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THE INVISIBLE GAIJIN 8 A DANGEROUS LIAISON 12 GOING HOME, AND 11 — WITH SUSHI COMING BACK The Magazine of National AJET September-October 2003 Volume XV Issue 1 2 AJET Across Japan F R O Omatase shimashita! and then (like when you get hit with an 8,000 yen enkai tab for the first M Please accept our apologies for keep- time). ing you waiting for this issue of AJET Across Japan. Things got off to a slow Second-year JETs, on the other T start here at the AAJ office (don’t let us hand, have reached the adolesence fool you — the “office” is merely a very of our lives here. Some of us will H messy kotatsu) but we are pleased to make it through unscathed, happy present you with the first AAJ from the and well-adjusted. But some of us E 2003-2004 AJET National Council. have developed a bit of an attitude with Mama Japan. She infuriates us, In the year’s remaining five issues, we embarasses us, drives us crazy plan to make even further improvements (Mom, would you STOP with the red E in AAJ’s content and appearance. If, tape already! Geez!). Sometimes we after reading this issue, you have just want to sit in our tatami rooms D suggestions or want to make a contribu- with the headphones on. tion, we welcome your input! I But underneath the blasé, seen-that- But what’s with all this “we” stuff? AAJ is a-hundred-times exterior, we’re still T essentially a one-man operation (al- attached with the invisible umbilical though I have spent a lot of time with my cord that makes us wonder at her O buddy the Dell Inspiron 2600 lately). So mysteries, and occasionally even I guess I should officially introduce appreciate her company. Soon we’ll R myself: Ashley Atkinson, 23, second- get a bit older and wiser, and we can year ALT, likes high-speed Internet start to hang out like the good connections and long walks to the train friends we ought to be. station. I’m looking forward to presenting you with the interesting and insightful Mama Japan takes a lot of criticism work of your fellow JETs over the next from us, and indeed sometimes she year. deserves it — she’s not always the nurturing caretaker she could be By now, first-year readers have prob- (anyone tried the driving test?). But ably gotten accustomed to she brought us here, she’s given us life in Japan, or at least some tough love and in the progressed beyond the end almost all of us will be point where you feel like better off for it. Thanks, you’ve been reborn as an Mom. infant that needs care, changing and feeding every two hours. Perhaps you’re in the toddler stage — walking a little unsteadily, Ashley E. Atkinson but able to use the potty by yourself if you’re careful 2003-2004 AAJ Editor (especially in those squat toilets); able to satisfy your Ogaki-shi, Gifu-ken own needs to an extent but still prone to tantrums now September/October 2003 3 AJET Contents Across Japan REGULARS From the Editor 2 Editor Ashley Atkinson From the Chair 4 [email protected] Kiosk 5 Advertising Editor Yves Laforge News from AJET to you [email protected] Block Watch 6 Contributors Points of interest from AJET’s 11 blocks Amanda Cornaglia, Peter Dawson, Jessica Drexel, Doron Klemer, Emily Plum, Matthew Cartoon: Do You Like Natto? 7 Peddie, Derrick Simpson-Anderson Online 13 AJET Across Japan is the magazine of the National Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching (NAJET). It is published bimonthly for Books 16 the benefit of NAJET members. Gaijin samurai and hitchhiking to Hokkaido Unsolicited submissions, letters to the editor, questions and comments are welcome and encouraged. For submission guidelines, see FEATURES aaj.ajet.net. Gaijin 8 All advertising correspondence should be sent to [email protected]. Two perspectives on being foreign in Japan Lawson Language 10 Reflections Upon Returning 11 Sushi Love 12 Memento 14 News & Updates 19 Parting Shot 20 ON THE COVER A reveler greets the rising sun at the Metamor- If you would like to contribute to AAJ, phose music festival, held in August on the please see our guidelines at aaj.ajet.net. slopes of Mt. Fuji. 4 AJET Across Japan until I realized that my area of Hyogo-ken would be welcoming an overwhelming amount of new JETs from the chair this year. Almost everyone I had spent the first two years of my JET career with is now gone and re- placed by fresh new faces filled with an amazing Forward thinking for fall energy. Helping them get used to life here restored my sense of adventure and has put me on the right track for my third and final year. It also emphasized that sitting back and letting the year pass by is no Fall is here, and it’s time to roll up my sleeves and longer an option. get a lot of work done for AJET. After a summer of preparing for and helping the new JETs, our focus Our first trip together as a new JET community was has moved from orientations to the task of improv- just a small example of my renewed attitude for the ing AJET and the JET Programme. As you read this, year ahead. Once the welcome parties settled down, the National Council is busy researching and writ- we headed to Mt. Daisen, the mini-Fuji in Tottori ing reports for our upcoming meeting with CLAIR prefecture, to take a leisurely hike together. We and MEXT, which will be held in Tokyo on November soon found out that the mountain shouldn’t be de- 10-11. We’ve also been conjuring up a few chal- scribed as mini-anything, and that our day was not lenges and projects for this year. As AJET chair, going to involve the word leisurely or any of its syn- challenge is a word I love to hear, and it’s rare to find onyms. We headed for the summit and after hours one that can’t be tackled with a little perseverance of slipping, groaning, trying to balance on shaky and dedication. This year’s National AJET team legs and taking unexpected detours we made it up shares this vision, and we expect to accomplish a and down in one piece. Sure, it took a lot of effort lot over the coming months. and a bit of pain, but looking back now I only seem to remember the gorgeous One of our newest ideas is a na- views, the lively conversations, the tionwide AJET Games Festival. constant laughter, the silly games and With cooperation between national of course the feeling of accomplish- and local AJET chapters, we’re ment. I consider that day the first of planning a series of great spring many personal challenges I expect to sporting events. We are also cre- conquer in the year ahead. ating an AJET Exchange Program to help JETs interested in starting So what does any of that have to do an exchange with a foreign school with you? For you first-years, take or program. Pen pal letters and vis- every challenge you can get. Living in its are an excellent way to moti- Japan is not always easy, but is living vate your students — we figured anywhere else a piece of cake? Your we’d step in and help make that first year will pass quickly and there’s possible for as many JETs who’d a lot for you to do in the next ten like to try it. Both of these services are in the early months. Older JETs feeling comfortable might want stages, but should be completely operational in a let yourselves be inspired by our new counterparts few months. This is, of course, in addition to our and continue to challenge yourselves. What’s the traditional services like Tatami Timeshare (coming sense of living in an exciting place like Japan and soon to a mailbox near you!). I like to keep all 21 settling for a run-of-the-mill daily routine? council members on their toes — it wouldn’t be much of a challenge otherwise. Stay tuned to the AJET Give AJET a challenge, too. If there is something mailing lists for updates on our latest projects. you feel AJET should be researching, organizing, promoting or doing, drop us a line. We’ll do every- As a third-year ALT, I’ve decided to extend this thing we can to accommodate your request or help mindset to my personal endeavors as well. After you with a concern or problem. I don’t expect your two years in Japan and far too many years of study- challenges to be easy, but then, neither was that ing the language and culture, I found myself in a bit day on Mt. Daisen. The AJET National Council is of a comfort zone. The new and exciting element of ready and waiting to be tested. Until then, enjoy Japan had worn off; I could have easily let myself the fall weather and abundance of three-day week- slip into a very routine daily existence. That was ends. BY AMANDA CORNAGLIA, AJET NATIONAL COUNCIL CHAIR September/October 2003 5 K Reports to CLAIR and MEXT The National Council is in the final stages of preparing the reports we will submit to CLAIR and MEXT at our meeting November 10-11. The report topics and authors are as follows: -JET Perceptions of Organizations in the JET Programme (Dave Cowland-Cooper, Block 8 Represen- tative): What JETs think of AJET, CLAIR and MEXT and their visions for the programme’s future I -The CLAIR Language Course (Vivian Beebe, CIR/SEA Representative): The course from the CIR point of view, the issue of ALTs being barred from the upper-level courses, and the efficacy of the course in general -Nenkyu (Jaysie Dambach, Block 3 Representative): The issue of JETs being forced to take nenkyu against their will, specifically after traveling during the SARS epidemic O -Accent Discrimination (Emily Plum, Block 11 Repre- sentative): The issue of JETs being asked by schools to modify their native accents in the classroom -Current Projects of the AJET National Council (Amanda Cornaglia, AJET Chair) Surveys on these topics were sent via prefectural e-mail lists in late S September.

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