Issuu

N ews from the JE T D esk volunteer to speak or provide other support for the seminars, contact the JETAABC volunteer coordinator: volunteer@jetaabc.ca. The countdown to the JET adventure is on for the participants of the 28th JET Programme, most of whom will leave Canada on the B.C. Day long weekend. Overall, 186 participants, 180 ALTs, 6 CIRs, were selected from across Canada. Twenty-one candidates, 19 ALTs and 2 CIRs, were short-listed to depart from Vancouver. The JET Programme selection process would be difficult without the contribution made by JETAABC. Once again, alumni helped evaluate candidates, as interview panel members, answered candidate questions and volunteered at the interview reception desk. Thank you very much for your efforts and support. In June, JETAABC volunteers will provide further assistance with the JET Programme at the Pre-Departure and Teaching English in Japan seminars. The seminars are a great way for new JETs to receive information from alumni, who have “been there, done that.” Past JET Programme participants have always enjoyed meeting alumni, learning about the upcoming adventure and hearing stories about how “Every Situation is Different.” The PreDeparture Seminar will be held on Saturday, June 21 at BCIT’s downtown Vancouver location. On Sunday, June 23, we will switch venues for the Teaching English in Japan Seminar at Simon Fraser University’s Harbour Centre Campus, also in downtown Vancouver. If you would like to

The Consulate General has been very busy with Japan-related events to celebrate 2014 as the 125th Anniversary of the establishment of our office in Vancouver. Throughout the year, our office will be hosting and collaborating with other organizations on a wide variety of events. Recently, we presented a Noh play - Hagoromo, held Taste of Japan – a food and sake event for prominent chefs from B.C., welcomed Nobel Laureate, Dr. Akira Suzuki, for a speaking engagement, and supported the Annual B.C. Japanese Speech Contest. We also participated in the Japan Fair at Van Dusen Gardens and Cherry Jam, the opening of the Cherry Blossom Festival. Upcoming highlights will include an international rugby match between Canada and Japan, on June 7, and our continuing series of forums, PARALLEL PATHS: Japanese Diplomacy and Nikkei Heritage. In late August, we intend on joining JETAABC’s Annual Barbecue and Fireworks Event at Nat Bailey Stadium. A few other exciting events are in the works, so continue to check our anniversary event listings at www.vancouver.ca.emb-japan.go.jp. If you have a Japan or Japan-Canada related event or project that you would like to link to the 125th anniversary, you can apply to have it officially recognized and use the anniversary logo to promote your activity. Visit our website for further details. – Steve Chevalier

Presidentâ€™s Message Welcome to another edition of the JETAABC newsletter, your source for stories and information that will bring you back to your life in Japan, and inspire you to relive it with us. This is my first year on the Board of Directors, and I am impressed by the professionalism of the team. So far, 2014 has been a fantastic year of Japan-Canada events that I hope you will take the time to read about in this issue.

Vancouver, and this is reason to celebrate. These celebrations will catapult us into other upcoming landmark events, such as the 50th year anniversary of the sister city relationship between Vancouver and Yokohama. Perhaps you will be celebrating the 5th year, 10th year, or 18.6th year anniversary of your own JET experience and we welcome you to join us to commemorate - we can relate.

There are over 600 sushi restaurants in metro Vancouver, yet Japan remains an exotic locale for many. With a similar number of active members, we are powerful force in building bridges that go beyond fish on rice. In recent years, we have come a long way in building ties with the Japanese community, and continue to create opportunities for our members.

Originally from Kamloops, I recall the days when JETAABC felt too far away it doesn't have to! We have expanded our activities with the dedication of an enthusiastic sub-chapter in Victoria, and are always interested in ways we can reach farther into the interior as well. Please let us know your ideas for events, or your interest in establishing a sub-chapter, we will be happy to help any way that we can.

If you have missed any of our activities, this year is the time to reignite the Thank you! Japan spark. 2014 commemorates the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the Japanese Consulate in

Mike Dalley JETAABC President

2014 JE TA A BC Board of D irec tors Mike Dalley

President

Miyuki Moizumi Secretary Chris Moore

Newsletter Editor

Reyn Nakamoto Technical Coordinator Phil Alma

Volunteer Coordinator

Thomas Law

Director-at-Large

Tai Lam

Treasurer

Jessica Ng

Membership Coordinator

Greg Joughin

Senior Advisor

Wanda Yee

Social Media Coordinator

Alison Brown

Director-at-Large

Past E vents in 2014 NOH PERFORMANCE On a sunny April 13, 2014, JETAABC Board Members Mike Dalley and Phil Alma were honoured to attend a performance of the Noh classic Hagoromo (“The Feathered Robe”) at the residence of the Consul General of Japan.

The JETAABC booth at Sakura Days. Just look at all those nice pamphlets!

SAKURA DAYS On April 5 and 6, 2014, JETAABC was proud to be a participant in this year’s Sakura Days Japan Fair, held at the beautiful VanDusen Gardens in Vancouver. The fair featured all things Japanese, including dance, crafts, food, and - of course - the noble cherry blossom. For the first time in a long time, the JETAABC volunteer table teamed up with the Consulate to do an even better job of advertising the JET Programme, JETAABC, and Japan generally. JETAABC would like to thank the many hard-working volunteers who so generously took time out of their busy weekends to work at our booth and do such a fabulous job representing the JET Programme and JETAABC. We hope to see you all at the volunteer appreciation event later in the year!

Presented by the internationally acclaimed Komparu School of Noh, the Hagoromo tells of an angel who descends to earth from her home in the heavens. As she is bathing, a fisherman named Hakuryô steals her feathered robe from the pine tree it hangs on, taking away her ability to fly. She begs Hakuryô to return her robe, but he will only do so if she shows him the dances of the heavens. She agrees and eventually dances her way to her celestial home.

An image from http://www.tomoearts.org/

To make the even more memorable, the play was performed outdoors on a specially constructed stage, and in the shade a beautiful, 100-year old cherry blossom in full bloom. JETAABC would like to wholeheartedly thank the Consul General of Japan and his staff for the kind and generous invitation to this special event.

answer session. JETAABC thanks Myoshin McCandless for taking the time to organize this special, JETAABC event, and we look forward to running another similar event in the future. To learn more about the Mountain Rain Zen Centre, visit them online at: http://www.mountainrainzen.org/.

JET PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION On June 21 & 22, JET PreDeparture Orientation took place at the downtown campuses of BCIT and SFU. 36 future JETs and alternates participated in the two-day training session geared towards getting ready for Japan and life on the JET Programme. The workshops and seminars dealt with everything from teaching, to finances, to culture shock, to omiyage, to beating that summer heat!

JETAABC members looking relaxed after the Zen Buddhist Workshop.

ZEN BUDDHIST WORKSHOP In order to inject the New Year with some

mindfulness, a group of JET alumni attended the Mountain Rain Zen Centre for an introductory Zazen session. The class was run by Myoshin Kate McCandless, who explained the history of Soto Zen Buddhism, took the participants through a sitting and walking meditation session, and then lead an informative question and

Soon-to-be JETs trying hard to absorb as much info as they can!

Rebounding on JE T The following is an interview with Sabine Sengmueller, a member of JETAABC who was an ALT in rural Hyogo prefecture from 2001-2004. However, this August, she is returning to both the JET programme, and Hyogo prefecture to be an ALT once more. But this time, she’s bringing her 5-year-old daughter. Let’s hear what’s running through Sabine’s mind as she prepares to go back to Japan. Hi Sabine! Looking back, can you describe your first experience on JET? During that time, I taught at 1 JHS and 3 Elementary schools. I also had a radio show for our town’s radio station (a little box attached to the phone – the original podcast!), an adult eikaiwa class, a parent and child eikaiwa class and a world cooking class. It was busy! There wasn’t much to do in my town of

4,000 people (no conbini!!!), so in some ways it was a relief to be so scheduled - especially since I was so deep in the mountains that I couldn’t really get radio, TV or internet. It was beautiful though, and I learned the fine art of hanging out in the local park with friends just relaxing. By my third year, we got cable TV and internet and even a Lawson! I also met my husband and got married. Then it was time to leave though, so I came back to Vancouver with my husband and started my master’s program and joined JETAABC to get over the culture shock. What made you consider applying for the JET programme a second time? It was kind of a perfect storm of events, really. I remember when I

Sabine in Ikuno-cho, Hyogo-ken. 2001

Ikuno-cho, Hyogo-ken. 2002 got on the plane to come home the first time around, I calculated that 2014 was the year I’d be able to return (there used to be a 10 year waiting period before reapplying). Life happened in the meantime – I got my masters degree, started my career, had a child, traveled, volunteered for JETAABC and I forgot about this dream. Then one evening my husband and I got to talking about the fact that our daughter seemed to be having difficulty talking with him – she appeared to understand Japanese, but wasn’t able to speak it. We thought, “Wouldn’t it be neat if she could go back for a year of school, to really learn the language and culture?” I was totally shocked when I spoke with my boss who agreed that returning for a year would be the best, and offered me leave from work so that I could do it. Suddenly, my dream came flooding back to me, and I had a strong urge to show our daughter the life we had together and the country in which her mom and dad met. (totally !

cheesy, I know!) Doing JET was a natural part of this for me – I’ve been very involved in the JET program since leaving and I work with youth and families in my current job. Plus, I love the sense of community that exists on JET – which is exactly what I want for my daughter and I when we go back this time. Yes, you read that right – it’ll only be my daughter and I – my poor husband wasn’t able to get a one year leave from work, so he’ll have to join us for his vacation! What's different about this time around? That is an interesting question – I’ll have to tell you when I get there! The biggest difference is that I am not going as a young, single lady – I’ve got a 5 year old in tow and I’m 10 years older! (Just close your eyes and imagine a jet-lagged 5 year old on the loose at Tokyo Orientation and in Shinjuku!! Now picture a ragged, jet-lagged 40 year old trying to run after her!). Naturally, there are a lot of things to consider that I didn’t have to last time – housing, transportation, childcare. A lot of good things will come of it too – I was very fortunate to get placed in the exact same town I was in before, so I will have family and friends close by. Last time I went, I had no Japanese and knew

no one, but this time, I’ll be able to start with a bit more knowledge, wisdom, and support under my belt. I won’t get too lonely with a talkative 5 year old around who will be demanding playdates from all her friends. Interestingly, my interview was very different this time – it was

Ikuno Junior High, 2002

What do you hope to do, see, and accomplish that maybe you didn't get to, or think about, before? I have a feeling that this trip will be completely different, just by the nature of going with a child. I will have a great excuse to go to the Anpanman Museum and go to Tokyo Disneyland. One of the things I am really looking forward to is spending a year as a part of my family over there. There is such an “uchi/soto” culture there, that when I was a family-less ALT and was invited to things like festivals and New Year’s Eve, I always felt like I was a guest and my hosts were putting on a show for me. I cannot wait to see my daughter's eyes when she sees fireflies for the first time. I can’t wait to see a whole year of my husband’s family’s traditions! I was a very genki JET the first time around – leading a group to Nepal with Habitat for Humanity, joining my AJET and organizing events, climbing Fuji, etc. I’m pretty sure that with a kid, I’ll have to live a bit more of a laid-back, normal life, although I also can’t wait for kaiten sushi, yakiniku and onsen! If I had one wish, as far as my travels go, I would wish to go to Shikoku to see the vine bridges. Oh, and maybe eat my way across Hokkaido.

much, much tougher. I really had to sell the idea of sending me back to do the JET programme to the interview panel. There are so many qualified candidates – and essentially I, who have already had this amazing opportunity, by going, will take away the spot for a fresh How do you think your previous experience on JET will affect how person to come. you approach your life and work this time?

I am very, very lucky in that I got placed in the same town that I went to last time (I have a feeling it was a request on their side), so I have worked with many of the same people and some of the others at least know of me. We have our family registry in this town, as well as lots of friends who now also have kids. I think that I will probably struggle with expecting things to be the same as they were, although I can’t predict how that will play out yet. Others might also expect me to be the same as I was, but I am sure that I’ve changed in 10 years. I think that I feel very confident stepping into team-teaching, and that it won’t necessarily take me as long to “find my feet.” (I hope). I speak a lot more Japanese now, so I can actually ask questions! And I think I’ll know more about what I am supposed to do overall – the flow of the school year. The first time around, I didn’t know about undokai and no one at school told me. There was about one week of me wandering around the school looking for where everyone went until someone showed me the sports ground 5 blocks away! This time, I’ll know to look for the sports ground if I can’t find people!!

numerous times when a new JET would come who had lived in Japan previously – the second time cannot measure up to the wonder and amazement that happened the first time. You never get a second chance to have a first time. I am hoping that I’ll be OK with that – I really did my best to enjoy everything I could last time. And hopefully, having a little one along will help with that – it will help me keep my expectations realistic. I think it will be a challenge to participate in a lot of the more impromptu ALT get-togethers with a little one in tow, so I worry that my relationship with other teachers will be not as strong. I worry that they will expect me to know the customs and culture perfectly, so I won’t get the leeway to make the same mistakes. Oh, and the regular worries about managing my daughter’s culture shock as well as my own, hoping that she doesn’t get bullied for being a “haafu,” making sure I understand the calendar correctly so I don’t forget to send her with a perfectly cute chara-ben on bento days, finding childcare for her for enkais and adult eikaiwa classes and such – I think I’ll be entertaining at my house a lot! It’ll be tough Do you foresee any challenges though – I’m a joiner by nature, and facing you as a second-time JET? I will be much more restricted this time around! Absolutely. I imagine I will have expectations that will be dashed, Check back in the Winter Newsletter for and that others will have Sabine’s update from Japan! expectations of me that will be dashed. It is inevitable. I saw it

A n A gric ultural S tudy Exc hange: 2014 M E XT S c holarship Rec ipient !

To date, some 92,000 students from approximately 160 countries and regions around the world have studied in Japan under the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) MEXT Scholarship program established in 1954. In 2014, JET Alumni, Emi Do, left Vancouver for Tokyo to pursue a graduate degree in the Economics of Agricultural. In the following, she writes about her experience so far: Two months ago, the view out my kitchen window was a field of cabbages over which I could usually catch a glimpse of my llama, Reverend, watching over my flock of chickens. Every 10 minutes or so, the bucolic scene would be interrupted by a plane roaring overhead as it prepared to land at YVR just a few km from the farm. Now, the view outside my window is a row of other rooms in a student dormitory, beyond which are rows of apartment buildings and concrete: Tokyo, the urban jungle. April 2nd, a day before my big 30th birthday, I arrived at Narita airport with two embarrassingly large suitcases, ready to start yet another phase in my life. This time though, my arrival at Narita wasn’t with a plane full of excited peers, embarking on the same journey to teach English as a foreign language. No, this time I landed in Narita

The Consul General of Japan in Vancouver, Seiji Okada, congratulated Emi with a send-off reception. alone, with the following instructions: “After arrive at Narita Airport, take Narita Express to Shinjuku Station. Do not move. Boy student from Nodai University will greet you, escort you to residence.” Luckily, Japanese hospitality would once again pull through, and as I nervously stepped out from customs, there was a lovely travel agent holding a sign with my name on it and helped me on to the right train. My arrival in Tokyo was the culmination of a yearlong process of applying, qualifying and waiting for confirmation for the MEXT (Monbukagakusho) scholarship. Offered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and overseen by the Ministry of Education, it offers foreign students the opportunity to study in Japan. The scholarship

covers all tuition costs and provides a monthly living stipend. There are MANY blogs regarding the finer details about the MEXT application, but needless to say, it is just as (if not more) intense and rigorous as the JET screening process: written

Emi’s send-off reception application, language testing and interview. Additionally, for graduate students, it’s necessary to find your own supervising professor and to be accepted by your chosen university. The process takes a full year and the wait times between each stage of the application are around 2-3 months, an excruciatingly long time when contemplating such a large life transition.

more dramatic with the 8-9 year age gap between me and my peers! But I’m fascinated by what I’m studying and though I spend many more hours trying to decipher kanji than absorbing economic theory, I find myself grateful for the opportunity to exercise this long dormant portion of my brain. Last weekend I joined 30 urbanites in helping a Fukushima farmer plant his rice paddy that had been left fallow since the 3/11 disaster. It was a joy filled Saturday each of us covered with specs of mud, laughter ringing through the air as we planted rice seedlings in crooked rows gently being chastised by the older folks for our lack of dexterity and precision. It wasn’t until we were all sitting around downing ice cold beers that the stories started to flow. I’ll have to leave those stories for another day, but suffice to say that sharing a drink with fellow farmers, fingernails darkened by soil and cheeks slightly flushed from a full day spent out in the sun, helped reaffirm my commitment and passion for agriculture and my commitment to the people who dedicate their lives to the production of sustenance. I am so grateful for the opportunity that this scholarship has given me to explore a different facet of this noble sector.

So here I am, in the concrete jungle, studying the economics of smallscale agriculture in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Tokyo Agricultural University. It has been a challenging reintegration into For more information regarding the academia after 6 years in the MEXT scholarship, please visit working world (four of which running http://www.mext.go.jp/ my own business), made all the

“I H ave to D o W hat N ow!?” By Bryan Chau

if you will) with the Industrial Arts(!?) teacher, Mr. Tsunoda. Mr. Tsunoda was a quiet middle-aged man with a penchant towards woodworking and only spoke a smidgen of English. In spite of the slight language barrier and the hodgepodge of assignments and games that we gave the students, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the class – it gave the kids a break from the humdrum of “Repeat After Me” routines they usually encounter. Despite the solid teamwork of Tsunoda and Chau, the former was relocated to other parts of the prefecture. And thus, brings us to Yoshimichi Tadokoro. Yoshimichi was a young Art teacher with only a couple of years of experience. He was an excellent artist with a flare for manga style drawings and a great sense of physical comedy that delighted the students. As we stood for what seemed like an eternity in the Principal's office, I could see the reluctance in Yoshimichi's eyes as he tried to use them to plead his way out. Undaunted, Bryan and Yoshimichi-sensei “hamming it up” the Principal bestowed his trust in us and told “I have to do what now?” -- Those were the us we would be a formidable team. I smiled exact words Yoshimichi Tadokoro said to me earnestly at Yoshimichi and offered the and the Principal as the three of us stood always encouraging, “Daijoubu!” awkwardly in the latter's office. It was the beginning of the school year and like a lot of Like all successful Japanese meetings, other schools, a new batch of teachers Yoshimichi and I hashed out the class transferred in and familiar faces were shuffled schedule over beers and small peanuts. By the third round, we had deviated from out. education and delved into our own personal At this school, I taught English but I also life. I found out that his English was better taught a Sougou class (International Studies, than he wanted to admit. We had a lot in

Bryan and Yoshimichi-sensei posing with students. ! common as we both enjoyed Heavy Metal friends outside of work too. We rushed music (He was the lead singer in a cover through one Friday full of classes so we could band while in university) and we shared the see Metallica live in Tokyo together. strangest and most obscure sense of humour. Ironically, in the end, it was me who left the We both came up with great projects for the school and it was Yoshimichi who got the new kids to do including making Music Videos partner to continue on with Sougou. I can just (Some of the boys did a great job with a imagine this fresh-faced AET looking at this Backstreet Boy classic) and making full- Art Teacher and saying, “I have to do what length drama series. Usually saved for now!?" special occasions, we put the dusty hand held cameras to great use. Yoshimichi and I taught Sougou together for Bryan is a JETAABC member and a JET participant three years. What began as reluctance from “way-back” (his words!) became acceptance and enthusiasm throughout those years. We became good

JE T A A C a na d a C o nferenc e 2014 By Miyuki Moizumi

The 2014 Canada Conference attendees Toronto ~ what a diverse and bustling city! It was truly a fantastic place to host the 2014 JETAA Canada Conference. Our two JETAABC reps, Miyuki Moizumi and Tai Lam, were inspired to fly east to soak up their eclectic culture. The conference officially began on Friday, June 6 with a visit to the Consulate of Japan’s residence. The welcome reception was a great opportunity to mingle with JETAA Canada reps while meeting delegates from the local Japanese and Japanese-Canadian community. Since good weather was in our favour, we reconvened at the Madison Avenue Pub for summer refreshments on the patio. Bright and early on Saturday morning, we gathered at the Japan Foundation for our

first series of workshops and discussion sessions. This year’s theme focused on career development and mentorship initiatives. Therefore, Jeff Minthorn, cofounder and editor-in-chief of Verge magazine, was invited to speak about bridging one’s travel experiences into a career. In the afternoon Jessie Zanutig (JETAANA) presented on pitching one’s JET experience with a professional voice. Although it was an intense eight hours, by the day’s end we had also managed to clarify Grant-in-Aid procedures, review Chapter reports, and brainstorm professional development events for the coming year. The evening was spent taking a leisurely walking tour of the neighbourhood. Our final destination was CopaCabana, a Brazilian feast for the eyes and senses.

Tai and Miyuki give the JETAABC Chapter report.

On Sunday we had a productive session sharing ways to strengthen our ties, build on inter-chapter communication and revisit the issue of Canada rep and the election process. In relation, we would like to congratulate Nadine Bukhman for being elected as our new JETAA Canada Representative. Although it was a whirlwind 2 ½ days, the National Conference gave us an opportunity to reflect and re-evaluate our goals, which resulted in a tangible action plan for moving forward.

We would like to give a heartfelt “Thank You” to JETAA Toronto, the Consulate of Japan, and CLAIR New York for organizing and supporting such a successful conference! As well as attending the 2014 JETAAC Canada Conference, Miyuki is also the 2014 JETAABC Secretary. Photos compliments of Bokeh Photography by Nicholas Jones.

A c kno wled g ements & T ha nks ! Special thanks to all contributors to this issue and a big thanks to the previous editor, Thomas Law, who set such an unachievably high standard for these newsletters. The new 2014 JETs are starting to settle into their new lives in Japan, and the entire JETAABC Board of Directors wishes them the best of luck. To all Volunteers so far this year, another huge thank you for sharing your time to keep alive the connections and support that make up JETAABC.