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: Japan Studies Program Assistant
Posted by: University of Pittsburgh
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Here’s a job passed along to us directly from the University of Pittsburgh:

The University of Pittsburgh is looking for an entry-level Program Assistant for their Japan Studies Department.

The Program Assistant will be primarily responsible for providing administrative and programmatic support for developing community engagement programming in the field of Japan Studies. The Program Assistant will promote Japan Studies across a broad range of disciplines and languages, in engagement activities coordinated with the Asian Studies Center, other units of the University, K-16 teachers and students, local internationally engaged organizations, other major universities, community colleges and Title III/Title V- eligible institutions. The Program Assistant will work with faculty, staff, students, K-16 educators, pre-service and in-service teachers to develop outreach materials about Japan Studies. 

Application Process: Click here for more information and to apply.

This week on the Krewe of Japan Podcast…

The whole krewe is on hand for a special Japanese language study episode! Nigel, Maddy, Jennifer & Doug are all in on a discussion on Japanese language study, goal-setting and fluency. They are joined by MattVsJapan, a popular language study YouTuber who developed his own language learning methodology called Refold. Together, Matt and the Krewe discuss the concept of “fluency”, experiences in language learning, and overcoming obstacles that can typically impede progress.

The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!

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: Administrative Aide I – East Asian Studies
Posted by: New York University
Location: New York City, NY, USA
Contract: Full-Time

Here’s a job passed along to us by a JET alumna who wishes to remain anonymous:

Arts and Science is seeking an organized Administrative Aide I to join the Department of East Asian Studies. This individual will perform a broad range of clerical, secretarial, and general office duties including those of a confidential nature. Respond to inquiries displaying a comprehensive knowledge of the undergraduate/graduate departmental offerings and policies. Assist with the prioritization of office activities and delegate to and monitor work of student and/or casual employees. Compose letters and correspondence. Perform general word processing, spreadsheet and data entry duties utilizing intermediate-level functions. Monitor moderately complex budgets and/or grants.

Application Process: For more information and to apply, please click here.

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: Various Language and Management Lecturers
Posted by: Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Location: Beppu, Japan
Contract: Full-Time

Here are various jobs at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University passed along to us directly from the institution:

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University is currently looking to hire language lecturers and management lecturers. Languages include English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Thai, and Malay-Indonesian. More information can be found on the recruitment website. Application deadlines are in mid-May – Please check the individual application guidelines for details.

Application Process: For more details and to apply, please click here.

Here’s a virtual volunteer opportunity passed along to us:

The Japan American Society of Washington DC (JASWDC) is recruiting volunteers for the National Japan Bowl competition. The National Japan Bowl is an annual quiz bowl style competition where high school students across the country demonstrate their knowledge of Japanese language and culture. This year’s competition will be held remotely on Thursday and Friday, April 8 and 9, 2021 on Hopin, an online meeting and event platform. We are looking for volunteers to monitor teams as they compete in the preliminary rounds.

Time Slots for volunteering would be as follows:

Thursday, April 8
12:30-2:10 pm EDT Level 2 Preliminary Round
2:20-4:00 pm EDT Level 3 Preliminary Round
4:10-5:50 pm EDT Level 4 Preliminary Round

Friday, April 9
12:15-2:15 pm EDT Level 2 Preliminary Round
1:55-3:55 pm EDT Level 3 Preliminary Round
3:30-5:30 pm EDT Level 4 Preliminary Round

We are recruiting volunteers who are comfortable with sharing their screen on a video call and can volunteer on either of the days of the competition. Volunteers do not need Japanese language skills. However, knowing some Japanese language and culture would make the volunteer experience more enjoyable. By volunteering with us, volunteers are able to interact with students studying Japanese language and culture, learn more about Japan, and participate in cultural events at the competition. Volunteers will also be gifted with the JapanBowl goodie bag, which includes the official Japan Bowl t-shirt and other items!

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the Japan Bowl volunteer, John Mabilangan, at japanbowl@jaswdc.org to arrange a volunteer training session. The training session should take 30 minutes.

Join us for the fourth IUC Alumni Talks of the series, with Chris Hainge (‘08) and Paul Speed (‘11) of the Kyoto Brewing Company.

Chris and Paul met through the JET Program, where they were both placed in Aomori. They both have experience working in the private sector, Chris worked at Ritsumeikan and Paul had worked in both recruiting and finance. Unexpectedly, they decided to begin brewing beer and started the Kyoto Brewing Company (https://kyotobrewing.com/en).

Join us for an hour-long chat, complete with audience Q&A and an additional 45 minutes of online networking.

Register for the event here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwocuqqrD4jH9zQEalaRCTeYMSKt7miXLI9

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

Dear Friends,

Do you know the roots of Tohoku and Japan?

Let me introduce an essay from Japan-Insights archives.

The twelfth one is on Northern Jomon Culture seen from the world by Mr. Takada Kazunori.

https://doc.japan-insights.jp/pdf/JIN_TOPIC_20200330094820.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

This week on the Krewe of Japan Podcast…

Nigel, Doug & special JSNO guest host (and professor of English at Tulane University) Matthew Smith explore the life & legacy of esteemed journalist/author/folklorist Lafcadio Hearn, also known as Koizumi Yakumo. Hearn’s interest in the occult took him all over the world, including the cities of New Orleans & Matsue. In fact, his books on Japanese culture, folklore & ghost stories played a pivotal role in introducing Japan to the Western world during the late 19th century. Joined by Hearn’s great-grandson Bon Koizumi & his wife Shoko, the Krewe takes an in-depth look into all things Lafcadio Hearn and his impact on the world then and now.

The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!

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.

What a difference a month makes! Here in NY the vaccine effort is in full swing for adults over 30, and many of us are keeping our fingers crossed in the hopes of snagging one. The rollout in Japan will take a bit longer, and currently Osaka and other areas seeing surges in cases. As a result, stronger restrictions (i.e. limited restaurant operating hours) have once again been implemented, much to the chagrin of proprietors. But the sakura are in full bloom in Tokyo, so hanami at least provides a nice distraction 🌸

Recently the NYT had two interesting Japan focused stories I’d like to share. One profiles the artist Kyohei Sakaguchi from Kumamoto (my JET home!). It does a deep dive into his architecture-related works, his living with bipolar, and his support of others with mental health struggles. His 2020 book Call Me When You’re in Pain details his experiences with suicidal thoughts, answering calls from strangers in crisis, and his strategies for coping. I find his activities remarkable considering the stigma of mental health issues in Japan, a stigma likely to be particularly strong in conservative Kumamoto.

The other article discusses why QAnon never gained traction in Japan, a hypothesis also evaluated in an AV Club article yesterday. One reason for Japan’s resistance is the idea that it is already well versed in conspiracy theories and therefore not as susceptible to new ones. Another factor is the conflict-averse nature of Japanese society, as well as the reluctance to talk about politics. However, one commenter in the latter article disagrees with this assessment, referencing the term “JAnon” which was used to refer to QAnon supporters in Japan. For more about this phenomenon, check out this Bloomberg podcast. Happy reading/listening!

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: External Advisor for Government Relations and Regional Affairs, Asia (with a focus on India and Japan)
Posted by: Global Citizen
Location: Paris, France
Contract: Full-Time, Temporary

Here’s a job passed along to us from a JET alumna who wishes to remain anonymous:

Since its inception, Global Citizen has leveraged the power of artists, governments, corporations, philanthropists, and civil society to achieve one common goal: ending extreme poverty. In the last decade, Global Citizen has mobilized $48.4B USD towards this goal. Of this, over $22.6B USD has already been disbursed, impacting the lives of more than 880M people.

In 2021, Global Citizen will be undertaking a coordinated advocacy campaign around the Recovery Plan for World launched in late February. The campaign will seek to mobilize new resources to address the most urgent needs brought about by COVID-19 and to help the world recover better together.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

The External Advisor for Government Relations’ responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Read More

This week on the Krewe of Japan Podcast…

Just in time for the final weekend of the Spring Tournament/Haru Basho in Osaka, Doug & Nigel talk all things Sumo with Andrew Freund, director of USA Sumo and 2012 Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame inductee. Andrew shares his story of how he went from corporate English teacher in Japan to coordinating & facilitating high profile sumo events including the annual US Sumo Open & sumo appearances on ESPN SportsCenter & John Wick 2. He also shares in-depth insight into the sport that he’s learned and gained great appreciation for through his countless (if not daily) interactions with professional sumo legends.

The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!

By Jack McDonough, 2021 prospective JET

In my last article, I wrote about Kaguya-sama: Love is War: a romantic comedy that is both funny and romantic. Today, I want to tell you about My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, which is not very funny and barely has any romance at all but provides its audience with outstanding drama and impactful character development. 

The anime is based on the light novel series Yahari Ore no Seishun Rabukome wa Machigatteiru by Wataru Watari, meaning My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, As I Expected, and is abbreviated to Oregairu. The story, which first aired in 2013 and finished last year, follows three characters: the pragmatic, loner Hachiman Hikigaya, the beautiful, erudite Yukino Yukinoshita, and the pretty, energetic Yui Yuigahama as they lead Soubu High’s Service Club. The audience experiences the story through Hachiman’s cynical point of view, and much of the story is delivered in internal monologues that show off his pessimistic nature. Hachiman is forced to join the service club by his teacher, who fears Hachiman’s way of thinking will never change and that Hachiman will be doomed to a life of reclusion. Yukino begrudgingly accepts Hachiman into the club and their story together begins. 

 Throughout the series, Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui solve problems that their classmates bring to the Service Club, usually normal high school social situations like helping someone ask out their crush or planning a school dance. With each problem, Hachiman and Yukino offer separate solutions: Hachiman offers expedient solutions that would solve everyone’s problems at the expense of himself, while Yukino offers solutions that would push her to exhaustion, but allow for everyone to be happy with the outcome. In one instance, a classmate by the name of Tobe asks the club to help him confess his love to his crush. When Hachiman finds out that the object of Tobe’s affection does not like Tobe back, Hachiman lies and confesses to the girl to save Tobe from embarrassment. While Hachiman believes that since no one likes him, embarrassing himself to save Tobe means that no one has to get hurt; in reality, Yukino and Yui are crushed when they see Hachiman sacrifice himself and tell him to stop embarrassing himself. The two girls grow to care about Hachiman and can’t bear to see his sacrificial acts any longer. 

The show relies on Hachiman’s monologues and dialogues with other characters. Most scenes are of mundane, everyday things, yet feel incredibly tense due to the subtext of the words of each character; Oregairu is drama at its best. While season one’s animation is just ok, seasons two and three are beautiful and when combined with the great musical score and phenomenal voice acting, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better drama anime. 

While watching this show, I felt uncomfortably similar to Hachiman, at least when thinking about my high school self. Hachiman changes from an isolated pessimist to someone who wants to find, what he calls, “the real thing” with his friends Yukino and Yui.  Hachiman initially believes that he needs to bottle up his emotions and never be vulnerable in front of anyone. He later realizes that it’s better to care and it’s better to have something that could lead to heartbreak than to go through life alone; it’s ok to ask for help and it’s ok to say what you really feel. When you step back and think about all of the tension in Oregairu, you realize that the root cause of grief is denial; the characters deny their feelings and allow their agony and heartbreak to fester rather than accept reality and allow themselves to feel and grieve. So my recommendation is to get some tissues, get some ice cream, and allow yourself to get attached to Oregairu. Afterward, ask yourself: “do I have the real thing?”

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

Dear Friends,

Have you thought about the recovery of Tohoku?

Let me introduce an essay from Japan-Insights archives.

The eleventh one is on Beyond2020_nx by Dr. Shun Kanda.

https://topics.japan-insights.jp/Public/pdf/japan-insights_jp/topics/JIN_Beyond2020.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

This week on the Krewe of Japan Podcast…

In the first of many episodes focusing on English teaching in Japan, Doug & Jenn take a look at various types of teaching opportunities, both JET and non-JET avenues. This conversation transitions into an interview with two English professionals based out of Fukushima Prefecture: John Loynes (British former-JET-turned-eikaiwa-entrepreneur) & Bradley Trenery (Australian private school English instructor). John & Bradley share their unique journeys to Japan and offer some interesting insights into working in their respective educational environments, along with some hilarious tales that will permanently etch the Japanese word for “population” in your memory bank.

The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!

Anime Takes the Stage: 2.5D Musicals + Beyond

Tuesday, March 30th, 8 PM EDT

About this Event 

What is a 2.5-Dimensional (2.5D) musical?  

It is a stage adaptation from two-dimensional media such as anime, manga and video games. This new genre of Japanese pop culture has gained remarkable popularity in Japan since the debut of Musical: The Prince of Tennis in 2003.  

2.5D culture attempts to recreate the fictional world (2D) in the real world (3D) and is expanding and deepening in Japan. It has manifested itself in different forms such as cosplay, voice actors’ concerts and V-tubers. As a part of the phenomenon, 2.5D musicals have brought anime, manga and video games to the stage and created a whole new cultural practice of theatrical performances.  

Come join the panel discussion with Akiko Sugawa-Shimada, Zihui Amethy Lu, and Mayuko Fujiwara as they introduce the uniqueness of 2.5D musicals using examples such as The Prince of Tennis, Sailor Moon, Narutoand Touken Ranbu.They will be comparing it with other conventional musicals, history of Japanese theatre, as well as discussing where 2.5D musicals fit in the larger scheme of the 2.5D culture and why they are expanding. 

The discussion will be followed by a live Q&A. If you have any questions about the adaptation of anime and manga to the stage, now’s your chance to ask the experts! Please ask your question when you register for the event via Eventbrite. Live commentary will also be enabled on the YouTube stream, so you can participate in the Q&A session on air as well. 

This is a FREE event. Registrants will receive the link to the stream via email. 

[Eventbrite Registration page]  

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ep6anime-takes-the-stage-the-rise-of-25-dimensional-musicals-and-beyond-tickets-143770715079

[Twitter] 

Let's explore 2.5D musicals, a stage adaptation of anime & manga, from academic perspective!

Experts will discuss the uniqueness and the fandom, using examples such as #ThePrinceOfTennis, #SailorMoon, #NARUTO and more!

🎭✨FREE signup here💫🎭https://t.co/klvg3oz8gA

— The Japan Foundation, New York (@JF_NewYork) March 8, 2021