Yoshimizu Garden (all photos by Harriet Swan)

by Harriet Swann

On the third and fourth of June each year, Akiota Town (where I live) holds a Frog Festival in Kake. A couple of weeks before I’d heard about this event, the rice fields next to where I lived had been invaded by an army of frogs, so many and so loud that my family could hear them on Skype! The town logo is also a frog, so it seemed to make sense that – of course - there would also be a Frog Festival.

About a five minute walk from the town centre is Yoshimizu Garden, which was first built as a mountain getaway in 1781. A shrine was added in 1783, and it was remodelled again in 1803. The garden was then declared a wildlife reserve in 1953 because it is a natural habitat for the Moria Tree Frog. I found out that the Frog Festival is actually held in honor of this special type of frog.

Apparently, at night, four males gather around one female on a tree branch over the pond and together they form a bubble-like egg sac, which contains about three hundred eggs. After a week or so, the eggs begin to drop off the branches into the pond. Two months later the baby frogs crawl out and into the trees.

Moria tree frogs laying eggs

The garden is only open to the public for the first two weekends in June, and the second weekend in November. So, in June we went hunting for the little green frogs. My spotting skills were pretty rubbish, and it took a while to find any frogs, but a helpful guide pointed some out to me with his stick. They were beautiful: bright green and perfectly disguised in their surroundings. The garden itself is lush and beautiful, with a tea house that sits and looks out over the pond. The trees stretch up and up, shadowing the pond. It’s tranquil and serene. It must have been a perfect mountain getaway in the 1800s, and remains one even now.

In addition to the Yoshimizu Garden opening up, there are also many other festival events. There is a male “frog band,” which performs a range of songs (including AKB48) while dressed as frogs. Many of my students danced and sung. Some famous l0cal kagura groups performed. There were also many stalls selling delicious food and interesting souvenirs.

The live ”frog band” at the Frog Festival

I would definitely recommend people visit the garden in November to see the autumn foliage, or next year to try spot some tree frogs for yourself!

Behind every video is a story. This video was shot at the hanami party in Senkoji, Onomichi in April 2011. Hanami is a beautiful time in Japan when people get together to eat, drink, and gaze at the natural beauty of the newly-bloomed cherry blossoms. Nature, itself, is a beautiful thing, but to truly enjoy hanami you need to be with friends. To me, that is the essence of hanami, a time where people can finally venture outside in the warm weather after the gray winter, and enjoy each others’ company in a world of emerging color.

Vounteers at the Sanbien Children’s Home Christmas party.

by Dan Moeller

1. Tell us a little about the orphanage. Where is it? What kind of kids attend? What ages?

The orphanage is called Sanbien Children’s Home (子供の家三美園) and it is located on the north side of Onomichi, right next to Kurihara Kita Elementary School (a school I teach at).  There’s a whole range of kids that live there, from four years old up to 17 years old.

2. What is your relation to the whole group? Who’s in charge?

Who’s the organizer? Me.  I don’t like to think of myself as being in charge of Kokoro Hiroshima (the Hiroshima branch of Smile Kids Japan). I just happen to be a guy in the right place at the right time. I liaison the orphanage staff to set up visits and events, coordinate with the volunteers to put our monthly visits into action, and I do my best to keep up with the kids, just like everyone else.

3. How long has the volunteer program been running?

I most definitely need to give a shout out to Smile Kids Japan. http://www.smilekidsjapan.org/lang/en/about/

Smile Kids Japan is an ALT-run organization that originated out of Fukui in Fukui-ken and has grown to 18 programs, all running independently across Japan, but all based on the same principle: reaching out to the kids in communities we ALTs live and work in.

That being said, the Onomichi branch just turned a year last month. Our first visit was February 2010 and it’s still going strong thanks to the volunteers.

A finished craft project volunteers completed with the kids.

4. Who looks forward to the program more, the kids or the volunteers?

It’s really hard to say who looks forward to the visits more. Obviously, the volunteers get a lot out of it. I mean, c’mon, we’re on the JET Program, in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and are in the neighborhood of half a dozen more beautiful countries a weekend trip away. My point is there is plenty to do other than play with kids on a Sunday afternoon, especially after maybe seeing them all week long, but that doesn’t matter to our volunteers. I’m not far off in saying that a good number of the volunteers, including myself, build their month and week around that one visit that rolls around every 30-odd days. There’s nothing else like it. The kids just want attention, whether that’s someone to catch a ball, give a piggy-back ride, draw a few pictures, or talk manga with.

The more I think about it, though, it’s probably the kids who look forward to the visits. I teach all the kids at two of my schools. I see them weekly and every - not kidding - every time I go there I get bombarded with questions of when we (the volunteers) are coming next. This comes from kids that don’t speak a lick of English, can’t sit still in class, and who maybe have shown a distinct dislike towards me before I started visiting their home. These visits have changed a lot for them, in the classroom and at home.

5. One visit a month…does this really help these kids?

One visit a month does wonders. The anticipation that builds up from one visit to the next is dumbfounding. I’ll have kids not pay attention in class just to ask me when we are coming back and what we’re going to be doing. That right there is how I know we are making at least a bit of a difference. There’s expectations there, excitement. Not all these kids are parent-less. Some have families that are unable to support them for a variety of reasons (sickness, money, etc.), so they need to live in the orphanage.

And it’s not a place out of Oliver Twist. It’s a nice facility with a great staff, but still what it comes down to is that these kids have been, at some point in their lives and in some shape or form, abandoned by people that were supposed to be there for them. By no means do our volunteers replace family. That’s not the idea at all. We do, however, provide as much of a community and consistency as one visit a month allows. We give out birthday cakes every month. We hand out prizes for competitions. We have clothing and toy drives. We have Christmas parties with Santa suits and carols. There’s a lot that we can’t do for these kids, but by giving a little time and a little effort we give them at least one bright spot every few weeks. It’s nice to know someone is out there.

Working on another craft project together.

6. What are the current setbacks of the program? For example, can anyone help out?

Unfortunately, the orphanage we work with is a little strict on who can be a volunteer. I’ve made them aware that there is a larger community of volunteers (Japanese, non-JET, etc.) out there that wants to participate. However, the orphanage seems very comfortable with the fact that ALTs are forced to have a background check before coming over, something a friend of a friend may not have. Also, as far as Japanese volunteers, Kokoro Hiroshima welcomes volunteers from the community as well, but, unfortunately, we are at the mercy of the guidelines the orphanage lays out for us, as we are their guests.

“As of yet we haven’t received an OK for Japanese volunteers…but it doesn’t mean I’ve stopped asking.”

Other setbacks revolve around funding. We are a volunteer organization and independent from the larger Smile Kids Japan in that we don’t receive funding from them. We run on donations made by volunteers and members of the community. Everything received goes into the visits we make. Paper, crayons, paint, balls, balloons, and cakes are all paid for by our volunteers and charitable donations. Unfortunately, that means that we don’t have a consistent flow coming in for every visit, so it can be a little tricky some months.

7. I’ve attended a few times. These kids are crazy. A few are in desperate need of some role models and adult interaction. Are there any other volunteers in contact with these kids?

Not that I’m aware of. There seems to be a rotating staff there, as I see a few new faces every time I visit, but I believe they are indeed working there. There are few regular volunteer groups in Japan, which is part of what makes Kokoro Hiroshima so special.

A cookie tower made by volunteers and kids at the orphanage.

8. I heard there’s a video. Is it viewable anywhere…maybe online?

There is a video. Unfortunately since these are technically students and we are JET teachers, I don’t know if it’s going to be made available any time soon.

9. Speaking of videos, the Horror Film Festival had a great showing. Nice video, by the way. The food and beverage proceeds went to Sanbien, right? How much did you guys pull together?

Yes, the Horror Film Fest was a hit, and we did have a bake sale there to help raise money, with all proceeds going to our activities with the kids. What we got will help us for a visit or two, but I’m interested in holding another fundraiser at the next film festival this summer. I don’t know the details yet, but donations are ALWAYS welcome outside of fundraisers.

10. There has been some buzz going around about a Saijo location.

We wanted to have two locations within Hiroshima-ken, especially since a good amount of the volunteers come from the Hiroshima City side of the prefecture, but that fizzled out and right now we’re just focusing on the one.

11. Who could we contact to get some more info or get involved? Donations, even?

Smile Kids Japan is active in several different locations all over Japan. So, check out the website to get in touch with a coordinator near you. As for Onomichi and Kokoro Hiroshima, you can contact me personally if you want more information, want to volunteer, or are interested in making a donation. The more, the merrier.

Contact Info:

Chris Rudski
Kokoro Hiroshima
Cell: 080-3885-2675
Email: kokorohiroshima@gmail.com

Attendees at the 2011 Conference for Returning JETs (Photo credit: Dan Moeller) 

NOTE: The reference numbers following each paragraph refer to footnotes at the end of the article.

by Dan Moeller

For some of us, we’re currently packing up (mentally) and getting ready to be shipped back into the oh-so-inviting economy of our home countries. I’m sure the recent Returner’s Conference in Yokohama loomed in a lot of returning JETs’ minds as a great opportunity. The problem is that attendance was limited to 500 participants and not everyone had the time and money to attend. For me, the round-trip shink fare and hotel were enough to cause me to get all my meals at a nearby konbini. It’s a shame attendance to this conference is such a burden; it was a three day professional bonanza chocked full of important career tips, interview and resume help, as well as all-around guidance. It’s a great thing I have an outlet like the Wide Island View to let everyone in on ten golden nuggets I garnered from the event. Drum roll please…

10. Microsoft Word – Take Word off your resume. Knowing Word these days is like knowing how to breathe! No one is impressed by simple word processing skills anymore and, in fact, such skills are generally expected. What is important? Skills that are directly applicable to the position you’re applying for. If you’re shooting for that Times journalist position that opened up, it would be relevant to mention you know your way around Adobe Premier and most video cameras, and that photography has been your hobby for the past ten years (assuming that you do really know these skills).  (ref. 6)

9. Required Experience – Don’t vote yourself out of a job because you don’t meet the “2+ years experience” requirement. The position description includes all the desired traits of an ideal candidate. People are hired that don’t meet all of the requirements. The question now becomes why are you qualified. Explain what sets you apart from the next applicant in your cover letter/email. Surely, your JET experience counts for something more than “experience teaching large groups of uninterested and/or shy students whose progress left something to be desired.” Hint: I’m not going to work this one out for you.  (ref. 4)

8. Japan Stories – “Oh no! Here comes another one of [insert name here]’s Japan stories!” If you haven’t heard this yet, you will. It’s very alienating going back to your home country with a brain bursting full of years of experience in Japan with no one to really listen or understand the comments and stories you want to share. You can suppress the stories and general Japan reflection in a way that silences it forever. Or, you can find outlets – local AJET groups, travelers of the world, friends with experience abroad, etc – to cultivate your Japan memories into something I like to call “growth.” Inevitably, you will meet people with mindsets not yet exposed to some of the enlightenment that we have unconsciously accumulated over the years. These different mindsets may vary from odd biases to stark racism. The solution is to breathe, take your time, and answer thoughtfully.  (ref. 5)

7. Volunteer – It’s a giver’s game. The time you put in on, for example, the board of the local AJET team will surely be noticed and rewarded in some sort of holy/karma/pay-it-forward occurrence. Really. This could mean just getting your name out there, paired with a little “I give my time to the community” line on your resume. This could also mean bumping into your future reference for landing your dream job at the embassy. Also, the experience can be priceless, and is most always transferable.  (ref. 1,4)

6. LinkedIn – Get a free account. The effort put into building a profile is quite minimal compared to the exposure, references, networking, etc.  You profile is a virtual business card and can be linked anywhere (even your resume and email signatures). Also, considering your future employers will be perusing your page be sure to include any of your (professional) websites and/or websites you have contributed to. LinkedIn is also a great resource to ask for an informational interview from an employee of a company you’ve had in mind. This is as simple as a 15 minute chat over a cup of coffee (which you sprung for, of course) while you barrage this person with all of the questions you have about this company. This person may like you enough to run your resume to his boss. Wait, did you forget your resume?  (ref. 1,4,6)

5. Internet Dirt – 45% of employers use social media sites to research job candidates. 35% of those employers found reason not to hire said candidates. Don’t be a part of this statistic. Do an extensive Google, Yahoo, and/or Bing search for your name in all its forms. Clean up your Internet dirt before you begin your job search. It would be a shame to be wholly qualified for a position and then not get it because of those pictures of you and your drunken buddies throwing slabs of meat at the beer pong losers in the frat house basement (although there was a perfectly reasonable explanation, I just…can’t…remember…it). Don’t think that something of yours can’t be found online. It would also be advantageous to begin monitoring your comments and tweets.  (ref. 1)

4. Flat Lining Resumes – How can you shock them back to life? The first method is qualitative. Google “resume action verbs” and you’ll find a plethora of websites listing these strong words, search-able by category. You will find words to help you say exactly what you mean, but in a gripping tone. The second method is quantitative. Which is better: “Started English club and pen pal system” or “Founded weekly English club involving 25 students and 10 teachers; initiated 50 student pen pal exchange program with three schools in Mexico”? Surely you were much more interested in the latter description. Finally, be sure to list anything that you have done or achieved as the “first, youngest, only, or best” to do so.  (ref. 2,3)

3. PAR – It is a good idea to already have thought about your answers before being questioned at an interview. Hop on Youtube and catch up on some of the numerous interview question videos available. Of course, practicing these questions implies that you know and can reference your resume with ease. The PAR (Problem, Action, Result) comes in handy when the interviewer hits you with a tell-me-about-a-time-you-encountered-a-tough-problem question. This is the time to wax about your problem solving history. “I was having trouble with the TPS cover sheets so I invented an email system that bypassed it. All eight of my bosses commended me on my good work and I was elected employee of the month.” You should have three to five of these experiences memorized to some extent (although I’m having trouble rounding up three from the dusty corners of my brain).  Ganbatte! (ref. 2)

2. Your References – When you hear “your references” I’m sure you have two or three candidates in mind. Stay in touch with them! You should communicate with them more than just the email asking them for the reference letter. Maybe you haven’t talked to them in years. Find out what recent papers they wrote. Are you sure they remember you? Shoot them an email catching them up on your current life. Ask about theirs. Tell them why you loved their lecture on “The Mating Habits of Earthworms.” The point is: a busy professor will not drop what they’re doing to help a student they can’t remember. If you’re looking to beg a Japanese colleague whose English is not perfect (or not present at all) it seems the best way is to write it for them and let them review it and sign it. (ref. 1,3)

1. Walk Me through Your Resume – This is a very common line used by interviewers. They are testing if you know your facts and if you can really sell yourself with a good attitude. Although you should give them an ascending chronological account of your education and experience, don’t just spout out what they can read from the document in front of them. Bring life to your resume. You should make it seem as if every action was a choice you wanted to make (rather than a friend’s suggestion that seemed slightly better than your current job at the time). I chose “A education” and learned “B skill,” then I chose “C job” and gained “D experience,” etc. Every action should shoot right into the next step up until now, in which this position/grad program is the next logical step. (It is the next logical step, right?)  (ref. 2,3)

I hope you give these suggestions some thought and put some to use. My information comes from these conference presenters (please peruse their helpful sites!):

1. Ryan Hart – Kibble & Prentice Sales and Communication Services Coordinator

2. Vince Ricci– VincePrep Founder and Owner

3. Leah Gowron– Monterey Institute of International Studies Director, Alumni Relations and Annual Fund

4. Jim Weisser – PBXL Inc Co-founder and CEO

5. Adam Komisarof– Associate Professor at Reitaku University (thoughtfully, slowly)

6. Justin McCurry – Guardian Correspondent

Yuki Gassen is a sport that takes place in Japan. The game is like a combination of capture the flag and paintball. The goal is to either capture the other team’s flag, get the other team out by hitting them with snowballs, or by having more members than the other team when time expires.

In February 2011, a few friends and I participated in the tournament in Takano, Hiroshima. We won one game and lost the other, which was enough to qualify for the next round, but we didn’t have accommodations for the night. Oh well!

This video will take you on a little tour of the Takano grounds, the snowball making process, the ceremony, the camaraderie, the sheer competition – it’s all here. Enjoy!

by Kelly Jackson

I love to snap quick pictures of curious-looking items I find around Hiroshima. I am quite confident that residents of Hiroshima also have a stash of such photos, but, unfortunately, I’ve yet to come across a venue to display such photos. So, I’ve taken things into my own hands, and have decided to hold a small photo exhibition. You don’t need a fancy camera; the one on your cell phone is fine.I am hoping that foreign and Japanese residents can come together and have a few laughs and smiles over quirky photos. Japanese residents are also welcome to submit photos.

The event itself will be held on Saturday, March 12th from 3pm – 4:15pm at the Hiroshima City International House, a short walk from Hiroshima Station. Admission is free and open to all. Light refreshments will also be served. Please e-mail me, Kelly, at rei_3@hotmail.com, with “Photo Exhibition” in the subject line for more details on how to submit your photograph.

You can also check out the facebook event for more info @ Photo Exhibition! 写真展示！

One group of rafters on the trip

by Greg Beck and Jonathan Fisher

In the first week of October Hiroshima AJET set out to Otoyo, Kochi in Shikoku for a whitewater rafting experience! This was our first big trip out of the prefecture this year, brought to us by the amazing new leaders of AJET: Myia, Brandon, Alex, and Jennie.

There were nearly 30 of us altogether and half met to board our chartered bus at Hiroshima Station. In Fukuyama, we had a restroom break, bought some more supplies, loaded everyone else on, and set out for our hotel. Maybe our old, curmudgeon driver was just trying to get us off his bus (or maybe he always drives like a maniac), but we got to the hotel before we knew it; a beautiful, high-class ryokan. Even though it was around 10 pm when we arrived, three attendants in penguin suits waited to greet us and show us to our rooms, which the lovely Myia had been kind enough to carefully plan as well.

Heading off to Shikoku!

The people in our room had a great time, but decided we wanted to keep the party going a little later, so we joined forces with some more friends to go searching the sleepy town for a convenience store. On the way we saw some dodgy-looking yakuza-type guys who seemed to be wearing some kind of festival clothing, but we steered clear of them and kept going until we eventually found our way. Our group of seven got back to our hotel room safely and after a few drinks, songs, and stories, finally hit the hay.

The next morning, a few people got up extra early in order to use the hotel’s awesome baths before joining everyone for a huge, traditional Japanese breakfast. Then it was back on the bus for a nap on the way to Happy Raft, the company in charge of guiding us down the Yoshino River that day.

The Part of the Yoshino River system that we were navigating that day, also known as 祖谷 (Iya) or the “Valley of the Ancestors,” is one of the most isolated parts of Shikoku, an island already somewhat off the beaten track. Straddling the border of Kochi and Tokushima prefectures, the only trains that stop at the station adjacent to Happy Raft are lonely ワンマン (“one man,” or single conductor) cars. However you get there, though, you’re in for some beautiful scenery – dangerously steep gorges, precarious foot bridges (some of them famously made of interwoven vines), and the magic of the pristine emerald green river water.

Sporting some “Happy Raft” safety gear

The Valley of the Ancestors, while isolated, is definitely a tourist destination in the summer months. Adventuresome foreigners and Japanese tourists alike go there to enjoy a quiet riverside onsen soak, an overnight camping trip, or, like our AJET group, a more adrenaline-soaked river run in a rubber raft. Even some of the river guides themselves admitted to “taking the season off” to spend time paddling alternatively frightened and enthusiastic groups down the river for pay.

It became obvious immediately that the guides were going to be a lot of fun. Most of them were from New Zealand, Australia, or Japan, and they wasted no time in ribbing us, joking around the way you would treat an old friend. Everyone had crazy nicknames on a piece of tape on our helmets that were supposed to be used to identify us. Mine said “Dick,” but others on my raft included “Shorty,” “Bluey,” and “M.” Most of us put on wet suits provided by Happy Raft, and it only took being in the river for about five minutes before I was overwhelmed with happiness at my decision to “bee one of the hive,” as our guide instructed us. The water wasn’t ice cold, but the wetsuit was most definitely a life-saver.

After hearing the safety talk three times and splitting up into teams, we got on our boat for one last bit of training in how to follow our guides’ commands. Finally, as our guide Adam (who at first introduced himself as “Schmiegel”) tightened down our life jackets one-by-one, he shoved or asked us, depending on his whim, to jump in the water. From there we had to learn how to climb or be lifted back in. Then we were finally ready to go!

Our guide Adam was really friendly and open. Before we knew it, it seemed like we had all shared our life stories, and he even started teaching us the ins and outs of working for Happy Raft as a guide (in a nutshell: any time you screw up, you have to buy the other guides beer). Adam is only twenty-four, but has already had many years experience as a river guide in both Japan and New Zealand. It was obvious he knew what he was doing and, as the day went on and other rafts got stuck and people flung overboard, our raft remained almost completely unscathed. It was definitely thanks to him.

“Adam’s boat” heading through some rapids

Adam kept mixing up the seating order so everyone got to try being at the front of the raft while going through some rapids. We even sat backwards a couple times and watched him take charge, face screwed up in concentration. Whenever we hit a patch of calm river it was acrobatic diving time. He started it off by doing a running, full gainer dive off the nose of the boat, and we all tried our own flips, jumps, and dives as well. This went on for the entirety of the day, and after watching just a couple guides sneak up and ambush the other guides, it quickly turned into all-out pirate battles whenever anyone could surprise attack another boat!

Just before lunch we pulled up at some rock cliffs and almost everyone climbed up and jumped off. One climb was about ten meters up, but I was plenty satisfied with the five-meter fall I chose to try. Then, we got back on our boats, rounded a bend, pulled over on the opposite shore of the river, and climbed up another cliff to where fresh baked bagel sandwich awaited us!

The “Happy Raft” picnic lunch

At that point we were almost two-thirds of the way done with our 10k adventure down the river, but taking a break to get warm, dry, and fed was a double-edged sword. I felt both immensely more comfortable and incredibly tired. However, I knew that once we got back on the boat and got our adrenaline pumping again everything would be fine and, sure enough, it only got better.

Each boat had a different guide, so everyone had different stories to tell on the bus ride home. This was only one of them, but from what I could tell everyone was able to see a different side of themselves and each other, all the while getting soaking wet and wild. So, that was our Saturday! Before we left we got dried off and changed at the Happy Raft headquarters, and they gave us some tea and cake. We had a considerably quieter bus trip home to Hiroshima, but it was fun nonetheless. Thanks to Hiroshima AJET and everyone who took part. I can’t wait for the next event, and I have a feeling some of us will be taking a couple more trips to Happy Raft next summer.

Congratulations, Hiroshima JETs! National AJET has announced the winners of its 2010 Awards, and the Wide Island View has been named Best Online Resource of 2010. Three cheers to all of you! The Wide Island View would not be what it is without your contributions.

The Best Online Resource Award was given to “the AJET Group that provides the most outstanding online services to its members, including websites, online magazines, bulletin boards, forums, or any other kind of online medium. Points of consideration include readership, content, design, reliability, regularity and educational resources.”

We’ve all learned a lot from the Wide Island View over the past year. There was that creepy article last October about the stinky Japanese Bigfoot living in the hills of Saijo. And who can forget the account of what it’s like to eat dolphin? From a first-hand account about one JET’s stay in a Japanese hospital, to articles with everything you need to know about getting your Japanese driver’s license and scooter license, file your American taxes, and get married in Japan, Hiroshima JETs did an outstanding job sharing their experiences to help others living in Japan. We picked up some really great advice about everything from climbing Mt. Fuji to making goya chanpuru. And these are all just a few examples of all the great writing Hiroshima JETs have done this year.

We’ve been thrilled with the growth of the Wide Island View this year, transforming from a PDF publication to a website attracting some 7,500 visitors and 25,000 page views per month. With the introduction of the Wide Island’s new Forum and Teaching Materials section, we expect traffic to continue growing with time. Please spread the word about the Wide Island to all your friends!

Minasan Omedetou Gozaimasu!

We’d also like to offer a hearty congratulations to the other National AJET Award winners:

AJET Chapter Award: Nara AJET

AJET Service Award: Lauren Wetherington, Dawn Adams, Jonathon Ealey, Jooree Ahn, Byrony Dunlop, Jen Park, Adam Tsai, Natalee Oslen, Jesse Welty, Tonya Kneff, Rebecca Carrington, Ryan Bedford, Samantha Scupp, Kevin Mitchel, Daniel Patterson, Justin Elavathil, Andrew Heffernan, Pooja Dadhania, Carol Holland, Mark Griffiths

Internationalization Award: Shimane Student Exchange Program

Best Charity Event Award: Nagano AJET Thanksgiving Talent Auction raised ¥18,000for the World Food Program. Kumamoto AJET Valentines Day Talent Auction raised ¥213,000for Quisqueya International Organization for Freedom & Development Haiti.

Best Sports Event: Tajima Ultimate Frisbee

Best Publication Award: The Nagazasshi

Best Inter-Prefectural Event/ Project: Nara & Mie Masquerade Ball / Block Mixer

Special Interest Group (SIG) Award: Smile Kids Japan

Attention all JETs! National AJET is currently holding elections for new block leaders to represent regions around Japan. There are three candidates campaigning to be the National AJET representative for Block 9, which includes Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi prefectures.

The three candidates are Jonathan Fisher of Hiroshima Prefecture, Erin McBride of Shimane Prefecture, and Kholofelo Nkoe of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Votes can be cast now through Feb. 26. To vote, go to http://ajet.net/elections/. You’ll need to know your JET number to cast your vote (if you don’t know it, your supervisor should be able to look it up for you).

While you’re voting for Block 9 Rep, don’t forget to vote for your favorite candidate for Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer.

Wondering which Block 9 candidate to vote for? Each candidate had to submit a platform to run for the position. Here’s what they had to say:

Jonathan Fisher (Hiroshima Prefecture)

I am seeking the office of Block 9 Representative to National AJET Council. My objectives as your Representative will be guided, first, by my experience as a licensed public high school teacher in the United States, where I worked prior to joining the JET Program, and also by three general principles. 1. Local AJETs should receive greater support from National AJET. 2. AJET should support more opportunities for professional development in Japan. And 3. Block Representatives should be in closer, more regular communication with all of their constituent JET participants.

Some concrete changes that Block 9 voters can expect from me if I am elected include: at least monthly communications with every JET participant in the Block, close attention to the needs of prefectural AJET Chapters, assisted coordination between prefectural Chapters for events of all kinds, and the organization of inter-prefecture mini-seminars geared toward our professional development as educators.

Some current leadership positions I hold in Japan, include serving as moderator of the Hiroshima message board for CouchSurfing.org, coach and co-captain of the Hiroshima Spurs Ultimate Team, assistant coach and co-captain of the Kure Shipheads Touch Rugby Team, host of Kure City’s Annual American Thanksgiving Event, Hiroshima JET Mid-Year Conference Committee member and presenter, regular contributer to Hiroshima’s Wide Island View ezine, and volunteer proofreader for The Language Teacher, journal of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT). I am ready to lead Block 9 JET participants to the next level. Thanks for your vote.

Erin McBride (Shimane Prefecture)

My name is Emily McBride and I’m a third year JET in beautiful Shimane Prefecture. This year I am applying to be your new block representative to provide you with a network to further your JET experience, and to create a strong link between you, your area, National AJET and other regions.

Firstly, I love the JET experience and the great opportunity it provides! A part of that is using AJET as an important means of communication and networking between all areas in Japan. I want to ensure all of you in Block 9 will have access to the great support that AJET provides. I will work hard to keep you up to date and informed in matters that concern JETs in Block 9, as well as JETs nationally, and ensure your ideas and opinions are represented on a national scale. In this way, we can continue to improve JET relations and everyday situations.

Previously, I was the AJET President for the ShimaneAJET chapter, and led a dedicated team who provided JETs in Shimane with social opportunities, as well as chances to improve their working life. I have also been involved every year since my arrival, with orientation for new JETs, both in Tokyo and in Shimane. Also I have been involved with organising not only city-wide events, but also prefectural events. Drawing from my experiences, I will be able to effectively take a role as activities, communications or PR liaison. In addition, my background is in journalism and Japanese and so I am happy take on a role as publications or cultural liaison within AJET.

I have visited all five prefectures in our region and have experienced working in all levels of Japanese schooling, as well as adult classes. Consequently, I will be able to understand your individual situations more clearly.

I am a motivated, reliable, dedicated and positive individual who is looking forward to representing every member of Block 9. Please vote for me as your block representative!

Kholofelo Nkoe (Yamaguchi Prefecture)

My name is Kholofelo Nkoe and I am from South Africa. Currently I am working for JET and living in the Yamaguchi Prefecture. I have re-contracted with my BOE and will be staying here at least until the middle of 2011. Having said that I would appreciate the opportunity to run in these AJET elections as a block 9 representative for 2010/2011. Having read what the preferred requirements are for this position, I strongly feel that I am more than capable of succeeding in this challenging task.

I am highly motivated and always thinking out of the box for innovative ideas. As an art and media communications graduate, I believe that I have grown tremendously in the art of reaching out to people. If the opportunity arises that I be elected, I will strive that everyone in district 9 is current and updated with everything that is relevant and also make this district an interactive district.

Kobe Luminarie 2009 (Photo by Joe Meadows)

By Gail Cetnar Meadows

Around Christmas, as with so many other Western holidays, we see how the Japanese have adopted some of the holiday traditions we hold oh-so-dear and added a Japanese twist to make the holiday their very own. While I can’t say Christmastime has the same magical quality here as it does back home, I do have to appreciate all those exquisite Christmas cakes, the KFC Colonel Santa Claus, the clever 3-D Christmas cards and, most of all, the winter light displays.

Hey, what’s Christmas without a frosty evening stroll down Peace Boulevard to see Puff the Magic Dragon (with musical accompaniment), Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage and a whaling ship come to life in lights? (Every year I’ve got my fingers crossed to encounter a twinkling tanuki. So far, no dice.)

Our adopted hometown’s holiday illumination certainly has it’s own quirky charm, but if it’s an elegant and classy display you’re looking for, look no further than Kobe. Perhaps you’ve seen the ubiquitous advertisements for Kobe’s annual Luminarie in train stations. While not billed specifically as a Christmas display — it ran Dec. 3 to 14 this year – this winter illumination is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. For 12 days each December, the lights commemorate Kobe’s rebirth following the Great Hanshin Earthquake, which devastated the city in January 1995. The installation, donated by the Italian government and created by an Italian designer, is made up of a series of arches with lights arranged to resemble a kind of cathedral. Seen from afar, these arches combine into a long tunnel of light that indeed is quite admirable and unlike any other lights display I’ve seen. Every year the arrangement is changed slightly but maintains the same general form.

Such an impressive sight comes at a price, however, and that is the crowds. The free event attracts some 4 million visitors each year, making it impossible to enjoy the lights in peace. When I went Dec. 12, dodging all the photo-snapping tourists was a constant fight, and the crush of the crowd made it difficult to simply stand and admire the lights without being bumped around. I was very glad that we showed up early to see the lights because it meant we didn’t have to wait very long. The line to enter the illumination began forming around 4 p.m. (the lights came on around 4:45 p.m.), and city officials put up street barricades to snake the line throughout the city. Visitors who came later in the evening doubtless had a several-hour wait ahead of them, and I wondered if everyone would make it through before the lights clicked off at 10 p.m.

Light structure at the end of Kobe Luminarie. (Photo by Joe Meadows)

The Luminarie was a sight worth seeing, in my opinion, but I wouldn’t want to go more than once, and I probably would have been disappointed if I’d planned the trip to Kobe solely for the lights. Combined with a late lunch of succulent Kobe beef (without question the best steak I’ve ever had), and a visit to the impressive Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (one of the world’s largest aquariums, home to two whale sharks) however, it was a worthwhile weekend getaway. If I’d had more time, I also would have checked out Kobe’s Chinatown.

If you’re not familiar with Kobe beef, just know that this is one town’s famous cuisine that isn’t underrated (How many places are famous for ramen? How many all taste the same? Just saying.) Cows raised for these particular steaks are treated like royalty as far as cows go – they’re supposedly fed beer and massaged every day. The result is very well-marbled beef that is marvelously tender. You’ll pay for the pleasure here – a lunch set of the highest graded filet mignon set me back 9,800 yen – but it’s worth it. It really was the most tender, flavorful steak I’ve ever eaten, and considering I hadn’t eaten a real steak since I arrived in Japan I didn’t feel too bad about splurging once. I can give a hearty thumbs up to the restaurant I ate at, Mouriya. Mouriya’s head (honten) restaurant is downtown, not far from the Luminarie, and it’s casual enough for jeans. It has an English website where you can see an English menu and make a reservation online, which would be a good idea if you eat there during the Luminarie. When I went, they seated me at the griddle so I could watch the chef cook my meal right in front of me. Highly recommended.

TRAVEL TIPS

Getting There

If money’s no object, the shinkansen will get you from Hiroshima to Kobe in an hour and 15 minutes for around 10,000 yen one way. If you’re planning to blow all your money on Kobe beef, however, you may want to consider taking the bus for half the price. It’s a four-hour ride.

Accommodations

Even though I started looking for a hotel more than a month in advance, I found that all the affordable rooms in Kobe were already booked on Friday and Saturday nights during the Luminarie. Instead, I opted to stay at the J-Hoppers hostel in Osaka. It was cheap, clean, and just a half-hour train ride from Kobe. Reservations can be made on their website.

LINKS

See photos of past year’s luminaries:
http://www.ryuusenkaku.jp/english/kobe_luminarie.html

Map of the Luminarie area (in Japanese):
http://www.kobe-luminarie.jp/flm-10.htm

Mouriya restaurant:
http://www.mouriya.co.jp/en/head/index.html

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan:
http://www.kaiyukan.com/language/eng/