Toyama CIR Akiyo Horiguchi with her Dad at a showing of "An American Tail" in 1987, two months before they moved to the U.S.

It’s been a year and a few months since I arrived in Japan with the JET Program and I am re-contracting for at least one more year. I have enjoyed my time and work so far as a Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) for Toyama Prefecture, but if there’s one thing I’d like to improve on this year, it’s enhancing “international understanding,” which is one of the stated goals of the JET Program.

As a Japanese-American born in Japan and raised in the United States, I knew coming into JET that my background is something I could put to good use to promote international understanding in Japan. As an American, I have that international culture to share, but at the same time, since I speak Japanese and am familiar with Japanese culture, I don’t have the same kind of language and cultural barriers that many JETs experience. However, it does not mean that this is easy for me. Three truths are plainly and constantly apparent in my everyday life:

It’s one thing to be an American in Japan.

It’s another thing to be an Asian-American in Japan.

And it’s an entirely different thing to be a Japan-born Japanese-American in Japan.

First, let me stress that I realize I enjoy a lot of luxuries that many fellow JETs would kill for.

— I can sit and drink coffee by myself, and everyone blissfully ignores me.
— I can have actual conversations with local Japanese people who don’t speak English.
— I can chuckle at the response of a woman who stops me to try to interest me in a
book when I tell her in Japanese: “Sorry, but I don’t read Japanese all that well!”

But my frustrations are also different from those of most foreigners in Japan. For example, like many foreigners, I often find myself lost, confused or unable to do something. But while a white person or even an Asian person with an accent has the “I’m a foreigner, so I don’t know how things in Japan work” excuse, I just look like a complete idiot or someone who’s been living in a cave.

That’s just a minor daily life annoyance though, compared to having your very being constantly questioned. You see, to many Japanese people it’s not possible for me to be real. My very existence threatens to break apart the reality they know.

Sound over dramatic? Let me explain.

I often wonder if this feeling of being an invisible minority is what it’s like to be gay. As much as I am proud of who I am, people generally assume that I am of the majority. But I’m not at all like the people around me; I am a minority – a foreigner – but a hidden one. (Keep in mind that this is just an analogy; I’m not claiming that being an American of Japanese descent in Japan is anything like the persecution and fear that gay people have to worry about.) I imagine how awkward it must be for gay people when everyone speaks to them as if they’re straight, and the thought process involved in deciding whether to correct them…and I wonder if that’s similar to how it is for me.

One day several months ago, I started my morning by getting pastries at the local family-owned bakery. I was a regular customer there and I like the friendly woman who runs the place. That morning, though, my husband was there with me.

“アメリカからですか？(From America)?” she asked me.

“はい” I answered cautiously.

“アメリカでは雪が降りますか？(Does it snow in America?)” It was snowing steadily outside.

“アメリカは広いので。。。(America is big, so…)” I replied, a little exasperated. My husband was counting out change at this point. Then the woman gestured in his direction.

“彼の—(His—)”

I didn’t actually cut her off, but I wasn’t really listening at that point. We were done paying, and I was already lingering near the door of the small store, so I ignored her question about the climate of my husband’s homeland and rushed off with a quick “ありがとうございます!” It was the first thing in the morning on a Saturday; much too early for all that.

These types of situations make me uncomfortable in several ways. I can forgive the question about the weather in America. Weather is a good topic for small talk, and the woman was simply curious. But one thing that bothered me was that she talked to me as if my husband wasn’t there, something that happens on a fairly regular basis when we are out together. Actually, a better way to describe it is: as if my husband was a pet or a child. What (breed) is he? What does he like?

Also, this is a good example of another awkward and frustrating type of situation that I encounter: to many Japanese people, it does not even occur to them that I am from the same place as the white man with me. I never quite know how I should respond to someone asking me about his country, which is, in fact, the same as my own.

Whether I am by myself or with others, whenever it is brought up that I am an American, a conversation might go something like this:

“You’re a haafu?” (“half,” mixed race)
“No, I’m not.”
“You’re…Japanese blood?”
“Yes, I’m all Japanese blood.”
“…And you were born in America!”
“I was born in Japan.”
“Wait, so your mother is from America, and your father is from Japan?”
(This is actually something I’ve been asked more than once when I’d said nothing of the kind.)
“No, my parents are from Japan. We all moved to the U.S. when I was young.”
“So you have American citizenship!?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, that is so cool (insert your かっこいいor すごいhere)! That means… You speak good English?”
“Er…yeah. I speak English more normally than I speak Japanese.”

This is sometimes followed by a request to say something in English, and if so, it usually is accompanied by more expressions of awe and envy at my awesome American English pronunciation.

The worst, though, are the times when I am explicitly told that I am “Japanese.” My assertions that I am an American have even been encountered with laughter, as if I was just trying to play some sort of joke on them.

On the other hand, sometimes it swings completely the opposite way. If I am accepted as a “foreigner,” I’m met with sheer amazement at my Japanese, asked if I know which part of Japan my ancestors are from, spoken to in unnaturally slow Japanese, or asked if I am okay with Japanese food. So, strangely enough, I end up having to explain the same sorts of thing about my life history (about my parents, the Saturday Japanese school in LA that I went to, etc.) that I have to do for people who refuse to accept that I am an American.

Or maybe it’s not so strange. These responses all come from the inclination to box people into categories, and the need to separate people into “Japanese” and “not Japanese” is a tough one to break. Someone like me shows up, and I screw up the system. I am both Japanese and a foreigner, and this is difficult for many people to process.

Back during my adolescent identity crisis – something most first and second generation immigrant kids go through, as I later found out – I remember I felt a strong affinity toward those of mixed race. But I learned that my “American side” and my “Japanese side” do not have to be divided into numbers that add up to 100, because I am 100% American, and also an indeterminate percentage of Japanese in addition. (Well, 100% if you go by the “blood” thing, but I don’t find that the most important.)

Luckily, I’ve got my identity figured out. I am comfortable and confident with my identity as a Japanese-American. But I’m not yet quite confident in my ability to communicate what I know about myself to local Japanese people. I am not proud to admit that I have shied away from conversing with new people because I dread the conversation about my life history or I am anxious about how they will react to me.

But part of what I thought – and still think – I can contribute as a JET is to have these conversations, to provide opportunities to have this kind of dialogue. It’s not as if this experience I’m having is unexpected. I want to be able to engage people and talk about national, ethnic, and cultural identity, about foreign people in Japan, and about multiculturalism and diversity in the U.S. (both good and bad). I want to be honest and assertive, in a respectful way, without the awkwardness, and perhaps with a sense of humor.

I haven’t personally gone back to that bakery since that really minor “incident.” When I do, I hope that I will have the courage to “come out” as a foreigner. I want to use this opportunity living in Japan to grow more and to make my small contribution toward making this a better, more open place for everyone.

-Akiyo Horiguchi

Toyama Agrees to Take Tsunami Debris from Iwate (The Japan Times) – According to this article, the governors of Toyama and Iwate prefectures recently signed a “disaster debris memorandum” stating that Toyama will help Iwate “store and incinerate the mountains of waste generated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.” The article also notes that removal of debris has been slow in the areas hardest-hit by the tsunami, and many “prefectures are reluctant to store and incinerate debris from Iwate and Miyagi due to the unknown effects of radiation exposure.”

Tateyama

There are eleven ninety-second segments, each featuring a prefecture-endorsed “Toyama Brand.”
They range from cute (Paro Therapeutic Robot) to beautiful (Toyama Tulips) to delicious (Okado Somen).

You can watch all of the videos in English or Japanese here.

- Akiyo Horiguchi, Toyama Prefecture CIR

Below, I list the top five things I took away from the conference. I must give credit to former JET Dan Moeller, who wrote about the 2011 conference for the Hiroshima JET magazine last year. Admissions counselor and presenter Vince Ricci shared Moeller’s article on his Website, and it is well-worth the read.

Here are my own personal tips, based on what I learned from presenters, and from my own personal experience pre-JET:

1.Start Your Search Now – Of course be sure to enjoy your last months in Japan, but don’t leave everything up until the last minute! If you want to stay in Japan, this is especially true. Our visas expire as soon as we leave JET, so in order to work legally in Japan, you will have to find some sort of company or school to sponsor you should you want to stay here. A lot of the hiring process in Japan occurs around March, which isn’t ideal for leaving JETs, but start looking as soon as possible. If you are returning to your home country, it might be hard to secure something without living there yet, but start contacting old classmates, professors and friends to let them know you are returning and will be looking for work. Also start thinking about what you want to take back with you and who you want to say goodbye to/thank. The After JET guidebook offers a good month-by-month and step-by-step guide to this process.

2.Get on LinkedIn – All of the speakers on the business panel – Jennifer Jakubowski, Leah Gowron, Eric Korpiel – agreed that one of the first places several employers look after receiving an application is LinkedIn. They also said employers sometimes screened a candidate’s Facebook profile, so be sure to have a somewhat tasteful profile picture posted or at least carefully choose your privacy settings. Joining LinkedIn is free and fairly straightforward. It is basically a way to showcase all of your past work experience and to network with individuals in fields you are interested in (think of it as a professional version of Facebook). For more information on what to include on your resume/profile, check out Ricci’s very helpful Website. Ricci presented at the conference and lists several compelling arguments about how we should structure a resume and why. He also includes resume templates for ALTs, CIRs and PAs.

3.Research– This applies to all of us leaving JET this summer and those leaving it in four years! If you know exactly what you want to do after JET, good for you. If you are still uncertain, that’s OK too. The best way to learn about possible job opportunities – and careers that interest you – is by talking to those already established in the field. Good places to start include JETAA chapters, which are established around the world, as well as your university’s alumni network. Sending a quick e-mail to ask if a person is willing to answer some questions (or a message through LinkedIn!), or asking if they are willing to meet you for coffee are the first stepping stones to learning more about different types of jobs and how to get started in them. You might discover that you are completely disinterested in a field after talking to several professionals about it, so at the very least, you can cross that job off your list of future jobs.

4.Network – The importance of networking was emphasized in almost every speech and in every presentation I attended. I know from personal experience that you can spend hours every day applying for jobs solely using the Internet and not hear back anything from anyone for months on end, or even ever for that matter. Networking is really how people get jobs. As mentioned in number three above, start by joining your local JETAA chapter and going to as many professional events as you can. If you live in an area without a JETAA chapter (or without a strong one), start one yourself or make it more active. Also consider attending professional associations, getting business cards and practicing casual conversation starters if you’re nervous and shy. This doesn’t mean you have to turn into a job-hunting wolf who preys on every person at every event. Rather, take the opportunity to get to know people in your interested field and make your name and face known.

5.Stay Busy, and Be Prepared for At Least Some Culture Shock – Even if you can’t wait to leave Japan, chances are, you are going to miss at least some tiny, minuscule thing about Japan when you return home (among the many things I will miss, my list includes:“See yooouuuu!”; the office woman’s delicate smile; obaasan). Joining JET is an emotional experience and also the experience of a lifetime. This is not to be taken lightly, but there are still ways to stay connected to Japan in your home country, whether it be through JETAA or working for a Japanese company.

If you don’t have a job or graduate school lined up after JET, you might have a lot of free time to think about your life and you might start cursing yourself for leaving the comfort of JET. Finding a job is a royal pain and something that most, if not all, people dread for good reason. But start small and work toward a goal of contacting a set number of people or going to a set number of events per week or month. One of the worst things you can do is let your mind wander, so start looking for temporary work or internships that may not be the most exciting or highest-paying work but at least it will keep you busy and allow you to network and earn some money while contemplating your next big move. Keep your mind busy, and things will start to go your way sooner or later.

If you have any more specific questions about the conference or would like more resources (I can make some copies of papers), feel free to e-mail me at smburt@gmail.com and I’ll try to help as best as I can. Good luck! がんばれ！

-Sheila Burt

When Jonathan Dao decided in November that this would be his last year in Toyama on the JET Programme, he started looking at ways to give back to the community that has been his home for the past three years.

“This is my last year on JET and everyone else has tried their hand at doing charity events and just events in general, and I wanted to try my hands at an event because I haven’t done anything this whole time,” Dao says from his apartment in Japan. “I can’t do fashion; I can’t cook. I try to play it to my strengths, and I love movies.”

Jon Dao

A few months later, the idea for an international film festival turned into a reality, though he was unsure about what organization to support at first. When watching the action film Taken with superstar Liam Neeson, in which a retired CIA agent’s teenage daughter is captured in Paris and forced into the sex trade, Dao realized he would like to give to an organization that helps children.

Profits from the show will benefit Make-A-Wish Japan – Hokuriku region, which supports critically ill children and helps grant them a wish. Dao says that the non-profit isn’t as prominent as its American counterpart, but it’s a cause close to his heart.

He originally contacted Make-A-Wish Japan looking for potential job opportunities after his time with JET ends, but after meeting with a representative who traveled to Toyama from Osaka just to meet him, he soon discovered a need to support the non-profit in any way he could.

“There are so many non-profits out there and they all have a lot of good causes, like stopping human trafficking, stopping world hunger and poverty. I just didn’t feel that type of connection,” Dao says. “And watching that movie…I realized I really do like kids, and I mean shoot, the goal of Make-A-Wish, to give one kid his dying wish, doing all that you can to help see that through, what better thing can you do for a person?”

Dao says that last year, Make-A-Wish Japan realized about one hundred wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Number one on the children’s list is usually a trip to Disneyland, followed by a meeting with their favorite sports star or celebrity. A representative from the organization will be coming to the festival so attendees can learn more about Make-A-Wish.

Dao intentionally made rules to the festival fairly lenient, and he is still seeking submissions, which are due April 14th, though if filmmakers contact Dao they can work with him on submitting later if needed. There is no entry-free for submission, and participants can submit as many films as they would like.

Films can be in any language, and there are three main categories: one-minute films (such as commercials or movie trailers); music videos (such as a filmed performance of a band or karaoke video); and short films (at the most 5 minutes). Films won’t be judged, but rather Dao says the focus of the festival is on the experience of watching movies, rather than competition. He hopes attendees leave their inhibitions at home and come feeling excited.

“One of my biggest gripes – because I love film so much – is the atmosphere of a Japanese movie theater,” Dao laughs. “I’ve only been two times but it’s so uncomfortable when you feel like you can’t cough. If I have my normal reaction, I feel like I’m doing something wrong. That’s messed up. At a funny part, no one else is laughing. It’s not because they don’t think it’s funny, it’s because they have to pay respect, I don’t know. The movie theater should be one area where you let go of that tension, you can let go of that personal space.”

So what are three films that everyone should see in their lifetime? Here is Dao’s list:

1.Taken – “Because me and my friend joked we hope we don’t have daughters because we would be that overprotective dad. In this movie, [a father’s] biggest fear is realized, except Liam Neeson shows he’s not powerless. He powers through it and it’s able to have a happy ending.”

2.The Man from Nowhere – “This almost has the exact same story line as Taken, except it’s not his daughter and the girl is younger. What separates this from Taken is the action. Taken really reinforced why I don’t want to have a daughter, [but this movie] really changed my perspective and really made me want to have kids. There’s lot more emotional power in this film.”

3. Stuck on You – “I really love this one. If you have siblings or have a brother, as goofy as this movie is, it has a lot of heart with brotherly love. I have a younger brother and a lot of times, I don’t see eye to eye with him. But this movie kind of shows, yeah even in the end if we never see eye to eye, that’s not to say I don’t think about that person and what’s best for them.”

Submissions can be sent to Dao via e-mail at johnnys.second.opinion@gmail.com. Follow news about the Toyama International Film Festival on its Facebook page.

-Sheila Burt

Vendors at the 2012 Toyama Art Market

There’s a few hours left of this cloudy Sunday afternoon, which also means you have a few more hours to explore this year’s Toyama Art Market in Shimin Plaza, about a 20 minute walk from Toyama Station and close to the Daiwa shopping center.

The market is very expansive and impressive, bringing together local Japanese artists who are selling their unique products, from wooden carvings, handmade instruments, jewelry, art and fashion.

2012 Toyama Art Market

I went to the market yesterday and was pleasantly surprised how much there was to see. Definitely check it out if you have some free time this afternoon, or at least remember to keep posted on details for next year’s event. The event closes at 4 p.m. today.

-Sheila Burt

Waiting in earnest for spring and need a quick day/overnight trip?
How about going on a fun trip to Unazuki Onsen?

The Toyama Chiho Tetsudo (or often referred to as “Chitetsu”) is currently offering free train tickets to Unazuki Onsen.
This promotion runs through Thursday, April 10th.

Here is the page with all of the info, from the Kurobe Unazuki-onsen Tourist Board.

As there is no English page that I could find, here is the info you need.
The important thing to note is that this only works for specific trains.

Toward Unazuki Onsen (all times from Dentetsu Toyama Station)

9:12am Regular Train (Arrives in Unazuki 10:42am)
1:14pm Express Train (Arrives in Unazuki 2:18pm)
2:46pm Express Train (Arrives in Unazuki 3:56pm)

Toward Toyama (all times from Dentetsu Unazuki Onsen Station)

- WEEKDAYS -
9:00am Express Train (Arrives in Toyama 10:05am)
3:28pm Regular Train (Arrives in Toyama 5:02pm)

- WEEKENDS & HOLIDAYS -
10:10am Regular Train (Arrives in Toyama 11:37am)
12:44pm Express Train (Arrives in Toyama 1:48pm)
3:29pm Express Train (Arrives in Toyama 4:36pm)

Note where it says “Express Train.” You will have to pay the express charge, which I believe was 200 yen. But this is still an amazing deal.

Also, make sure to note that this is not the JR Toyama Station. The Dentetsu Toyama Station is next to the JR Station, behind the Marier building.

You do not have to get on or off at Toyama Station, but you do need to get on or off at Unazuki Onsen Station. (ie. No using this to get from Uozu to Toyama!)

Also, you do actually need the coupon. You can:
a) color print (I have no idea on how strict they are on this point) the coupon using the link on the website (a popup box will come up if you click the dotted red square).
or
b) pick them up at a store. At Dentetsu Toyama Station, I was directed to the pharmacy across the way. At Unazuki Onsen, they were at practically every store and eating establishment.

If you look closely at the train times, it is impossible to get a free ride both directions in one day and spend more than an hour at Unazuki, but if you get a free ticket one way and pay for the other direction, you are essentially still getting a half-price trip! Tickets are normally quite expensive, so this is a great thing to take advantage of! Check out this cute little mountain town.

2011 JETfest

Date: February 19th (Sunday), 2012
Time: 12 pm ~ 3 pm (Set up will start in the AM)
Place: Wingwing Takaoka

“What can I do for JETfest?”

Country Booths – An open expo of countries from all around the world. Come represent your mother/father/auntieland! Last year around 23 countries were represented. Theme booths are also available if you want to set up something of a theme, such as a Charity Booth.

World Tour – A new attraction, a series of rooms dedicated to creating various culturespheres found around this great earth. You will feel yourself traveling around the world as you enter each new room and your senses are awash with smells, sounds, sights, and atmosphere.

Stage Attractions - An awesome stage show with a variety of Musical and Dance acts. Accepting stage performers and backstage crew! This year will feature a variety-show type atmosphere with some of the most happening characters from around the prefecture.

International Cafe – Always a hit, cook it and they will come. The Cafe features a delightful lineup of tasty goods and tea, but needs a dedicated team of chefs and teamasters to prep everything for the big day, as well at waiters and waitresses for the day of.

Kids Corner – Get INTO the hustle and bustle with the POWER FUN ACTIVITY CANDY YAY YAY YAY corner. Kids, games, coloring, scavenger hunt, rambunctivity abound. You can also help make the backdrop of a fun scene and decorations!

General Help – we can always use general help! It is help in the general sense!

Although she is not a JET and does not live in Japan, Kathleen Edwards knows these feelings all too well.

A Canadian singer-songwriter who spent part of her youth in South Korea and Switzerland, Edwards has slowly established herself as a compelling singer-songwriter in the past 10 years. Her first three albums, Failer, Back to Me and Asking for Flowers, all featured songs in which the narrator questions his/her place in the world, detailing vivid stories about movement, memory and men. Many of her gritty songs are not unlike a John Irving or John Steinbeck novel.

It is much to my delight, then, that Edwards released her fourth album, Voyageur, in the middle of my second winter in Japan. Edwards wrote the album in the midst of her divorce from guitarist-producer Colin Cripps, and much has been publicized (annoyingly) about her new relationship with indie rock star Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, who co-produced the album. But perhaps it is because of the ending of a relationship and the beginning of a new one that this album feels both rejuvenating and contemplative, wondering where things went wrong but also moving full-speed ahead to the uncertain future.

I imagine these bipolar feelings, too, are something most of us feel during our time with the JET Programme. When do we know it’s time to leave Japan and our comfortable jobs? When do we know it is time to move on? How do we deal with personal and professional relationships from back home? How can we work to maintain all the new relationships we have formed in Japan?

There aren’t any mathematical, concrete answers to these questions, which sometimes makes nulling over these choices frustrating, especially if you don’t like making life decisions under pressure.

Edwards seems to understand this notion of self-doubt and uncertainty, but she never lets it paralyze her. Lucky for me, her new album has become the soundtrack to my winter – a time when every day, I am thinking about my next move in life and the kind of person I want to become after my time with JET ends.

The song “Going to Hell” describes sailing away on the Great Lakes and making “a white flag from your pillow” while the lush “A Soft Place to Land” describes looking for comfort in some of the most unexpected yet simple places. (“I’m looking for a soft place to land/the forest floor, or the palms of your hands.”).

The lyrics and music of Voyageur aren’t always peppy and bright (though the love song “Sidecars” and tongue-and-cheek “Hot Mess” are upbeat), but music has never
sounded so real to me in a long time.

Give Voyageur a listen, and hopefully it helps guide you through the rocky emotions of winter.

-Sheila Burt