Pacific Bridge Spring 2010

Pacific Bridge
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
EDITOR
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From the Editor
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As you might have been able to surmise from the cover photo of this
issue, taken at the new New People J-Pop center in San Francisco’s
Japantown, the theme of our Spring issue is “J-Pop!” Whether
it’s visiting New People, working as a production assistant for an
American TV show about popular Japanese game shows, or experiencing Japan’s original pop performance art, Kabuki, the alumni featured
in this issue are enjoying Japanese popular culture—old and new—in
a variety of ways.
Tying everything together is our beautiful, brand new “Pop” newsletter
format, designed by talented designer and alumnus Rich Fernandez,
(Ishikawa, 1997-99), who also designed the stunning new JETAANC
website (www.jetaanc.org, see full article on page 19), as well as our
group’s snazzy new logo. Check out some of Rich’s other work at
www.voltgrafica.com.
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Mark Frey
Kumamoto 2002-06
Editor, Pacific Bridge
communications@jetaanc.org
I’d like to thank all of the people who contributed their time and talent
to another great issue! A special “thank you” to my wife and daughter,
who patiently put up with me during the long hours of editing and
formatting each issue. Osewa ni narimashita. As always, please send
your comments, thoughts, and suggestions to me at communications@
jetaanc.org.
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
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Message from the President
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During the past two years, writing the “Message from the President”
has been one of my favorite things about being JETAANC President.
In talking about past and upcoming events, I realize the full extent of
how active we are as a group.
As of the 2010 Shinnenkai, I will be stepping down as President to
pursue other interests. I have enjoyed my two-year tenure and feel
that two years was just long enough for me. As an organization, I
would like to think that we have grown a lot and have laid the foundation necessary to take some big strides in the future.
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Rod McLeod
Shimane 2005-07
President
president@jetaanc.org
Last year was a big year for JETAANC. The Executive Committee was
able to grow from six to nine members, which allowed us to expand
and explore new events and partnerships. Highlights included tasting
our first Shobu Cup victory over Japan Society, the reintroduction of
the book club, and old favorites such as picnics in Golden Gate Park,
Alumni Lead Orientation (ALO), and Career Networking Forum
(CNF). All in all, we had almost 50 events this past year, which is
probably the most out of any JETAA chapter in the world.
We also completed our website redesign (www.jetaanc.org), which
will be functioning as the hub of all things JETAANC. The Executive
Committee put a lot of time and effort into pushing JETAANC in the
right direction, and I would like to thank them for constantly stepping
up to make things happen. I would like to mention that our fearless
webmaster, Heidi Smith (Fukui, 1997-99) will also be stepping
down. With her tireless work, we were able to implement the website
redesign.
The one thing that I wish I would have done was increase membership
participation. I encourage all of you to contribute to JETAANC in the
upcoming year in some way, whether that be planning a new event or
attending a nomikai. I look forward to hearing where our new leadership takes us in the future.
While I was planning to move to Florida to retire and work on my tan,
I was recently elected JETAA USA Country Representative. I am still
working out what duties I will be performing over the next year, but
I will be JETAANC’s direct Country Rep. In addition to emphasizing
collaboration among chapters, I will help facilitate the JETAA USA
National Conference in New York in August, and will be one of three
Country Reps that JETAA USA sends to the JETAA International
Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland in October. So, yoroshiku for
another year!
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
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Message from the Consulate
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On behalf of everyone here at the Consulate General of Japan in San
Francisco, we would like to wish you all a Happy Spring!
Last Fall we had a very successful recruiting season in which we
participated in 30 different recruiting events, including career fairs,
study/work abroad fairs, and information meetings. This year there
was a lot of interest in the JET Program, with over 5,300 applicants
in the United States alone. We would like to thank all of you out there
for helping us recruit simply by talking about your experiences on the
JET Program. The Number One place applicants first hear about JET
is from a former participant.
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Peter Weber
Saitama 2004-07
JET Program Coordinator
jet@cgjsf.org
We also would like to say a special “thank you” to the following
individuals who took time out of their busy schedules to help us man
tables and promote JET at universities and info sessions: Paolo
Daniele, Eric Fong, Beth Hillman, Megan Jones, Anna Kaye,
Casey Lary, George Manasewitsch, Rod McLeod, Tom Miskey,
Yvette Powell, Ethan Savage, Douglas Shelton, Michael
Snyder, Leslie Tokiwa, and Jennifer Wood.
We also would like to recognize and thank all of the alumni who
helped with the Career and Networking Forum held at San
Francisco’s Kabuki Hotel: Kirk Akahoshi, John Branderhorst,
Melissa Chan, John Dzida, Karen Fan, Lauren Nakasato,
Rod McLeod, Timothy Morey, Karyn Okazaki, Neil Pallaver,
Douglas Shelton, Heidi Smith, Arisa Takahashi, and Libby
Wolfensperger. We had a great turnout and many of those who
attended left with valuable knowledge for their futures.
Most recently, we completed the 2010 JET Program Interviews! I’m
sure many of you can remember your own interview.
We appreciate your continued support and involvement with the
JET Program!
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
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Popping into San Francisco’s New People J-Pop Center
Out with the old and in with the new…New People that
is! Located in the heart of San Francisco’s Japantown
neighborhood, New People is the nation’s first J-Pop
retail and entertainment complex.
“This is the first venue of its kind outside Japan,” says
Elizabeth Crawford, Marketing Coordinator for New
People. She added that since its grand opening in August
last year, “the place has become a destination in itself.”
The three-floor glass building on Post Street houses an
art gallery, a high-tech cinema, specialty stores and
a cafe.
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Tokyo are pumped through a speaker system. There are
numerous original wall paintings and anime-inspired art
throughout the building.
Art and creativity are the driving forces behind New
People, Crawford said. Thus the Superfrog Gallery
and VIZ Cinema are main focal points and popular
attractions. The 2,000-square-foot Superfrog Gallery
showcases a variety of Japanese and non-Japanese
artists—many of whom are rising stars in Japan and
elsewhere. Past and current artists featured include:
Junko Mizuno, Kazmo, Kim Songhe, Mikito Ozeki,
Yoshitaka Amano and Sidney Pink.
Cinema fans can enjoy Japanese, foreign and independent films in the 143-seat, HD digital, THX-certified
theater. Most films are subtitled in English, and a variety of classics, documentaries, anime and non-Japanese
films are shown in full digital glory. Previous screenings
have included: Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara, Yayoi
Kusama: I Love ME, and Mobile Suit Gundam UC.
Launched by Seiji Horibuchi, CEO of VIZ Pictures and
founder of VIZ Media, New People aims to “foster the
appreciation, preservation and exposure of Japanese
popular culture and to connect the public with its
creators.” In other words, it’s a J-Pop culture goldmine,
especially for JET alumni seeking to reconnect with
Japanese popular culture.
Artistic concepts permeate the building, from the
exterior glass facade to the toilets (which are made by
Toto, and feature heated seats). A wall in the cafe, for
instance, features quirky, offbeat sayings, such as “Leap
before you look” and “Flirt often.” In the stairwell, live
atmospheric sounds from various locations throughout
New People also features unique fashion and design
items in its shops. On the second floor is a famous Lolitastyle clothing shop from Tokyo called Baby, The Stars
Shine Bright. Across the way is another store named
Black Peace Now, which sells Japanese gothic and punk
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
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styles. And next to that is Sou-Sou, which offers a twist
on traditional jikatabi split-toe shoes: tabi-sneakers with
one-of-a-kind designs. (If you buy a pair, the staff will
take a picture of you in your new shoes and post it on the
store’s blog, if you’d like.)
For alumni who wish to re-experience the joy of visiting
a Japanese toy or anime shop, check out New People,
The Store. In addition to Japanese toys and action
figures, the store sells a wide variety of J-Pop music and
anime items. Tokyo Creators Garden, meanwhile, sells
jewelry, T-shirts and pop art items designed by artists
featured in the Superfrog Gallery. Because the gallery’s
exhibition rotates every so often, the merchandise is
always new and unique.
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Thanks to its thriving arts scene, New People’s presence
in Japantown is growing rapidly. For example, New
People and VIZ Pictures had a booth at the 2009 Asian
Heritage Street Celebration. In August 2009, VIZ
Pictures, the Center for Asian American Media and the
Japantown Merchants Association co-sponsored a free
outdoor evening screening of Kamikaze Girls at the
Japantown Peace Plaza. Then, in December 2009, VIZ
Cinema teamed up with Kimochi-kai and the Japanese
Cultural and Community Center of Northern California
to host a “Seniors Appreciation Day.” During this year’s
Japantown Cherry Blossom Festival, New People and
Bazaar Bizarre San Francisco will be co-hosting an “art
village” at New People.
San Francisco’s vibrant and sizable Japanese community
is one of the main reasons why New People decided to
open its first complex here. For the community (and
especially J-Pop fans), New People offers a fresh face in
Japantown. As Crawford remarked, “We’re excited to
offer something unique, something that showcases the
creativity coming out of Japan and elsewhere.” Check out
upcoming movies and events at the New People website:
www.newpeopleworld.com.
Michael Snyder
Sapporo, 2007-2009
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
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Win Tickets to K-20 Movie at New People’s VIZ Cinema!
Japnese film buffs, rejoice! Thanks to JETAANC and the
good folks at VIZ Pictures, two lucky alumni will be able
to get free tickets to the special screening of K-20: The
Fiend with Twenty Faces on April 20 at New People’s
new VIZ Cinema! Enter here by Sunday, April 18, for
a chance to win tickets: www.viz-pictures.com/promo/
K20_vc.html Winners will be announced April 19
by email.
www.vizcinema.com
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One Nig
t Only!
4/20 Tue
7:00pm
Whether you win or not, check out the screening, which
celebrates the DVD release of the movie:
K-20 : The Fiend with Twenty Faces
(2009, 137 min, Digital, Japanese with English subtitles)
Directed by Shimako Sato
VIZ Cinema (Level B inside New People)
1746 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
April 20th at 7:00pm
Based on the Bestselling Novel
by Soh Kitamura “The Story of Nijyumenso”
Starring Takeshi Kaneshiro
Takako Matsu Toru Nakamura
A Shimako Sato Film
Ticket price: $25 includes movie ticket, DVD, poster and
other extras. Regular admission is $10.
© 2008 “K-20” Film Partners
The movie’s trailer and tickets are available here:
www.newpeopleworld.com/films/films-4-2010/#k_20
Special DVD Release Screening Presented by VIZ Pictures!
$25 Ticket includes a pass to the movie, a DVD, a poster & more!
$10 General Admission tickets also available. No discounts apply.
Synopsis: It is 1949 in Japan, in a world where World
War II never happened and the nobility system is still
in place. Heikichi, a circus acrobat, is deceived by “The
Fiend (Kaijin) with Twenty Faces”, a.k.a. K-20, and
is set up to take the fall for the phantom thief. Now,
Heikichi must wage war against K-20. Starring Takeshi
Kaneshiro, Takako Matsu, and Toru Nakamura. Based
on a character from the bestselling mystery novel series
by Ranpo Edogawa.
www.viz-pictures.com
VIZ Cinema @ NEW PEOPLE | SF Japantown | 1746 Post Street | www.vizcinema.com
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
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JETAANC Family Rings in the New Year
Talk about an offer you can’t refuse! Anyone who doesn’t
think they got their money’s worth at the JETAANC
Shinnenkai on January 23 at San Francisco’s classic
Italian restaurant, Ceasar’s, is just plain oobatz.
The evening began with wiseguy Mark Frey’s
(Kumamoto, 2002-06) riotous roasting of JETAANC’s
outgoing don, Rod McLeod (Shimane, 2005-07), whose
right-hand-man could be seen reaching into his jacket
pocket before a firm squeeze on the shoulder from Rod
induced him to stand down.
Consul General Nagamine, out of town on a job, sent
his lovely wife along with his closest associate, Deputy
Consul General Hideyuki Mitsuoka to offer well
wishes. Mrs. Nagamine and Deputy Consul Mitsuoka
were among several honored guests on hand in the
restaurant’s Sinatra Room, including Consul Midori
Yamamitsu, and a conservative estimate of 100 portraits
of Ol’ Blue Eyes himself.
Meanwhile, yours truly shook down everyone in the joint
for their loose cabbage, and our first fundraiser raffle to
benefit a partner non-profit helped bring in a stack of
500 bills for our paisanos at Room to Read (see article
on next page). JET Program Coordinator Peter Weber
(Saitama, 2004-07) made out like gangbusters with the
night’s grand prize—an inside job if there ever
was one.
And what would a dinner with la famiglia be without
someone getting made? John “the Marathon Man”
Branderhorst (Okinawa, 2000-05) was announced as
JETAANC President. John’s past experience as Vice
President and Treasurer gave him invaluable experience
in dealing with the IRS—experience that he is sure to
utilize as he makes us a more powerful and influential
organization in the new decade.
See you next year! Capiche?
Over 40 JET alumni, as well as a few vouched-for (and
thoroughly frisked) associates tucked their napkins
into their shirts and dug into a full-course Italian meal
served merrily by staff from the Old Country.
Douglas Shelton, Outreach Coordinator
Saga, 2000-2003
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“Doumo” to Contributors to Shinnenkai Fundraiser
This year, for the first time, JETAANC’s Shinnenkai
did more than just offer a good time for our members; it
made a difference. Our Shinnenkai raffle, along with a
December happy hour fundraiser at Sports Basement,
helped JETAANC to raise $500 for Room to Read, a
San Francisco-based nonprofit that fosters literacy in
developing countries (www.roomtoread.org).
Thank you to all of the businesses and organizations
that recognized the importance of Room to Read’s
mission and generously donated a prize to our raffle:
ƒƒ Asian Art Museum (www.asianart.org), two passes
for free admission
ƒƒ Eagle Vines Vineyards and Golf Club
(www.eaglevinesgolfclub.com), round of golf for two
ƒƒ Japan Airlines (www.ar.jal.com), travel bag
ƒƒ Japan Society of Northern California
(www.usajapan.org), one-year membership
ƒƒ NEW PEOPLE and VIZ Pictures
(www.newpeopleworld.com), DVD and cinema
gift pack
ƒƒ Pacific Film Archives (www.bampfa.berkeley.edu),
one-year family membership
ƒƒ Sakura (936 Irving Street, San Francisco),
two $10 gift certificates
ƒƒ Sports Basement (www.sportsbasement.com),
$150 gift certificate and an in-store happy hour
ƒƒ Takara Sake (www.takarasake.com),
Nihon-shu gift box
ƒƒ Tokyo Fish Market (www.tokyofishmarket.net),
$25 gift certificate
ƒƒ Pika Pika (www.pikapikasf.com), two $15 gift
certificates
Douglas Shelton, Outreach Coordinator
Saga, 2000-2003
Peter gives a heart-felt tribute to retiring President Rod
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East Bay Alumni Forget the Year’s Ills at Bonnenkai Party
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Kanpai!
Last December almost 30 alumni and friends—including
one impossibly cute baby—gathered at Rikyu Sushi
(www.rikyusushi.com) in Oakland’s upscale Rockridge
neighborhood to eat, drink and forget the past year’s
misfortunes at the East Bay Bonnenkai Party.
Bay Area sushi chef mainstay Tatsuya Koyake and his
lovely wife did not disappoint, closing the restaurant
to the public and creating a special bonnenkai dinner
just for us! The Asahi was flowing as we reminisced
about the past year and feasted on sushi, karaage, oden
and other delectables—“the best sushi I’ve tasted in
America!” one Japanese friend declared.
Soon the hour grew late and we found ourselves standing at (slightly tipsy) attention as Lauren Nakasato
(Okayama, 2006-08) gave a heart-felt kansou reflection
to Koyake-san, his wife, and staff, ending the night—and
the year—with three banzai in true enkai style.
Based on the enthusiasm for this event—Tim Wagner
claimed it was “one of the best JETAANC events
I’ve been to, and I’ve been to many over the past five
years!”—as well as for other East Bay events such as the
shabu-shabu and karaoke nights, we plan to hold more
special events in the East Bay in 2010. Stay tuned!
Mark Frey, Communications Coordinator
Kumamoto, 2002-2006
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
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Kabuki Comes to San Francisco
JET alumni experienced a rare treat
last October when the Consulate
General of Japan, in conjunction
with the Japan Foundation and San
Francisco State University (SFSU),
sponsored a traditional Japanese
Kabuki performance at SFSU’s
McKenna Theater.
A Brief History of Kabuki
Kabuki originated in the early 1600s at the start of
Japan’s Edo period. Initially, it was created as an
adaptation of the nembutsu odori, a dance associated
with the popular Buddhist prayer Namu Admidabutsu.
Originally performed by priestesses, this form of dance
became known as the onna (women’s) kabuki. Onna
kabuki was instantly popular, and it grew to include
often-raucous performances, outlandish dress, and music
with the three-stringed Japanese shamisen. However,
Kabuki’s popularity drew the attention of the Tokugawa
shogunate. Suspicious of this ostentatious new art form,
the Tokugawa Shogunate banned women from appearing in Kabuki plays in 1629.
After the ban, men carried on the Kabuki tradition, and
male actors, or onnagata, performed the female roles.
After years of continued friction with the shogunate,
performers began to adopt more traditional Japanese
narratives for their plays. In place of the exotic dances of
the early onna kabuki performances were epic samurai
narratives and traditional Japanese ghost stories. While
elaborate sets and ornate costumes remained a mainstay
of Kabuki theater, the new storylines were more
amenable to the Tokugawas. Kabuki
entered a golden age in the late 1700s,
and it reached its present form and
finally gained official recognition during
the 1800s in Meiji Japan.
Tortured Spirits
Photo: Japan Foundation
JETAANC sent 12 lucky alumni
and their friends to attend “Kabuki:
Backstage to Hanamichi,” in which
performers from the world-renowned
Shochiku Company performed two
scenes from famous plays and gave
lectures on the history and production of Kabuki.
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“Kabuki: Backstage to Hanamichi”
featured lectures from renowned Kabuki
actors Kyozo Nakamura and Matanosuke
Nakamura (no relation). Matanosuke
began with a history of Kabuki and
explained the interplay of the actors and
music on stage. Drums, he said, are used
in Kabuki to evoke the sounds of snow
and rain, while tsuke (clappers) are used
to accentuate footsteps and dramatic
events in the play.
Next, Matanosuke told the crowd that audience
participation is encouraged in Kabuki, and he showed
the audience how to show their appreciation for the
performance by shouting actors’ names and clapping at
key moments in the play. Typically at these points in
the play, the actors convey intense emotions through
dramatic poses called mie.
The lecture helped the audience better understand the
first performance, a scene
from Sagi Musume (The
Heron Maiden), in which
Kyozo played the resentful
spirit of a heron that falls
in love with a man. The
scene was set in the dead
of winter, and used many
of the techniques described
by Matanosuke. The snow
was accentuated with light
tapping on the gaku daiko drum, and the dramatic
movements of the heron were accompanied by frenzied
Photo: Japan Foundation
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Following the performance of Sagi Musume, Kyozo
gave a lecture on the role of the onnagata in kabuki.
Onnagata, he explained, are not men presuming to be
exactly like women. Rather, they attempt to show the
audience a male interpretation of their female roles. To
demonstrate, he showed the audience the walk he used
for female characters, as well as the way he contorted
his shoulders to emulate female poise. Kyozo finished
by inviting the audience to join him in practicing the
Kabuki-style laughs of young, middle-aged, and
older women.
Photo: Japan Foundation
Dancing Lions
For the last part of the
performance, Kyozo and
Matanosuke performed
the lion dance from
Shakkyo (Stone Bridge),
a Kabuki play that traces
its storyline back to plays
in the older Japanese Noh
performance style. The lion
dance was heavily stylized, featuring elaborate
costumes and dramatic
face paint for the lion characters. The lions’ manes were
represented with long, flowing, brightly colored wigs,
and the actors flipped their heads to move the wigs like
streamers during the performance.
The lion dance itself was spectacular, but Matanosuke’s
makeup demonstration beforehand was probably the
highlight of the event. With a closeup camera and a
makeup table, Matanosuke showed the audience how
he typically prepares the lion costume. He first applied
a foundation of white face paint, then used black paint
to accentuate the eyes and mouth of the lion. Finally, he
Photo: Shochiku Co. Ltd.
shamisen music. The audience roared as Kyozo made a
series of dramatic kimono changes to portray the heron’s
transformation into a woman and back again, ending
with a mie pose and the death of the heron.
put on his wig and costume before performing the dance
with Kyozo. In Japan, this preparation is considered
very personal, and would usually take place entirely
behind the scenes.
Cultural Experience
Many former JETs and their guests who attended the
event had never seen a Kabuki performance before,
and the event at SFSU provided them an opportunity
to enjoy the atmosphere of a Kabuki play first hand.
Even for those who had seen Kabuki in Japan, the
lectures provided invaluable cultural context. Kyozo
and Matanosuke were incredibly effective, and in the
end they were able to make this 400-year old Japanese
tradition relevant and entertaining even for a mostly
foreign audience.
Intrigued?
If this article made you even a little curious about
Kabuki, Mark Frey (Kumamoto, 2002-06) and I have
started a JETAANC Kabuki Club to learn more about
Kabuki and watch classic performances. Our next meeting is May 22 in San Francisco. Everyone is welcome
to join us. See Mark’s article on the next page for more
information. Maybe we’ll see you there?
Todd Gamblin
Friend of JET
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New Alumni Kabuki Club off to Exciting Start!
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If you’ve ever seen Kabuki, you know what a visceral thrill it can be to see the performers use their unique
talents in dance, drama, music, costumes and stage spectacle to bring some of the greatest Japanese legends and
stories to life. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that if you watch enough of it, Kabuki can become
downright addictive. But what to do in America, where live performances are far and few in between? (See Todd
Gamblin’s article on the previous page for a recent, rare exception.)
“The Wisteria Maiden”:
Kabuki’s answer
to Jackie Chan’s
“Drunken Master”?
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To stop our jonesing, longtime Friend of JET Todd Gamblin and I started a Kabuki Club. To be honest, we
knew we loved Kabuki, but weren’t sure if anyone was going to show up to our first meeting this March—
Oakland’s swanky Rockridge neighborhood location notwithstanding.
But show up they did! After taking some time to study some background
material, the group—made up of JET alumni and Friends of JET (both
Japanese and American)—watched a legendary performance of the “The
Wisteria Maiden” (Fuji Musume) on DVD. Taking the guise of the Wisteria
Maiden, the spirit of a wisteria tree, the dancer uses mime and dance to
tell the story of two lovers and testifies to the eternal nature of love.
The Maiden was played by the famous onnagata Onoe Baiko VII, a designated National Living Treasure of Japan, and his experience showed. I
was especially impressed by his skill during the famous “drunk” section of
the dance when the Maiden pretends to be a young woman who has had a
little too much sake. Baiko made it appear that he was a tipsy girl dancing
off the beat, even though his steps were solidly in sync with the music the
whole time. Kabuki’s answer to Jackie Chan’s “Drunken Master”?
Half of the people there had never seen Kabuki before, including some
of the Japanese participants. However, by meeting’s end, it seemed like
everyone enjoyed the performance and was looking forward to the next
meeting in San Francisco on May 22. Todd and I plan to host meetings
every other month, alternating between the East Bay and San Francisco.
Next time we plan to watch a jidaimono play, featuring larger-than-life
characters from Japanese myth and legend. Stay tuned to the JETAANC
Yahoo Group or Facebook group for details. Why not join us and risk
becoming a complete Kabuki otaku? Contact communications@jetaanc.org
for more information.
Mark Frey, Communications Coordinator
Kumamoto, 2002-2006
...
Kabuki Club members strike
classic(?) Kabuki mie poses
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Alumni Score Meishi at the Career and Networking Forum
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Back from Japan, in one of the worst recessions ever and
now what? The JETAANC Career Networking Forum was
a start. Luckily, we had alumnus and JETAANC Board
Member Tim Morey (Aomori, 1996-99) speak to us about
our job search. Tim gave us his perspective as a JET alum
looking for a job, as well as an alum interviewing and hiring
other alumni. It was great to hear his tips on what we
need to think about as we try to figure out our career path,
instead of just looking for the next job.
This year, we had different breakout groups for people
interested in different fields. There were some great discussions, and then it was off to meeting more people. Recruiters
and companies came out to meet our alumni and we had a
great chance to make some contacts.
Our day ended with a reception hosted by Consul General Nagamine, JET alumni, and members of the Japanese
Chamber of Commerce. It was a great afternoon of meeting many different people. Then it was up to us to figure
out what to do with all the business cards that were collected that day!
Arisa Takahashi, Treasurer
Nara, 1991-1994
JETAANC table
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Breakout groups
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I Survived I Survived a Japanese Game Show
This PA job was unique amongst PA jobs, however, in
that about 10 other people and I helped facilitate the
entire operation, as we enabled the communication
between Japanese and American crews. Go to the largest
movie studio in Japan, take an entire U.S. television
production crew, throw in an additional Japanese
production crew, top it off with a cast of reality TV stars,
and you’ve got yourself a lot of communication needs!
Okay Kai, when you rip the heads off the squids with
your teeth, don’t forget to stand directly underneath so
all the guts fall down on you. And don’t forget to keep
pulling down on the pantyhose on your head so they don’t
fly off. Ready? Go!
We PAs were constantly running (literally running!)
all over the studio and shooting locations to interpret.
The audience needs to cheer more! Tell the van driver
where to go! Who’s meeting the Japanese guests? Jimmy
is lost on the street somewhere! We have to call for a
camera part! Get those people out of the shot! Tell the
samurais to wait a minute before they come in! Say this
in Japanese over the walkie-talkie so this person can
understand me....
Testing out the squid game was just one of many
memorable experiences (but definitely the grossest!) I
had while working as a Bilingual Production Assistant
for the ABC TV show I Survived a Japanese Game
Show 2, which was filmed here in Tokyo in the spring of
2009 and aired the summer of that year. Having worked
12 or more hours a day, six days a week for five weeks, I
was exhausted by the end of the show. I finished the job,
however, feeling fortunate to have participated in such a
large-scale, international production.
Production Assistants, or PAs for short, are the crew
members of TV shows or movies who basically do
anything that needs to be done. In addition to game
tester, my list of duties extended to infinity: interpreter,
translator, cultural liaison, tour guide, cleaner of stages
and showers, crowd controller, handler of hazardous
chemicals, water boy, and cast babysitter, to name a
few others. I took people to dentists and doctors, went
on frantic shopping sprees to 100 yen stores, hauled in
stacks and stacks of bentos, warmed up crowds…. As
you can imagine, it was a busy five weeks.
Although it was fun and sometimes funny to be helping
out with these functional tasks, it was most fulfilling
to act as a bridge-builder between the American and
Japanese crews and help the Americans understand
their temporary country of residence. I enjoyed answering the numerous questions my colleagues would
ask about each other. I would go from explaining the
Japanese diet to the Americans one minute (Rice again?
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
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ョ
シ
ム
ゲー
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MATERIAL
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And seaweed?! What’s with these people?) to explaining
American behavior to the Japanese crew the next (Why
are the Americans so aggressive? Why do they yell so
much?). It was rewarding to assist people in understanding each other’s countries and cultures and to help them
ameliorate their occasional confusion or frustration.
15
Is there anything vegetarian? Is that a TENTACLE? Can
I just have a grilled chicken breast salad? It was funny
how the dietary needs of people can be so different.
After about an hour of explanations and individual
order consultations, I finally called the waitress over
and people ordered their tonkatsu, udon, and the like.
She unfortunately had never heard of a grilled chicken
breast salad, to the great dismay of one of the girls.
Of course all of us ex-JETs have been in these exact
same spots countless times. Confused, embarrassed,
bewildered by things completely unfamiliar, utterly
foreign. Going on four years in Japan, I still have these
experiences from time to time. Nonetheless, I firmly
believe that all of us—me, other ex-JETs, and my
colleagues on the show—are all better off from these
experiences. We have thrusted ourselves out into the
unknown, and from that we have learned and grown,
become humble and empathetic. I will always be thankful for both my time on JET as well as opportunities like
the PA position where I can put my JET experience
to use.
Kai Kadoich
Fukushima, 2006-2008
I remember once I brought a group of 15 or so
Americans, none of whom had ever set foot outside of the
U.S., to a generic Japanese restaurant. We entered, and
at once the serenity of yet another Japanese public space
was shattered by an English demolition squad—you
know how loud we Americans are. Then, the menus
were opened. What IS this? How many grams of fat are
in this? Can I just have a plate of steamed vegetables?
Could this have peanuts in it?
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
. . . . . . . . . .
Gary
B O A R D
SPOTLIGHT
16
Mukai
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spotlight on: Gary Mukai
JETAANC Board Member
Recently, Melissa Chan (Tokyo, 2005-07) sat down
with Gary Mukai, JETAANC Board Member and
Director of the Stanford Program on International
and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) at Stanford
University. Gary was an English teacher in Japan from
1977 to 1980.
We understand you were a “JET” even before the
program started. Can you tell us about that?
During my college years, a fellow student from Japan
told me about opportunities to teach English conversation in Japan. After receiving my teaching credential in
1977, I decided to take an English teaching position in
Ota City, Gunma Prefecture. I taught elementary and
secondary students as well as adults.
As you know, the JET Program was not established until
ten years later in 1987. So, I’m not an alumnus of the
JET Program. Unlike ALTs, I was not an assistant to
a Japanese teacher of English and my position was not
supported by the Japanese government. Like ALTs, my
instruction was focused primarily on English conversation. I was one of only two or three foreign English
teachers in Ota at the time, and in some ways, my job
was similar to that of CIRs. I was sometimes asked to
take part in community and international events like
festivals and English speech contests.
In your opinion, how have JET and JET alumni
changed over the years?
The JET Program has changed in many ways over the
past 23 years but its core mission has remained the
same. Two of the major changes have been the JET
Program’s recruitment of ALTs and CIRs from many
more countries and that the applicants for the JET
Program are generally more prepared. JET alumni
have become increasingly active in maintaining
relations with the JET Program and in their involvement with Japan and/or U.S.-Japan relations. This
has been inspired in large part by the establishment
of JET alumni associations across the United States.
JET alumni associations provide a structure that
helps to facilitate and encourage this involvement.
How has your involvement with JETAANC developed
over the years?
I have been an interviewer for the JET Program since
1989. Since then, I have had countless interactions
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
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SPOTLIGHT
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with alumni of the JET Program through alumni
involvement with JET interviews, JETAANC events
like the Shinnenkai, Stanford-related collaborations
with JET alumni who are employed in Japan-focused
organizations or educational institutions, and of course,
my work on the JETAANC Board.
What is your focus area or passion as a Board member?
I contribute to education-related (broadly defined)
activities of the JETAANC. I assist with the JETAANC
scholarship and feel strongly about engaging and encouraging students from a young age in the study of Japan.
Since the JETAANC newsletter is the JETAANC’s
primary platform for educating the public about the
JETAANC, I have recently begun to provide content
reviews of the newsletter prior to its distribution.
I also encourage joint educational efforts between
Stanford University, the JETAANC, and the Japan
Information Center, Consulate General of Japan,
San Francisco. This year, the three organizations are
co-sponsoring a teacher seminar and the development
of a graphic novel on the first Japanese embassy to the
United States in 1860. This year, 2010, marks the 150th
anniversary of this embassy.
Where do you see JETAANC headed and how can
alumni become involved?
Though the JETAANC is one of the most active JET
alumni associations in the United States, I would like
to see more alumni involvement, especially in regions
like the Central Valley of California and the state of
Nevada. I like the idea of forming sub-chapters within
the JETAANC as a means to broaden the reach of the
JETAANC.
Gary receives the Japanese
Foreign Minister’s Commendation
from Consul General Nagamine
..................................
States and Japan after their return to the United States.
I believe this should be explicitly mentioned to JET
participants before and during their participation in the
JET Program.
In the future, I would like to see more interaction
between the JETAANC and alumni associations in other
countries. An often overlooked reason for the success
of the JET Program is JET participants’ involvement
in promoting better understanding between the United
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
K A N J I
CORNER
ナ
ー
コ
漢字
818
美
美
9画
音:ビ・ミ
訓:うつく(しい)
はる
よし
よしみ
り
美しい「うつくしい」beautiful
美味しい「おいしい」delicious
美容師「びようし」beautician
美学「びがく」aesthetics
美酒「びしゅ」fine sake
美観「びかん」beautiful view
美化「びか」beautify
詩美「しび」poetic beauty
甘美「かんび」luscious
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
J E T
HUMOR
い
笑
お
美
19
Top 10 Things You’d Rather Not
Hear at a JET Interview
February was interview season for new JET
applicants, and some alumni got to help out on the
other side of the desk. To lighten the anxiety that all
candidates face, JETAA NY’s alumni magazine, JQ
presents these completely fictional…Top 10 Things
You’d Rather Not Hear at a JET Interview:
10.“How did your blood type spark your
interest in this position?”
9. “If you were a desk, would you be messy,
or unrecognizable?”
8. “Which of the Three Great Unifiers of Japan
would you most like to have a beer with,
and why?”
7. “Any reservations about having to hear
‘Auld Lang Syne’ in the subways every
weekend at 1:00 am?”
6. “You said that you’re adventurous and like
discovering new things about Japan. Are you familiar with ‘kancho’?”
5. “What are your thoughts about working at a
school built over a fault line?”
4. “I notice you’re wearing a colored shirt under that suit. Do you consider yourself a
troublemaker?”
3. “If someone tells you that your Japanese is good, what would you do to sincerely prove them otherwise in order to save face?”
2. “Describe in detail the last time you used
janken to resolve a professional dispute.”
1. “Can you use chopsticks?”
About David Namisato
David Namisato is an illustrator in Toronto, Canada,
and was a CIR in Aomori-ken from 2002 to 2004.
David’s recent projects include the children’s picture
book, Fly Catcher Boy, written by Rebecca Kool and
published by Gumboot Books, Gabe and Allie in Race
Through Time, a time travelling Canadian history comic
appearing in Kayak: Canada’s History Magazine for
Kids, and Voltron sketch cards for trading-card company
5finity Productions.
David is excited to have Life After the B.O.E. included as
part of Pacific Bridge. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
A L U M N I
ANNOUNCEMENTS
発表
Announcing the New JETAANC Website!
If you haven’t looked at our website recently, please go take a
gander right now! Yes, open a new tab and check it out this minute:
www.jetaanc.org! We have a lovely new look to the website, thanks
to alumnus Rich Fernandez (Ishikawa, 1997-99) of Volt Grafica
Design (www.voltgrafica.com). Our website is now easier to update,
so we will be posting new events and relevant information for
you on a regular basis. For upcoming events, click on the address
for directions and maps. Be sure to add events to your Outlook
Calendar and invite friends! Check back on our website frequently
and see how you can participate with JETAANC.
Plus, we now have new ways you can interact with JETAANC online: vote in our polls to get your opinions
heard; read feeds from Japan Times to keep up on your news; and view our latest “tweets” if you aren’t signed
up for them yourselves. And start preparing yourselves now—we will soon have a photo gallery of past events,
useful links to anything and everything Japan-related in the Bay Area, and inside reviews of Japanese books
and media. Plus, you will be able to RSVP for events right on the website. Check us out now, and keep your
eye on us in the future!
Heidi Smith, Webmaster
Fukui, 1997-1999
JETAANC Officers and Board 2010
President
John Branderhorst
president@jetaanc.org
Vice President
John Dzida
vicepresident@jetaanc.org
Secretary
Lauren Nakasato
jetaancevents@jetaanc.org
Treasurer
Arisa Takahashi
treasurer@jetaanc.org
Webmaster
Chris Ueda
webmaster@jetaanc.org
Media Coordinator
Melissa Chan
books@jetaanc.org
Outreach Coordinator
Douglas Shelton
shelton.douglas@gmail.com
Communications
Mark Frey
communications@
jetaanc.org
South Bay Rep
June Honda
southbay@jetaanc.org
Board of Directors
Lenore Española
Gary Mukai
Andrew Hattori
Ronn Patton
Sabrina Ishimatsu
Johanna Wee
Ryan Moore
Libby Wolfensperger
Coordinator
JET Alumni Association of
Northern California
Tim Morey
JETAANC Website
www.jetaanc.org
JETAANC Yahoo
groups.yahoo.com/group/jetaanc
JETAANC Jobs
groups.yahoo.com/group/
jetaancjobs
Pacific Bridge is published quarterly by volunteer members of JETAANC. All rights reserved.
To receive notification when new issues become available, join the JETAANC Yahoo Message
Board (see address above). Past issues can be found online at www.jetaanc.org. Opinions
expressed in Pacific Bridge are not necessarily those of the JETAANC. Send comments to
communications@jetaanc.org.
JETAANC Newsletter | Spring 2010
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