Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 1 Table of Contents Summer 2009, Vol. 18, Issue No. 3

3 Letter From the Editor / Professional Outreach Chair 4 Nippon News Blotter 5 Comings & Goings 6 An Interview with Ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya By Anne Koller 7 JET Alum Author Cristy Burne Wins Award By Gregory Anderson 8 Philadelphia Loves Japan! By Therese Stephen 9 JETAA in the Big Apple and Beyond By Megan Miller 10 Japan Day @ Central Park Recap By Stacy Smith JETlog Featuring Yukari Sakamoto (Chiba-ken, 1989-1990) 11 Nihonjin in NY - Featuring Beard Papa’s Masashi Wada By Janice Chow 12 Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen: The JQ Interview By Justin Tedaldi 13 U.S. FrontLine’s Ken Haraguchi on Japanese Newspapers By Junko Ishikawa 14 JETAActivities & Event Photos 15 JET Farewell Reception at the Ambassador’s Residence 16 Maid in America: Q&A with Cosplay Singer Reni By Adren Hart 17 JETAANY Webmaster Lee-Sean Huang By Shree Kurlekar Understanding Japanese Women with David J. Radtke By Rick Ambrosio 18 Theatre Review - Samurai Takamine Jokichi By Anne Koller 19 Film Review - Tokyo! By David Kowalsky 20 Book Corner - Sony: The Private Life By Lyle Sylvander 21 KRAZY! Exhibition at Japan Society By Anton Phung 22 Pop Rock: Q&A with Marshall Crenshaw By Justin Tedaldi 23 Top 12 List / Life After the B.O.E. / Jyū Q! with JET Alum Poet James Shea By Liz Wanic

This issue is dedicated to the life and legacy of Walter Cronkite 1916-2009 And that’s the way it is.

2 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine Letter From the Editor

Summer is usually considered something that marks the middle of the year, but working on this issue reminded me that for us JETs, summer is more like the beginning. After all, the new recruits zip off to Tokyo before July ends, and by the time August starts, most of the new returnees are back home, already grappling with things like reverse culture shock/fi nding a job/Morning Musume withdrawal.

New directions in life discovered through our shared Japan experience are the heart of this issue. Whether it’s a roji tea garden tucked away in a part of your hometown you never knew existed, mining the inspiration from your years abroad to write award-winning books, or rocking a sold-out crowd at Budokan 30 years after you fi rst visited Nippon, the stories you’ll fi nd here are the ones that continue to inspire new visitors from both sides of the globe, while keeping the JET Programme vital. Dig in.

Justin Tedaldi Editor (Kobe-shi, 2001-02) [email protected]

Letter From the Professional Outreach & Development Chair

Hi everyone,

As some of you may already know, after serving as the JETAANY Newsletter editor for about six years, I handed over the reins to Justin Tedaldi in January 2009 so I could start focusing more on JetWit.com and the Writers Interpreters Translators (WIT) Group.

I’ve since taken on the title of JETAANY’s Professional Outreach & Development Chair. This is really a title that describes what I’ve already been doing as opposed to a new position. And what I’ve been doing is focus- ing on ways to help JET alumni as well as current JETs fi nd jobs and move forward with their careers. I’ve also strived to get JET alumni out of the woodwork and self-identify as part of the JET alumni community. I was even invited to be the keynote speaker for JETAA Canada’s National Conference at the end of May.

Times are tough, and after existing for 21 years, the JET Alumni Association is now well-positioned to be able to help its members. Things have changed since I came back from JET in 1994. Now we’ve got a community of JET alumni established in all sorts of fi elds who can help the JET alumni community in various ways, including:

Posting job listings on JetWit and in the weekly JETAANY e-mail; helping JET alums connect with other JET alums who might be helpful; talking to JET alums about their work and careers and fi guring out new approaches to fi nding jobs; creating opportunities and structures to contribute to JETAANY and JetWit that give JET alums hands-on experience that helps lead them to other career opportunities; and organizing activities such as the JET Alumni Author Showcase, Learning to Blog Workshop series and the upcoming JET Alumni Artist Showcase.

If you’re looking for work or trying to fi gure out your career, feel free to get in touch and I’ll try to help. The JET alumni community is a terrifi c resource and it’s there for your benefi t.

Going forward, I’ll be at various JET alumni events, continue the Learning to Blog Workshop series and perhaps come up with some new career develop- ment activities. And of course, I’ll continue to post, publish and promote on JetWit for the benefi t of the JET alumni community.

Minasan, yoroshiku onegaishimasu and gambarimashou!

Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94) [email protected]

Contribute to JQ. No diplomatic experience necessary. “We used to be pitchy. Now we’re awright. Thanks, JQ!” Send your ideas to [email protected]. Contact [email protected] to subscribe. Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 3 Nippon News Blotter

5/29/09: The nomination of a virtually un- 7/4/09: Japanese parliament enacted an known lawyer as the next U.S. ambassador to amended law claiming that a group of Russian- Japan was greeted with more concern than op- administered islands off Hokkaido is an “in- timism by experts and the government. Chief tegral part” of Japan, a move many analysts Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura welcomed believe will undoubtedly provoke Russia and John Roos’ nomination, calling it “proof that therefore poses a new hurdle for the settlement the Obama administration considers the Japan- of the dispute. (Xinhua) U.S. alliance important.” (Japan Times) 7/5/09: Japan’s taxation authorities ordered 6/2/09: Japan approved plans for a missile a Seattle-based affi liate of online retailer Ama- early warning system and some ruling party zon.com Inc. to pay 14 billion yen ($119 million) lawmakers suggested Japan should inspect in back taxes. Amazon.com has requested U.S. 7/12/09: More than 500 supporters of China’s North Korean ships, as a report said the North and Japanese tax authorities review the matter ethnic minority Uighurs on Sunday rallied in was preparing to fi re a mid-range missile. in light of the two nations’ bilateral tax treaty. Tokyo as the Chinese authorities banned pub- (Reuters) (MarketWatch) lic gatherings in restive Urumqi city after ethnic violence. (AP) 6/2/09: Reports of four organ transplant oper- 7/6/09: Pornography fans are feeding a surge ations a UCLA surgeon performed on members in demand for movie downloads in Japan, home 7/13/09: Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso of a Japanese crime syndicate have sparked de- to the world’s fi rst third-generation wireless and his ruling coalition agreed to hold a general bate as to who should receive precious donated network. While profi ting from the traffi c, To- election on August 30, a few weeks later than organs—and whether wealthy foreigners should kyo-based mobile carriers DoCoMo and KDDI Aso initially intended, to buy time to try to boost be allowed to “buy into” a system to which they Corp. say they’ve been forced to impose limits the coalition’s popularity after a disastrous To- do not contribute. (ABC News) on the heaviest users. (Bloomberg News) kyo local assembly election loss the day before. Analysts said the move by Aso’s government 6/15/09: Due to their lack of interest in sex and 7/7/09: Panasonic Corp. said it has developed likely won’t prevent a big defeat for the ruling preference for less competitive lives, soushoku a medical robot that dispenses drugs to pa- Liberal Democratic Party that would in all prob- danshi—literally translated as “grass-eating tients, the Japanese electronics giant’s fi rst step ability cause it to cede power to the Democratic boys”—are provoking a national debate about into robotics. Panasonic will sell the robot to Party of Japan, ending more than half a century how the country’s economic stagnation since Japanese hospitals next March and will market of nearly uninterrupted LDP rule. the early 1990s has altered men’s behavior. it in the United States and Europe later. (AP) (Wall Street Journal) (Slate.com) 7/9/09: The Diet passed bills that tighten con- 7/13/09: Suntory Holdings, the Japanese bev- 6/30/09: Wakamatsu Park in Kobe City will trols on foreign residents, paving the way for erage company, said that it was considering soon be the home of a life-size Tetsujin (aka Gi- them to take effect within three years, despite merging with larger rival Kirin Holdings in a gantor) robot, 60 feet tall and weighing nearly opposition from foreigners and human rights move that would create one of the world’s lead- 50 tons, which will be on permanent display activists. The planned enforcement follows an ing food and drinks companies and catapult the starting in October to symbolize the city’s re- agreement on the bills reached last month. joint entity to pole position in Japan. vival after the 1995 Kobe earthquake. (CNET) (Japan Times) (New York Times)

Beautiful Apartment for Rent! The Atlantic building is meticulously maintained, doormen are on 24 hours and the manage- •One-bedroom apartment, 745 sq. ft., 10th ment company provides incredibly good service. Location (www.newportnj.com) has all floor of the Atlantic building at 31 River Court amenities; all within very short walking distance is a supermarket, Duane Reade, a deli, Starbucks, dry cleaners, a wine store, a big shopping mall, great restaurants and a marina. in Newport, Jersey City. The Pavonia Newport PATH train station (to get to New York City) is one block away; go to the West Village in 10 minutes, to 33rd Street in 20 minutes, or to the World Financial Center •Large windows, abundant sunshine, SW in 10 minutes. The New York Waterway ferry stops just outside your door and goes to 39th views of Battery Park, the Hudson River and Street in eight minutes. Newport Marina below. I was a JET from 1994-95 in Kagoshima-ken, and president of the JETAANY chapter (’98-’99). •Rent is $1915/month for lease beginning This unit is really perfect for any returning JET or JET alum tired of paying Manhattan rent and August or September 2009 and ending Feb- needing some light and fresh air! I want to secure this transfer very soon, so e-mail me with ruary 2011. No broker fee. questions, or to come see the place: Yvonne Thurman at [email protected].

4 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine Comings & Goings

NEW YORK WELCOMES AMBASSADOR NISHIMIYA

On March 30, the new ambassador and consul general Shinichi Nishimiya arrived in New York and took offi ce, succeeding Mr. Motoatsu Sakurai. Born in 1952, Mr. Nishimiya joined the foreign service of Japan in 1976. After working at the Embassies in Washington D.C., Moscow and London, he served as the Director of Policy Coordination Division, Foreign Policy Bu- reau and as Deputy Director-General, Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, both in Tokyo. From 2005 to 2006, he served as a minister and subsequent- ly as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Embassy of Japan in Beijing. His most recent post was Director-General of the North American Affairs Bureau in Tokyo. Ambassador Nishimya has said that the relationship between the Consulate and the local community should be as “interactive” as possible, and you can read an exclusive interview with him on page 6.

NEW ASSISTANT DIRECTORS AT JLGC

Since last spring, the JLGC has welcomed fi ve new assistant directors. Here are three more of their new faces in addition to Chizuko Kawamura-san, who was introduced in our last issue.

Name: Kazuaki Nakajima Furusato: Saitama-shi and Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Interests: The outdoors, watching games and shows, playing golf and U.S. policing systems. How is your stay in NY? Great! I’ve enjoyed city life in on weekdays and the outdoors in New York and New Jersey on weekends where I live with my family.

Name: Yuko Nishida Furusato: Izumo-shi, Shimane Interests: Eating, drinking and sleeping How is your stay in NY? It’s my fi rst time to visit here, and I’m so excited to be living here for two years. Nakajima-san, Nishida-san and Abe-san get the sign of approval from Hanzawa-san. Name: Shinya Abe Furusato: Suita-shi, Osaka Interests: Football, surfi ng and drinking different types of wine. How is your stay in NY? I was overwhelmed at fi rst by the diversity of this big city, but I really enjoy it now!

Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

FINGER LAKES SUBCHAPTER LAUNCHED

Do you live in Upstate New York and wish you had more contact with other JET alums in the area? Feeling left out because you’re far from the JETAANY hub in Manhattan? My name is Kate Chevarley (Niigata-ken, 2004-06; photo at right), and I will be moving to Ithaca in August to begin my MBA at Cornell.

After my time on the JET Programme, I worked as a fundraiser for two and a half years at Harvard Medical School and served as treasurer of the New England JET Alumni Association. I will be launching a new Finger Lakes subchapter upon my arrival in Ithaca and hope to connect with other JET alums in the area! Potential events include Nihongo Dake Dinners, hanami, wine tastings, and other social and cultural activities to pro- mote networking among JET alumni. If you are interested in joining, please e-mail me at kate.chevarley@ gmail.com. Cheers! Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 5 tant for people to have the psychological room one, scoring around 75 percent. The Foreign Diplomat, Collaborator, Fly to enjoy each other’s differences. Ministry conducts polls every year with Gallup Fisher: An Interview with and Japan is always a top trustworthy ally; 80 Ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya What are your hobbies and when do you percent for the general public and over 90 per- By Anne Koller fi nd the time to enjoy them? cent with experts. [Link below –ed.] (Fukuoka-ken, 2002-04) Fly fi shing. I started during my tenure in the UK and have enjoyed it ever since. I have already The basis for this is the “grassroots” friendship been to the Croton River in Westchester and found between everyday people and the inter- Having been spotted at various local Japan-re- have planned an upcoming trip to the famous est in each other’s culture. The relationship lated events, JETs were curious to know more Catskills to try the waters there. When you are a between Japan and the U.S. cannot be found about Mr. Shinichi Nishimiya, the new Consul fl y fi sher, you fi nd and make time to do it. anywhere else. General of Japan in New York. JQ spoke with Ambassador Nishimiya to fi nd out his plans for What made you decide to work in diplo- As for the UK and Japan, we have many things the Consulate and how JETAANY can help. macy and foreign affairs? What advice in common. We are both tea lovers and island would you give for any JETs interested in countries on the edge of huge countries. From How are you and your family adapting to pursuing a career in the foreign service? my vantage point, Japan has looked and will New York life? What has been the hard- continue to look towards the UK model in terms est part about living in the city and the of international politics and also its alliance most satisfying? What do you miss the with the U.S. as a model to consider. most about our beloved Nippon? We are adapting very well. The hardest part Russia is a very important neighbor of Japan. has been the weather. Nobody told us that New There is huge room for us to develop more York weather is this unstable and unpredict- neighborly relations and work together on mu- able. [Jokingly] I have been told that there is no tually benefi cial issues together. The Northern spring or fall between the long hot summer and Territory issue is still pending, however. The a long, cold winter; then how do you describe good news is that it is a rare case in which both what we have now? There is no spring or fall, sides acknowledge that the territorial issue is [so] how do you describe what we are in now? there, unresolved, and must be resolved. Al- The most satisfying part of living in New York though it is taking a long time to come to a mu- for my wife and I is meeting people. Everyone tually agreeable resolution, both governments has been very welcoming and kind. I miss ra- are eager to resolve the issue. men! There are ramen shops everywhere in Japan and they are always open. You can go to China is the most important neighbor of Japan places in New York, but it isn’t the same. I do and both sides need, and should have, even think the lack of eating ramen has allowed me more friendly relations. This is coming at the to live a healthier life here, which my wife is cer- government level, helped by the expansion of tainly happy about. [laughs] trade and people-to-people exchanges and trav- els. This will position both countries favorably I have heard of your spectacular Eng- and is fundamental to smoother relationships lish abilities from various JETs. When Anne with Ambassador Nishimiya. (Noriko Furuhata) between Japan and China. did you start learning English and what are some secrets you could give to better It was actually by accident. As a student at the What are the key issues that you will ad- grasp the language and perhaps culture? University of Tokyo, I was interested in interna- dress in your new role? What organiza- This boils down to curiosity and working hard, tional relations and pursuing an academic life. tions in New York will be essential to which of course is not what everyone wants to The moment of truth was when I failed the post- engage to improve U.S.-Japan relations hear. [laughs] graduation exam into a master’s program and and increase awareness about Japanese decided to work in the public sector in foreign culture in New York? Most people interested in languages will say affairs. The advice I would give to JETs inter- That depends on how long my government that cramming doesn’t work. The key is to learn ested in public affairs or the foreign service is keeps me here. [laughs] My main goal is to con- and study from actual experience by picking up not a general recommendation, but more of a solidate existing friendships between various phrases from native speakers and using them. specifi c mindset. Firstly, be ambitious. As the groups in New York and bring groups together. When you hit a wall, which sometimes happens, historically famous William Smith Clarke, who I believe the Consulate will be better off if we don’t give up. I know that bridging two lan- was involved in the opening of Hokkaido Uni- strive to strengthen the network among stake- guages is diffi cult, but also rewarding. The in- versity, said, “Boys, be ambitious!” holders of Japan. tricacies and differences between languages are what make learning them interesting. Words Secondly, as I am a “relativist,” I would advise For example, JET is a prestigious and success- that don’t translate have always fascinated me. people to always see things both in perspective ful program that exposes people to Japanese In Japanese, for example, we have gambatte, and proportion. For example, many people fo- culture. Roughly speaking, there are around hisashiburi and shikataganai/shoganai, which cus on the shrinking size of Japan, but forget 50,000 JET alumni in the world and around are diffi cult, if not impossible, to translate in that the size of its economy is still one of the half of them are from the U.S. This means that English. In English, you have “identity,” which largest in the world, much larger than China. one in every 10,000 Americans is a JET alum doesn’t truly translate in Japanese; our latest Thirdly, in all careers, be engaged with the real and one in 2,500 families has a JET. These version, jikodoitsusei, does not fully capture its world and learn as much as possible. are compelling fi gures and they are constantly meaning. growing. We hope that through contact with the After serving in various Japanese em- New York chapter, we can work together and However, adapting to another culture in an or- bassies in Moscow, London and Beijing, capitalize on our mutual interest in each other. ganizational or business situation is a tougher what is the main difference between question. I would suggest learning the ropes Japan’s relationship with the U.S., UK, Additionally, Japanese businesses have a strong from colleagues and teachers daily, which will Russia and China? linkage with the U.S. thanks to the thriving eco- help form a base to build on instead of just People sometimes forget that Japan and the nomic relations and the Consulate appreciates plunging in. Immersing yourself in the culture U.S. are offi cially allies and great friends. Opin- the support given to Japanese activities. Japan is very important and many JETs have accom- ion polls conducted in both countries consis- Day @ Central Park, for example, would not plished this by experiencing taiko, ikebana and tently show that we like and trust each other. have been possible without the strong business other Japanese activities to adapt easier. Most In Japanese polls that ask “Which country do support we received. I think that when the fun importantly, people are unique and it is impor- you like the most?,” the U.S. is always number factor gets bigger, it provides a good vehicle for 6 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine stakeholders and businesses to get together. It Frances Lincoln Children’s Books. Takeshita is natural and healthy to have a series of stake- Japanese Demons Help Demons will be published in 2010. holders in the U.S. who we can collaborate with JET Author Win Award to improve U.S.-Japan relations even more. By Gregory Anderson Cristy is not new to writing; she has been do- This will be essential to developing a horizontal (Fukuoka-ken, 1990-92) ing it professionally since 2002. In fact, the fi rst network instead of through a vertical approach article she wrote was entitled “Weird Science: with the Consulate just maintaining relations All JETs remember the jinjas, or shrines, of Up to Your Ears in Wax?” for Science Max, an with the respective groups. Japan that can be seen throughout the country Australian children’s science magazine. Before whether you’re in the city, inaka, or a small is- Cristy won the Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices How will the economic crisis affect the land off the coast. Similarly, just as numerous Award, she received the Young and Emerging number of foreign workers in Japan, and are the religious practices and folklore of Japan. Writer Award from Varuna House for her fi rst most importantly, the JET Programme? Some of these are very easy to understand, while manuscript, One Weekend with Killiecrankie, JETs are very welcome in Japan and the JET others such as stone phallic symbols which peo- which also won the Voices on the Coast chil- Programme remains strong. The challenge is ple bring their young children to…well, let’s just dren’s writing competition. Not one to sit still, that the local and central government fund say they’re a little more complex. Cristy is now patiently awaiting an agent’s re- JETs, which can be expensive, especially during ply regarding her new creation: a 50,000-word these diffi cult times. However, structurally I see Cristy Burne, an ALT (Hyogo-ken, 1998-2000) adventure thriller for kids entitled Beyond the no changes and don’t think JETs have anything assigned to Midoridai High School in Kawa- Safe Zone. And if all of this isn’t impressive to fear. Also, with the Ministry of Education’s nishi, used Japanese folklore and her love of enough, Cristy is at the time of this writing 39 ambitious 2011 timeline to establish English writing to pen Takeshita Demons, a fi ctional weeks pregnant, and will likely be a mother by classes in elementary schools, there will be a big children’s book which chronicles the life of a the time you read this. need for JETs. I foresee the number of JETs ac- schoolgirl named Miku as she attempts to rec- cepted increasing in the near future. oncile life as an immigrant in the UK, maintain When asked about the future, Cristy said, “I’m her identity as a Japanese, and accept the real- taking a year off to have my fi rst child and focus What expectations do you have for JETA- ity that the spirits of her grandmother’s stories on fi ction writing, which is an incredible luxury ANY and is there anything you would are not just fantasy. As Cristy explains it, “The and a great thrill. I’m also keen to publish more suggest we encompass in the year 2009? spirits are not always friendly.” books and increase the work I do with and for Actually, there is. I would like not only JET- AANY, but other organizations in New York to come together on a specifi c project. The consul- ate organizes school caravan visits where Japa- nese volunteers go to local schools. It is a half- day introduction to Japanese culture through sharing various Japanese arts, such as origami, shuji, etc. with students.

Up until now, the consulate has done this on their own, but I would love to partner with JETAANY to make it even more successful. JETAANY has many resources and would be better positioned to do the job. All of you have learned to be more adaptable and would be great examples for the students to learn from and share Japan’s culture with.

How has Japan changed when it comes to embracing diversity in the workplace and how do you think the future looks for more women and minorities to work Cristy with author Ruth Patterson. (FrancesLincoln.com) children, both in science and literature.” She as public fi gures and leaders from within explained that her love for writing began as a Japan? One such being that appears in Takeshita De- child. Her parents read to her when she was in My sense is that women are making strides in mons is the nukekubi. nukekubi are monsters or primary school and she developed, as she puts the workforce and that trend is not reversible. demons that look and act like humans by day it, an “insatiable” appetite for reading. Although this may be slower in Japan than oth- but at night their heads and necks detach to al- er countries, there is a steady increase of more low them to fl y around in search of human prey. When asked what she misses most about Ja- female workers in leadership positions. It is an They must return to their bodies by sunrise like pan, Cristy says the food, and that although she issue that Japan has consistently faced, but is vampires or they will die. In fact, legend has it now lives in London and Japanese restaurants hoping to change. that one such defense against them is to hide are ubiquitous, it’s not quite as good as the real their bodies while the head and neck are fl ying thing. More and more women and minorities are around. The only way to distinguish a nukekubi making a name for themselves in the economic from a real human is a red spot at the base of the One fi nal fact about Cristy which many will fi nd pages of newspapers and through mergers and neck where it detaches from the head. interesting is that she is a connoisseur of wasa- acquisitions of companies. I don’t foresee any bi. I learned from reading an article on Cristy’s setbacks for women and minorities in the fu- In April, Cristy was awarded the fi rst-ever Web site that most of the wasabi that people ture, but the question for Japan will be of pace Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s eat is artifi cial. What’s the difference? Accord- and timing. Book Award for the best manuscript for eight- ing to Cristy, “Fresh wasabi is subtler, brighter to 12-year-olds that celebrates diversity in the on the tongue. It’s like the difference between For more on Ambassador Nishimiya, visit widest possible sense. The award was created the smell of fresh cut grass and the smell of that www.ny.us.emb-japan.go.jp/en/a/03. to honor the life of Francis Lincoln, whose same grass after a few days in the sun.” html. husband, a managing director of the Francis Lincoln publishing company, felt his wife was We wish Cristy the best on her new book and For a summary of the 2009 U.S. Im- passionate about nurturing new talent, and this motherhood. Omedetou gozaimasu! age of Japan Study opinion poll, vis- award is the sort of endeavor she would sup- it www.mofa.go.jp/announce/an- port. The prize is £1,500 (about $2,400) along For more on Cristy’s editing, writing, books nounce/2009/5/1191907_1134.html. with the option to have your book published by and her blog, visit www.cristyburne.com. Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 7 Philadelphia s Japan!

By Therese Stephen (Iwate-ken, 1996-99)

What many people don’t know is and political leaders of early 20th that the City of Brotherly Love is in century Japan once participated in love with Japan, and has been since tea ceremonies. the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia when the Japanese The PMA also has three Japanese Pavilion became one of the most exhibitions in the Main Museum popular exhibits of that historic Building and in the Perelman World’s Fair. Building this summer. Perelman admission is included in the $16 When you think of Philadelphia, adults/$12 students Main Museum you probably think of cheesesteaks, Building admission, or you can visit the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall just the Perelman for $8/$6. or the Rocky steps at the Philadel- phia Museum of Art. What you Daidō Moriyama: Tokyo Pho- might not realize is that Philly has tographs | February 28, Tea students demonstrate serving to guests at Shofuso in Philadelphia. many ways for Japanese, and the 2009-August 23, 2009 Japanese-at-heart, to get their Ja- Photos taken by Moriyama, known After leaving Japan, I found myself pines. It’s no coincidence that this pan fi x for a lot less than a roundtrip for his urban photography around going through a fairly typical post- collection of buildings—including ticket to Tokyo. Tokyo in the 1980s. Julien Levy JET period of reverse culture shock. its teahouse, bathhouse and kitch- Gallery, fi rst fl oor, Perelman Build- But when I found Shofuso, I knew it en—was dubbed Sho-fu-so, or Pine So, whether you’re planning a quick ing - http://www.philamuse- would be my Japanese home away Breeze Villa. weekend getaway or day trip this um.org/exhibitions/342.html. from home. I go there to pretend summer, or if you’re a returning I’m back in Japan for a while when Though the structure itself is a piece Philly JET looking at your home- Hello! Fashion: Kansai Yama- I start feeling nostalgic, but not of art worthy of notice, since 2007 town with a new post-JET perspec- moto, 1971–1973 | May 24, for the bright lights, karaoke-and- Shofuso has also displayed a per- tive, read on for Philly’s best Japan 2008-August 2009 dance club Japan. manent installation of 20 modern picks. Exhibit of fashions by modern Japa- Nihonga murals painted by world- nese fashion designer Kansai Yama- Nope. When I sit on the veranda renowned Japanese artist Hiro- Let’s start with those famous Rocky moto. Costume and Textiles Study at Shofuso, I’m transported to my shi Senju. His waterfall paintings steps. It’s cheesy and we know it, Gallery, second fl oor, Perelman Japanese homestay family’s tatami refl ect the colors of Shofuso and but everyone who visits Philly has Building - http://www.phila- room where in summer we’d open match the mood and history of the to replay that famous Rocky Bal- museum.org/exhibitions/318. the sliding doors to the garden and site. boa moment. So once you’ve run to html. dangle our legs over the edge, en- the top of the steps and done your joying the breeze and zoning out on Initially built to be exhibited in the obligatory fi sts-in-the-air pose, The Art of Japanese Craft: 1875 Okaasan’s tidily kept garden. Museum of Modern Art’s sculpture head on into the Philadelphia Mu- to the Present | December 6, garden in New York City from 1954 seum of Art (PMA) and fi nd your 2008-October 18, 2009 Shofuso (www.shofuso.com) to 1955, Shofuso was dismantled, way to the East Asian Galleries. Collection of woodwork, ceramics, Open May to October 3; Tuesdays moved and then reassembled in lacquerware, paintings and metal- through Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to Philadelphia’s West Fairmount One of the most endearing and ex- works that highlight 20th century 4:00 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, Park. The spot was chosen because, citing things about the PMA are Japanese crafts, including items 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission: not long after the 1876 Centennial its period rooms. While there are made by six artisans named Living $6 adults/$3 students and seniors; Exhibition, a Buddhist gate called plenty of rooms displaying objects National Treasures by the Japanese free for members. Nio-mon had been displayed there on pedestals or paintings on walls, government. Location: Main Muse- from 1905 until it burned down in a few steps through a doorway con- um Building, second fl oor, Galleries Visit their Web site for informa- 1955. necting two galleries will suddenly 241–243 - http://www.phila- tion on tea ceremonies and special put you in the middle of an Indian museum.org/exhibitions/316. events. Wear or bring socks to avoid The closing of the Shofuso exhibit temple or the hall of a Chinese pal- html. having to wear paper slippers to at MoMA and the need to fi nd the ace. tour the house. Also, call ahead at house and garden a new home was a PMA (www.philamuseum.org) (215) 878-5097 before you visit, as fortuitous coincidence for Philadel- Wander a little further and you’ll Open Tuesdays through Sundays, a possible strike by city park work- phia, which has hosted a Japanese fi nd Sunkaraku Tea House, the 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Open until ers may temporarily close the part structure on this spot almost con- highlight of the Japanese collection 8:45 p.m. on Fridays.) Admission: of Fairmount Park where Shofuso is tinuously since 1876. in the East Asian Galleries. A com- $16 adults/$12 students; pay what located. plete teahouse and accompanying you wish all day on the fi rst Sunday There are too many Japanese trea- waiting room, Sunkaraku (trans- of each month. Japanese visitors Shofuso is an exquisite building de- sures in Philly to mention in one lated as “evanescent joys”) was de- can ask for a 360-page guide to the signed by Japanese architect Junzo article, like the unexpected maneki signed by architect and tea master museum in Nihongo. Yoshimura and based on 16th and neko waving tirelessly through a Ogi Rodo and built in Tokyo in 1917. 17th century Japanese architecture. window in historic Elfreth’s Alley, It is one of four structures built by If the view looking into Sunkara- Its deep, well-shaded verandah or the 102-foot tall Bolt of Light- Rodo that still exists today, and the ku teahouse from the outside has looks out over a large, koi-fi lled ning: A Memorial to Benjamin only one outside of Japan. whetted your appetite for Japanese pond and Momoyama-style viewing Franklin sculpture by Japanese architecture, then you must make garden designed by Sano Tansai. American artist Isamu Noguchi at Although you can’t walk through Shofuso Japanese House and Gar- Monument Plaza. the structure, you can peek through den in West Fairmount Park the City noise is masked by the gar- windows and doorways to examine next stop on your Japanese tour of den’s waterfall and the sound of But for tips on Japanese restau- the teahouse, where many fi nancial Philly. the breeze blowing through the rants, shops or spots where Philly 8 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine JETs and the Career Forum for newly returned JETAA in the Big Apple JETs. Every June, the Pre-departure Seminar is honed and refi ned by alumni to bring the best and Beyond assistance and information possible to the new- By Megan Miller ly selected JETs departing for Japan. (Hyogo-ken, 2000-02) In October, the Career Forum and Welcome Often cited as one of the most active chapters Back Reception invites newly minted JET alum- in the world, the Japan Exchange and Teaching ni back into the fold. These alumni-led sessions Alumni Association of New York–better known include a résumé development workshop, a ca- as JETAANY–has served JET “graduates” for reer panel and a “meet the recruiters” session. decades. JETAANY was informally founded The evening is capped off with a sushi- and shortly after the 1988 kickoff of the JET Pro- sake-laden reception hosted by the ambassador. gramme itself and was offi cially organized sev- eral years later as an incorporated non-profi t A marquee event that has really put JETAANY with executive leadership roles. In 2007, JETA- on the map is our annual Meishi Exchange. ANY achieved 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Each year, 50 to 100 JET alumni, Friends of JET (FOJ) and recruiters gather together to Early activities included mostly informal gath- network, job hunt, recruit and just have a great erings such as happy hours and loosely orga- time. More recently, we have established several nized outings, as well as the annual softball career groups, kicked off by the Writers Inter- tournament. Today, JETAANY has blossomed preters Translators (WIT) Group. This initiative into a bevy of cultural, social and professional has expanded rapidly into an extensive resource Artist Hiroshi Senju describes to Shofuso visitors how experiences that extend well beyond the occa- for JET alumni: JetWit.com, led by JET alum- he created the waterfall effect of the “Water Curtain” sional enkai. nus Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94). mural seen behind him. locals can keep up with their Japanese hobbies, click the “Resources” link at the Japan Ameri- ca Society of Greater Philadelphia Web site at www.jasgp.org.

Visitors to Philadelphia can get around easily on the Philly Phlash bus (www.phillyphlash. com). An economical, hop-on hop-off bus ($5 for an all-day pass or $2 per ride); it stops near all the major Philly tourist attractions including the PMA (stops #14 & 18) and Memorial Hall/ Please Touch Museum (stop #16, just a short walk from Shofuso). The route runs near the Suburban and Market East rail stations. JET Alumni Author Showcase. Bon Odori Dance Class. Cultural Events Additional groups include a Music Group, a Finally, for Japanese tourists, a look at the Jap- What is it that you miss most about Japan? Is Teaching Group, a New Moms Group, and com- anese translation of “The Constitutional Walk- it the relaxing swirl of steamy onsen waters ing soon, an Artist Group. This March, JETAA- ing Tour of Philadelphia” can help you plan a around your shoulders? Or perhaps it’s the cool NY and JetWit.com hosted a highly successful tour of Philadelphia’s historic district at http:// feel of tatami below your feet contrasting with author event, showcasing several JET alumni www.theconstitutional.com/selfguided/ the warm touch of a bowl of matcha against authors and their work, followed by a book sign- tour.php?lid=12. See you this summer! your fi ngertips. ing and reception.

Before you ask–yes, there is an onsen in New Social Events York! We made this lovely discovery last year, Sometimes, it’s important to just have a little and now our onsen outing has become another fun. But even our “social” events tend to pack annual tradition. We also host an annual sake a two-fi sted punch by incorporating networking tasting event, and this year we leveraged our opportunities and cultural experiences along JETAANY network by holding it at Bao Noodle, with the laughs. happy hours, New York Har- a Manhattan restaurant owned and operated by bor cruises, Nihongo Dake Dinners, quarterly JET alumnus Chris Johnson (Oita-ken, 1992- meetings, softball tournaments, bōnenkai, shin- 95). nenkai and the like all offer a chance for alumni to expand their networks and utilize all that In recent years we have organized a Japanese JETAA has to offer. dance class, a roll-your-own-sushi event, a Jap- anese cooking class, and tea ceremonies at the Behind the scenes of all of these activities is our Urasenke Chanoyu Center in Manhattan. Tak- best asset—a competent and dedicated execu- ing advantage of the plethora of museums New tive committee fully supported by our board of York offers, we have arranged private tours of directors. Also critical to our success are strong museums hosting Japan-related exhibits and partnerships with both the JLGC (CLAIR New shows. York) and the Japanese Consulate. And fi nally, we would be nothing without our 1,300-mem- Professional Events ber roster of unique and skilled alumni that en- In addition to re-creating those “natsukashii for able the organization to constantly grow, evolve Japan” moments, one of our foremost goals is and be successful. To all of you—otsukaresama to assist JETs and JET alumni with their career deshita! development. Each year, we partner with the Stone lantern amidst peonies and azaleas in Shofu- Japanese government on their initiatives, such For more on JETAANY and upcoming events, so’s roji tea garden. as the Pre-departure Seminar for Departing visit http://jetaany.org. Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 9 Japan Day 2009 Brings JETlog Japanese Culture to the Masses By Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03)

On May 31, Central Park’s East Meadow was transformed into a microcosm of Japan. There were musical performances, food and tea sam- ples, calligraphy, origami and other cultural ac- tivity booths and a plentitude of costumed an- ime and manga fans wandering about. Welcome to Japan Day @ Central Park! Japan Day 2009 four-mile run commemorative shirt. This year was the third time this large-scale aforementioned groups as well as a few others, event was held, and the 45,000 people who par- and this captivated many in the audience. When ticipated surpassed last year’s record-breaking Kawashima was later interviewed about her Yukari with a furry friend in Kawagoe, Saitama. amount of 40,000. Among the luminaries on performance, she revealed that it was the fi rst This issue features gourmet Yukari Sakamoto hand were the new Japanese ambassador Shin- time she had sung in front of people wearing bi- (Chiba-ken, 1989-1990), a JET alum originally ichi Nishimiya and singing sensations orange kinis and that she was initially taken aback by born in Japan. pekoe and Ai Kawashima, the latter holding the these sunbathing fans. title of Special Supporter and whose “Daijoubu The JET Programme was still in its initial years da Yo” was the day’s theme song. Of course, no Japan-related event would be when I joined in 1989 to teach English in Japan. complete without Hello Kitty, and she was in- Although born in Tokyo, I was raised in Min- Things kicked off at 8 a.m. with two Japan Day deed on the scene taking pictures with squeal- nesota and did not have much exposure to the races in Central Park. Following a Kids’ Run ing fans. But perhaps even more striking were language. My Japanese mother is a member of held for 364 young athletes, 4,856 adult runners the numerous young people who came clad in a Japanese dance group, so from an early age took part in a four-miler led by the Japanese the costumes of their favorite anime and manga I studied with the group. And of course, I was representative at last year’s Beijing Olympics, characters. They showed great spirit, but also exposed to the cuisine at home, as we often had Yoko Shibui. The cute race shirt given to all par- seemed to scare some of the people who came miso soup, ohitashi (blanched spinach dressed ticipants was decorated with a sakura tree, and to experience more straightlaced aspects of Jap- with sesame seeds and soy sauce), homemade there was a kimono-clad all-female band giving anese culture such as go, shogi, tea ceremony pickles and rice. the runners an energy boost at the start line. and Japanese-style weaving. Thanks to the donations of generous sponsors, I was fortunate to be placed in Matsudo, Chiba the post-race raffl e featured some amazing loot. Among the goods to be purchased were Japan for my year on JET. While most of my family in Besides household goods from Takashimaya Day-themed T-shirts (separate from the race Japan is in Yamagata, I did have a few cousins and teriyaki beef-fl avored chow mein noodles shirts given to runners as part of their regis- living in Tokyo who I could spend time with. from Nissin, the grand prize was a round-trip tration fee) and wristbands, the proceeds from The JET Programme was a brilliant introduc- ticket to Tokyo courtesy of Continental Airlines! these sales going to the Central Park sakura tion to Japanese culture, and of course, the planting fund. The information booth had lovely people. Twenty years later, I am still in The main event started at 10:00 a.m, allow- pamphlets from many of Japan’s prefectures, touch with some of the friends I made through ing runners to cool down and stake out their so JETs feeling natsukashii about their former the JET Programme. While living in Japan, I spots at the booths giving away free food which hometowns could pick up materials there. This applied myself to studying the language and opened at 11:00. Because of the mouth-watering area also had a stamp rally for kids, where the culture. It is crazy to think how life was 20 years offerings of cold udon, gyudon, Nissin noodles, goal was to fi ll up a map of Japan by going to ago; the Internet didn’t exist and phone calls gyoza and miso soup, the lines were insanely all the different booths and getting a different home were ridiculously expensive. long. Nevertheless, the crowds patiently stood prefecture stamped at each one. under the sun awaiting their turn for a taste of Living in Japan for the fi rst time, I was exposed washoku. There were no free tissues, but there Each year Japan Day continues to grow and im- to many new Japanese foods including sushi, were people giving out bottles of Ito-en tea in prove, and Ambassador Nishimiya expects this shochu, and soup with the fi sh’s head in it: “Yu- varieties of green, jasmine and oolong which to be a lasting trend. Regarding this year’s effort kari, this is the special bowl, so you should have helped to cool things down. he commented, “Only in New York could they it.” A night out with the some of the teachers so easily pull off an event of this scale where ev- and the nurse found a few of us in the infi rmary The events taking place on the main stage erything blends together so seamlessly.” Going the next day nursing our hangovers. dubbed “Cool Japan” kept the crowd enter- forward it will be interesting to follow the future tained. The acts ranged from traditional taiko evolution of Japan Day, a now-permanent as- Upon returning to the States, the best way to to an all-women’s choir to a jazz musician to pect of the city’s cultural landscape. keep up my language was through the Concor- samurai swordplay, and in the afternoon things dia Language Villages in Northern Minnesota. heated up with a mikoshi carrying and bon For more info and photos, visit The Japanese summer camp, Mori no Ike, im- odori. The fi nal slot was a concert given by the www.japandaynyc.org. merses children in the language and culture of Japan. It was very similar to teaching English in Japan: working with teachers, coming up with fun ideas for the students, and incorporating the culture into lessons. I spent ten summers there, eight of them as the dean.

As the dean of Concordia Language Villages, I had the great fortune of meeting students of Japanese. It was exciting to introduce the campers and staff to all things Japanese each summer, including food, festivals, traditions and the language itself. Over a dozen of them Stacy, JET alum Sachi Fujimori and Friend of JET Co-hosts Sandra Endo and Brian Nishii tell Kitty-chan have gone on to teach on JET, and a few of them Elena Togashi enjoy the sun and gyudon. that Sarah Jessica Parker’s got nothing on her. have married Japanese. 10 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine Fascinated with food, I trained as came to visit, and he also had a sliv- interested in fashion like a normal a chef at the French Culinary In- Nihonjin in NY: Beard er beard and always smoked a pipe. guy in Japan. Before I came here I stitute in 2001 and returned to To- Papa’s Masashi Wada dreamed that I could fi nd cool stuff kyo a year later to study Japanese By Janice Chow Very interesting, so Beard for better prices, however the real- food. I am currently a columnist for (Saitama-ken, 2005-06) Papa is a real man. What’s ity was totally different. All Ameri- Metropolis magazine in Tokyo and your favorite BP fl avor? can clothes I can easily fi nd here is contribute to several publications I personally like our caramel fl a- a totally different taste than mine, including Food & Wine. The aroma of creamy custard and vor—it tastes like custard pudding! and all European clothes are as- freshly baked puffs and the sight of The most popular fl avors in the tronomically expensive. So I didn’t I have lived a total of eight years Beard Papa staff in bright canary U.S. are chocolate custard cream as have a choice but to adapt my style in Tokyo and have held interesting yellow and blue uniforms behind well as our original vanilla fl avor. to be more American. In New York jobs including the sommelier at the a counter of irresistible pastries this is not a problem, but whenever Tokyo Park Hyatt and at Takashi- are welcome signs for any dessert So tell me, why did you come I visit Japan, all my friends call me maya’s depachika (department afi cionado. I often frequented the to New York? “dasai” (lame)! store basement) in Nihonbashi. Beard Papa at Shibuya Station, I was just tired of adapting to the While at Takashimaya I passed the one of the busiest areas in Tokyo. Japanese culture or common rule I know that saying, too! I used exam to become a shochu advisor, It has a culture all its own, from in Japan, and was looking for a to live in Saitama, and every- similar to a sommelier, but special- the “Papa” vernacular to the color- chance step away from a familiar one calls it dasai. Were there izing in shochu. ful assembly line of workers and place. I thought about either going any diffi culties in bringing BP the cult fl avors. JQ recently had to Tokyo or overseas. Fortunately, I to the U.S.? Last fall I married a Japanese fi sh- a chance to talk to Masashi Wada, had some savings and a friend who The labor issues in federal and monger, Shinji, whose company the man behind the delectable lived in New York, so I decided to state law are the most diffi cult also sells Japanese fi sh to restau- treat of Japan. come here without any plans. things to handle here. The quality rants in New York, and returned to and system of labor is still our big- Tokyo to write a book inspired by What is your title at Beard That’s quite a bold move. Did gest headache. In the U.S., all job my time at Takashimaya. The book, Papa? you encounter any diffi culties duties are systematic and employ- Food Sake Tokyo, will introduce Manager of operations and market- adapting to the U.S.? ees usually do not share positions. readers to the food culture of Ja- ing. The fi rst thing is the language! In Japan, all workers have to be pan, as well as direct them to shops familiar with all operations. For ex- throughout the city, especially ar- ample, a worker in Japan combines eas like Tsukiji Market and depa- food prep, assists and cleaning, but chika. At the moment, I conduct in the U.S., the cashier will only do culinary tours that demystify the the cashier’s position, etc. In the food culture of Japan. Popular des- end, this means that we have to tinations include, of course, Tsukiji, hire more people. depachika and Kappabashi. I also conduct hands-on cooking classes. Also, we often have to deal with is- sues regarding the quality of cus- JET alumni in New York are tomer service. As our company pol- spoiled with the many different icy, we must provide the same level ways to stay involved with Japa- of customer service as in Japan, but nese culture. There is now also a it’s very diffi cult to do here. In Ja- large Japanese culinary center in pan, we have almost the same cus- Midtown. For sake afi cionados Wada (rear left) with his Beard Papa colleagues. tomer service at McDonald’s as at there is SakayaNYC in the East Vil- a fi ne dining restaurant. But in the lage, a great sake shop. The owners, Where are you from in Japan? My brain is not young enough to U.S., we have to pay for customer Hiroko and Rick, do many tastings I was born in Gujo City, Gifu, and learn new words, and my tongue service as well. So some employees of jizake so you can taste before moved to Nagoya after I graduated is not long enough to roll up and are confused why we have to pro- you buy. A host of other places to from high school. Yes, I am a coun- pronounce some vowel sounds. I vide such a high standard of cus- enjoy include Chibi’s, Sakagura, En try boy! regret I didn’t study English more tomer service when we’re only sell- Japanese Brasserie and even a sho- when I was in high school [before ing less than two dollars of product. chu bar at Umi no Ie. Ramen, yaki- How long have you been in JET was more common in Japan]. tori and gyudon are also plentiful. New York? Because of my lack of English, I I see. So there’s a signifi cant There is even Beard Papa for their I have been here for almost seven spent twice the energy and time amount of training needed. choux creams and a bakery to get and a half years. spent in normal life—for example, Did you have to adapt the the thick sliced bread. opening a bank account or phone product when you brought BP How long has BP been in the line was torture for me. to the U.S.? My husband and I plan on return- U.S.? Yes, we did a lot of research and ing to the New York City area in Beard Papa has been in the U.S. Secondly, I’ve had some diffi culty testing to try to create products the fall. I hope to continue teaching since 2004, with its fi rst location with the physical differences be- especially for the U.S. However, at people about Japanese food and opening in New York’s Upper West tween Japanese people and every- some point we found out that there culture while my husband hopes Side on March 5 of that year. one here. My height is average in are no borders for taste. If we think to introduce people to the rich sea- Japan, but in New York it’s a totally it tastes good, the majority of our food culture of Japan. And I also How many BP stores are there different story. The position of the customers in the U.S. also feel the look forward to connecting with in the U.S.? toilet is too high for me and con- same, with the exception of some JET alumni in the city. Right now we have 31 stores in the certs are a nightmare. Sometimes, really Japanese tasty things like U.S. and four in Canada. I can only see waving heads during red beans, green tea, etc. Now our Visit Yukari’s “Food Lover’s Guide the entire show. goal is to provide exactly the same to Tokyo” blog at http://tokyo- Who is BP, anyway? products that are sold in Japan. We station-yukari.blogspot.com. That’s a good question! Beard Papa Lastly, the different opinion or try to serve the kind of desserts one For more information on Food is the grandfather of Mr. Hirota, sense toward fashion, especially for can enjoy at a depachika or food Sake Tokyo, her forthcoming book BP’s founder and the former CEO men, is a still tough for me. I am not court in Japan. to be published April 2010, visit of Muginoho Ltd. Mr. Hirota’s like the guys who wear cutting edge www.littlebookroom.com/ grandfather used to bring choux style and hang around Aoyama, For Beard Papa locations, visit foodsaketokyo.html. cream puffs to him every time he Tokyo or Horie, Osaka, but I am www.beardpapa.com. Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 11 I’d like to work in the studios there; I’d like to Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen be a producer there three months out of the year The JQ Interview with Japanese groups. I always wanted that op- By Justin Tedaldi portunity and never have had it…I used to study it, and it’s frustrating, because I wanted to be a (Kobe-shi, 2001-02) producer of new and talented Japanese groups Cover Photo by Danny Clinch because I like Japan so much.

There are some bands that achieve legendary Was that fascination or that respect for status in Japan, and Cheap Trick are a prime Japan there before you guys ever toured example. In 1978, the Rockford, Illinois-based there? Was it ever a dream of yours to group recorded a little album called At Budo- play there? kan for their Japanese fans, but something un- [At that time] I didn’t really know that much expected happened: the disc went viral as an about it. I mean, we had fan mail, little draw- import, becoming one of the most beloved live ings of ourselves, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t re- albums of all time and cementing the reputa- ally know. tion of Tokyo’s Budokan as Japan’s top rock venue. Now in their 35th year, Cheap Trick re- I think it’s like that for a lot of groups. cently released a new album called The Latest. Yeah, I love it there. Love the people, love the JQ said “hello there” to guitarist Rick Nielsen, culture, love the food, love how clean it is. Just the man who penned such classics as “I Want loved it a lot. Plus, [the Japanese] studied our You to Want Me” and “Surrender” and can be music; they studied our group. Fantastic. heard shredding that familiar theme to The Colbert Report. Here’s what he had to say. What’s the weirdest food you ever ate in Japan? I want to start with a serious question: I ate fugu with [legendary Japanese concert Have you ever been photographed with- promoter] Mr. Udo, and that was just weird be- out a cap? cause they told us it was poisoned…and I never Ehh…[long pause] not recently. liked uni. I thought it was horrible! Rick Nielsen onstage at Budokan, 2008. (Mike Graham) I bet you could get some good money You ever try nattou? if someone had a good photograph of lowed to come in, watch you guys give an I think I’ve had that, too. You know, I like the that—I’ve never seen it. interview and also see an impromptu acous- chicken restaurants, where everything’s chick- Ahh, who cares? [laughs] tic performance. How many people actually en. And I like to go to the places where every- showed up with those stubs? thing’s made with bacon. [laughs] Bacon makes Regarding your fi rst tour of Japan, how All I know is the room was full, so I’m not sure what everything tastes good. many shows total did you do there in ad- the number was. We had a good show; it was fun dition to the two Budokan shows that you to have that many people who still had their tickets Bacon-wrapped chicken. You guys tour a played? and still wanted to go see Cheap Trick. lot. On average, how many gigs per year? The very fi rst trip, we played all over the place. At least 200-something. We played Fukuoka, Shizuoka…we were there That Budokan show sold out in minutes. Is almost two weeks. there going to be a full DVD or audio record- What is it that keeps you out on the road ing of that concert planned any time soon? consistently like that? You play in Kobe, too? That’s where I That, I don’t know…maybe we’ll wait another 30 We get asked. This is what we do for a living. used to live. years. [laughs] I mean, we’re either recording or performing. We were there two tours ago, I think. Love it. We’ve never been the band that goes out and, Like all Japan, I love it. Ever since I’ve been Speaking of how long you guys have been you know, makes the most money; it’s never there—’78 was the fi rst time. around, the Silver album celebrated your about that. If you notice, we don’t play just big 25th anniversary, and now you’re looking at places, we play to small places—we play to every Do you have any specifi c memories of 35 with The Latest coming out. Is it safe to kind of place. the shows that you did before Budokan say that you guys will be around for another on that tour? Anything notably differ- 15 years so you can go for the Gold? You guys have such a joy of playing. Why ent in terms of the performances or the Why not? I guess, because we never thought about do you think Cheap Trick deservedly has crowds? it. We enjoy playing. You know, I always wanted to a reputation as one of the best live bands Not the performances so much, we were just go- be a musician; I always wanted to play…nothing has out there? ing out from city to city, [but] there was noth- changed. [We] treat every show like it’s very important. ing in English anyplace way back—that was 30 They’re all important. years ago—obviously, the street signs are Japa- What kind of jobs did you have before you nese and there’s always some English, at least in were a full-time musician? You’ve been do- After 35 years, to still be around and Tokyo itself, but back then there was no English ing this for a long time. loved and respected all over the world, at all, so it was really diffi cult to—not that we The only job I ever had was—I was a musician, but it’s something that not a lot of bands get went to that many places, but it was diffi cult to we weren’t playing much. I lived in Philadelphia, the opportunity to have. know anything at all that we could recognize. I and I went from being a busboy to a bartender in Or deserve. mean, we were the only gaijin there back then three months. in ’78, you know. We were gaijin for sure. But Let’s talk about the new album. It seems now you go there and it’s, like, you think some- Is that where you got your theatrical fl air that there are a lot of things about it that body’s from the United States and they can be from? kind of go back to the beginning of Cheap from Russia or New Zealand or Australia or Well…[pause] nah. Everything I brought, whatever Trick’s career. Is this something that you wherever, England—I mean, there weren’t that I had, was from being a musician and wanting to be thought about while you were recording many foreigners there. a musician. it? Well, we are what we are. It’s not like we had to When Cheap Trick played at Budokan Going back to Japan, let’s say that you had reinvent ourselves, so we just stuck with what again last year, there was a special press a full week there to do whatever you want. we know. So, the elements came together as event where the people who kept their What would you do, or what places would they are. It’s not like something we planned—I original Budokan ticket stubs were al- you visit? mean, music can just take you where it wants, 12 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine not where you want it to go, and that’s if you do Lighthouse. In New York, I would say Japion it honestly. JU.S. FrontLine’s Ken Haraguchi and Shūkan NY Seikatsu (Weekly Japan Life).” on NY’s Japanese Newspapers How ironic is it to call a new album also Looking back at the long history of Japanese By Junko Ishikawa released on 8-track The Latest, and newspapers in the U.S. and his own, Haraguchi whose idea was it to do that? (Contributing Writer) sees the biggest change in Japanese newspa- I don’t know [laughs]....Just straight left and pers and the market trends as follows: “In the right is fi ne. It was the summer of 1998 when Ken Haragu- past, it was the norm that Japanese newspapers chi fi rst came to New York as a political report- were sold, unlike now. About 12 years ago, U.S. People lose sight of that; they get caught er in Washington, D.C. for a small Japanese FrontLine became a free newspaper pressured up in the technology sometimes. newspaper company that distributed political by market trends, which became the emergence Yeah, with technology sometimes you can sound news and articles. After three years there, he of ‘free newspapers.’ worse. The iPods and MP3s and all that stuff. moved here to work for U.S. FrontLine, the You’re losing a lot and you don’t really notice it. biweekly national Japanese newspaper, after “Three or four years after our decision to go fi nding out that his previous company was not free, Japion came out in the New York news- On the From Tokyo to You DVD, you say interested in expanding its operation through paper market. The amount of the impact that at one point, “It’s been so long since I told buying another political newspaper. At that Japion has brought into the Japanese newspa- the truth I can’t remember what’s real time, he was an editor-in-chief looking for the per market was enormous, I believe. Japion is a and what’s not.” Why? next step, such as establishing his own publish- weekly newspaper, and U.S. FrontLine was also Well…[long pause] I can’t remember. [laughs] ing company. After having applied to an edito- forced to be a weekly paper once, pressured to rial position at U.S. FrontLine, he successfully compete with Japion. Recently, however, we The [1990 music video compilation] Ev- passed the interview and came to New York, went back to publishing biweekly.” ery Trick in the Book DVD is fi nally out where he still lives today. in July… Regarding earlier days, he said that “Japion Is it? was using content taken from Japanese nation- al newspapers or from news agencies in Japan. Any idea what took so long? In recent years, however, they are cultivating I have no idea. I didn’t even know it was coming their own content, focusing on local topics, out, so there you go. Japanese food, health and travel that appeal to a wide range of readers. I think that they are So it looks like you’ll have two things to becoming a genuine newspaper that consists of promote on your summer tour. original content and in-depth information. Yeah! “They have been nurturing local advertising Any plans to have a The Latest guitar cre- in ways that we or Yomiuri America couldn’t ated especially for this tour and album? reach. They discovered the opportunity to fund I don’t think I should, but I don’t have a plan themselves by advertising local bars and res- right now for it. taurants. We, as a national newspaper, never thought of this type of viewpoint. These papers The song “High Priest of Rhythmic Noise” don’t usually advertise restaurants, bars, or any [from 1980’s All Shook Up] is legendary fi rm that exists in a specifi c local market.” for not having the complete lyrics posted anywhere online. Can I get any help on Haraguchi believes that there is a big difference the third verse? between Japanese newspapers and American [After listening to it twice] Ahh, I can’t remem- newspapers in the way their contents are listed. ber. I’d have to look at it closer, but you’re right, In the case of Japanese newspapers, they tend it’s been too long since the truth came out. I’ll Haraguchi noted that the biggest strength and to list nationally appealing news content. How- fi gure it out for you one of these days. difference of U.S. FrontLine from other Japa- ever, American newspapers tend to stick to lo- nese newspapers in the U.S. is its original in- cal news and do not cover international news Yeah, they’ve gotta go up somewhere. vestigative style of reporting. Other Japanese as much as Japanese newspapers. Another dif- But not today. newspapers often purchase their content from ference is that American newspapers tend to other news organizations and just run it with attach their own commentary along with news Special thanks to Ben-David Fenwick for me- their own stories. For U.S. FrontLine, each and public announcements, while Japanese dia assistance. Catch Cheap Trick on tour with writer bases their articles on their own report- newspapers merely list news announcements Poison and Def Leppard through September. ing. sans additional commentary. For audio clips, videos and more on The Latest, visit www.cheaptrick.com. According to Haraguchi, when he fi rst came to Haraguchi also said that American newspapers New York there were only three newspapers tend to work on many investigative reporting published here in Japanese (of which today articles, the length of them sometimes shock- there are 17 newspapers and weekly newslet- ing to Japanese newspaper reporters. This ters). They were Yomiuri America, OCS and may be a result of the different systems of U.S. FrontLine. “press clubs” between Japan and the U.S. In the U.S, the prime newspapers like the New When asked about his newspaper’s competi- York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall tors, he said, “Until Yomiuri America discon- Street Journal are treated differently from tinued its service, the only national newspa- others, and they might have special access to pers were [OCS] and us. But now that Yomiuri a news source that most of their counterparts America is gone, U.S. FrontLine is the only na- would have trouble accessing. tionally published Japanese newspaper. This system is known as the so-called “inner “What this means is that we have many com- circle,” and it exists in the Japanese media petitors in various local markets. In New York world as well to a certain extent. “I think that in and L.A., there are many local newspapers. the U.S., interviewee organizations such as the Speaking of the L.A. market, I would say our government are pretty used to using media ef- biggest competitor there is a tabloid called fectively, and the inner circle may [Cont. on 19] Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 13 JETAActivities & Events

JET Pre-departure Seminar at Nippon Club, 6/20

Remarks by Hiroshi Sasaki, JLGC (CLAIR NY).

The last ones to leave the party at the JETAANY quarterly meeting at A Café. From left: Glen Milan, Monica Yuki, Stacy Smith, Kirsten Phillips, Rick Ambrosio, Shree Kurlekar, Megan Miller, Kat Barnas and Justin Tedaldi.

Keynote speech by Randall David Cook.

JETAANY Secretary Amber Liang (third from left) with new and less-new JETs at Urasenke Chanoyu Center.

ALT Job Skills workshop by Porsha Childs.

Roland Kelts interviews Hayao Miyazaki, UC Berkeley. Amber, Anton, John, Lily and Carleen at Grimaldi’s.

The JETAANY table at Studio Square Beer Garden. Tommy Zhou (right) gives advice to a new JET. Money Management workshop by Anton Phung.

14 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine JET Farewell Reception, July 24

Ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya addresses the attendees.

Ambassador Nishimiya, Madam Yukiko Nishimiya, Megan Miller and Matthew Wypycha.

JETAANY President Megan Miller making her remarks.

From left: Former JETAANY President Jennifer Olayon, President Motoatsu Sakurai of Japan Society, Matthew Wypycha speaking on behalf of the new JETs. Lisa Birzen (JETAA) and Megan Miller.

Justin Tedaldi, Ambassador Nishimiya and Adren Hart. Alums Kia Cheleen and Nicole Bongiorno swap meishi. Country Rep Shree Kurlekar and Madam Nishimiya.

Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 15 Maid in America Cosplay Singer Reni By Adren Hart (Nagano-ken, 1998-2000)

New York’s Javits Center will host a horde of animation fans for the New York Anime Fest from Sep- tember 25-27, and the annual event is more than just a chance to check out the latest comics or manga-related products. Increas- ingly, cosplay, or Japanese-style costume play, has become a big part of the experience. It’s a chance They taught me how beautiful it is and J-pop, cosplay and unique for people young and old from all to dedicate my life to fulfi llment dances and games from Akihabara. walks of life to don elaborate cos- and to always grow on a personal I would like to offer the most fun tumes and become their favor- level by encountering different and authentic Japanese pop expe- ite anime character or persona. types of people. rience you can have without ever JQ talked with Japanese maid having to travel to Tokyo that can cosplayer and recent New York Akihabara and Harajuku appeal to everyone. We started it transplant Reni Mimura for more are two places in Tokyo well- back in February, and after that I Reni onstage at Japan Society. (Hiro) on this evolving performance art. known for their cosplay was invited to perform at Japan So- scenes. Describe the differ- ciety in March, so the show is get- infl uential for you? From what I can tell, cosplay ence between the two. ting more attention. Alanis Morissette—very soulful is more than just putting on a Akihabara is a Mecca of anime and performance. I realized to sing costume. It seems as though otaku culture which clearly express What’s the difference between freely by her performance. one also puts on a different what men want to see in women. Japanese crowds and Ameri- persona. Tell us about Reni. The culture allows men to platoni- can crowds? Who’s your favorite J-pop art- Who is she and what are her cally fi ll their imaginations with a Direct communication. People ist? likes and dislikes? sense of healing and for women to cheer very much if they like it. They Me! Reni is an ordinary girl who likes to express without shyness a feminine sometimes give me hugs and stand- be loved and needed by everybody. and girlish side of them based on ing ovations. It’s much easier to see What do you think about the That is why Reni cosplays in many men’s imagination. what people like or dislike here future of anime and Japanese different ways and draws atten- than in Japan. I am sometimes pop culture in America? tion with adorable costumes and Harajuku is more unisex and about deeply touched by those reactions. Anime as a medium has introduced pretty staging from all generations. fashion. Harajuku, whether it’s be- many Japanese cultural values Reni likes to have fun with every- side or adding to mainstream fash- You’re going to perform at the and historical background to other body. Reni does not like excluding ion, has its own unique young fash- New York Anime Fest in Sep- countries. Asia, South America, any particular person. Reni loves ion trends, which often interact tember. Will this be your fi rst Europe and especially France are peace and strawberry shortcake with Akihabara culture. Because time? What are you expect- full of anime fans. and hates war, which separates fans of Harajuku fashion are usu- ing? loved ones, and injections, because ally young people, the fashion has This is my fi rst time, and I’m hon- And generations who grew up with they’re painful. a very free, new and imaginative ored to be invited and to perform Japanese anime are reaching the side. The similarities of these two at a event which is expecting more age of socially infl uential, impor- Does Reni have a special mis- cities are forever 16, sometimes de- than 20,000 people in attendance! tant roles in the U.S. I believe we sion here in New York? What scribed as Lolita. I’m so excited to perform and will have more space for anime to grow is the special power that will also be at an artist table to meet in America, and the Internet soci- help her complete the mis- Is Reni more Akihabara or with fans in during the three-day ety makes it even easier. sion? Harajuku? event, so I’m looking forward to I would like to be an idol singer I like cosplay and cuteness, so I like seeing many people. If you see What’s Reni’s message to who is loved by everybody. I will both cities. I have a lot of clothes bunny ears, talk to me and tell me readers of JQ? put everything on the line, so I need from both cities. you read JQ! A life that’s too convenient leads us your lovely support to become the to confusion and nihilism. That’s a real idol. Ability, feeling, strategy, Describe cosplay in New York. How did you get into singing? big issue that many Japanese are force and energy to sustain these What surprised you the most? Since my father is an entertainer, I now facing, and Akihabara culture factors are the things, I feel, I need People here cosplay with confi - was deeply into singing and danc- has come in to rescue us from this to become an idol singer. dence, and completely become the ing from an early age. I began situation. Since the urban lifestyle characters they want to be. Japa- formal ballet training at the age is not much different in the U.S. or What was the inspiration be- nese people are shy in general, so of seven, and studied all kinds of Japan compared to 100 years ago, I hind your cosplay character that surprised me the most. But dancing ranging from jazz and hip- thought there might be people who Reni? what they feel about cosplay is hop to Nihon Buyo, or traditional become interested in what I am The recession, that’s it. I would like pretty similar—wanting to become Japanese dance. pursuing. Please come to see my to represent healing. Now is the different, unusual and outside the performance and enjoy the show of time to recognize spiritual wealth. routine of daily life. Later on, I joined the well-known idol Reni! This is the time for spiritual devel- Japanese company Seinenza, in opment advancing one step higher. Tell us about “Reni’s Japa- which I both performed and di- Reni will be performing at Top nese ‘Maid’ Karaoke Cosplay rected. In 2005, I auditioned for Tunes Karaoke Bar at 303-305 What anime infl uenced you Show.” and won a major music contest in East 53rd Street on September 6. growing up? Reni’s Japanese “Maid” Show is ba- Tokyo, and released my fi rst CD in Visit www.renireni.com for Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind sically a monthly show which peo- 2006, which is available in Japan. more details. Translation and me- and My Neighbor Totoro produced ple enjoy my original songs along dia assistance by Satoshi Yoshimu- by Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli. with Japanese songs from anime What singers have been most ra of Aspire Communications Inc. 16 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine The History of JETAANY’s Like Japanese Girls? Webmaster Then You Need This Book By Shree Kurlekar By Rick Ambrosio (Shiga-ken, 2005-07) (Ibaraki-ken, 2006-08)

Since the fall of 2006, Lee-Sean Huang (Oita- There I was again, outside my apartment, in ken, 2003-06) has served as the Webmaster the car with Hitomi. Again, at this awkward for JETAANY, revamping our site and making moment where we both fi dget and she puts the it one of the best and most user friendly across Toni Braxton CD in. This is, of course, over a the global JET network. year ago, back in Japan. Even after living in Ja- pan for a year and a half, I still had moments Born in Taiwan, Lee-Sean spent most of his for- like this; social impasses as I liked to call them. mative life in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona. We both didn’t know what to say, or what to do. At age 18, he fl ed to the East Coast to the south Well, in reality, I didn’t know what to say or do. of Boston, attending the prestigious Harvard This was before I understood what “nan demo University. At Harvard, he studied abroad in ii” really meant, before I could fully understand multiple countries, a prelude to what was to all the silent cues. This was before I read David come upon graduation. He spent time at the J. Radtke’s Understanding Japanese Women. University of Barcelona, the Sorbonne in Paris and Lund University in Sweden. I know, I know, you’re thinking, “oh no, not another pick-up line book. Not another cheesy Having taken Japanese all through college, Lee- how-to.” It’s what I feared before I started read- Sean knew that he wanted to live in Japan, and, JETAANY Web guru Lee-Sean Huang. ing it, too. However, I was delightfully surprised much like the majority of the JET population, sentation skills: “Hey, if you can ‘perform’ as that the e-book was instead full of very useful with no clear idea of what he wanted to do in an ESL teacher in front of a bunch of Japanese tips for interacting with Japanese women. No the “long-term career” department, decided to chuugakusei, you can pretty much do anything pick-ups or tricks, just a lot of hard-won infor- apply to the JET Programme. in front of any audience.”

Lee-Sean spent three years on JET as an ALT in Though he doesn’t use it much now, Lee-Sean Oita-ken, Nakatsu-shi on Kyushu. The memo- also credits JET with increasing his knowledge ries that still linger in his heart the strongest are in Japanese and enriching his life with the of the onsen and the monkeys. (Oh, and going to cultural experience and knowledge he gained the Naked Man festival…) there. The most direct relation, however, was being able to write “international experience” Relocating to New York after his stint in Japan, on his applications to international non-profi ts Lee-Sean has been living almost exclusively in and non-governmental organizations. lower Manhattan. Though he ventures north and to the other boroughs regularly, he has only In the near future, Lee-Sean plans on fi nishing lived in Tribeca and the Financial District. How- up his last year of grad school, which means the ever, this summer he left the city to take part next year will be spent solidly on his thesis. He in an internship at Creative Commons in San would also love to live abroad again sometime, Francisco (www.creativecommons.org). maybe somewhere in Europe or Southeast Asia, with Thailand or Singapore as frontrunners. His offi cial title there is “International Out- He’s open to lots of different possibilities after reach Intern,” and he’s currently working on a he graduates and is even considering a trip back wiki-based community site called OpenEd that to Nippon. is currently in beta. It aims to be a portal site to promote open educational resources, which In the long term, Lee-Sean would love to grow encompasses everything from lesson plans to his freelance work into some sort of sustainable JET alum/Japanese women hakase David Radtke. worksheets to multimedia assets. Since the JET full-time business doing consulting, strategy mation from a lot of trial and error. Also, the community already does a lot of sharing of this and media/Web production for non-profi ts and mystifying question, “why do I see so many at- kind, he defi nitely recommends checking them social causes, or do that and teach part-time tractive Japanese girls with super-dorky West- out at http://opened.creativecommons. somewhere. ern guys?” was fi nally answered! org/Main_Page. He can see himself teaching media studies and Radtke graduated from Detroit’s Wayne State This internship is in conjunction with his cur- production at a high school or college. He also University in 1995 and was a JET in Shiga pre- rent pursuit of a master’s degree in interactive wants to further develop his art and musical fecture from 1995-98. While there, like many telecommunications at New York University. projects, including the band and multimedia other JET males before and after him, he did It’s an interdisciplinary program that deals with production company he created with a friend: some dating and eventually settled down, mar- the convergence of art, technology, design and Hepnova Multimedia, which he describes as “a ried and had two genki kids. After a few years how they interact with people and society. genre-defying music collective, multimedia pro- of marriage, he began a Web site for other for- duction company and modern lifestyle brand.” eigners trying to understand Japanese women. Before committing himself to academia again, It was here that he began doling out the wisdom Lee-Sean used to work in the non-profi t sector In the precious spare time he does have, you he and others had gained from years of dating in tech and media, doing things like making might catch Lee-Sean on the waterfront in and marriage to help Westerners dealing with Web sites and producing videos for non-profi t Battery Park City in warm weather. You might the confusion and frustration that one often organizations. also see him at St. Mark’s for his Japan fi xes, encounters when dating women from another especially his favorite food: any kind of Asian culture. When asked how his current career relates to noodles. his experience on the JET Programme, Lee- “In the beginning there were only about 15 ar- Sean was quick to point out that JET defi nitely Visit Lee-Sean’s homepage at ticles, and yet I began to receive e-mails from helped him with his public speaking and pre- http://leesean.net. quite a few Western men, and even some Japa-

Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 17 nese women, about the content,” David said. Japanese men and women. It’s these cultural would certainly ease grassroots international “Each e-mail contained a battery of questions insights from the book that are invaluable, and relations and allow clearer perceptions of each that the Web site had yet to cover. Many of frankly, I wish I had known about before I went other’s culture. the same questions kept popping up, but ques- to Japan. The e-book takes situations that have tions about problems that I had yet to experi- left many a Western man furrowing their brow, I bet you’re still wondering, “What about the ence were also included.” Thus began David’s breaks it down, explains the cultural signifi - geeky guys and the cute girls!?” Well, I suppose research. cance from both the male and female perspec- I could tell you, but I fi gure you’ll just have to tive, and then suggests a thought-out way to read the book to fi nd out. (I can’t spoil every- Using Craigslist to swap questions from men deal with the situation. thing!) As for me, armed with all this new and across the globe and conducting interviews with useful information, it’s about time I give Hikki Japanese men and women of all ages and sta- David isn’t done, though. “Right now I’m doing Utada another call. tions, David began to piece together the main the research for a second book on relationships cultural roadblocks that existed not only for with Japanese women [provisionally] called David Radtke presently lives in Shiga and is many Western men dating Japanese women, UJW - Marriage and Beyond.” His next e-book working on his second e-book. His current pub- but also the issues and viewpoints of Japanese will cover the adjustments one needs to make lication is available online through his Web site men as well. “The more I talked with Japanese when in an interracial marriage, from dealing at www.japandatingtips.com. people, the more I found the same answers pop- with communication issues and raising bilin- ping up,” David said. “There was consistency. gual children to in-laws and divorce. There was stability in the advice they gave me. And that was what I wanted—solid, reliable ad- Maybe it’s too late for me since I’m back from vice to solve the problems Western men were Japan now, and those awkward silences in the having in relationships with Japanese women.” parking lot with Hitomi are long gone, but Un- derstanding Japanese Women gave me some The book tackles an assortment of issues from nostalgic fl ashbacks as well as a bunch of “ohh, multiple angles, one of which I found interest- so that’s why!” moments. The e-book puts into ing was confi dence. This section of the book writing many abstract concepts I tried explain- contained some guidance I felt would be found ing to my Western friends in America about in other advice books; how to gain confi dence dating in Japan. Many embarrassing situations and why it’s important. Unlike other books, he could have been easier navigated had I read the then builds upon that by helping us understand book years ago. If I were in charge of JET (read: the concept of confi dence through the Japanese probably not a good idea) I’d think about make lens, and how it’s displayed and perceived by it a required reading for single male JETs. It

for science and his determination to help others ing American friend who accompanied me, as Theatre Review: Takamine is the driving force throughout his career and the play was entirely in Japanese. There were Jokichi, Science’s Samurai life. His discovery of Takadiastase (an enzyme English subtitles on a screen high above the By Anne Koller used in the distilling process) while working at a stage that were hard to read in the front row; whiskey company, and adrenalin, which he dis- however, the acting was so rich and refi ned that (Fukuoka-ken, 2002-04) the subtitles were only used sparingly and not depended on to understand what was happen- On April 10, I had the pleasure of attending the ing. In fact, my companion kept leaning over to U.S. premiere of Samurai Takamine Jokichi at ask me, “are you sure this is a true story?” the Kay Playhouse at Hunter College. Produced by Toshi Hirano of TKO Entertainment for a The scenery and costumes were not overdone two-night run in Manhattan, the play tells the but suffi cient enough to let you know where you life story of Takamine Jokichi (1854-1922), one were and what time period you were in. The play of the most respected chemists of the 20th cen- takes you through Kanazawa, Nagasaki, New tury. The play was the fi rst attempt at portray- Orleans and New York over a 30-year period ing Takamine’s life to Japanese and American which would have been diffi cult for any produc- audiences and I suspect we will see many more er to portray. The costumes, background, props productions in the future. and music provide important pieces to under- standing Takamine’s life. The use of jazz and the Less known today, Takamine was one of the Charleston let you know you are in New Orleans fi rst people to bring cherry blossoms to New where he fi rst experiences American culture and York. He also established the Nippon Club and meets the Hitch family, whose daughter Caro- was a cofounder of Japan Society. Because of line later became his wife. The traditional kimo- the relevance of the U.S. and, most important- no and samurai garbs put you in the middle of ly, New York, in Takamine’s life, Hirano dili- feudal Japan in Kanazawa and Nagasaki where gently pushed for the play to be performed in he grew up and later started a brewing factory. New York. Takamine lived during the Meiji era, when Japan was rapidly transforming from a As a whole, the play was entertaining. Because feudalistic to an industrialized society. The play it was the fi rst production to portray the life provides a showcase of Takamine’s dedication Offi cial program of Samurai Takamine Jokichi. (TKO) of Takamine, it had the advantage of mesmer- to being a hero for Japan through science, and izing the audience with a forgotten story of an in turn, opening Japan to the Western world. covers after 15 years of testing, are testaments important man in history despite having a small to why he is considered the Japanese father of cast and production. Hirano’s play passionately I was brought into the life of Takamine right American biotechnology. You become his advo- interweaves Takamine’s samurai spirit into the from the very beginning of the play. When cate as soon as he steps on stage and the feeling story and you feel as if you are a direct witness Takamine encounters a samurai early on in his grows stronger with every new hurdle he faces. to history. life, he is inspired to become a strong force in and for Japan. With each passing scene, writer- Prior to attending the play, I avoided research- For more on the play, visit TKO Entertain- director Yoshimasa Shinagawa involves you in ing Takamine or his life to determine whether ment’s homepage at Takamine’s life and encourages the audience to the play was compelling and comprehensive. I www.tkonyc.us/pages_English/en_ draw out their own “samurai spirit.” His passion was a bit worried for my non-Japanese speak- takamine.html. 18 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine Film Review: One Times Three Makes Tokyo! By David Kowalsky (Hiroshima-ken ALT/CIR, 1991-93)

After watching Departures (see Lyle Sylvander’s review in JQ’s spring 2009 issue) and Tokyo Sonata, two fi lms by Japanese directors, I recently went in an entirely dif- ferent direction by viewing Tokyo! Released on DVD in June, Tokyo! is actually made up of three short fi lms from three different directors: two French (Michel Gondry and Leos Carax) and one Korean (Bong Joon- ho).

The opening short, “Interior De- sign,” directed by Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), is based on the title story from Gabri- elle Bell’s graphic novel Cecil and Merde (Denis Lavant) apparently gets the JET superstar treatment in a scene from Tokyo! (Liberation Entertainment) Jordan in New York. The short nomenon of mostly Japanese young For those who enjoy extras, Libera- [Cont. from 13] be well utilized for chronicles the ups and downs of the adults who willingly choose to stay tion Entertainment’s Tokyo! DVD their PR purposes,” he said. fi rst week or so of a young Japanese in a room and have no or very lim- and Blu-ray include short segments couple moving to Tokyo. Akira (Ryo ited contact with others for many on the making of each fi lm and di- Finally, Haraguchi predicts the fu- Kase), a not-so-established fi lm- years. What is a normally routine, rector interviews. The making of ture of newspapers to be completely maker, is the one with something home weekly pizza delivery abruptly “Interior Design” is hands down the unique in a format that we’ve never resembling a career, but Hiroko changes everything for this man as best of the bunch with surprisingly seen before. (Ayako Fujitani) is clearly in charge the almost simultaneous combina- introspective comments from the of almost everything: their money, tion of an earthquake and real eye cast about working on the fi lm. “While many newspaper companies car, and also has a friend who pro- contact with the pizza delivery girl [responsible for] major ones such as vides them with a place to stay while yields a love at fi rst sight experience. Special thanks to Aaron Madden at the Chicago Tribune and the Seattle they look for their own apartment. Liberation Entertainment for pho- Post Intelligence have switched plat- It’s not long (after all, this is a short) Wandering around the neighbor- tos and media assistance. For more forms from print-based news to the before Hiroko clearly becomes “lost” hoods of Tokyo in a desperate at- on Tokyo!, visit Web, we can never totally forecast and her world falls apart. Without tempt to fi nd this girl, what stands www.tokyothemovie.com. that print-based news will cease to giving away too much of the plot, I out is a city of millions that can be exist. There may be a possibility that will say there is a Kafkaesque plot so crowded, yet feel so empty. While all the breaking news-type of con- twist by the end. hikikomori is reported as being so tent or immediate announcements uniquely “Japanese,” a case could be will be handled by news agencies The middle short, “Merde,” di- made for this being actually the least such as AP and Jiji Press, while clas- rected by Carax (The Lovers on the “Japanese” of the three shorts, since sifi eds, commentaries and essay- Bridge), is about a very odd half- this is really a tale of two people type content will become major con- human foreigner (Denis Lavant) making a romantic connection after tent in print. who unexpectedly surfaces from the coming out of their comfort zones. bowels of Tokyo to fi rst terrorize and “Reporters working for newspaper eventually kill some of the otherwise The three shorts as a whole, beyond companies may start specializing orderly and, of course, innocent all showing people living in Tokyo in local news only. Or, there may Japanese citizens of your average through the eyes of foreign direc- be newspaper companies that com- shopping/business district. After tors, may at fi rst seem completely pletely transfer their services to new being incarcerated, a French lawyer unrelated. But a common theme technology devices. We never know turns out to be the only one who can does emerge after giving it some what the future of the news market communicate with the man called thought: the challenges of fi tting in will bring to us.” the “creature from the sewers,” but and dealing with being accepted by in an incomprehensible language Japanese society. Visit U.S. FrontLine online at to the rest of the world. The tone is www.usfl .com. (Japanese) an identifi able spoof of the Godzil- In “Interior Design,” when we fi rst la fi lms, and at times this short is meet Hiroko, she appears to be fi ne, comical, but it still manages to also but we soon learn that she can’t cope be viewed as a much more serious with change. At least the resolution cautionary critique of a nation’s sup- of her situation, despite being so pressed historical memory. strange, does appear to be a happy one. “Merde” and “Shaking Tokyo” The fi nal short, “Shaking Tokyo,” are both about loners, one living un- directed by Bong Joon-ho (The derground (who was perhaps once a Host), is a look into the hauntingly gainfully employed foreign worker lonely world of a man (Teruyuki in Japan?), and one living in a house Kagawa) who is a hikikomori (see alone for the last ten years. Both are this author’s JQ review of Shutting complete outcasts in Japan. Both re- Out the Sun here): that bizarre phe- ject conventional human behavior. Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 19 As opposed to the introverted and studious Ibu- Betamax technology, consumers preferred the Book Corner: The Story Behind ka, Morita was an extroverted charmer, a rela- longer running time of VHS, and by 1985 Sony Japan’s Most Iconic Brand tively rare quality for a Japanese businessman. was forced to abandon Betamax and manufac- By Lyle Sylvander He not only negotiated the transistor license ture VHS machines and tapes as well. Morita re- (Yokohama-shi, 2001-02) with Bell Laboratories, but set up the Sony alized that Sony would have had more leverage America subsidiary and its respective distribu- in the Betamax case if it had owned a studio and In 1996, UC Santa Barbara Professor John Na- tors and retailers. The transistor story repeated thus attain standards-adopting power—note the than was given offi cial access to Sony Corp.’s itself when Morita negotiated the license for a later success of Sony’s Blu-ray disc technology. top executives and historical archives to write color picture tube that was used in the Trini- the fi rst book-length history of the company. tron, the world’s best-selling television set in Nathan also details the drama behind Sony’s in- Given free reign, Nathan constructed his nar- the 1960s through the 1970s. ternational dealings, particularly emphasizing rative without corporate interference and the the antithetical business culture between Japan immensely informative and entertaining result Morita also had the prescience to recognize the and the United States. The most salient charac- was published in 1999 as Sony: The Private importance of the content side of the media teristic involves the more direct and confronta- Life. equation. In the late 1960s, he formed a joint tional nature of American business, particularly venture with CBS Records to service the Japa- the threat of litigation. In order to navigate the From its humble beginnings as a radio repair nese marketplace, a deal which eventually lead “shark-infested waters” of American deal mak- shop and maker of electronic rice cookers to its to the outright purchase of the American record ing, Morita and Ibuka relied on two “adopted current status as a global electronics brand and company from CBS Inc. in 1988. The company sons”: Pete Peterson, an investment banker and entertainment conglomerate, the Sony experi- was renamed as Sony Music and boasted a cata- founder of the Blackstone Group, and Edward ence is one of the great success stories of post- log of the world’s most successful recording art- Rosiny, a corporate lawyer. war Japan. The company’s trajectory paralleled ists, including Michael Jackson and Billy Joel. and epitomized that of Japan itself as both com- Two years later, Sony became the fi rst foreign From the American perspective, the Japanese pany and nation rose from the ashes of war and company to own a Hollywood movie studio decision making process was relatively slow became global powerhouses. But as Nathan’s when it bought Columbia/Tri-Star Pictures, and relied on building consensus before taking subtitle suggests, the book recounts this epic which not only made feature fi lms but televi- action, a trait which caused friction among the tale largely at the human level by focusing on sion programs as well and supplied a lucrative executives from both countries. Most entertain- the personalities at the heart of the company. programming library. ing is the story of Peter Guber and John Peters, In fact, Sony: The Private Life reads more like a who were hired to run Columbia Pictures and family saga akin to a novel than a corporate his- whose impulsive management style, irrespon- tory. This stems from Nathan’s background as sible even by Hollywood standards, resulted in a professor of Japanese literature and culture. a $2.7 billion write-off.

Speaking the language as well as any gaijin pos- The book ends on a positive note as Columbia sibly can (he has an MA from Tokyo University), Pictures manages to turn itself around into prof- Nathan understands the intricacies and subtle- itability, the VAIO computer is launched and ties of Japanese discourse, providing a valuable Sony’s PlayStation game console overtakes Nin- insight into the company’s decision-making tendo’s lead in market share. Nobuyuki Idei, the process. While Sony’s business dealings and then-current CEO, established a new business strategizing through the years are fascinating, it model, an ambitious plan to “synergize” the is this unique vantage point that makes Sony: core electronics and entertainment businesses The Private Life such a rewarding read. with a new network services business. While Idei correctly saw the future of digital distribu- The two patriarchs of the Sony family are Ma- tion networks, his vision has not been fulfi lled. sura Ibuka, the pragmatic engineer, and Akio Morita, the master marketer and salesman. The Unfortunately, Sony has stumbled since the talents of these two complemented each other book was published, most notably in the advent and drove the company’s growth over the years of the MP3 player, where Apple’s iPod has been as the Sony brand epitomized both technologi- an enormous success. Indeed, Nathan’s book cal and marketing ingenuity. From the begin- deserves to have an update as a lot has hap- ning, Ibuka introduced the standards of scien- pened in the last decade, including Sony’s en- tifi c methodology to the company’s research try into the mobile phone market, Sony Music’s and development department, which attracted A third player in Sony’s history is Norio Ohga, merger with BMG (and subsequent purchase of Japan’s best engineering graduates. who brought a unique background as a classi- Bertelsmann’s 50% stake in 2008), the Sony-led cally trained musician and electrical engineer to consortium to buy a second Hollywood studio Its fi rst noticeable success was high quality the company. As the head of industrial design, (MGM-United Artists), and most notably, the magnetic tape, the proceeds of which fi nanced product planning and business strategy, Ohga appointment of Sony’s fi rst foreign CEO, Sir research into transistor technology. While the launched Sony into the digital age in the late Howard Stringer. transistor had been invented in the United 1970s by jointly developing compact disc tech- States at Bell Laboratories, Ibuka and his team nology with the Dutch company Philips Elec- As Nathan’s story comes to a close, Stringer is successfully applied the technology to the radio, tronics NV. Even though the sound quality was hired by Idei to run Sony America because of his bringing about a revolution in portable consum- vastly superior to the older analog technology, experience in running a content distributor as er electronics. it met with fi erce resistance from the recording president of CBS Broadcasting. The story of how industry, which feared that digital technology he eventually came to replace Idei as CEO of the Eventually, Sony would develop an even more would be easily susceptible to piracy. The CBS- parent company in order to fulfi ll Idei’s vision personal music device—a portable cassette play- Sony partnership provided leverage in commit- would be a fascinating read. Even without this er with headphones that allowed the consumer ting the recording industry to the new standard. unwritten chapter, however, Sony: The Private to listen to a recording anywhere. The concept However, Sony was not so fortunate with its Life is a brilliant and insightful account of the of the Sony Walkman, launched in 1979, is so videotape recording device. world’s premier electronics company. ubiquitous in today’s MP3 players that it is hard to recognize how revolutionary the product was The initial success of the Sony Betamax, which Read a review of author John Nathan’s lecture in its time. But as detailed by Nathan, the de- launched in Japan in 1975, was cut short by the at Japan Society from our spring 2008 issue velopment seems all but inevitable in the hands later industry adoption of the VHS standard, at http://jetaany.org/newsletter_fi les/ of Ibuka’s engineering team and Morita’s mar- developed by Sony’s rival Matsushita (Panason- Newsletter%20Web%20Version%2004- keting vision. ic) Electronics. Despite the higher quality of the 28-08.pdf. 20 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine The Place Promised in Our Early Days, Akira, a revolutionary new art, which was then avidly Japanimation 101 Patlabor 2 and Mind Game, accompanied by absorbed by European painters as a purely ‘Jap- A KRAZY! History a special music room featuring soundtracks anese art,’” said Joe Earle, director of Japan So- By Anton Phung mixed and compiled by Japanese cult artist ciety’s gallery. “Such a give-and-take describes (Shimane-ken, 2006-08) Yoko Kanno. There were also two rooms solely in part the dynamic nature of this new wave of dedicated to manga, complete with a Manga art and popular culture as well.” Let me start off with this disclaimer: I don’t Pod with close to 1,000 magazines. know anything about manga. I spent two years After having been truly absorbed in these alto- in Japan and never once opened up a comic I personally found it hysterical that whoever gether unique yet still intertwined styles of Jap- book. Sure, when I was in elementary school designed the pod decided to leave the inappro- anese artistic expression, it was clear that what I thought Voltron was the coolest thing in the priate ads of scantily clad Japanese schoolgirls was once considered the preserve of an insular world, and when I was in junior high I had on the backs of all the magazines, as I watched youth culture within the last decade has migrat- Dragonball Z posters on my wall and a couple young children run by and do double takes. ed into the mainstream, with reverberations Gundam fi gures scattered around my room, but both high and low—but that’s not to say that I’ll I couldn’t tell you anything about the characters Finally, in what can only be described as an be dressing up as a Transformer any time soon. or storylines. I just thought the artwork was homage to gamers everywhere, there was a amazing, and I still do; it’s just not my cup of small, singular room featuring the ground- Special thanks to Shannon Jowett of Japan So- tea now. breaking consoles of the past 20 years including ciety and Amanda de Beaufort at Anne Edgar Famicoms, Super Nintendos, GameCubes and Associates for media assistance. For upcoming But when Justin asked me to attend KRAZY!, timeless games such as Pac-Man, Super Mario events at Japan Society, visit an exhibition at Japan Society organized by the World, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker www.japansociety.org. Vancouver Art Gallery on manga, anime and and even a Galaga arcade table. video games, I thought, What the heck, why not? If anything, it’d be amusing to laugh at the In all, 200 works of art, objects and ephemera otaku doing cosplay. So on June 14, the last day were assembled to illustrate the interconnected of the exhibition, in between running my typical roots and themes of the three genres and to situ- Sunday errands around town, I popped in with ate them within the context of Japanese art and my notebook and pen, ready to take notes of life. Seminal works by six infl uential anime art- what I was about to experience. ists, eight manga artists, one sound artist and two video game designers were also featured in Displayed in a series of enveloped spaces de- KRAZY! signed to evoke Tokyo’s clamorous cityscape, the exhibit included an Anime Garden with si- “In the 19th century, the Japanese master multaneous projections of six landmark fi lms– Hokusai incorporated aspects of European art Paprika, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, into traditional Japanese visual style, creating

1990 was the year of the Super Famicom, which sold out its initial shipment of 300,000 units within hours of its debut in Japan. (©Nintendo Co. Ltd.)

Installation view of KRAZY! The Delirious World of Manga + Anime + Video Moyoco Anno’s Sakuran. Games. (Richard P. Goodbody) (Kodansha, 2003)

Manga Pod designed by Atelier Bow-Wow. (Richard P. Goodbody) Junko Mizuno’s Pure Trance: Kaori the Nurse. (KidRobot, 2007) Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 21 and a Golden Globe. Has this inspired Pop Rock you to consider writing more songs for Q&A with Marshall Crenshaw movies so you can skip right to the Os- By Justin Tedaldi car? (Kobe-shi, 2001-02) Over the years, fi lm-related stuff has been good Photo by Todd Chalfant to me. I remember getting to Hawaii and L.A., and Arizona after my fi rst trip to Japan and hearing “Til I Hear It from You” by the Gin The praise from The New Yorker appears right Blossoms constantly, coming out of storefronts on the album cover: “One of the fi nest song- in Honolulu, on TV, etc. I co-wrote that with the writers of his age—or, for that matter, any guys for the soundtrack to Empire Records. Do- age,” and you’d be hard-pressed to sum up the ing La Bamba back in the day was a blast, also. career of Marshall Crenshaw in fewer words. So I’m always open to that type of action. I loved Since his self-titled 1982 debut that gave the working on Walk Hard. world the Top 40 hit “Someday, Someway” all the way through the recently released Jag- You live in the Mid-Hudson Region. To gedland, few artists from that era are around quote one of your songs, where are some today that command the respect of Crenshaw, of your favorite places to go “Rockin’ and even fewer have found new ways to merge around in NYC”? planned agenda. With the words, I wanted to the musical styles of 1950s Americana and be- When I go to New York, I always stay at the make sure that I meant and believed what I was yond without sounding utterly lost. JQ talked Roger Smith hotel on Lexington Avenue. I’ve saying—there’s only a little bit of storytelling with MC about Japan, New York and his spe- stayed there a few hundred times so it feels like involved; it’s mostly personal experience and cial relationship with the number 447. a home base; the place is really quiet and has observation. But I do want to mention that it’s a great, intimate kind of vibe. Two blocks away not all love songs on Jaggedland; the main top- What were your impressions of Japan is a nice Italian restaurant, Il Postino, that I’m ics are love, mortality and the state of the world. growing up in Detroit, and how have real familiar with. I also love the Park Slope things changed regarding your impres- neighborhood in Brooklyn with Prospect Park, You and Bruce Springsteen both wrote sions today? etc. My family and I lived there from 1999 to songs for Robert Gordon before the days It’s a bit of an awkward question since I was 2003. I remember going to see [the 1930 Mar- of CDs. If you could record any tune from born in 1953, a few years after World War II; all lene Dietrich fi lm] Blue Angel with live musical the Boss’ songbook, what would it be and my childhood impressions of Japan came from accompaniment at the Park Bandshell, sitting why? old movies and cartoons on TV, negative imag- there under the stars eating fried fi sh and col- I did one on a Springsteen tribute CD a few ery; not that it really meant anything to me. lard greens, feeling pretty happy. years ago, “All or Nothin’ at All” [originally from 1992’s Human Touch], which is a good straight- I didn’t start to have any realistic sense about ahead rock tune. So many of his songs are “sig- the place until my twenties, and by that time nature songs”; I guess I chose that one because the shape of the world was totally different, so it wasn’t. A recent one that I loved and wish to speak. When I was in [the Broadway musi- that I had written was “Radio Nowhere,” a great cal] Beatlemania there were three different commentary on vacuous corporate-controlled companies—six different casts in all—and one mass culture. But I’d rather hear him do it than of the companies was sent over to Japan for a to do it myself. few weeks; I was really jealous of the guys who got to go and perform there, especially when I In a 2001 gig of yours recorded at the saw the pictures that they brought back. I got Stone Pony, you said that your song an image of Japan as an exciting, vibrant place. “T.M.D.” was co-written with “a Japa- nese pop star named Bill.” What did you When did you fi rst visit Japan? mean by this, and could you tell me what I fi rst visited Japan in 1996 and pretty much that album’s title #447 refers to? loved every minute of it. Both of my trips—I I was referring to Bill DeMain of Swan Dive; went back in 2001, right after 9/11—were at the The new album has some of the most right around that time they’d had a couple of hit behest of a woman named Izumi Ito, who used engaging guitar solos I’ve ever heard in singles in Japan, if I remember correctly. Bill to publish TWANG magazine, a Marshall Cren- your catalog. Did you map them out be- and Molly of Swan Dive and Brad, who I men- shaw fanzine; she and a couple of friends, Shin fore going into the studio, or were they tioned [earlier], I’m really fond of these people. and Ruriko, I think, put the whole thing togeth- more spontaneous creations? The number 447 was a random number, as in, er, which impressed me quite a lot. They were They were almost all fi rst takes; in general, most “Q) How many albums have I made? A) 447!!” great, and the people that I met after the gigs of the playing on the album was straight from It’s kind of a silly album title for a great album, were unbelievably sweet. I was with two good the soul, not labored over. if you ask me. friends of mine, Brad Jones—Swan Dive’s pro- ducer—and Mark Zoltac; after Japan we went Since the beginning of your recording You portrayed Buddy Holly in the Richie and played in Hawaii and L.A.; it was a great career, your songs have always touched Valens biopic La Bamba. Who would you Pacifi c Rim road trip, very memorable. on love, but there also seems to be a run- cast to play you when they make a movie ning theme of longing and yearning for out of your life? Are there any Japanese-made things like heartfelt wishes and deep desires to be Arch Hall Jr.’s pretty good, but I think he’s re- snacks, gadgets, recordings or guitars fulfi lled, especially on some of Jagged- tired from acting. A woman at a radio station that you can’t live without, or just like to land’s cuts. Where does this come from, last week told me that I reminded her of Wil- hunt for whenever you visit? and would you consider it one of your liam Hurt; maybe he could do it if Arch Hall’s The fi rst things that come to mind are routine signatures when it comes to songwrit- unavailable. For some reason I can’t really think things in my life like Japanese food, which I’ve ing? of a serious answer to your question, but thanks loved since the fi rst time I tried it, and my Nis- Music and love, they both have to do with hu- for asking it. san hybrid car, which is a good ride. man sensuality; there’s always been a connec- tion between the two. I write about love because Special thanks to Kurt Nishimura at Silverlake You co-wrote the title track to the 2007 I know about it; I’ve given a lot and gotten a Media for photos and interview assistance. For comedy Walk Hard. The fi lm fl opped lot, and seen it from lots of different sides. On more on Marshall, Jaggedland, tour dates and (full disclosure: I saw it in theaters), but Jaggedland the music all came from an emo- audio clips, visit www.marshallcrenshaw. the song was nominated for a Grammy tional place in the fi rst place; I didn’t have a pre- com. 22 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine The Funny Page

Earlier this summer, JET administrators and alumni hosted a day-long summit to introduce newly accepted JETs to the pro- gramme and bestow their own wisdom and advice to ensure a smooth transition for those living and working abroad for the fi rst time. JQ was also there, and being the faith- ful reporters that we are, will now share with you the…

Top 12 Things Overheard at the Pre-departure Seminar

12. “I bet the speeches they give in Japan are way better than this.”

11. “Gosh, I dunno…what do you think Bob said to Charlotte at the end of Lost in Translation?”

10. “I for one am looking forward to dating in Ja- pan—I’ve always found American women to be far too reserved and polite for my tastes.” For more Life After the B.O.E., check out www.namisato.org.

9. “No, I’ve never had to cope with sudden weight loss before. Why do you ask?” Jyū Q! Ten Questions with JET Alum Poet James Shea 8. “I’ll explain it to you: see, that’s Akane Tendo By Liz Wanic from Ranma ½ in the corner there, and Citizen Kane (Kagoshima-ken, 2003-06) is this old movie, so…” Last year, James Shea (Tottori-ken, 1998-99) published Star in the Eye, an award-winning 7. “Of course I’m ready for life in Japan—made my debut book of poetry. In addition to molding own pit toilet for compost last week, I did!” young minds as an ALT, serving as a research fellow for the Ministry of Education at Utsu- nomiya National University in Tochigi-ken Which poem in your book is your fa- 6. “At last, an excuse to wear highlights around and helping develop young writers as a visit- vorite and why? other guys!” ing professor at both Columbia College Chica- Robert Frost said that if you have a book of go and DePaul University, Shea also fi nds the twenty-four poems, the book itself should time to write award-winning books, translate be the twenty-fi fth. If that’s true, then I’d 5. “Honto ni, I’m sugo-kku excited about living in Japanese poetry, and, of course, answer some like to think of them collectively as my fa- Nihon. After rainichi-suru’ing, I just can’t wait to questions for us. vorite. gyousan tabei ya some mechakucha umee food at a chaamingu iza-kai-ya, yokaroumon?” What got you interested in the JET Pro- If you could bring one aspect of Jap- gramme? anese life to America, what would it My Japanese language teacher told me to apply. be and why? 4. “I’m glad I was selected for JET so I can give I wasn’t entirely sure what it was. Vegetables at every meal. my students a broader worldview. I mean, some of them have probably never even heard of Michael How did your time in Japan inspire your Sumo or kendo? poetry? Sumo. Jackson.” I lived in a small town, so I had lots of time to read and write. Asahi Super Dry or Kirin? 3. “Got any tips on how to fi t all my plastic instru- Kirin Ichiban. ments in a single carry-on?” How long did it take you to write your book? What should we be on the lookout A few years and then a few more years. for from you in the future? 2. “I for one am looking forward to dating in Ja- I’ve been working on translations of Japa- pan—I’ve always found American men to be far too What do you think of Louis Vuitton bags? nese poetry, and lately, an essay by Masa- chauvinistic and perverted for my tastes.” I think about how to pronounce “Louis Vuit- oka Shiki. ton.” Read samples, blurbs and reviews of Star 1. “Who the heck’s that white guy sitting in on the What is your favorite karaoke song? in the Eye at http://fencebooks.fence- Asian Americans in Japan discussion!?” Probably Kitajima Saburo’s “Yama.” portal.org/popups/stareye.html. Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine 23 24 Summer 2009 Jetaany.org/magazine