AJET Newsletter

Vol.1, No.11, May 2009

Toyama AJET Newsletter

Introducing Next Year’s AJET Representatives!I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to vote and write your opinions aboutAJET at the last round of regional meetings! I am very pleased with next year’s AJETofficers, and I think they are all going to do their part to make this community stronger! Ofcourse, many of these officers come as no surprise, as they ran without competition, butstill, they deserve the recognition due to them for stepping up to the plate!

Without further ado, here they are, your new AJET team!

Prefectural Representative: Paula Kerrigan

Treasurer: Hilda Solomon

Social Representative: Rebekah O’Brien

Excursions Representative: Maddy Rodell

Publications Editor: Jon Perry

Charity Reps: Michael Grudzinski and Ally Lomas

ContentsContentsContentsContents::::

La Yuuki, ToyamaRestaurant ReviewPg 11 - 12

Burn After ReadingFilm ReviewPg 13

The Calderons, Immigration and Strawberries

PoliticsPg 10

ShodoBilingual Pg 4

Food to put a ‘Spring’ in your stepFoodPg 5

How to take holiday leaveJapanismPg 6

The God of Small ThingsBook ReviewPg 7

May EventsCalendarPg 14

Knock Knock, I’m LoneryLovePg 8 - 9

Panda!CartoonPg 3

SMAPGATE!FeaturePg 2 – 3

SUBMIT TO US!SUBMIT TO US!SUBMIT TO US!SUBMIT TO US!SUBMIT TO US!SUBMIT TO US!SUBMIT TO US!SUBMIT TO US!We want your stories, recipes, opinions, reviews, photos, poems, artwork, anything!

Submit to [email protected]

The transition should take place this month and the new officers will begin within the next couple of months, so look forward to hearing from them soon!

--Tiffany Dyer

http://ajet.net/modules/articles/article.php?id=243 AJET on Facebook http://kanko.toyamaken.jp/english/access.html http://kanko.toyamaken.jp/english/travel_guide.html

Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


As he was sobering up in aTokyo police station, the fullarsenal of the media wasbeing leveled against him. Byearly morning, the scandal hadbroken and was beingreported in the news. By 11am,the posters at Takaoka CityHall encouraging the switch todigital television, whichKusanagi had fronted, hadbeen taken down. By 3pm, itwas announced that the seriesof commercials he had madefor Toyota would no longer beaired, and that any shows inwhich he was a guest were tobe postponed whilebroadcasters considered theirresponse. By 6pm, newspapercompanies had printed special

Hatoyama Kunio giving fullvent to his spleen regardingthe issue, looking for all theworld like a bullfrog, sweatydewlaps flapping as hespewed forth his ire. ‘If this istrue, I’ll never forgive him’,bawled Hatoyama in anamphibious fury. ‘He’s abastard’.

I’ll leave you, intelligentreader, to decide whetherbeing the most incompetentJustice Minister (his postbefore being given theInternal Affairs portfolio) inrecent years is more or lessdamaging to the country thana bit of late night naturism.

The mildly hysterical anddisproportionate response to

SMAPGATE!By Jon Perry

At 3am on Thursdaymorning Kusanagi Tsuyoshiwas arrested on a charge ofpublic indecency. The popularidol and member ofubiquitous boy band SMAPhad been found in Tokyo’sHinokichi Park, sitting crosslegged and naked on the lawn.Prior to this, local residentsreported that he had beenrunning around screamingincoherently, and it is thiswhich alerted police to hispresence. On being arrested,he reportedly said to thepolice ‘What’s wrong withbeing naked?’ Later on, heconfessed that he could notremember how he got to thepark, and had no idea as towhy he had taken off hisclothes. Blood tests carriedout while he was in custodysuggest that he had drunk theequivalent of 14 pints of beer.

companies had printed specialone sheet editions and werebusy handing them outnationwide to salarymen ontheir way home. Kusanagiappeared on each and everyone of the evening newsbroadcasts, sometimes for upto half of the available airtime.He seemed to be getting evenmore airtime than SMAPnormally do, which seemedironic given the efforts thatwere simultaneously being putin to expunging all traces ofhim from other shows. Hisagency, Johnny and Associates,have announced that he willnot take part in anyentertainment activities for anunspecified period.

The next morning, thenews had reached thepoliticians in Nagatacho. Mytelevision screen was filledwith the terrifying sight ofInternal Affairs Minister

disproportionate response toKusanagi’s victimless crimewas not unexpected. Japan isas good as any country, if notbetter, at putting its stars onpedestals, and then attackinglike vultures when they fall off.But is it really deserved?

Kusanagi did commit acrime according to Japaneselaw, and he should bepunished accordingly. He doeshave a high media profile,and should be aware that hisactions are not congruentwith being a good role modelfor his legions of fans.However, the vilification andcharacter assassination thattook place were examples ofsimply shoddy, sensationalistjournalism, pandering to thelowest common denominatorby dragging a successfulcelebrity through the mud inan unedifying attempt to


One correction must be made to last month’s edition. ToyamaKen’s favourite cartoonist, David Piper, has a website which wewrongly quoted last month. To visit David’s website go tohttp://punctuationbirds.blogspot.com/Sorry Dave!

titillate that small section ofsociety which delights in thedownfall of the distinguished.

Let us look, then, atsome of the stories which thebroadcasters and publishersbelieved were less worthy ofairtime or page space thanKusanagi’s intoxicated nudity.• A nine year old girl wasabused and murdered in NaraPrefecture.• The governor of ChibaPrefecture, an affiliate of theLDP, stepped down amidbribery allegations.• Militants in Pakistan movedto within 100 kilometres ofthe capital, having alreadytaken control of Swat Provinceand introduced Sharia law.• North Korea walked out oftalks about its nuclear

Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


of Tokyo, never a man to let something as trifling as facts get inthe way of his giving an opinion, merely said;

Well, I for one am happy to celebrate the most intelligent thingthe Governor has said in months. Here here, Mr. Ishihara.

SMAPGATE! Cont…

‘Aren’t we making too much of a fuss over ‘Aren’t we making too much of a fuss over ‘Aren’t we making too much of a fuss over ‘Aren’t we making too much of a fuss over ‘Aren’t we making too much of a fuss over ‘Aren’t we making too much of a fuss over ‘Aren’t we making too much of a fuss over ‘Aren’t we making too much of a fuss over this?’this?’this?’this?’this?’this?’this?’this?’

talks about its nuclearprogram, and proclaimed itsintention to improve itsnuclear capabilities.

This list could go wellinto double figures, but forbrevity’s sake let’s leave ithere. The point remains thatKusanagi’s nakedness wasnothing more than a frivolity,a distraction from the mainissues. Give the viewers a bitof schadenfreude at hisexpense, and hope that thereal news goes away if weignore it for long enough,think the broadcasters. Well,it won’t. So please, leave thepoor chap be and get on withthe job of reporting on theissues that matter.

In the end, it fell to anunlikely source to restore asemblance of perspective tothe matter. The normallybombastic Governor Ishihara

Cartoon By David Piper


My first experience withJapanese calligraphy, orshodo, was about four and ahalf years ago, when I wasstudying abroad through anexchange program atKanazawa University. There

Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


would breathe in themysterious minty-clove-likearoma of the ink and breatheout the tensions of the day. Iwould stare at the brilliantpaper before me, with dreadand anticipation for the

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Shodo: The Way Of The BrushShodo: The Way Of The BrushShodo: The Way Of The BrushShodo: The Way Of The BrushBy Stephanie Simpson WhiteBy Stephanie Simpson WhiteBy Stephanie Simpson WhiteBy Stephanie Simpson White

Kanazawa University. Therewas a special class that metonce a week in theguesthouse next to our dorm,so every Wednesday eveninga group of approximately 10-15 international studentswould gather to scribble away.At the time I was alsoinvolved in tea ceremony,taiko, and jodo (a martial artwith sticks). I’ve also triedkyuudo (archery) and koto(zither) during my time herein Toyama, but shodo remainsthe one Japanese culturalactivity that I have continuedfaithfully from my Kanazawadays.

I still remember theabsolute serenity and peaceof mind that came with everylesson. Sitting in my chair,grinding my inkstone andwatching the small bit ofwater in the inkwell turnslowly but surely black, I

and anticipation for theinstant my ink-filled brushwould touch the pristinewhiteness. A deep breath,then movement, as shapesand lines flowed into oneanother, slowly, then quickly,slowly again, but wait! I needmore ink! And then backagain, until with a finalflourish the piece is complete.Scrutinize with a critical eye—is it good enough to show theteacher?—if not, try again!

Even now that sense ofcalm and breathless excite-ment remains. I’ve come along way since that firstlesson when we learned howto sit up straight and grindthe ink and hold the brush,but when I think of how muchmore there is to learn, howmany characters to write andpieces to create, I know I’vefound an art to cherish for therest of my life.

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Although hanami is wellbehind us and the last of thesakura petals have alreadyfallen to the ground, that is

Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


Mo`s Picnic Quesadilla`sMo`s Picnic Quesadilla`s

To make the quesadillas you willneed a couple of big handfuls ofgrated cheddar cheese, somefinely sliced spring onions, acouple of handfuls of choppedfresh coriander, and a redpepper and some red or greenchillies all deseeded and finelychopped.

Mix all this up in a bowl andthen sprinkle half a handfulbetween two soft tortillas (youshould be able to find these inyour local foreign food store).You can make up 4, 10 or even20 quesadillas and keep them inthe fridge until you want to cookthem. Of course, fresh coriander

Sakura SaketiniSakura Saketini

3 ounces sake1/2 ounce Cointreau

Food to put a "Spring" in your step!Food to put a "Spring" in your step!Food to put a "Spring" in your step!Food to put a "Spring" in your step!Food to put a "Spring" in your step!Food to put a "Spring" in your step!Food to put a "Spring" in your step!Food to put a "Spring" in your step!By Mo KirwanBy Mo KirwanBy Mo KirwanBy Mo Kirwan

fallen to the ground, that isno reason to cease indulgingin the wonderful activity ofhaving a picnic in a beautifullocation with some equallybeautiful people. Toyama kenhas some wonderful picnicspots and with some(mostly!) fantastic weather oflate, the spring season is agreat time to get out andenjoy some alfresco dining.

As with all picnic food,the best option is to go forsomething that you canprepare at home without toomuch fuss and which is easilytransportable to your desiredlocation. Oh yeah, andalcohol....lots of alcohol!!Here’s a couple of greatrecipes for you to try out orhelp inspire you...

BonBon AppetiteAppetite andandhappyhappy picnicking!picnicking!

them. Of course, fresh coriandermay be hard to come by, butyou can omit it or replace it withanother herb. Something likebasil will work just as well andwill give your quesadillas anitalian twist! You can also addgrilled chicken or a selection ofgrilled vegetables for a bit ofvariety.

The easiest way to cook yourquesadillas is on a frying pan.You can use oil, but this isunhealthy and unnecessary ifyou have a decent nonstickfrying pan. Cook on a mediumheat, so that after about aminute and a half on each sideyou are left with a really crispyoutside and an oozy, stringyfilling. Cut the quesadillas intoquarters and allow to coolbefore transferring into storagecontainers. Serve withguacamole, sour cream and abeer....

1/2 ounce Cointreau1/2 ounce maraschinoliqueur1/2 ounce lemon juicePitted cherry, for garnish

DirectionsDirections::In a shaker with ice,combine all ingredientsexcept the pitted cherry.Shake vigorously, then straininto a chilled cocktail glass/friend’s open mouth.Garnish with the pittedcherry. For picnic purposes,make a large batch of thesaketini and transport in aflask to keep cool or store inan ice box.


Recently, the time camefor me to escape the crampeddesk at which I pretend to

Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


and then by the kachonearest in height to youreldest sibling (In the event ofyou not having an eldersibling, it is permissible tocommute this stipulation tothe average height of themembers of SMAP). Inaddition to this form,remember also to bringphotocopies of your alienregistration card, yourpassport, and your own face,as well as a certificate (signedby any member of a Europeanroyal family EXCLUDING anyDukes or Dutch princesses)confirming that you are theowner of three pet ferretsnamed Elvis, Pebbles and TheLord of Salisbury.

and present it to your kacho.Using his special powers ofdivination which can only beobtained by sitting at thesame desk getting graduallyolder for thirty years, he willuse his infinite wisdom towrite a number between oneand ten on it. Divide thisnumber by five, and then takeits square root. This is thenumber of days which youcan take as holiday for therest of the working year. Ifthe number obtained is largerthan 1, you havemiscalculated. Please start theprocess again.

I feel there is no needhere to tell you of the formsauthorizing the seizure of

How to take holiday leave in Japan: The Bureaucrat’s GuideBy Jon PerryBy Jon PerryBy Jon PerryBy Jon Perry

desk at which I pretend towork and escape Takaoka CityHall for a short, alcoholsodden holiday over the seain Korea. To do this, however,I had to overcome the hurdleof filling in the appropriateform to take holiday, andanother, separate form toensure that I got holiday payfor the duration. Some of youmay be familiar with theprocess, but for those of youwho are not, I have outlinedthe procedure below.

First, fill in formEX10GGT4589 with the datesof your proposed absence,destination, contact numberand itinerary. Be sure to writein BLACK INK in BLOCKCAPITALS with a PARKER PENon a THURSDAY or yourapplication will be renderedinvalid.

Have this formstamped ,first by your kacho,

Lord of Salisbury.Bring these forms to

your supervisor. He will swapthem for the Amulet ofTaking a Short Holiday (or,as it is known in Japanese:The Amulet for LazyPeople Who Don’t DoEnough Work). To work outthe number of holidaysavailable to you at this time,first you must collect thethumbprints of three medievalPopes (the stipulation that thePopes all have the same Papalname or number has beenabolished to make theprocess as simple and hasslefree as possible). Copy thesethumbprints by hand onto theAmulet and bury them in acave for 7.6 cycles of thelunar calendar. During thistime you are only permittednatto and otter milk.

Retrieve The Amulet,

authorizing the seizure offamily relatives and a nuclearattack on a small, neutralcountry, as well as a fine ofup to ¥400,000,000(¥600,000,000 if you wereborn in a French overseasprotectorate) should youspontaneously combust whilstabroad. Spontaneouscombustion whilst filling outthese forms is permissibleONLY if you have filled in theCombustion Approval FormSHC13 (Spontaneous), and itdoes not interrupt your work.

When you have filled inyour forms, please submitthem to: Lazy ForeignersTaking Too Much HolidaySupervisor, We Don’tReally Want You HereAnyway Section, FilingCabinet in the Corner, BottomDrawer, Towards the Back.

Many thanks and have agreat holiday!


Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


Kerala state of India. Bykeeping the location and

brought to light throughcharacters and events, notlengthy explanations.

Through the course ofthe book the reader comes torealise the effects of Indiafinding its modern identitynot as anything so grand asa cultural shift ordevelopment, but on ahighly personal level ofindividual lives. Life is anunsympathetic character inthe book, crushing thosebold to try and escape it.

I had no interest inIndia, historically orpolitically or even as atourist destination before Iread this book. My hearthas always been firmly set

THE GOD OF SMALL THINGSBy Paula Kerrigan

Read this book. I’m going toreiterate that: Read ThisBook. You can borrow mycopy, though I warn you thata can of beer (cheap beer)burst in my bag whilst I wascarrying said book, so it nowreeks of stale ale. Somemight find that off-putting; Ithink it actually might be apublication direction thatmore paperback booksshould consider if they wantto lure readers back fromthe clinical, non-beer-smelling e-book.

I had wanted to readthis book for a year before Ifinally ordered it. The titlehad me on first hearing:‘The God of Small Things’. I

keeping the location andmany of the centralcharacters the same butseparating them by 24 yearsworth of aging, Royimmediately sets up theparameters for a story oftime passing. The liberalinterspersing of Indian(Malayalam) words into theEnglish text goes a long wayto drawing the reader intonot only the story, but thelifestyle and culture of thecharacters.

The novel combinesfacets of the Communistrevolution that washappening at the time (1969)and does well in informingits reader about the politicalclimate and unique mix ofpolitics, race and religion inIndia at the time withoutever appearing to do so. Thecomplicated caste system,and the Keralite SyrianChristian way of life are

has always been firmly setin Africa, so stories like TheLife of Pi never pulled me inin the same way as books byBen Okri or obviously Heartof Darkness. But ‘The Godof Small Things’ hascompletely changed that forme now. Reading the bookwas like an immersion inIndian culture and language,the atmosphere as humidand oppressive as theweather beating thecharacters down in the book.

The sign that it was agreat book for me camewhen I said a few weekslater, ‘Who was it that wastelling me about such andsuch.’ and I realised that itwas one of the characters inthe book. When charactersare so alive in your mindthat you forget they aren’tfriends the work transcendsfrom book to literature.

‘The God of Small Things’. Ihad no idea until page 3 or 4that the story was set inIndia or that I would startfinding any excuse to take along train journey so that Icould read it uninterruptedin peace.

I was vaguely awarethat it had won some bookprizes. The Booker Prize tobe specific, in 1997. It waswritten by Arundhati Royand as of publicationremains her only book.

The story flashesbetween the catastrophicevents of 1967 asexperienced by the 7 yearfraternal twins (Rahel andEsther); and their reunion in1993 after 24 years ofseparation. The backdrop ofthese two stories is the sameplace: a town namedAyemenem or Aymanam nowpart of Kottayam in


So this month thelovely Paula has decided totake an issue off fromwriting this column andasked me to do a guestfeature. This does not makea huge amount of sense tome as any of you who lend

Sekkusu in the Shi: ‘KnockSekkusu in the Shi: ‘KnockSekkusu in the Shi: ‘KnockSekkusu in the Shi: ‘Knock----Knock, Im lonery’Knock, Im lonery’Knock, Im lonery’Knock, Im lonery’By Ruth Kingdon

not blame anyone for it, itstill doesn’t help whenattempting to meet the J-boy of my (albeit verydelusional) dreams.

Third and foremost,the Japanese way of goingabout meeting people anddating, I just can’t get myhead around. I have foundin my time here twoextremes.1. Perpetually shy gentle-men attempting to get yourattention by telling theirother friend with less thansocial butterfly traits thatthey think that you are cute;but then on approach, willmumble that their Englishis bad and run off to drown

During my third year ofUniversity I even managed tohold down a steady boyfriendfor almost a year (a big feat forme due to chronic itchy feetsyndrome from which I oftensuffer), and we managed tostave off killing each other forthe most part. Success. I haddecided to apply for the JETprogramme long before I knewhim however, and we bothagreed that when I left for theLand of the Rising Sun, wewould part ways. We did, itwas a little more messy thananticipated but, we gotthrough it relativelyunscathed and are still onspeaking-terms at least.

Anyway. Cut to Japan. I

Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


me as any of you who lendme your ears for more thanabout 5 minutes will know,my love life is an absolutedisaster.

I like men. I like to flirtwith them, I like dating, Ilike everything that goeswith that whole area of mylife. I find that generally Ican keep it quite lighthearted and in most cases,that makes me pretty happy.

During my time atUniversity (which as soon asI graduated I left behind forthe Oishii Mizu andBeautiful Mountains ofToyama) the men liked metoo. That is not me being bigheaded, it is just (as far as Icould tell) a fact. I’m notsaying that they all fell overthemselves to be with me,and that I got marriageoffers everyday, but I didokay.

is bad and run off to drowntheir sorrows in about tenbottles of ZIMA.2. The crazies. These arethe men that after drinkingsaid bottles of ZIMA, decidethat being as they like thelook of you and theyremember some phrasesfrom Junior High SchoolEnglish class, that they arein love with you. This hashappened to me on morethan one occasion. On oneparticularly memorableevening I was out in a clubin Takaoka and a youngman decided to take thisexact stance. I hadabsolutely no interest inhim whatsoever but hedidn’t particularly help thiswith his chosen course ofaction. For the rest of theevening every time I spoketo anyone (be it old friend ornew acquaintance), he

Anyway. Cut to Japan. Ihave now been living on thisone-of-a-kind island for 8months. My one problem withthis country (apart from thelack of central-heating and therelative scavenger-hunt thatone has to endure every timewe are in need of anypainkillers) is the men. For astart, I just don’t get the J-Popfeminine boy thing. Menshould look like men, no? Isaw a young gentleman on thetrain not long ago with amullet Labyrinth-era DavidBowie would be proud of,sporting hello kitty flip flopsand a coat so shiny as to rivalPatrick Stewart’s head. Notexactly my type, so already mylikely catchment group issignificantly narrowed down.

Second, obviously thelanguage barrier is a problem.Though I am well aware thatthis is my own issue and I do


would leap in front of meand hit whoever wasunlucky enough to beholding my attention in thatmoment with a rousinground of “NO! She is mine! Ilove her! Not for you! She ismy true love!” etc. As I said,mental.

The one time in myJapan dating career that Iactually managed to securea date with someone whom Iwasn’t truly dreading, wasduring the New Year. Wewent out for dinner anddrinks and it was altogetherfairly pleasant if not alittle... stilted, conversationwise. He was buying so I gota bit tipsy, and at the end ofthe night I assumed in my

‘Knock‘Knock‘Knock‘Knock----Knock, Im lonery’ cont…Knock, Im lonery’ cont…Knock, Im lonery’ cont…Knock, Im lonery’ cont…

meeting at a well-knownToyama-shi nightspot. Thiswas going fairly well untilthe point when scantily cladhe asked whether I had“reached ecstasy” yet.Trying to stifle a giggle as Icoughed out the word “no”and turned over in bed, mymind was running away towhat spectacular “Making“Making“Making“Makingoutoutoutout inininin Japanese”Japanese”Japanese”Japanese”* Englishalternative he haddiscovered that very literalgem among the pages of.Safe to say, the answer tohis exquisitely put question,was no.

I am sorry to say thatthese are the only stories Ihave to show for my 8months in Japan; sex in the

Vol.1, No.11, May, 2009


shared in the ever-romanticGBs American-themed diner,was to be our first and lastencounter. Imagine mysurprise however when Ireceived a message from him afew weeks later:

I’m lonery, I miss I’m lonery, I miss I’m lonery, I miss I’m lonery, I miss you.you.you.you.

This was followed by anothersterling email a couple moreweeks down the line:

Come on my house. Come on my house. Come on my house. Come on my house. Sleep&Love&LoveSleep&Love&LoveSleep&Love&LoveSleep&Love&Love

8(*^^*)88(*^^*)88(*^^*)88(*^^*)8the night I assumed in myboozy haze there woulddefinitely be some sealing ofthe deal in the shape of akiss, or something similar.Dropping me off at myhouse we sat in his car, andI moved in for the kill.Somehow ‘the kill’ wasconstrued by him to mean‘the longest hug in history’and he held me in anawkward hold for about 5minutes. When he finally letgo I smiled dumbly andstumbled out of his car, leftscratching my head by theside of the road as hedeparted.

I am not stupid. Athome, this kind of behaviourwould be definite ‘He’s justnot that into you’ material,which was fine, so I took thehint. I didn’t call him oremail him, assuming thatthe wonderful time we

months in Japan; sex in theshi-wise, which is preciselywhy this will be a guestfeature only, as I haveofficially run out of wittyquips to entertain you within this area. I am howeveralways on the lookout fornew anecdote material so, ifyou know anyone who wantsan awkward evening of“And how long have youworked there?”“eeeeeeetto… it is 1 hour.”“What? No… What?” and along embrace in anautomobile, you know whereto find me.

*If you missed the article onthe amazing Japanese-English language guide to‘Making Out in Japanese’mentioned in the articleabove you can check back toAJET Newsletter VVVVoooollll....1111,,,, NNNNoooo....3333,,,,SSSSeeeepppptttteeeemmmmbbbbeeeerrrr 2222000000008888))))

8(*^^*)88(*^^*)88(*^^*)88(*^^*)8

And then my personalfavourite:

KnockKnockKnockKnock----knock. knock. knock. knock. Im drunking now. Im drunking now. Im drunking now. Im drunking now.

Im lonery. Im lonery. Im lonery. Im lonery. I miss you.I miss you.I miss you.I miss you.

How exactly someone has theability to miss somebody theycan’t really communicate withand once hugged in a car, Iwill never know.

My only otherexperience with a Japanesegentleman has been with aman who spoke impeccableEnglish and used theseparticular skills to woo me into staying at his house after


After a long legal battle,Noriko Calderon, daughter ofillegal Filipino immigrants whocame to Japan in the 1990swas finally given special leaveto remain in Japan. Cause forcelebration, you might think.However, her parents havenot been treated with thesame leniency, and have beendeported back to thePhilippines. Noriko has thusbeen given the choice ofwhether she wants to stay inJapan, or go with her parents.She is thirteen years old.

Thirteen years old, andforced to choose between herfamily and her life in Japan.She has never been to thePhilippines; does not speak

Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


they had a child since arriving,both spoke fluent Japaneseand were working and payingtaxes is neither here northere; they broke immigrationlaw, for which the statutorypenalty is forced repatriation.In fact, by offering Noriko thechoice of staying in thecountry, rather thansummarily deporting her withher parents, the Ministry mayfeel that they were lenient.

What are theimplications of this decision?

It was, essentially, themost lenient decision theJustice Ministry could havehanded down on the basis oflaws currently in place.However, that does not make

as to whether the parentsshould have been allowed tostay, or conversely whetherthey should all have beendeported. Both pro- and anti-immigration groups helddemonstrations in Warabi City,Noriko’s home town inSaitama Prefecture. Theblogosphere has been alivewith debate on the matter,with some calling for Japan’sborders to be closed, andsome calling for Japan to doall it can to encourage youngforeign workers.

However, by againtaking the middle road ofallowing Noriko to stay butbanishing her parents, thegovernment merely continues

The Calderons, Immigration and StrawberriesThe Calderons, Immigration and StrawberriesThe Calderons, Immigration and StrawberriesThe Calderons, Immigration and StrawberriesBy Jon Perry

Philippines; does not speakTagalog; in short she has nocultural connection with thatcountry. She chose to remainin Japan, and will live with anaunt. Her parents boarded aflight to Manila last week. Asshe stood at the airportwatching them walk on to theplane among the media circusthat accompanied them, heryoung eyes seemed to beasking a thousand questionsabout why this had happened.

The justice ministry, whogave Noriko permission tostay while forcing her parentsto leave, could easily be seenas the pantomime villains ofthe piece. However, anyjustice ministry official will tellyou that there was no otherway. Noriko’s parents, cameinto the country illegally onfalse passports in the early1990s. Once found, they hadto be deported. The fact that

However, that does not makeit right. Immigration in thiscountry has for too long beenan unofficial, shady businessthat leaves the door open forhuman rights abuses of thosewho make the voyage over. Arecent German film, ‘SourStrawberries’, depicts theplight of a Chinese immigrantwho worked on a strawberryfarm in Tochigi for over 18months without being alloweda single day off. Immigrantshave no recourse to the law;entering through this backdoor they are not officiallyprotected by labourregulations. This state ofaffairs is an untenable muddle,from the point of view of boththe economy and humanrights.

The Calderon case was,then, a landmark. Withwidespread news coverage,debates have raged in Japan

government merely continuesto sit on the fence aboutwhether it wants toencourage foreigners in.Japan cannot banish its aliens,as some (including LabourMinisters Kawasaki Jiro andInternal Affairs MinisterHatoyama Kunio) would like.It equally cannot open up itsborders to all. Noriko ismerely an unfortunate pawnin a horrible game. It isestimated that 500 familiesare in her position. How manyof them will be split up beforethe government embarks on asensible, controlledimmigration policy thatsatisfies Japan’s need forlabour while quelling publicfears about the effects oflarge numbers of foreignworkers on society. It’s anawful cliché, but in this casesurely we really must think ofthe children.


Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


Down a few steps off of theMinami tram road is a havenfor anyone who misses flavorsfrom south of the Rio GrandeRiver. La Yuuki has beenserving its own take onLos Angeles-style Tex-Mexcuisine for years, filling the

rest of the evening. Hiro-san also enjoysexperimenting with newdishes, and welcomessuggestions and advice onMexican fare. You shouldalways look at the dailyspecials whiteboard and askwhat he recommends. I alsorecommend the chicken mole(980� ), which is preparedwith a slightly spicychocolate sauce that willkeep you smiling throughoutthe meal. And if you want a

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exclusively to Mexicancuisine, and thus he made ashift to operating ToyamaCity’s only Mexicanrestaurant.

Trained in a Mexicanrestaurant in Tokyo for tenyears, Hiro-san is a Toyama-ken native whose easy-goingand friendly nature hasmade him a favorite withToyama-jin and ALTs alike.He can easily make standardfavorites such as tacos,burritos, and enchiladas.

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cuisine for years, filling thebellies of many an ALT withcrispy chimichangas, bigburritos, and enticingenchiladas. The master,Hiro-san, is a kind andwelcoming soul who speaksEnglish and is always glad toconverse with you while youmunch on corn chips andsalsa (420 � ; or withguacamole, 580�) and awaityour main course. What LaYuuki lacks in size – therestaurant can accommodateabout a maximum of 14people – it more than makesup for in flavor and in itsrelaxing atmosphere. At firstglance, the restaurant layoutmight remind you of a smallizakaya. This is because itused to be an izakaya thatserved a variety of food,including Mexican. But Hiro-san eventually decided thathe wanted to devote himself

The latter is often a favoritewith vegetarians, which canbe ordered with cheese andonions, or with spinach andmushrooms (both 780 � ).My personal favorite – andusually Tuesday nightstandby – is the beef stewburrito. At 980�, it offers asucculent mix of tender beefstew, refried beans, rice,sour cream, onions, andguacamole; it’s also largeenough to keep you sated for

culinary show, order thebaked scallops with chilemayonnaise sauce (890� );the scallops are baked witha blowtorch right beforeyour very eyes! Of course avariety of drinks are offeredwith which to wash downyour dish, including frozenmargaritas (720� ); but ifyou want a beer, the onlything you need is a Bohemia(620�).

La Yuuki can be a little


Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


difficult to locate at first, as itis technically on thebasement level of a buildingthat also houses Cincuenta yUno, the wine bar. If you arewalking from Toyama Station,along the Minami tram road,towards Nishicho, La Yuuki islocated on the left, a fewbuildings south of theintersection that houses bothShidax and Saizeria. Onceyou find it, though, you willbe in a comfortable placewhere you can sit back, sip abeer and enjoy tacos whilechatting with Hiro-san,watching the news, orstudying. It is the kind ofrestaurant that deserves andhas earned its many regulars,for it consistently delivers

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Last Christmas, Azwinndini Ratshionya, a Kumamoto JET,went home to South Africa for a visit. During his stay, hevisited South Africa's northernmost province, Limpopo, onthe border with Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe,where a cholera outbreak had affected hundreds ofchildren. “Most of the kids affected were Zimbabweansand I asked why and the answer was because they haveabsolutely nothing. They are poor, desperate.”

Azwinndini brought his experience with him back toJapan and presented a wonderful idea to his JTE, Mr.Shiga: He would share this story with his Elementarystudents and give them the opportunity to help out bycollecting unwanted school supplies to send to kids inZimbabwe.

Azwinndini shared his idea with other ALTs in his town,Tamana-shi, and pretty soon elementary and junior highschool students all around Tamana were collectingpencils, pens, and notebooks to send to kids their age onthe other side of the world. As the supplies started rolling

JET EFFECT: Linking Kids Across the Globe Through Giving

for it consistently deliversquality food that you simplycannot find anywhere else.

Go once and you willhave an enjoyable butephemeral evening; go oftenand you will have predictablepleasure that will never letyou down.

the other side of the world. As the supplies started rollingin, Azwinndini assembled a list of schools in Zimbabwe,writing each one a letter before he sends a box ofsupplies from his students.

The project has continued to grow. It seems that thewhole town is behind Azwinndini in this endeavor. Theproject has now already appeared in the “KumamotoNichinichi” and “Asahi” newspapers. “It was pretty easyto get everyone to help. They all want to do somethingfor people in other countries, but so often they don't havethe chance,” James says.

As of now, the group has already collected more than180kg of materials, a number the kids can definitely beproud of. As they imagine kids like them using Hello Kittypencils and Anpanman erasers in Zimbabwe, not onlyhave the students learned a memorable lesson aboutanother part of the world, but they have also realized thatthey can reach out and make a small difference as partof a global community.

*****************************************************************To contact Azwinndini for more information about this project or to donate money to help send the next batch of materials to Zimbabwe, send an e-mail to [email protected] and we will put you in touch.


Sick of looking atshrines on my holiday Idecided to take in a film. I

Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


IntelligenceIntelligenceIntelligenceIntelligence isisisis relativerelativerelativerelative....The intertwining lives of thecharacters pinpoint howsmall each individual’s viewpoint of their situation is.None of the characters canreally be said to be the leadrole, except perhaps JohnMalkovich’s character, butthe majority of his role isgriping, ‘For fuck’s sake!’ atdifferent levels of intensitythroughout the film.

The Coen Brotherswrote the script at the sametime as they were writing‘No Country For Old Men’,alternating the scriptsevery other day. As such, itdefinitely has the feel of astory told for the pleasure of

woman trying to solve herproblems with cosmeticsurgery. Finally, GeorgeClooney stole the show withhis very human portrayal ofhis character. As expectedJohn Malkovich and TildaSwinton do what they dobest. But, like all CoenBrother’s films, there is awealth of talentedperformances from minorcharacters which fortify thisstory.

‘Burn After Reading’ hasa 7.3 approval rating onIMDB, justifiably so in myopinion. In the age of rom-coms and dramas it is goodto know that someone is stillproducing funny films that

REVIEW: BURN AFTER READINGBy Paula Kerrigan

decided to take in a film. Ican’t read Japanese well so Ihad to go on pictures todecide what to see.Fortunately my four yearsworking in video rentalstores in college has trainedme to judge films by theircovers and I picked a filmwith John Malkovich,George Clooney and BradPitt. It wasn’t until the filmactually started that Idiscovered the title was‘Burn After Reading’.

I thought it hadsomething to do with a parkwhen I read ‘koen’ on theposter, but I soon realised itwas a Coen Brothers filmbecause, like every other oneof their films, Burn AfterReading has a distinctreality that could only comefrom the Coen Brothers.

‘Burn After Reading’ isa comedy. Its tagline is

story told for the pleasure oftelling it, rather than havingany grand ambitions onenlightening its audience.

There is an element ofexhibitionism for the actorsin the film too, as each actorbrings their character tocentre stage and solos for awhile, showing off his or hertalent. This would havebeen tiresome if it weren’tfor the magnificent cast thatthe Coen Brothers hadamassed. Perhaps weshould call them The UsualSuspects since most of themare old favourites for theCoen Brothers.

Of these performancesI have to single out just afew. Brad Pitt takes firstplace for his easy portrayalof a not-too-bright gyminstructor. FrancesMcDormand plays a highlysympathetic unlucky-in-love

producing funny films thatdon’t centre around a couplelearning how to be married(someone stop AshtonKutcher, PLEASE!) Evenmy Japanese co-watchers inthe cinema in Kyushu couldappreciate how funny thisfilm was.

A final word must besaid about the music in thisfilm. It seems all to oftenfilms which aren’t intendedto be block buster successesdeem it unimportant tocommission original music,opting instead for rip-offs ofclassical music. Not so withBurn After Reading. Themusic is excellent and addsan extra dimension to thisalready brimming film.

Essentially, Burn AfterReading is a testament tohow having good ingredientsgoes a long way to how goodthe final product will be.


What’s Happening – May 2009

Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


16151413121110

9876Substitute Holiday

5Children’s

Day

4Greenery

Day

3Consti-tution

Memorial Day

213029282726

SaturdayFridayThursdayWednesdayTuesdayMondaySunday

Advertise your event (or an event you know about) on the AJET calendar! Send info to [email protected].

30Happy

Birthday Kristen!

2928Happy

Birthday Lester!

27262524

23Toyama

Book Club*

Shimao Barbecue

2221Happy

Birthday Janet!

2019Happy

Birthday Michael!

1817

65432131Happy

Birthday Denise!


Vol.1, No.11, May 2009


UPCOMING EVENTS

…come, let’s discuss …come, let’s discuss something other than something other than

work!work!

The God of small thingsThe God of small thingsBy Arundhati RoyBy Arundhati Roy

Synopsis from the Man Booker Prize Foundation, which awarded the Booker literary prize to Ms. Roy for this novel in 1997:

Set in Kerala in the 1960s, The God of Small Things is about two children, Estha and Rahel, and the shocking consequences of a pivotal event in their young lives, the accidental death-by-drowning of a visiting English cousin. In magical and poetic language, the novel paints a vivid picture of life in a small rural Indian town, the thoughts and feelings of the two small children, and the complexity and hypocrisy of the adults in their world. It is also a poignant lesson in the destructive power of the caste system and moral and political bigotry in general.

This is an amazingly lush and evocative novel, one well-worth owning for yourself. Get yourself over to Amazon!

----------------TIME/DATE: Saturday, May 23, 3-5 pmPLACE: Inarimachi Park – Near Sunshine 88CONTACT: Michael, [email protected] case of rain on the 16th, the meeting will be held in Sunshine.

Shimao Beach BarbecueShimao Beach BarbecueWell, the weather is finally warming up after the seemingly endless winter, and to celebrate the lovely folks in Himi City Hall have deicded to hold a barbecue and beach clean up. Come and help us get the best beach in Toyama bay tidy, and then celebrate by eating meat (and other things for vegetarians) outdoors. The cost will be 500 yen, but I am assured that there will be a veritable mountain of things to eat so it should be very good value.You`ll need to book a place, to help the organisers know how much food to get in. To do this, phone or email our wonderful Himi CIR Ms Heather Harr at the phone number or email address below. Places are limited to 50, so book early!

-------------

TIME/DATE: Saturday, May 23rd, 9:00 -2:00

PLACE: Shimao Beach, Himi

CONTACT: Heather, [email protected]

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