M 2002 AJET Across Japan · MARCH 2002 AJET Across Japan Across AJET ... This year’s council will...

AJET Across JapanMARCH 2002

AcrossAJET

Japan

www.ajetacrossjapan.com

March

Akita, Aomori,Hokkaido, Iwate Yamata:

Block 1Fukushima, Miyagi,

Niigata, Tochigi:Block 2

Gunma, Ibaraki, SaitamaBlock 3

Aichi, Gifu, Mie,Nagano, Shizuoka

Block 5

Chiba, Kanagawa,Tokyo, Yamanishi

Block 4

AJET Elections

Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagasaki,Saga, Yamaguchi

Block 9

Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, Okayama,Shimane, Tokushima, Tottori

Block 8

Hyogo, Nara, Osaka, WakayamaBlock 7

Fukui, Ishikawa, Kyoto,Shiga, ToyamaBlock 6

Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki,Oita, OkinawaBlock 10

MARCH 2002AJET Across Japan

From the EditorFrom the Editor

2

AJET Across JapanApril issue deadline:

March 10

AJET NCElections...7-19

Let’s Diving ...24

Religion in the Classroom...26-27

PSG is a telephone support line forJETs operated by fellow JETs. This

service is operated every night from8pm to 8am. The toll-free telephone

number for PSG is 0120-43-7225.

Peer Support GroupJETAA Job Guide/Job

Bank:http://cheno.com/job/

JET Mentor Network: http://cheno.com/mentor/

Every Situation is Different by Earth Bennett

More? www.angelfire.com/comics/esid”.

This month’s feature is the AJET National Council elec-tions. About this time, local chapters should also be gettingready to host their own leadership elections. If you haven’t beeninvolved with AJET in the past, it’s a great time to think aboutchanging things. Any steps forward on the national level arethe direct result of polling, petitioning and pushing at the re-gional level.On the subject of elections, AAJ is still looking for a (web-based) Design Editor to make the team complete. If you havesome free time and a jumpy trigger finger…

Besides elections, Brett Robson has provided a secondinstallment in his “Level Up: Studying Japanese” series. I wishthat I would have waited to buy an electronic dictionary untilafter I read his article. Additionally, Erica Yelensky looks backon the winter holiday season and shares her non-Christian per-spective.

Have a happy spring break and, as always, please send anyletters to the editor or submissions to [email protected].


3

EDITOR

Ann Culp

ON-LINE EDITOR

Owen Grieb

ADVERTISING EDITOR

Leika Hancock

AAJ is published at the begin-ning of each month. The dead-line for AAJ article submisionsand Letters to the Editor is the10th of each month.AJET Across Japan is pro-duced for the benefit of all AJETgroups and AJET members.AAJ is an open forum. The AAJEditor will accept submissionsand edit based on space avail-ability. All submissions and let-ters should be sent [email protected] should be sent to:

[email protected] inquiries should go to:

[email protected]

www.ajetacrossjapan.com

AJET Across Japan

Letters to the Editor:[email protected]

Angela BroeckelAJET National Council Chair

[email protected]

TheVoiceDear AJET Members,

This is the last cold month of the year and as winter comes toa close, for those of us leaving the JET Programme, we are alsosaying a fond farewell to the beauty of winter. Apart from the factthat I can see my own breath in my apartment, and the refrigeratornot needing to be used for a mere three months due to the coldnessof the interior of the apartment, I think I will miss the snow —scraping the ice off my car every morning to go to school, makingsnowmen near the river valley and going skiing in the fields not farfrom my town. Winter is coming to an end. And, although withwinter coming to an end, it is also almost time for this year’s AJETNational Council to come to a close.

By now you have all received your ballots on-line to reviewthe platforms for potential candidates, and I sincerely hope thateach and every one of you voted. The AJET National Council ishere to serve you, and we work hard at doing just that. The AJETNational Council helps plan and coordinate the Post-Arrival Ori-entation held in Tokyo every summer, the Re-Contracting confer-ences held every Spring, a Change-over Meeting held in the Spring,as well as attending two meetings every year with CLAIR, and whenpossible, MONBUKAGAKUSHO. This has been a year of changeand it will continue to be a year of change. That, in itself, is excit-ing! This year’s council will be helping out the new council andshowing them what needs to be done.

It’s a time of transition as we work together to making AJETstrong. I have received a few emails regarding how to apply to be anassistant at conferences. Please watch your mailboxes for those ofyou interested in being an assistant for any of the conferences com-ing up. Not only is it good experience, but it’s a good time to meetold and new faces and share your thoughts on the adventures youhave been having. I encourage you to apply if you are at all inter-ested. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate tocontact me at: [email protected]. Until then, enjoy the lastpart of winter and make lots of Snow Angels — those are alwaysfun!


4

Brett RobsonThe Yamasa Institute

In this article I will look at reference material for studying Japanese.In the last article I said that at first you probably don’t need a kanji dictionary and you could get by

without a regular dictionary. I don’t mean you shouldn’t buy these, but the cost of books can build upvery quickly so you shouldn’t rush out and buy things you won’t use. Fortunately technology has given ussome great tools and, best of all, many are free!

uKanji DictionaryFirstly do you really need a kanji dictionary? At the beginner level probably not, the Minna no

Nihongo books have furigana on all words so you can find them in a dictionary and your kanji textbookwill have all the information you need tostudy; namely the way to write the charac-ters, the meanings and some words that usethe new kanji. When you are studying kanjiit is useful to look up the new kanji in adictionary to see the definitions and morewords that use this character. However, thedanger with this is you may pick up wordsthat are not in common usage or simply beoverloaded with information.

If you do find yourself needing to readkanji, then obviously you’ll need a diction-ary. Unfortunately most of them use thedreaded romaji.

Many of the kanji dictionaries areprinted in a smaller abridged version spe-cifically for learners. These smaller versionsleave out the more obscure kanji that youare unlikely to need, making them far easierto use and a bit cheaper. I strongly recom-mend these smaller learner dictionaries overthe larger books. You may think that it isworth investing the money on the biggerbooks but in fact the extra kanji make itmuch more difficult to use and unless youare a very advanced student studying in aspecialized subject you won’t encounterextra kanji.

The Nelson dictionary is considereda classic but I think it is only really suitablefor the most advanced students and re-

LevelLevelUPUP

Z

Studying Japanese

s

continued on page 5


searchers. TheHalpern book hasmore detail about themultiple meanings ofkanji and groupswords into thesemeanings which givesbetter insight into thekanji, however theword lists are farsmaller and concen-trate on only the mostimportant words. Ihave the Tuttle kanjidictionary which Ibought by mistakethinking it was theHalpern dictionary.The Tuttle dictionaryhas a lot of words and can be used as a regular dic-tionary – if you recognize one of the kanji in a wordyou can look it up, even if it isn’t the first kanji inthe word. The extra information in Halpern is prob-ably found in your kanji textbook and unnecessary,but you might like to consider it.

I recommend Tuttle, I’ve been very happy withit. Another book by the same authors is Kanji &Kana: A Handbook of the Japanese Writing System,which would be a good substitute, as it would serveas both a reference and a text. However all of theabove are excellent references and you won’t gowrong with any of them.

An additional book you might consider, alsoby Tuttle, is A Guide to Remembering Japanese Char-acters. It goes through each character describing theetymology of them. Not necessary but I enjoy us-ing it.

There are two books I give a strong warningagainst, Heisig’s Remembering the Kanji and KanjiPict-O-Graphix. Both claim to make learning kanjiextremely easy and people claim to remember largenumbers very quickly. I am extremely cynical aboutthese claims as initially only the meanings are learnt.Writing the kanji and the sounds are a completelydifferent matter and will actually increase theamount of time required to learn. Knowing themeanings of both kanji in a two kanji word does

LThe Learners Kanji Dictionary, Spahn and Hadamitzky, (Tuttle),ISBN 0-8048-2095-3LKodansha’s Furigana: Japanese-English Dictionary, Paul Hulbert,(Kodansha), ISBN: 4770019831LKodansha’s Furigana English-Japanese Dictionary, Paul Hulbert,(Kodansha), ISBN: 4770019831LA Handbook of Japanese Grammar, Tanimori (Tuttle), ISBN:0804819408

OthersLKanji & Kana : A Handbook of the Japanese Writing System, Spahnand Hadamitzky, (Tuttle), ISBN 0804820775LThe Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary, Jack Halpern (Editor)(Kondansha), ISBN 4770023359LThe New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary, Haig andNelson, ISBN 0804820368

Recommended Books

not necessarily mean you understand the word.

uDictionariesStudying in Japan means you get instant re-

sults. As soon as you learn a new word or kanji youbecome aware of it everywhere. The drawback isthat you are faced with coping with day to daymatters such as accommodation, banking, schooland shopping. Your textbooks contain definitionsof your new words but you may find you need dic-tionaries for every day life.

I strongly recommend against dictionariesusing romaji. However they are cheap and a smallpocket version might be handy; watch out, manyof them are very poor quality (check the publishingdate).

Probably the best dictionaries are the KodanshaFurigana dictionaries. There are three available, Japa-nese to English, English to Japanese and a com-bined volume. Personally I favour the separate booksas I can look up a word in one then check back inthe other and compare the definitions. These booksuse Japanese as it would normally be written in kanjiand has the small furigana to give the readings. Theyhave lots of very good examples, however, the vo-cabulary is a bit limited. The total cost of the twobooks will be upwards of 7000yen.

from page 4

continued on page 6


contain the same dictionaries asthe Canon Word Tank but withthe huge bonus of having kanjihandwriting recognition. It is sur-prisingly easy to write a word inkanji and find it in the Japaneseto English dictionary. It’s noteasy to use as all the messages andmenus are in Japanese, and a bithard to use if you’re not seated ata table. Their prices have fallenfrom around 60,000yen toaround 15,000yen. Be awarethere are many models available,the MI-J1 is pushed as the dic-tionary model but others have thedictionary as well.

uSoftwareThere is now a lot of software

available for studying and refer-ence material. Language coursesavailable on CD-ROM are expen-sive and hard to assess. The few Ihave assessed are dreadful. Theyare based on a uniform syllabusbased on European languagestranslated into multiple lan-guages. Learning Japanese isnothing like learning French.Steer clear of these.

Our school, The Yamasa Insti-tute, will launch an online schooland dictionary soon.

Dr Jim Breen of Monash Uni-versity has a huge collection of(mainly free) software available athttp://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/japanese.html and someonline reference material. I rec-ommend downloading JWPce.

6

uGrammar ReferencesIf you follow the Minna no Nihongo series, all the grammar ex-

planations are provided for you. A useful, but not strictly necessaryaddition is the Handbook of Japanese Grammar by Tanimori and it’sfairly cheap.

A book that seems to be out of print is Japanese Verbs and Essen-tials of Grammar by Lampkin. This is the book that finally made meunderstand Japanese verbs (I’m a bit slow).

As you move onto intermediate Japanese you will find most ofthe books are entirely in Japanese - no English explanations. You willprobably need a grammar reference to help you understand the points.I will cover intermediate study in a later article but for the time beingA Dictionary of Basic Grammar by Makino and Tsutsui and the in-termediate version come highly recommended.

A problem with these books is that they are usually written byJapanese (ie nihonjin) academics using bizarre English grammaticalterms – keep an English dictionary handy! I didn’t know what voli-tional was and still don’t know what geminated consonant and apposi-tive clause means (and I don’t care!).

uOther BooksI wrote in the previous article to avoid books that are primarily

in English. There are many books written about studying Japanese(just like these articles) that devote chapters to obscure points. Read-ing about studying Japanese is no real benefit (except these articles?).I offer the Power Japanese series as a good (bad) example.

uElectronic DictionariesFor those of us living in Japan a portable dictionary is essential

and electronic dictionaries are the best option. Most are designed forJapanese people to use and so do not provide the readings for kanji,no point in looking up an English word to find an unreadable wordin kanji.

The Canon Word Tank series have optional English menus andallow you to get the readings of all words. I paid 20,000yen for anIDF-3000 over two years ago and have carried it everywhere. If youbuy a Word Tank you may not need to buy paper dictionaries, how-ever many words in the Word Tank dictionary do not have any defini-tions, only example sentences which can make it hard to understandsome words.

The Sharp Zaurus is a personal digital assistant and some models

Brett Robson is a former JET and now works at The Yamasa Institute, www.yamasa.org in the InternationalOffice, as one of the multi-lingual staff assisting Yamasa students coming to, and studying in Japan. He can be

reached at: [email protected].

from page 5


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Elected Positions:Executive Officers:Chair

J.D. SparksAnthony Hall

Vice ChairAmelia BarclayAndrew Thomas

TreasurerMatthew GoldDonna Kim

Block Representatives:Block 1: Akita, Aomori, Hokkaido, Iwate, Yamagata

Daniel Lee Dan RuppJosh New Andrew Thiele

Block 2: Fukushima, Miyagi, Niigata, TochigiVacant

Block 3: Gunma, Ibaraki, SaitamaThomas Kodiak

Block 4: Chiba, Kanagawa, Tokyo, YamanashiVacant

Block 5: Aichi, Gifu, Mie, Nagano, ShizuokaLiz Goodin

Block 6: Fukui, Ishikawa, Kyoto, Shiga, ToyamaVacant

Block 7: Hyogo, Nara, Osaka, WakayamaConnie Kong

Block 8: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, Okayama, Shimane, Tokashima,Tottori

Katherine DickerWes JonesYeji Reiko Joanna Jeung

Block 9: Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Saga, YamaguchiVacant

Block 10: Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Oita, OkinawaJP Fritz

CIR/SEA RepresentiveVivian BeebeJim PatrickEmma Vrcek

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11-12

pleasevote

Database AdministratorAmanda Cornaglia

AJET Across Japan EditorLaraine CoatesPaul DonohoeRod Overaa

AAJ Web Design EditorVacant

AAJ Advertising EditorJen Johnson

WebmasterJames BrayMark Hollingworth

Ap

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8Hi! My name is Anthony Hall and I’m running for the posi-

tion of Chair of the AJET National Council. Now, why should youvote for me, I hear you ask? First of all, I have plenty of experience inthese affairs.l At my university, I was an Assistant Vice-President (AVP) of the University Student Union, as well asbeing a member of the Union Council and sitting on numerous committees.l As an AVP, I was a member of the team responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the Union andthe union building. Part of my responsibilities included arranging events in the Union, looking afterthe bars and cafes, delegating responsibility and making sure that anything done in the building was inthe interests of the students.l One year, along with two other members of the Union Executive, I was responsible for arrangingFresher’s Week, which as all of you might imagine is an absolute logistical nightmare.l I often had to meet with officials from the university and representatives from local businesses onunion matters. Weekly internal meetings were a matter of course and on many occasions I had to chairthese meetings.l I believe that I am a pretty approachable kind of guy and feel that my fellow AJET members wouldbe happy to come to me with any problems, comments or suggestions.

From this, I would like to think that I have acquired the necessary experience to run for thisposition. I have worked well within a “team” environment and as Chair, I would be responsible forensuring the smooth running of the AJET council. I also hope that the AJET Council will be able towork effectively as a team to achieve your needs.

Right, that’s all the boring stuff out of the way. What would I do if I were elected then? I guessmost of you know that I would be required to give a lot of speeches and hold meetings and everythingelse that comes with the position. What might interest you though, are the ideas I have for improvingAJET.l As a first year ALT living in one of the further flung prefectures of Japan, I and many of my friendshave felt that National AJET has not really done much. We have not seen any real benefit from beingmembers of National AJET. I want this to change. If elected, I would like to be in regular contact withnot only the block representatives, but also the Presidents of all the Prefectural AJETs.l I want to increase the membership of AJET substantially. This year, for the first time, people did nothave to pay to be a member of National AJET. If this is the case, then there is no reason as to why everyparticipant on the JET Scheme should not automatically become a member of National AJET.l By looking to increase the level of sponsorship (i.e. freebies or cheapies) by current and potentialAJET associated companies, I believe there would be a greater interest from JETs in participating inAJET related schemes and activities.l Furthermore, I wish to see an Open Forum held as part of the Renewer’s Conference timetable, atwhich you will get the chance to offer any criticisms or ideas that we may not have thought of. Who elseis in a better position to give this to us than those that have already been in Japan for 10 months?

As you can see, I have a few ideas for improving AJET and I have quite a few more, but I’mrunning out of space here. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with me. Thanks fortaking the time to read all of this, and even if you decide not to vote for me, make sure that you do vote.Believe it or not your vote does count, and I hope you vote for me.

Vote Ant!! You can contact me at [email protected].

ChairAnthony Hall

Please find the ballot printed on page 28.


9AJET Across Japan

As the National Council Vice Chair this year I’ve seen the in-ner workings of the NC. I plan to bring continuity, on the AJETNC, from this year to the next. I am ALWAYS open to suggestionsfrom members and continue to actively seek your input. I am known

as the “Pit Bull” of issues (according to one NC member). In other words, when I see an issue that needsto be addressed, you can rest assured that I will not stop until the problem is solved, an opportunity iscreated or JET’s views/concerns are addressed.

In 2000-01 I was President of Saitama’s AJET Chapter. Being close to Tokyo we had the opportu-nity to meet with members of MEXT (Ministry of Education), on the Prefectual level, to work on issuesthat hit home with JETs in our area. It should come as no surprise that these same issues affect all of usnationwide. We have continued to pursue these issues and this year MEXT has asked us back to helpmold even more policies for the future… I am always looking towards making a better future for us ALL.

On the current National Council we are doing the same… Working for a better future. Many of you may have seen me at the Tokyo or Kobe conferences running around like a mad

man… Well, I plan to keep giving the same effort, 120%, next year too. I want to see a dramatic changecome to AJET and the JET Programme that will keep improving the lives, jobs and future of those livinghere. Since I already have a SOLID relationship with the members of the Ministries I will have noproblem bringing these changes to our members!

One more important factor is my proximity to Tokyo (45 minutes by train). This will allow me toeasily access the CLAIR and MEXT offices and insure you are represented year round.Some Future Goals for AJET & the AJET NC:l Improve Relations with Various Ministries in hopes of building a better “Cooperative Relationship”with all parties involved.l REPRESENT, YOU, the AJET membership and JET community. This is imperative to insure thatwe are working to make YOUR life and work environment better.l Build bridges between AJET’s members and Japanese teachers.l Create and Improve opportunities for JETs to effect change in the JET Programme.l Insure that JETs and groups within AJET continue to evolve, to better provide for their members.Next year we will have many additions to our operations that will accomplish this goal, including aninteractive online database.l Insure opportunities for Non-English speaking JETs to participate in AJET.l MAKE SURE THAT… New JETs and current members are MORE informed on issues and events. Iwill insure that AJET info and opportunities are disseminated to members as-soon-as-possible (ASAP)in the new year. OF COURSE, I always want to hear from MEMBERS to incorporate your ideas andneeds into the goals of the NC and AJET! YOU ARE THE ONES THAT COUNT! YOU ARE THEONES WE REPRESENT!Partial list of Past Leadership and Work Related Qualifications:l Regional Supervisor for Microsoft’s Retail Marketing Program. Coordinated 30 employees’ weeklyactivities throughout the US Midwest.l College Board’s (The SAT people) Government Relations Committee. Worked directly with USNational political leaders to mold education policy in Washington DC and New York.l United States Marine Corps: Combat Veteran, Company Sniper and Anti-terrorist Unit.l College Groups: SBA Rep for Student Government, Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity (PledgeEducation and Recruitment), Student Activity Fund member (Evaluated and allocated all funds forcampus activities with annual budget of over $500,000 USD), Dean’s Advisory Council President/VP/Public Relations Officer, “Outstanding Leadership for SBA” award recipient.VOTE FOR ME and you vote for Proven Leadership… J.D. Sparks (Current AJET NC Vice Chair)

ChairJ.D. Sparks

[email protected]


10Vice-ChairAmelia Barkley

I would like to formally apply for the position of AJET ViceChair for the year of 2002-3. Allow me to introduce myself for thosethat don’t know me and explain why I would suit the position.

My name is Andrew Thomas from Australia. I am a second yearAET presently working in Showa machi, Saitama-ken. I am based at

a Junior high school but also teach at Elementary school once a week. I am also currently the SaitamaAJET President.

I often hear people make gripes about Japan, but I find that the longer that I stay in Japan the morewonderful things I learn about it. Its like children, there are a few difficult ones but everyone has at leastONE beautiful thing about them and by recognizing that you can help that child (or person) to developand become a better person. I have tried and would like to continue that same theme here in Japan andwith all the JETs in Japan. We have a terrific opportunity to both experience life in a different county butalso to share our culture as well.

That’s not to say that there are problems and we need to unite to help resolve those issues. We mustunderstand that things do not happen over night and I am willing to help lead that charge for a better andbalanced working environment for all JETs. I have had experience in running small businesses in Aus-tralia, including my own company in Australia, and am an Officer in the Australian Defense Force. I

I believe that I would make a good Vice Chair for the AJETnational council. I am a very organized, dedicated, and motivatedperson, and enjoy things which challenge me. I like looking at manysides of issues in order to be completely informed before developingmy own opinions on them. I am currently the Saga-ken AJET representative and have really enjoyed theposition. I have organized several social events throughout the year including a trip to a sumo tourna-ment and a ski trip to Nagano. I have also coordinated a charity clothing drive within the ken whichallows ALTs to get rid of unwanted clothing, with the proceeds of sales going to a charity. I am currentlyworking on organizing a Saga AJET library so that JETs can share valuable reading materials with eachother. I took over the role of AJET treasurer last December and have gained the knowledge of the financialresponsibilities of our local AJET chapter. I believe that the responsibilities of this position have given mevaluable local AJET experience that would be useful in national AJET.

I am also serving as a district representative for my area within Saga. This position has involvedwriting and sending out materials to newly hired ALTs and organizing social and orientation eventsduring the first month that new ALTs arrive in Japan. This position has given me experience as a leaderwithin the ALT community. It has also allowed me to attend several meetings at the kencho throughoutthe year in order to help organize local conferences and to discuss JET matters with kencho supervisors. Ihave really enjoyed influencing the way that conferences are organized and run, and the way in which JETsituations have been treated. I am very interested in doing this on a national level.

There are several things that I would like national AJET to work on next year. The first would beto increase national AJET membership so that the needs of JETs are better represented on a national level.I believe that many JETs don’t know what national AJET is doing to improve the JET program for them.I think that AJET needs to make a stronger effort in communicating directly with JETs in Japan to moreaccurately represent JET needs. I want to get a larger pool of ideas for change within the program fromJETs all over Japan. I would also like to promote the idea of “study leave” to CLAIR in order to make iteasier for more ALTs to take time off to study Japanese during school breaks, enhancing their teachingability. I want to make the program more flexible in allowing for transfers for JETs who are unhappy orbadly treated in their work situations. I also think that it would be important for the new council tofollow through with ideas that were started in AJET this year. I would be willing to work those thingsthrough to the end. [email protected]

Vice-ChairAndrew Thomas

AJET Across JapanMARCH 2002 AJET Across Japan

11realize that leadership is not just giving orders but is to lead by example, to motivate people to achievetheir best and do task, but also the ability to delegate authority.

With this in mind there are a few goals that I would like to see achieved or progress in:First, continue the great work achieved this year by the current NC and continue to pursue equality

for all JETs in their work environment.Secondly try and get CLAIR to understand that there needs to be a system in-place to ensure that

COs (Contracting Organization) utilize their JETs and are dealing with them fairly, including a review ofthe CO performance.

Third, to help bring about the change that, instead of the teachers and Supervisor writing a reportabout JETs without their input, will change to become a performance review allowing the JETs to addtheir comments and with an option for the JET to have a right of reply about comments made againstthem.

I know there are many more issues to be continued and will endeavor to do my best to completethem. Also I would like the opportunity to assist other JETs and Ken chapters to grow themselves and toenjoy their time in Japan.

It’s a chance of a lifetime to live and work here, so take control of your lives and make the most of thisopportunity. [email protected]

Vice-Chair, Andrew Thomas cont.

I would like to be the National AJET Treasurer because I thinkI would like the job and I think I would be good at it.Personality

There is a certain personality that fits well with the work that isrequired of a treasurer. For example, most people don’t keep four spreadsheets to keep track of theirpersonal finances. I do. I have eleven credit cards, four bank accounts, two lines of credit, and a govern-ment loan, and I could probably estimate my net financial position to within a hundred dollars. Book-keeping requires painstaking, meticulous work; I believe you have to like that sort of thing to be effectiveat it.Business Experience

I have started two businesses and done all the bookkeeping for both of them. This involved keepingtrack of customers on a database, as well as recording and tracking all loans, accounts receivable, andaccounts payable.Education

In April 2001 I graduated from the business school at the University of Western Ontario, where Iminored in Accounting. Prior to business school I was at the University of Winnipeg for three yearswhere my areas of focus were Economics and Statistics.Extra Curricular Experience

During my university career I served as an executive in three student groups. My first position wasas finance chair for the psychology students’ Association. In following years I served as president of boththe Economics’ Students Association and the Entrepreneurs Students’ Association. As the EconomicsStudents’ Association was a large established group, the role of president was primarily a leadership role.However, since the Entrepreneurs’ Students Association was fairly new, my role as president covered mostexecutive roles, including treasurer.Accessibility

Between bringing my computer to work and having cable internet at home, I am online at least tenhours a day. I can usually respond to emails within hours, if not minutes.

I have discussed the job’s responsibilities with the current treasurer, and I am confident that I willexcel in this position if I am given the chance. Thanks for your consideration. [email protected]

**Vote Matt Gould for Treasurer. If you were running, he’d vote for you**

TreasurerMatthew Gould


12TreasurerDonna Kim

Block 1Daniel Lee

Hi, my name is Donna Kim and I am a first year CIR fromNew Zealand living in Nara Prefecture. Let me tell you a little bitabout myself and why I want to run for the AJET treasurer’s posi-tion.

I have a Bachelor of Commerce degree in finance and accounting from the University of Auck-land and also a Bachelor of Arts degree in Japanese and mathematics from the University of Otago.Before coming to Japan, I worked as an Accounts Payable clerk in a multi-million dollar company’sfinance department. I was promoted to accountant in April, but turned it down to participate in theJET programme. I also worked as a sole-charge accountant for a Japanese translation company prior tothat position. I hold level 1 of the Japanese proficiency test.

Being a CIR in a small town allows me to multi-task myself and to search for new challenges.I have the time, aptitude and sense of responsibility to take on the challenge of AJET national

treasurer. Being the type of person who is motivated by large challenges, I am positive that I willactively look for ways to implement solutions to problems that arise, build a funding system for crea-tive projects and monitor the accounting side of my job constantly and efficiently. I have always yearnedfor making the most of my skills in Japan, and I cannot think of anything to more suitably satisfy thisdesire than the AJET treasurer’s position.

With the expansive changes in the JET programme, I feel that there is an even bigger need forAJET to support and assist current and future JETs comprehensively and with teamwork. I am deter-mined to actively do my part to benefit and assist AJET both at conferences and meetings, not tomention when liasing with Block and SIG representatives. I believe that my experience in creditors’liaison, cash distribution and my skills in Japanese will be suitable for this role in performing theseduties.

Lastly and most importantly, I am a teamwork and deadline oriented, open minded, and earnestperson who is extremely enthusiastic about the new project that lies ahead, which will enrich my timein Japan by helping others and aid my personal growth while doing so.

Thank you very much for your attention and I hope to see you all soon! [email protected]

Do you know who your current block representative is? Prob-ably not, huh? My name is Daniel Lee, and I want to be your newand more proactive block rep.

During my year and a half of teaching here, I have felt littleconnection to the national AJET organization. National AJET is

supposed to work on issues that affect our jobs and lives here in Japan, representing our interests . . .but what are the issues being discussed at those meetings with CLAIR? How often are you askeddirectly for input? Why does official news about our jobs sometimes appear in the newspaper beforecoming through AJET channels?

Bridging this communication gap must be the top priority for our newblock representative. If elected, I will be actively engaged with each prefec-ture’s email list, passing along news and gathering feedback. I will also write acolumn for the prefectural chapters that publish newsletters. Plus, schedulepermitting, I would like to try to attend all the mid-year conferences to discussthe issues with you in person.

In short, I will work to keep you informed and to serve as an advocate foryour views. I want to make sure AJET serves all of us in northern Japan.Yoroshiku onegaishimasu! [email protected]

Everyone canvote for Chair,

Vice-Chair, andTreasurer. For

other positions,please only vote if

you live in theblock.


13As Block 1 Representative, I will do my best to make sure that

all the prefectures in the block maintain and develop the communi-cations between one another. In my experience, I have gotten toknow almost every Jet in my ken, but I have met very few from other

kens, even those right next door. So in addition to maintaining the current lines of communication, Iwould like to broaden them so that the ease and comfort of discovering and traveling to local festivals andparties can be expanded to several kens. Special events, like Akita City’s Kanto festival and Sapporo’s Snowfestival are events that can easily be attended if you live in that ken, but what of those of us who don’t? One of the main things AJET was created for was communication, and I think what better way to use theposition as Block Representative than to increase and streamline the communication within the block? By achieving this communication, this also places me in a better position to represent the block whenI must. I can easily say that I know what Akita wants and can represent it fairly, but not so of the othersyet. So I know my task is ahead of me, and I look forward to accepting it. I feel I can excel in this position for several reasons. First, I am motovated, eager, and supported by avast network of friends who will ensure that this job is carried out to its fullest. Second, I am at a baseschool and centered in only one small town, so I am able to stay extremely organized and have plenty offree time. Third, and most importantly, I have access to the internet and telephone at any time. Asidefrom the connection at my desk at school, I also have a connection at my house, which I can use to ensuretimely and efficient message reciept and reply. I also am getting a keitai phone, which can be reached byanyone who has a need to speak with me. Aside from the very important duty of communicator, I see this position as one of mentoring, councelling,and of helping. I look forward to being not only a voice for the Jets in my block, but an ear too.

[email protected]

Block 1Josh New

Hi. My name is Dan Rupp, first year AET in Memambetsu,Hokkaido. I’m from North Carolina (USA) and I’m 25. Before theglory of JET I taught 2 years in Cameroun with the Peace Corps. I’msticking around eastern Hokkaido for another year and I’d like tohelp out with AJET. I’ve got LOTS of time on my hands out here and I’d like to become more active andperhaps a bit more productive with my time. I’m running because I think that AJET has a lot ofpotential to bring JETs together. There are loads of people with great ideas to share and AJET can be thelink that brings us together. Collectively we can both enjoy our time in Japan more and do a better jobas AETs/CIRs/SEAs. I think that certain changes could be made to AJET, however, to increase its effi-cacy. Here are a few of my ideas…l lower the yearly duesl better explain where dues go and why they are essentiall promote AJET to the contracting organizations so that they will be moreinclined to support AJETl create an AJET forum where JETs can exchange ideas on teaching and make theinformation easily accessible on-linel facilitate the inclusion of volunteer/philanthropic activities (props to Kelly B. of Hokkaido for her workin this area) so that JETs can improve their“internationalization” at the local levell create an email address for the concerns/questions/ideas of the JETs from Block One (if this doesn’talready exist)l work with contracting organizations to increase nenkyu to 40 days/year with ski trips counted askenshu (okay, maybe this one won’t fly).

Well, that about does it for me. If you want to contact me, my e-mail is: [email protected].

Block 1Dan Rupp


14My name is Andrew Thiele and I am applying to National

AJET as the Block 1 Representative. I am a first-year ALT in Nango-mura, Aomori-ken. I have been a member of AJET since my ownTokyo Orientation.

The JET Programme is is currently providing me with one of the best jobs—and life experi-ences—that I could have been blessed with, and I truly enjoy the good will of the people and enthu-siasm of the children around me. I know that everyone’s situation is different, but I feel that if I couldhelp at all in terms of lessening the typical miscommunications that occur between peoples of distinctcultures, I can make way for a happier, more efficient JET participant, whistling while s/he works. Ihave not held any positions of leadership in AJET before but have co-founded and participated incommunity and representative organizations both before and during college. I am comfortable aposition where I am called upon to represent the views because I listen and can provide eloquent andwell-prepared explanations of any point those I represent might like or need to make. I am invested inmy community and life in Japan and understand it as in the best interest of any JET participant to beso inclined. My interest is only heightened when I am confronted with language or cultural barriers(three languages are currently spoken in my house –Japanese, Spanish and English—and when myparents visit, it goes up another notch). These so-called “barriers” are only more opportunities to“bridge the gap”.

Insofar as I will be able to, as a Block Representative, I will make sure that the frozen legions ofJETs are heard, whatever they have to say. I’ll commit to ensuring that the folks here in the northunderstand the intentions and actions of AJET in realtime, and to searching out and eliminatingmiscommunications wherever they may lie. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Block 1Andrew Thiele

This is a very exciting time to be a part of the JET Programme.It is amazing to think that the Programme has grown from just 848people some 15 years ago to its present size of approximately 6190.Over this time the Programme has evolved with lots of improve-ments being implemented, many as a direct result of AJET. A

recent example is the decision to allow some people to stay for 4 or even 5 years. While some changeslike this seem to be major, smaller changes are also occurring, often resulting with an even greaterimpact at the individual level. With your help, I can assist in further influencing the future shape ofthe JET Programme.

I am eager to take on the challenge of representing Block 8 (Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, Okayama,Shimane, Tokashima, Tottori) and strengthening the communication between both JETs within theBlock and the rest of Japan and CLAIR. There is a lot that can be achieved for all of us if we worktogether.

I am currently a first year CIR, however I also have a significant amount of ALT work. As a result,I am in a good position to understand the issues and problems experienced by both CIRs and ALTs.Moreover, my Japanese language skills, understanding of the Japanese culture and practical skills suchas project management, interpersonal and problem solving skills would assist me inundertaking the role of Block Representative. Want a few more reasons why I would bea good Block Representative? I am friendly, motivated, dedicated and love helpingpeople.

I am sure that I can help to make this Block more unified thereby making OURcollective voices heard and getting changes implemented for US. Vote for me if youwant to see Block 8 strengthened and life in Japan get even better.

Block 8Katherine Dicker

If you don’tknow your

block number,please find iton the front

cover.


15Hello! I would like to be Block 8’s AJET representative.As a current 2nd year ALT and out-going Prefectural Repre-

sentative, residing in the sunny/freezing (depending on the time ofyear) climes of beautiful Kochi ken, I feel that my past experience

and energies would be best served representing you at the Block level. As Kochi’s Pref Rep I believethat I have expanded my organisational skills and added to my ability to motivate people. For example,this year I have helped to arrange welcome packs and a ‘buddy’ system for new JETs, inter-ken soccermatches and outdoor pursuits weekends, as well as the usual Kochi bbqs, parties and camps.

From this I would like to suggest that what Block 8 needs, no, deserves is a Block Rep who canease the jobs of Pref Reps and bring the kens closer together. Why don’t we have a Block 8 mini-Olympics or just more inter-ken sports/activities? How about a greater movement of ideas and peoplewithin our block, i.e. Block 8 teaching seminars or a teaching aids e-group? What do you want? I havemy ideas, but I want to be able to help everybody achieve their goals.

So, be it a Block 8 matter or something concerning National AJET, I want to be the one who’sthere to help.

Thanks for listening,

Block 8Wes Jones

Why Vivian Beebe Should be CIR/SEA Representative: By VivianBeebe

Back in our home countries, we got the impression that therole of a CIR/SEA was similar to the role of a grassroots ambassador.I believe this to be true. We introduce to our Japanese communities various aspects of our cultures.Despite the unique opportunity to further international understanding, some CIRs find themselves inthe role of “glorified” ALT, or simply used as a translating machine. Still others feel that they areaccessories, to be pointed out to others to indicate the internationalization of a particular office. Withsuch a terrible fate, you may have lost hope, but buck up little camper, the answer is on the way.

As a CIR/SEA Representative, I will be in a position to expand my views of our roles and workwith others to help the program run smoothly. I am learning more about what CIRs and SEAs dooutside of my prefecture. I believe that this job involves a lot of learning, not only how the roles of CIRsand SEAs are perceived at a national level, but how each individual understands his or her job. I aminterested in what goes on. I am learning more about AJET and CLAIR, as well as the responsibilitiesof CIRs and SEAs on both a national and individual level, and how decisions affect all CIRs and SEAs.

I will do my best to represent everyone’s voice in meetings with the National Council. Eachperson has ideas, and I feel that it is the job of the CIR/SEA Representa-tive to bring these ideas to the attention of the National Council, and toact on them. Both the individual and the host institution enter a newcontract with their own expectations, and it is when these expectationsare in discord that the role of the CIR/SEA Representative becomes im-portant. I feel I have heard both positive and negative things about theprogram: it would be a rewarding job to take these comments and usethem to change to program to better suit the needs of everyone.

When faced with an issue, I do not like to leave it unfinished. I amdetermined to get the job done. Everyone looks at an issue from a slightlydifferent angle, and I believe that these many different views are impor-

Only CIRs and SEAs may vote for CIR/SEA Representative.

CIR/SEAVivian Beebe

Vacant Positions:

Blocks 2, 4, 6, 9, andAAJ Web Editor.Please submit ANYPlatforms or Nomina-tions [email protected]


16

Hello. My name is Emma Vrcek living in Aomori-ken. I amrunning for CIR/SEA representative for the 2002-2003 year. I amcurrently a first-year CIR with duties varying in degree from help-ing nursery school children in English (and sign language) to being

a radio DJ. I am also currently head of the Aomori Year Book for this year. Though I have not had anyother experience in the National AJET Organization (council, I believe that given the chance as theCIR/SEA representative, I will be successful.

I am a leader with understanding. I understand and, even more importantly, apply that eachsituation is different and unique as well as handle them as such. I hear all sides of a story (or situation)before making a decision and I stick with it, trying to make all sides win in someway or another. I amvery strong mentally (though I am working on the physical part), and I have a sense of humor, whichI believe is the best thing to have in order to work with many different groups and types of people.With many different types of people come different ideas, and they do not always mix well, andsometimes not at all. This is where I listen to all sides of the story and help all the sides as best as

CIR/SEAEmma Vrcek

Only CIRs and SEAs may vote for CIR/SEA Representative.

CIR/SEAJim Patrick

Greetings and Salutations.My name is Jim Patrick, and I am a second year JET partici-

pant, working as a CIR in Toyohashi City Hall in Aichi Prefecture. Iwould like to work as the AJET CIR/SEA Representative in theupcoming year.

First, let me say a few things about myself. I am an American, born and raised in the suburbs ofPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2000 I graduated from Boston University with a degree in EnglishLiterature, a field which, unfortunately, has nothing to do with the language, culture or government ofJapan, that is to say with things that I deal with on a daily basis now as a CIR. I like tennis in thesummer, skiing in the winter, and reading and photography all year round. My first two years workingand living here in Japan have been fun, challenging and exciting, and I am hoping that my third yearwill be even more so.

And that is one of the reasons why I would like to become involved with AJET as the CIR/SEARepresentative. I am sure it will be a role that is as enjoyable and difficult as it is meaningful. As a thirdyear JET participant, as a good sempai, I would like to help out more and give something back to theJET community. As a CIR, I have an interest and desire to promote the issues pertinent to our jobswithin AJET. In the last year I have worked as the National CIR Database Coordinator, collecting andorganizing contact information among the CIR community. I have worked closely with the CIR Net-work Representatives on and off-line to achieve this and have been active on the CIR Reps List and atCIR Network meetings in Chiba and Kobe. But more important than anything else, I am responsible,dedicated and hardworking. Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu. [email protected]

tant for the National Council. As a CIR/SEA Representative, I want to hear everyone’s voice. Beyondthe problems and concerns, the National Council works to smooth the transition from JET Participantto the next job as well. To maintain this link requires time and effort, both of which I want to give.

Solving world hunger and guaranteeing global nuclear disarmament is slightly beyond my reachat the moment. What I can do is work to make your experience as a CIR or SEA more rewarding. . Iwant to make a difference, and give something back to the program.

CIR/SEA, Vivian Beebe


Election Rulesn Potential candidates CANNOT send platforms to the National List-serve, PR List-serve. Theycan campaign via other means (approved by the Election Chair). The Election committee willpost the platforms to the National List-serve, PR List-serve and the AAJ.Examples of acceptable venues:n Prefectual/SIG/NG/Local Newsletters or list-servesn Personal web pagesn Hand delivered fliersNOTE: Do not mass-email people. If you do not have their permission to email them DON’T.NOTE: This is not limited to the candidates… Those acting on behalf of a candidate or evenindependently could result in the candidate being held responsible.

NO NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING. No one is permitted to publish, anywhere, negative cam-paign materials about candidates. Run on your qualifications.NOTE: This is not limited to the candidates… Those acting on behalf of a candidate or evenindependently could result in the candidate being held responsible.n Candidates can run for only one position.n There are no write in ballots, unless the position is vacant.n Candidates can print out ballots and distribute them… But CANNOT place any marks on theballot for any names (including their own). ALSO, they CANNOT mail or provide the postage foranyone’s ballot (except their own).n NO promises of any kind can be exchanged for votes… IE money, drinks, power, favors.n ALL Ballots should be accompanied with contact information. Those that do not contain theinformation WILL be considered invalid.n ALL DEADLINES ARE FINAL. APRIL 1st… ALL BALLOTS MUST BE POSTMARKEDn The decision of the current AJET NC is FINAL.

Any QUESTIONS or CONCERNS should be posted to the Election Chair

17CIR/SEA, Emma Vrcek

possible.I have both my feet on the ground, but I am not afraid to look at the stars for ideas, or even the

clouds in that matter. I am able to get along with many different types of people as long as they arewilling as well. I work well alone or with groups of all sizes and can adapt quickly to changes and stylesof different groups. I also understand the differences and similarities among communication on all sortsof levels between all sorts of people.

I recognize people as individuals and situations as independent from all others. Doing this I wishto strengthen bonds between the council members as well as the participants of the JET program as agroup of individuals. Also, I want to strengthen the CIR’s position in the JET Programme and helpwith any problems that may come along. I know that there are issues that the CIR’s and SEA’s have,being a CIR, I know and understand. One thing I would like to do is improve the orientation proce-dure, since it was a little difficult when I came, though everyone was quite nice and helpful.

It is true that there are few CIR’s and even fewer SEA’s and I would like to help those that haveproblems or even voice out changes that need to be done within the CIR/SEA community. If chosen,I will do my best, for I have not failed yet, nor will I fail. I would be only one representing the CIR andSEA community, but I will not be alone, those others that would be elected in and I would worktogether, as well as the other JET members. I will do my best. I promise. [email protected]


18Uncontested Positions

Block 3Thomas Kodiak

Block 5Liz Goodin

My name is Liz Goodin and I am a first-year ALT living in TsuCity, Mie. I am going to spend the next half of a page trying toconvince you that I am “the best” person to fill the Block 5 Repre-sentative position. This is a challenge since I probably don’t know

you or your idea of best. My idea of best is someone who not only possesses the qualifications to do thejob but also the desire to do it well.

As a go-between for local AJET chapters and the National Council, the Block Representativemust be able to work as a team with people he/she may not understand, may not agree with and maynot even like. Working at a university in the U.S., I served on several hiring committees. I found thathaving a committee in which several areas of the university were represented brought different perspec-tives and ideas as well as conflict. I often played an arbitrator’s role; trying to listen to people and getthem to hear each other, the real hurdle. It was then that I developed the theory that diplomacy is acareful balance between softhearted sensitivity and brutal honesty, both of which require an aptitudefor listening to others. Although many people believe that a team is made of leaders and followers, Ibelieve that the best teams are made of good leaders. Good leaders are the ones who listen as well as oreven better than they speak.

The Block Representative must also have the drive to put ideas into motion, a skill I don’t thinkJET participants lack in general. As an ALT I have had many successful experiences trying new thingsbut now I am ready to flex my initiative muscles even more. I want to be directly involved in theplanning and decision-making that affects JET participants, to facilitate the information flow through-out the JET community and to help make my ideas and those of my peers heard at the national level.Please allow me to do that by electing me Block 5 Rep. [email protected]

My name is Thomas Kodiak. I am AET from Saitama-kenand I would like to apply for the position of Block Representative inBlock 3. The reasons I am interested in doing this is that I wouldlike to help promote a greater awareness between AJET local chap-ters and the National Council.

Being located so close to Tokyo and having the most JETs of any ken, one would think Saitamawould be more active. Unfortunately this has not been the case. My plan would be to get moreparticipation and representation from block three JETs through active involvement with local chap-ters. In the past I have had excellent relationships with both Presidents in SAJET and have assistedthem in the planning and implementation of some ideas. I would like to continue in this traditionand broaden the scope so that we can integrate participation and coordination between Gunma, Ibaraki,and Saitama.

lLast year I assisted the National council at the New Arrival conference in Tokyo. That experi-ence sparked my interest as I saw how some of the National work really takes place. In the past, someof my leadership roles include:

lJob Hunting Coordinator of IAESTE (an International Work Abroad Program)- where I was incharge of finding summer jobs in the USA for students from abroad. In exchange we could send USstudents to work abroad.

lGeneral Manager of 2200 Head Cattle Ranch in Colorado. Really!I would like to have this opportunity to try to get more events coordinated both within the block

three kens and nationally. I would also like to try to get Saitama to actually have some memberinvolvement.

These are uncontested positions. There is no need to vote for them.


I am JP Fritz, a first year CIR of Miyazaki Prefecture, and Iwant to be the Southern Kyushu Block Rep because it is both a job awant to do and a job I can do well. I believe in the worth of the JETProgramme, I support its goals, and I am in a good position to ex-ecute the responsibilities of the position.

As the CIR of the Prefecture International Center, I have had the opportunity to work with all theJETs in my prefecture in the organization and execution of festival project on a large scale. I am in contactwith many in the JET community in the exchange of information on a regular basis, and I am constantlyworking in cooperation with my peers towards accomplishing new goals. I build on what I learn fromthese experiences to keep abreast of issues in the JET community and work with my peers towardssolutions and success. My job and my office offer me easy and uninterrupted access to resources to carryout the duties of the Block 10 Rep, and my office is cooperative with the aims of the position, as well.

I believe we have a unique and special opportunity as JETs to help the Japanese with not only theirlanguage abilities, but with their perception and understanding of foreign peoples and cultures, as well.This goal of understanding is of great importance, one of mutual benefit and responsibility, and one Itake seriously. This necessitates not only that we understand and cooperate with our hosts, but that ourhosts understand and cooperate with us. I want to see the JET Programme succeed and grow, and worktowards this. At the moment, I am fortunate to have a hand in helping the current Block 10 Rep. GabeJohnson in organizing and putting into effect a new project to improve our abilities and performances asJETs. I would like to see this project carried out and new projects established to improve the quality andappropriateness of our work, enriching our experiences here as JETs.

As the Block 10 Rep I will listen carefully to the thoughts and concerns of the block’s JETs andbring them before the national board and CLAIR with the conviction to see them recognized, addressed,and resolved in goodwill and cooperation. Problems you perceive, successes you wish to build on,changes you believe to be for the betterment of our jobs and the Programme, I will earnestly listen tothese and represent them before the national level. I want to be the Block 10 Rep to represent you as youdeserve and see the improvement and advancement of the JET Programme. [email protected]

19Block 7Connie Kong

Block 10JP Fritz

Hello from Ichikawa-cho in Hyogo-ken. My name is ConnieKong and I’d like to be your next Block 7 Representative on theAJET National Council. I’ve held numerous leadership positions inthe past and hope to bring my experience to the Council. More

importantly, I believe that I can implement changes to make the JET Program better for everyone. A fewgoals….

lIntra-ken—Establish ACT groups (All for Collaborative Teaching—what a snazzy acronym!) withineach gun/county. These groups will serve as bases for discussions and exchanges—educational, informa-tion, social, etc. The ACT group network will serve as a source of contact for the Block 7 Representative.

lInter-ken—Compile and distribute a list of annual cultural events for each prefecture. Oftentimes, these events only travel through word of mouth.

lNational—Focus on leveling the parity among JETs, such as effective classroom training and aguarantee of basic housing requirements.

If you found yourself nodding in agreement to anything I’ve said,I’d sincerely appreciate your vote. Thank you!Connie for your Block 7 Representative!

These are uncontested positions. There is no need to vote for them.

Uncontested Positions


20

Thar She Blows!Culture Shock ServedWith a Side of Rice

Rod OveraaMiyagi

There’s something fishy about

school lunches in Japan. Or, more precisely,something distinctly cetacean. At least therewas last Thursday, as I sat down with myfellow teachers to partake of the kyuushokuso graciously provided for us each day. At the time,nothing looked out of the ordinary—a small saladof spinach, kelp and grated carrot, some smallchunks of meat coated with sesame seeds, milk,tea, and the obligatory tin of rice. I wouldn’t havegiven it a second thought, had not my kocho-senseiasked if I was enjoying the meal, glimmers of imp-ish mischief dancing in his eyes.

of queasiness roiling in my tummy hadn’t beencaused by some niggling moral scruple about eat-ing the flesh of dead animals.

Neither, I realized, was it a simple matter ofpersonal taste. I don’t begrudge the Japanese peo-ple their anago or unagi (varieties of eel) just be-cause the thought of eating such creatures causesmy stomach to do back-flips. I don’t have a prob-lem with people eating octopus or squid, either,though I personally find the rubbery texture ofthelittle devils abhorrent. (The way I figure it, ifmy teeth actually bounce off of a piece of meat, it’sNature’s way of saying, “Hey, you shouldn’t be eat-ing that.”) People eat all kinds of things that Iwouldn’t touch with a ten-foot fork. That doesn’tnecessarily change my opinion of them. So whatwas it about the idea of eating whale that botheredme so much?

There’s a joke currently whizzing throughcyberspace about two scientists who are discussingthe difference between biology and sociology. “Ifthe baby looks like the father,” cracks one of thescientists, “that’s biology. If it looks like the mailman,that’s sociology.” The parallel should be obvious.Although there is undeniably a cultural componentat work in the Japanese practice of whaling, whenyou boil it down, they’re just putting food on thetable. Human hungry, human eat. Biology, pureand simple.

“Oishii,” I replied, crunching a morsel ofthe mystery-meat between my molars. “Whatis it?”

“Kujira desu,” he replied, smilingthrough silver-capped teeth. Kujira, I repeated,mentally thumbing through the highlyabridged Japanese-English dictionary in myhead. Then I had it. Kujira. Whale.

Now believe me, I’m no vegetarian. I’mthe kind of guy who can go to the State Fairback home, pat the cows on their tufty heads,stare into their soft baby browns and then or-der a Big Mac an hour later, with no compunc-tion. Cows, pigs, fish, chicken—they’re all fairgame in my book. Hell, it wouldn’t surpriseme if your dictionary had my picture in it, rightnext to the word “omnivore.” And as thingsstand now, eating whale is probably a hell of alot safer than eating Japanese beef. (I’m prettysure we would’ve heard about an outbreak of“mad whale disease.”) So, the sudden tempest

The Editor apologizes that this articleoriginally appeared in the February issue

in an incomprehensible form. Please find the full text below.

continued on page 21


Sword of Damocles looming omi-nously over the head of every first-year JET. This was what I, afterfour months in Japan, confidentlybelieved I had somehow devel-oped an immunity to. This wasCulture Shock.

* * * * *Once I admitted that I was

suffering from my first officialcase of Culture Shock, I was facedwith the dilemma of what to doabout it. Sure, I could take theHead-in-the-Sand approach,avoid sullying my tongue withthe unclean whale meat and tryto pretend that This Isn’t Hap-pening. But frankly, that seemedlike a bit of a sell-out, a compro-mise of my cultural values. (Fe-male ALTs who have decided thatit’s just easier to fetch that cup oftea for their supervisor than to ar-gue the point might have someidea of what I mean.) Conversely,I could leap up onto the prover-bial soapbox and decry the evilsof whaling until everyone at myschool hated my guts and wishedI would just go home. Thatdidn’t seem too constructive, ei-ther.

After a great deal of intro-spection, I finally decided on aless dramatic approach. First, I’ddo some research, to learn a littlemore about the Japanese whalingprogram. Secondly, I would askother ALTs and a few Japanesepeople for their opinions on theissue. That way, I figured, I couldgive myself the benefit of a more

21from page 20

My reaction, on the otherhand, was purely sociological—that is to say, driven by a set ofbeliefs, values and attitudes in-stilled in me by whatever broad-based culture the United Statesmight be accused of having. Set-ting aside for the moment the is-sue of endangered species, weYanks believe that whales—alongwith their relatives the dolphinand porpoise—are highly intelli-gent creatures. In fact, manyAmericans believe that whales are(next to humans) the most intel-ligent life forms on the planet,smarter even than the much-ballyhooed chimpanzee. (Sup-port for this idea can be found incertain scientific studies, whichsuggest that “whale songs” areactually highly sophisticated lan-guages. These languages appearto be group-specific, and are

balanced perspective, andgain some keener insightsinto the foreign culture thatsurrounded me. Or, fail-ing that, I would at leastbe able to condemn an en-tire race of people for theirbarbarism from a more in-formed position (whichwas almost as good). Here’sa sample of what I learned:

Commercial whalinghas been banned in Japansince 1988. Whaling iscurrently only legal underthe direction of the Japa-nese Institute of CetaceanR e s e a r c h(www.whalesci.org). Thisorganization—part of theJapanese government’sFisheries Agency—cur-rently operates two whal-ing programs, one in theNorth Pacific and one inthe waters off Antarctica.The Antarctic research pro-gram allows for the takingof 400 minke whales perannum. For the year 2000,the Northern Pacific fleetwas legally permitted totake a total of 160 whales:100 minke whales; 50Bryde’s whales; and 10sperm whales. The fleetcame up only 2 spermwhales short of reachingthis quota. Quotas are sub-ject to annual revisions, aspopulations of variouswhale species increase ordecrease over time.

Intense scrutiny andpressure from the interna-tional community hasforced the Japanese govern-

passed down from generation togeneration.) I had—albeit in ig-norance—been eating the flesh ofa sentient being, and it made mewant to vomit. Why? Becausemy cultural values dictate that wehumans shouldn’t go about mur-dering intelligent, self-aware be-ings. Especially not with gut-rending explosive harpoons.

So there I was, watching myJapanese coworkers blithelycrunching away on their MobyMcNuggets, when I was struckby another realization, one sochilling that it caused me to dropmy hashi onto my lunch tray witha clatter. This was what all thoseJET Program lecturers had beenconstantly droning on about—first in Seattle, then at the TokyoOrientation, and yet again inSendai. This was the dreaded continued on page 22


ment to attempt to justify its whaling program. InSeptember 2000, Joji Morishita, head of Japan’sFisheries Agency, told ABC news that Japan’s whaleresearch program is being conducted in order togauge the whales’ impact on fish populations. Ac-cording to Morishita, the naughty whales arescarfing down so many fish that the livelihoods ofJapanese fishermen are threatened. The Instituteof Cetacean Research itself offers this explanation:“In order to gather detailed information the studyof internal organs and tissues is essential.” In otherwords, they cut ‘em open just to see what’s inside.Whatever is left over is sold to wholesalers, who thendistribute the meat to restaurants and—bikuri!—school lunch programs.

International critics, however, call attentionto the possibility that the Japanese research pro-gram may in some instances serve as a cover for ille-gal whaling, either in excess of established quotas,or of endangered whale species. Since the whole-saling of whale meat in Japan is an industry thataverages between $27-36 million a year in sales,it’s not hard to imagine that there exists a tempta-tion for poaching. In fact, recent DNA testing onwhale meat sold in Japan has shown that what turnsup on your lunch tray is not only the legally-huntedminke whale, but also blue whale, humpback whale,fin whale, and dolphin. The latter three whale spe-cies are all protected under the Endangered SpeciesAct, and as for the dolphins, well, they’re just soadorable! Canned tuna—often criticized becausedolphins are frequently caught and killed in thefishermen’s nets—seems eco-friendly by compari-son.

The first phase of my impromptu researchcomplete, I turned to interviewing my fellow JETs.Most generally agreed that whaling is cruel andunnecessary, a throwback to an era when peopledepended upon whale oil for light and heat. (Ofcourse, back then, they also kept slaves and worereally funny-looking hats.) We all forgave the sub-sistence whaling conducted by those peoples whostill rely upon whales for survival, such as the na-tives of northeastern Russia and the Inuit. None ofthe JETs I spoke with admitted to knowingly par-taking of whale meat—though several of them did

22

turn a sickly shade of green when I brought thesubject up, leading me to believe that they, likeme, had unwittingly eaten some. One woman—after an enjoyable and satisfying conversation aboutthe evils of whaling—kindly offered me a candiedgrasshopper from a tin brimming with the littlebuggers. I politely declined.

I was surprised, however, to learn that the pres-ence of whale meat was a lesser culinary concern forsome JETs than that of other forms of animal pro-tein. Jewish JETs, for example, decried the almostdaily servings of pork in their school lunches. Theworst thing, they complained, was that they neverknew just where the forbidden pig was going toshow up—in the soup, the salad, the sweet pota-toes, or even, on occasion, mixed in with their rice.For them, lunch had become a spiritual game ofhide-and-seek.

Most of the Japanese people I spoke to adoptedthe standard Party Line, that eating whale meat wasokay because only research whales are used. (Theyapparently couldn’t see the circular logic here, whichevades the larger question, “Should we be killingwhales for research purposes?”) Some couldn’t com-prehend that this would even be an issue, shrug-ging their shoulders with a bemused look that said,“Hey, meat is meat.” Others said that they had noproblem with whaling in principle, though theydidn’t personally care for the taste. A precious few—I like to think of them as “The Enlightened”—con-demned the practice, saying that whaling was nolonger an economic necessity, and was barbarous toboot. The latter group aside, one thing becamepatently clear from my random polling: This wasindeed an issue about which both Westerners andJapanese had very strong—and very different—cul-tural attitudes.

* * * * *Some instances of Culture Shock are undoubt-

edly worse than others. For example, I hate chang-ing my shoes every time I enter a home or build-

from page 21

continued on page 23


ing. It’s a pain in the ass. Worse yet, it makes me feel like Mr.Rogers. I have to consciously stop myself from asking people,“Won’t you be my neighbor?” But as irritating as I find this Japa-nese custom, it registers pretty low on the ol’ Culture-Shock-o-Meter. For one thing, it wasn’t much of a shock in the first place,because I knew about it beforehand. Secondly, most Americansdon’t have a strong cultural bias on shoe etiquette, one way or theother. And lastly, I’ve been forced to adapt to the Japanese way,because it’s not a policy that’s open to discussion. Like a cigarettesmoker, or a kitty-cat with a weak bladder, the only choice I havein the matter is, “In, or out?” The problem has been resolved,because I made a conscious choice to just go with the flow and not

get too stressed out about it.On the other hand, the Culture Shock I experienced as a result of what I now sardonically refer to as

“the whale incident” was perhaps of a more virulent strain, because the root cause of it cannot be resolvedduring my stay in Japan, and may not be for decades to come. I certainly don’t plan to change my ownattitudes regarding this issue, and I don’t stand much of a chance changing those of the Japanese people.On this point, we’ll just have to invoke the old saw about “agreeing to disagree.”

Yet, although I can’t resolve this conflict to my satisfaction, two very good things have come from theexperience. First, I learned a great deal about Japanese culture that might otherwise have eluded me. Ifthat whale meat had not been served to me, or if no one had bothered to point out what it was, I neverwould have gathered all the information presented here, or initiated the discussions from which I learnedso much. This is what international exchanges are all about—experiencing, learning and teaching aboutthose things that make people different (and hopefully finding a few things we all have in common, too).

Second, I learned that Culture Shock isn’t necessarily the sinister, disruptive bugaboo that the guide-books and JET alumni describe.While my experience certainlyqualifies as Culture Shock, it hasn’tturned my life upside down, orreduced me to a quivering mass ofanxiety. It hasn’t substantially af-fected my daily life in Japan at all.I have merely had to accept that,for whatever reasons, some thingsare just different here, different fromwhat I’m used to, different fromwhat I believe.

And if that were not so, therewouldn’t have been any reason forme to make the trip.

The author welcomes comments,criticisms and questions about this

article at:[email protected].

AJET Across Japan

from page 22

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1481 Akeno, Obata-choWatari-gun, Mie-ken

(0596) 37-4125fax (0596) 37-4127

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Do you want to begin a homestay program?Are you coordinating a sister city exchange program?Has your office asked you to “tagalong” on a tour in the name ofinternationalism?

Taking Nihonjin to Gaikokuland addressesall of these issues from the proposal to post-trip evaluation... AND it’s partly bilingual!

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23


24The islandof Yonaguni is

located 250-km southwest ofOkinawa. This tiny island, only4 km wide and 10km long, is thelocation of one of the greatest andmost controversial discoveries inmodern archeology. Below thecrystal clear water surroundingthis remote island lies the myste-rious ruins of an ancient unknownpeople. Discovered in 1986 byKihachiro Aratake, a local diverand fisherman, these ruins haveplaced Yonaguni on the map assomething other than thewesternmost point of Japan.

Yonaguni is a small island ofsheer cliffs and rocky terrain. Theisland is home to only 1200 peo-ple who mostly make their livingby fishing or raising cattle. In re-cent years scuba diving and biggame fishing have started a smalltourist business for the local resi-dents. The island still exudes thecharm of times since past as thepace of life is slow- even by islandterms. The lack of resorts and bigmoney hotels has kept this islandan idyllic getaway. Guests stay atone of the two small hotels on theisland or many prefer the familyatmosphere of the numerousminshukus located on the island.

The slow pace of life stopsupon entering the water. The div-ing on Yonaguni is pure adrena-line-pumping excitement. Thesheer cliffs of Yonaguni requirethat all diving be done from boatsinto the crystal clear waters. Thelocation of Yonaguni at the con-vergence of the East China andPhilippine Sea results in strongcurrents that keep the water clearand the fish appear in abundance.

The ruins are in the center of thisdivers dream come true.

Iseki Point, the most fa-mous of the ruins sites, is over200m long, 150 meters wide andextends from the surface to over20 meters in depth. This cur-rent-swept outcrop is made up bya series of man-made steps andterraces that resemble the steppyramids found in such places asPeru and Mexico. The main siteis surrounded by a wall and drain-age systems that closely resemblethe later castles found through-out the Ryukyian Islands. As youcruise the current-swept faces ofIseki Point you can drift into theSun Rock at a depth of22 meters. This mas-sive boulder sits on aplatform surveying thearea surrounding it.Carvings and evidenceof other structures andmonuments are foundthroughout this hugearea.

Moving fromIseki Point we can de-scend deeper to thefloor of the “Stadium,”a huge natural amphitheater thatexhibits mad-made modificationsthroughout the layers of steps andseating area. Strange square holesare found in the rocks of the sta-dium and evidence of carvingsand sculptures are found through-out this area also.

The most intriguing pointin Yonaguni is the recently dis-covered “Stage.” Below the tow-ering Tachigami Iwa lies “TheStage” a huge monolithic rock

structure that has massive carv-ings etched into the sides of therocks, the most prominent ofthese being the “Moai” headcarved into the corner of theStage. The deep eyes of the Moaipeer back at divers as they slowlydrift around exploring the stage.

If the archaeological mys-teries of Yonaguni are not enough,the beautiful coral reefs andadrenaline charged drift diveswith the large pelagics of the Pa-cific are enough to get any diverwet. The awesome rock forma-tions and numerous fish sur-rounding dive sites such as “TwinArches,” “New Drop Off” andAnchor Point are a must see.Large groupers, eels, turtles and

giant NapoleonWrasse aren i c e l ycomplimentedby schools ofjuvenile fish toonumerous tolist. If youwant excite-ment, we headto HammerPoint, Ham-mer Way andDanno Point to

drift with sharks, huge dogtoothtuna, trevally, barracuda and theother pelagics.

To explore the monumentsand the crystal clear waters ofYonaguni, join SCUBA-SIG onits spring break tour of Yonagunior contact Reef Encounters DiveShop (098-968-4442 orwww.reefencounters.org) to set upyour personal tour of the island.

for reservations,contact: [email protected]

Let’s Diving

AJET Across JapanMARCH 2002 AJET Across Japan

25

Jordan HeiberFukui

A year and a half later, this is Japan to me. It’s the el-ementary school students who walk to school single file, muchlike a family of ducks crossing the street. It’s wabi-sabi, Zen,ocha kai, and the other things that I cannot fully grasp, cou-pled with the comfort of knowing that many of my Japanese neighbors also have no idea whatthese things mean or why they are so important. It’s the hotel staff who dress as if they were castin a futuristic, sci-fi movie, and the taxi drivers who bring you to a restaurant, all the whileclaiming that it’s relatively cheap (the check will prove otherwise). It’s the short essay written byone of my students that read, “Onigiri (rice balls) are from the olden days. Now you can findthem in the convenience store.” And it’s all the little rules that are necessary to keep this islandnation of 125,000,000 people from collapsing on itself, most of which begin with the word“never.” Never cross against the red; never swim in the sea after August 31st; and never, ever leavea grain of rice in your rice bowl. It’s the girls who can be at times frustratingly cute and at timesfrustratingly irritating, and the boys who are just terrified of them either way. It’s going to anonsen or sento and slowly dipping your foot into water that sears your toes only to look over yourshoulder and see wrinkled old people swimming laps and little kids cannon-balling into thesame pool. It’s the smart toilet that washes your butt and the perhaps not-so-bright sprinklersystem that melts the snow on the roads only to have it freeze overnight. It’s changing your shoesfour times to accomplish the following routine: (1) walk into your home (2) head straight for thebathroom (3) grab a snack from the fridge (4) retreat to the tatami room for a nap. It’s thenumber of cigarettes the average Japanese man smokes before he even arrives at work in themorning (four). It’s the 80s Punky Brewster style that’s fashionable with the popular girls, andthe souped-up mini-vans that only the coolest guys drive. It’s the cycle of the weather: rainyseason in the spring, brutally humid and hot in the summer, and then cloudy and snowy forthree months in the winter. Somewhere in there are about two weeks of sunshine called “au-tumn” and you’d damn well better get yourself outside for that. It’s the elementary schoolstudents who grab at your balls, stick their fingers up your butt, and then smile and ask for yourautograph. And then it’s the fact that you gladly give it to them, because you know that despitenot being able to sit down for a week, you aren’t likely to be signing any autographs back athome. It’s climbing a mountain in the middle of a snowy winter and getting passed by elderlymen and women carrying twice your load. It’s the feeling of elation that accompanies finallyreaching the top, and then the realization that you weren’t the first to conquer this mountainthat comes when you see schoolchildren sledding down its peak. It’s attending the funeral of aninety-four year old man and being surprised to see well over one thousand other people showup for the ceremony—the community is just that close. It’s going to a bar by yourself, orderinga beer, and chatting up the bartender to practice your Japanese. It’s granny bikes, students whowear shorts in the middle of February, paying nearly three hundred dollars for a round trip trainticket to a city that’s only a couple hours away, school lunches that include fish who look at youwhile you eat them, enjoying the kotatsu in the winter months, trying natto to impress yourstudents, and eating your first dinner at the home of a Japanese family (and maybe being invitedback). And it’s sitting at your desk between classes and wondering which of these little detailsyou’ll miss or even remember a few years down the road, once you’ve returned to that life of big

people, big steaks, little culture, and no Atom Boy.

a year and a half later


26Erica YelenskyShiga

Being that all of my second and third grade students have read the Christmas Storyfrom the “New Horizon’s” textbook I am always asked to teach about Christmas duringthe holiday season. I am slightly uncomfortable speaking about Christmas because it isnot a holiday that I celebrate. Since Christmas is a topic that most of my students areinterested in, I realized teaching about how Christmas is celebrated in the United Statesalso gave me an opportunity to teach about American culture and the fact that not every-one observes Christmas. After much discussion with my JTE trying to explain that I amnot Christian and that up until my father and step-mother got married, my only connec-tions to Christmas were the Christmas songs playing everywhere along with the homesand stores which are decorated like winter wonderlands every year. I tried to explain thatI am Jewish; and Christmas, in theory, is mostly ob-served by Christian people. Even after much ex-planation, my JTEs as well as my friends and otherteachers still have difficulty grasping this concept.

After asking myself why this is difficult forpeople to grasp, I realized one reason for this lack ofcomprehension is probably many Japanese peo-ple do not consider themselves to be of only one re-ligion. On New Year’s Eve many people go to aBuddhist temple to ring in the New Year. On Janu-ary 1st- 5th some of the same people go to a shrine to pray for a

good new year. When someone dies a Buddhistpriest is often called, and a Buddhist prayer alter (butsudan) is placed inside the family’shouse of the deceased. Many people also have an altar to give offerings to Shinto gods aswell. To top that off, a large percent of this society also celebrates Christmas. Bycelebrating Christmas I mean eating Christmas cake and chicken, buying a plastic Christ-mas tree, and exchanging presents. Granted not everyone does this, however more than70% of my students raised their hands when I asked if they celebrate Christmas. Thenwhen I ask my Japanese friends and fellow teachers what religion they practice, theanswers I often get are “I don’t know,” or “Buddhist I guess,” or “my grandparents are——, but I am nothing.” Thus for them celebrating Christmas is no big deal. It is anexcuse to get people together, eat cake, and exchange presents. I also enjoy parties andgetting together with my friends. However, Christmas is a religious holiday. And whileI respect that it is an important spiritual time for many people, it is not part of myreligious tradition.

In the U.S., people tend to clearly define and separate between church and state.This is because it is a country with people of many cultures and faiths. However, amajority of Japanese society does not see a need to separate between the two. Almosteveryone is Buddhist and/or Shinto. It is rare to find people who clearly define them-selves as being of one religion. Therefore there is no discomfort or qualms about cel-ebrating Christmas. In a way, I admire this. In the U.S. people tend to clearly definebetween religions and cultures, deeming one as good or bad. Yet, Japanese society does

ontheroad

seeing RELIGION throughdifferent EYES


27

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not treat religion as a means to segre-gate. It doesn’t matter if A-kun has abutsudan (altar) in his house; he canstill celebrate the cultural part ofChristmas or any other holiday.

On the other hand, it is hard toexplain to the students that for peo-ple who consider Christmas to be avery holy time, Christmas is not abouteating cake and getting presents, ratherit is a time to commemorate the birth

of a leader. I know that Christmas has becomelargely a commercial celebration, but people seemto still be aware of its religious importance.

I grew up in an area that was about 50% Jew-ish with a mix of people from other backgrounds.Even though I grew up with people of a similarcultural background, I found and still find that Ihave to define myself everywhere I go, explaining

that Hanukah is not the Jewish Christmas, and thatI do not always like being bombarded with Christ-mas songs, or the fact that many people here haveso little awareness of what Judaism is. So I have beentaking this opportunity to teach a little bit aboutsome of my own culture, and present it as some-thing unique. That is hard to do in three minutesand I don’t know if my students grasped what I wastrying to say. They may not even remember theword Judaism, but if they come in con-tact with a Jewish person later in life,perhaps they will remember whatthey learned in Erica sensei’s class.

There are so many more culturesto which I want to expose these kidsand the people around me. Saying thismakes me realize how much more myjob is teaching about my culture, thanit is about teaching eikaiwa.

MARCH 2002AJET Across Japan Table of Contents

From the Editor2

E.S.I.D.2

The Voice3

Learning Japanese4-6

Elections7-19

Thar She Blows20-23

Let’s Diving24

Renewal Reflections25

On the Road26-27

Election Ballot28

February 10th – Election ballots go outApril 1st – Ballots must be postmarkedApril 5th – National Council informed of resultsApril 6th – Candidates, CLAIR and generalmembership informed of results

Dates to Remember:

[email protected]

Please send theabove ballot to:

Erica Yelensky#203 Kamata-mansion

10-39-3 ChomeKamigasa

Kusatsu-shiShiga-ken525-0023

all election related material is also availableon-line at: http://www.geocities.com/ajetvc/

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