image from shutterstock.com inside October, 2011 04 The Prez 06 AJET Events 10 JET Effect 14 Life After JET 19 Culture Corner 30 Volunteering Japan 34 Volunteering Japan 38 Travel 48 Food 58 Workplace Tips 64 Haiku 68 Fashion and Beauty 72 Games & Hardward 76 The Art of Manliness 82 Japanese Study Tips photo via shutterstock.com 86 Photo Contest Welcome to Connect The monthly e-zine produced for JETs, by JETs, featuring the best news and articles from all over Japan. We are currently looking for writers, editors, photographers, and artists who want to create con- tent for this national publication! We need YOU, the JET community, to get involved. Send us your short stories, news articles, photographs, comics… whatever it is that you do best…to [email protected]. We’re waiting to see what you’ve got! Make your voice heard! CEO Matthew Cook PR/MEDIA Cailin Arena ART DIRECTOR Rob Maxwell EDITORIAL Sarah Blenkhorn CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Cailin Arena (News) Annabella Massey (Fashion & Beauty) Amelia Hagen (Travel) Simon Daly (Food) Anna Engle (Entertainment) Adam Chludzinski (Sports) Lisa Cross & Sarah Blenkhorn (Events) Bryan Darr & Sarah Blenkhorn (Education) Sarah Blenkhorn (Culture) Simon Bender (Short Stories) Miriam Rollason (Volunteering) ADVERTISING Amelia Hagen & Miriam Rollason ADMINISTRATION/ ACCOUNTING Mark Noizumi IT Kevin Mitchell www.ajet.net [email protected] photo via shutterstock.com 3 Welcome to the October are sometimes overlooked. However, this made Edition of AJET connect! me question.... is everyone else? It’s been a significant month in the world of the JET Programme. How do we as JETs promote the On September 8th, the ministries hosted a com- value of what we do and the return memorative symposium at the University of Tokyo on investment that we provide to discuss 25 years of the JET Programme; what to the communities we serve? it has accomplished, and what challenges it faces today. The symposium featured many notable speakers, such as United States ambassador to For example, did you know that over 20 of the Japan, John Roos, and Ms. Yoko Kimura, the Chair employees at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo are of the Board of Directors of CLAIR. former JETs? Did you know that after the March 11th disasters, current JETs raised an estimated On behalf of AJET, myself and AJET council mem- ¥140,000,000 yen towards the relief efforts? These bers Mark Noizumi (treasurer) and Amelia Hagen are only two examples of ways that JETs have (Block 10 rep) attended. After brief opening state- given back to Japan. The benefits of JET are vast, ments by the ministry heads, and the elimination of the program would have far reaching consequences. many speakers were given the chance to spotlight JETs’ achievements, and voice issues pertinent to Toward the end of the day, the governor of Kyoto Symposium the program. made an interesting point that stuck in my mind. Speakers He said that he believes the competition of pri- vately hired JETs and the decrease of requests for 1. Jim Gannon JETs is actually a good thing! He reasoned that this Former JET and Executive Director of the U.S. We ARE the future of JET. competition would serve as a stimulus for positive change in our programme to become better and to based Japan Center for International Exchange. Current JETs lay the groundwork show more quality than it ever has in the past. for our successors who come 2. Keiji Yamada next to fill our shoes. That’s when I realized…. We ARE the positive Governor of Kyoto change in the system now. As we speak, AJET has Prefecture, President of been working on more ways to provide resources the National Governors to make JETs better teachers. Ways to learn Japa- Association One issue, for Japan as a country, that repeatedly nese more fluently. Opportunities to develop our- 3. Masao Niisato came up was the fact that the number of Japa- selves professionally in the field of education. Professor at Tokyo nese students who study abroad or attend univer- International University sities in foreign countries has been on a steady Not only that, but we’re finding better ways to con- decline for years. This is particularly troubling nect to each other online and in person via social 4. Angus Lockyer in light of Japan’s efforts to globalize as more media and larger scale, better planned volunteer Chair of Japan’s Research Centre, University of and more businesses are enforcing English as a efforts! We’re finding better ways to let JETs London required standard. VOICE their opinions and concerns to the not only the ministries, but to the people we interact with in 5. Jin Ah Kim A highlighted concern for the JET Programme itself our communities and workplaces everyday! Director of International was the increasing number of Boards of Education Cooperation Department, who hire ALTs privately, or through recruiting com- So, do we need to wait for the ministries to “save Governors Association of panies other than JET. One of the many challenges JET”? Should we wait for JET Alumni to prove that Korea the programme faces is how to best promote the the Programme is a world-renowned program, that 6. Yoko Kimura value of what we do, and the return on investment should be held in the highest regard so that we The Chair of the Board of that we can provide to the communities we serve. have luck with future employers? Directors, CLAIR As the Chair of AJET, I am fortunate enough to No. 7. Akira Nakamura Emeritus Professor at work with many people who have done amazing Meiji Univeristy. things with their time on JET. As such, I am aware We need look no farther than to ourselves for this. We of the many benefits of the JET programme that ARE the future of JET. Current JETs lay the ground- 4 5 work for our successors who come AJET Events ran into were because this is fee to two clubs, including one next to fill our shoes. the first time an event like this drink at each place. FUBAR is Hot Days, Cool Nights has ever been done.” He contin- owned and run by a former Fuku- I feel honored to have attended – Kyushu in October ued on an optimistic note, “It’s oka JET and is a popular club a symposium of so many people our sincere hope that this can playing primarily hip-hop music who have made amazing contribu- Even as the days get cooler, become an annual event, as it on the weekends. Dark Room is tions to the JET Programme, and Kyushu is heating up! AJET is will be a lot easier to get sup- just down the road from FUBAR who all have a stake in its survival. hosting two big events in Kyushu port and plan for an event that and plays more alternative music. I think we should take this sym- this month. has been done in the past. Also, Dark Room has a pool table and posium as a reminder that now we will get to call future events foosball table in addition to the is the time for us to make more The Ichi Kyu Bee! Mixed Kyushu things like Ni Kyu Bee, which regular dance floor. of this experience. The time is Beach Frisbee Tournament is tak- sounds like ‘niku’, and San Kyu, now for us to work together to be ing place over two days, on Octo- or ‘Thank you’ bee!” Unfortunately, reservations for something MORE. ber 1-2nd, 2011, in Otachimisaki the game and the beer garden Park, Ashikita. Ichi Kyu Bee is On Saturday there will be about are no longer being accepted, I personally can’t wait to get the First (Ichi) Annual All-Kyushu 65 people for the hat tournament but RSVPs will be taken for the started making that happen. I (Kyu) Mixed Beach (Bee) Ulti- and barbecue. There are about clubbing event until Oct 10th. hope you’ll join us. mate Tournament. 135 people confirmed for the Sunday games. All expectations Amelia Hagen, the event organ- Connect with you next month, Ichi Kyu Bee is the first ALT- are for a fully filled, Frisbee-fling- izer, gives her predictions and hosted co-ed Ultimate Frisbee ing day of fun. Fingers crossed hopes for Fukuoka Day Out: Matthew Cook tournament in Kyushu. ALTs and that it won’t rain! “First off, I'm predicting a Soft- National AJET Chair their friends, all Ultimate Frisbee bank Hawks victory over the lovers, are gathering from all over After the Frisbee Tournament, Chiba Lotte! Second, I hope Kyushu and beyond. In the gen- you have about two weeks to JETs from various prefectures erous spirit of Ultimate Frisbee, recover for the Block 10 Fuku- will leave with many new friends beginners are welcome to play. oka Day Out on October 15th and an appreciation for Fukuoka The first day will be a Hat tourna- and 16th. This will be the first City. We wanted to provide some ment of randomized teams, while Block 10 event in at least four variety in terms of events for CONNECT 2011, able. Tickets are 3,000 yen per the second will follow a regular years. Block 10 consists of Fuku- people coming from outside of which is not affiliated person, 8,000 yen for a party of format. An evening barbeque will oka, Oita, Saga, and Nagasaki. Fukuoka prefecture, so we came with CONNECT mag- three and 12,000 yen for a party be hosted by KumAJET on the up with several activities so that azine, is a grassroots of five.