestions. But have a look around and see what you think.
Steven Horowitz
stevenwaseda /at/ jetwit /dot/ com
Essay Request: Alone in the Kitchen with a Rice Cooker
Article/Journalism, Writers Comments Off on Essay Request: Alone in the Kitchen with a Rice Cooker
I’m looking for people interested in writing essays on the theme: Alone in the Kitchen with a Rice Cooker
The idea is to write an essay (any length or “shortness” is ok) about cooking for yourself (or could be eating by yourself) when you lived in Japan. The focus, however, is intended to be on the theme of being alone in Japan viewed through the prism of cooking/eating. It’s just about whatever you liked to do (or found yourself doing) cooking-wise when you were alone and how that ties into the rest of your experience in Japan. Feel free to focus exclusively on the food, or feel free to use the food as a jumping-off point for other things. If you want to include a recipe for whatever food you describe, that would be a nice touch as well.
The idea is derived from book of published essays entitled Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant (a good read in itself). I think the essays on this topic will offer some very interesting and readable perspectives on the JET Program, on Japan, on cooking and on the theme of being alone.
Deadline is open. Just send an email to express your intent to write an essay.
Contact: Steven Horowitz at stevenwaseda ,at, jetwit , com
Job: Associate Director for Program Development
Career, Jobs, Uncategorized Comments Off on Job: Associate Director for Program Development
Interested applicants should apply on-line at: www.columbia.edu/cu/jobs
More information about the position below. Read More
Job: Administrative Director, Center on Japanese Economy and Business
Career, Jobs, Uncategorized Comments Off on Job: Administrative Director, Center on Japanese Economy and Business
Interested applicants should apply on-line at: www.columbia.edu/cu/jobs
More information about the position below. Read More
JETAA Book Club
Uncategorized Comments Off on JETAA Book Club
This is for JETAA New York, but it doesn’t mean you can’t read the book and share comments over email just because you’re not in NY.
JETAANY BOOK CLUB Join fellow literary-minded JETs in kicking off a book club of our own! Whether you’re a literature otaku or just like to have something to read on the subway, we want to hear from you. We already have ideas for interesting angles on discussing Japanese literature and books on Japan, and we welcome your ideas, too!
Please e-mail Jessica Langbein at jessicalangbein [at] yahoo [dot] com and include the following information:
1) Your name
2) Your reading tastes (genres and authors you like, your favorite books, etc.)
3) How often you’d be willing to meet and your availability
4) Any other ideas or suggestions that you have for the book club
We would like to hold our first meeting in the fall. Stay tuned for more information.
Japanese Economy
Cartoon/Illustration, Humor Comments Off on Japanese Economy
Given the current state of things, I thought it would be appropriate to pull out a 2003 strip from Earth Bennett’s (Aomori, 2000-03) cartoon strip Every Situation is Different.
JETAA DC Career Forum – Tuesday, Oct 21
Career, JETAA Chapters, Jobs Comments Off on JETAA DC Career Forum – Tuesday, Oct 21
2008 JETAA Career Night & Welcome Back Reception
JETAA DC is hosting its Career Night and Welcome Back Reception on Tuesday, October 21. Click “Read More” for details. Read More
Do like to write songs? Do you know some Japanese? Here’s your chance to come up with a Japanese country song, i.e., a U.S.-style country song in Japanese (or at least half in Japanese). Send in your lyrics to me at stevenwaseda [at] jetwit.com. We’ll worry about the tune later (unless you also come up with a tune and a recording and want to share that too.) If it’s even half decent, I’ll publish it here, at which time other readers can offer an appropriate tune, new lyrics or try to record a version of the song. This will be an ongoing contest with no deadline. Multiple submissions welcome!
This idea, btw, was inspired by a Chinese country music video sent to me by my wife (a high school Chinese teacher). It is not only hilarious, but also has amazing choreography, costumes and… I can’t even begin to explain it. Just watch.
