January 2013 Volume 17 Issue 3

VO LU M E 1 7 NUM BER 3 // JANUARY 2 01 3

JETAABC ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND SHINNENKAI 2013 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu!

It’s time to kick off Heisei 25-nen and the Year of the Snake!

JETAABC is pleased to invite all JETAABC members and their guests to the Annual General Meeting and Shinnenkai 2013.

The AGM is your chance to participate in the election of our new Board of Directors and other important JETAABC business. Please consider running for a position! A brief description of positions is provided on the following page.

Date: Friday, January 18th, 2013 Time: 6:00 – 9:00 pm Location: YWCA Hotel, 733 Beatty St (Between Robson St and Georgia St)

If you would like to run for a position but cannot attend the AGM, please send a platform to agm@jetaabc.ca by January 11th, 2013.

Your RSVP is kindly requested by Friday, January 11th, 2013 at agm@jetaabc.ca.

Light food and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided at the AGM. Come meet and catch up with fellow alumni!

SHINNENKAI

text by

Steve Chevalier Assistant to the Consul, Cultural Affairs

NEWS FROM THE JET DESK AT THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF JAPAN

We look forward to seeing you there!

T

he end of November marked the passing of the application deadline for the 2013 JET Programme, bringing another busy recruitment season to an end.

Over 500 students were introduced to the JET Programme through our career fair booths and information sessions held at universities throughout British Columbia. Consulate staff and alumni spoke with a lot of genki, keen candidates during recruitment. We are sure to see many of them at the interviews in February.

Thank you to all the alumni who volunteered at the recruitment events, and those who recommended the JET Programme to someone. Interested applicants truly appreciate the chance to connect with alumni and get an idea of what it is like to live and work in Japan. Your efforts and co-operation continue to ensure the success of the program.

Open to speakers of Japanese as a foreign or second language, the Annual British Columbia Japanese Speech Contest is a great way to keep up your Japanese speaking ability and perhaps win a prize! Test your chops on Saturday, March 2, 2013 in the Asian Centre Auditorium on UBC’s main Vancouver campus.

Application forms and information are available on the Consulate General of Japan’s website: http://www.vancouver.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/en/culture/culture_speech.htm.

The application deadline is Friday, February 1, 2013. The top three speakers in each category are awarded a certificate and prize, and all contestants receive a participation prize. We rarely have JET Alumni speak at this event, so it would be great for some of you to come out and challenge yourselves. If you are not up for the speech contest, CLAIR’s JET Programme website has links to some great Japanese Language learning resources: http://jetprogramme.org/e/links/index.html#learning.

The Consulate General of Japan and the Japan Foundation are currently presenting an exhibition at the New Westminster Museum and Archives (302 Royal Avenue).

“Struggling Cities from Japanese Urban Projects in the 1960s” shows experimental ideas for Japanese cities in the 1960’s through architectural models and photos. It runs until January 27, 2013. Admission is by donation.

Happy New Year!

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DESCRIPTION OF POSITIONS ON THE JETAABC BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

TREASURER

SECRETARY

• Acts as the official representative of JETAABC.

• Maintains records of JETAABC’s finances (eg. bank deposits, balancing cheque book).

• Prepares the agenda for and takes minutes at meetings.

• Liaises with the Japanese Consulate, CLAIR and JETAA Canada representative.

• Chairs the Board of Directors meetings and facilitates JETAABC activities and communications.

• Advises and coordinates all JETAABC activities in conjunction with the Board of Directors.

• Reports on the financial activities at the monthly Board of Directors meeting.

• Prepares the application for the CLAIR grant-in-aid, and liaises with CLAIR on related matters.

• Facilitates communication between the Board and JETAABC members.

• Maintains the minutes, all files, documents, and correspondence for JETAABC. • Organizes meetings dates and locations; orders refreshments for meeting.

• Spearheads JETAABC long-term planning and vision.

NEWSLETTER

MEMBERSHIP

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Collects and edits articles, prepares and digitally-distributes triannual JETAABC newsletter.

• Maintains and updates membership and contact information of all alumni in the JETAABC database.

• Maintains JETAABC’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

• Sends out JETAABC Messages emails to alumni on the email mailing list. (*Subject to reassignment to another position.)

• Updates and maintains email mailing list.

• Encourages alumni to join JETAABC.

• Coordinates with Board members to ensure JETAABC events & information is communicated via Facebook/ Twitter.

EXTERNAL LIAISON

VOLUNTEER

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL

• Brings JETAABC members in touch with other JET alumni associations.

• Solicts and directs volunteers for the pre-departure orientation and other events as needed.

• Serves as the primary contact for alumni interested in getting involved with JETAABC.

• Organizes events and RSVPs throughout the year: Japanese cultural activities, ie. cooking, pottery & social gatherings; or provides support for other board members organizing such activities

• Organizes the annual volunteer appreciation event.

• Liaises with Mokuyokai to co-host outings and events

• Develops relationships with outside organizations (eg. Mokuyokai, Powell Street Festival Society, Nikkei Place) to allow JETAABC members to maintain their connection to Japan and Japanese culture.

• Writing up event description and marketing for external communications

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

SENIOR ADVISOR

• Develops and organizes careerrelated and personal development events such as networking events and workshops.

• Helps maintain the JETAABC website and archives documents online.

• Filled by someone who has previously served on the Board of Directors.

• Programming or complex technical skills are not a requirement.

• Organizes the annual Re-Entry & Career Seminar in the autumn for new returnees.

• Offers guidance and input on Board decisions and dialogue.

Interested in starting an initiative at JETAABC? Join the Board and lead your project as a Member-At-Large!

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WE HAVE SUBGROUPS BEYOND METRO VANCOUVER! A MESSAGE FROM DALTON POLYVAS, MEMBER OF NEW JETAABC INTERIOR SUBGROUP: Greetings from the Interior! We are (presently) a small group of JET alumni who are looking forward to beginning a JETAABC subgroup. At present we are about three JET alumni and hope to increase that number to include you — any new returnee or JET alumni! At present we are based in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley. If you live in the area and are interested in keeping in touch with JETAABC but live closer to the Valley than to Vancouver, we’re here for you!

If you’re interested in the goings-on for the BC Interior subgroup, email newsletter@ jetaabc.ca for more info!

A MESSAGE FROM ALISON DACIA BROWN, JETAABC VANCOUVER ISLAND REP: The JET Alumni community for Vancouver Island saw a socially successful year in 2012. Since I Joined the Board of Directors in January of last year, I have been fortunate enough to spend time with some great alumni, many of whom came to all events I had organized. We started off with a dinner at Futaba restaurant in Downtown Victoria in early March. We had a great turnout of 14, and we even had a JET alumnus still living in Japan come to the party who was home for a visit. One of the Japanese waitresses was ecstatic to have such a large group of people who had taught English in Japan. May saw another social at the Bard & Banker Scottish Pub. As the weather got warmer, a BBQ was the order of the day on a lovely evening in August. Onigiri, sake, wine, and other goodies were consumed in moderate quantities.

Victoria is lucky to have its own Taiko drumming group, Uminari Taiko, which just happened to celebrate its 10-year anniversary in September with a performance at St. Ann’s Academy. JETAABC provided

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Alison (far left) with Vancouver Island group

some funding for alumni to attend the concert which not only had many Taiko, Minyo, and Koto performances but also a performance by The Furusato Dancers. We finished the year in mid-December with our Bonenkai at Victoria’s best Japanese restaurant, SenZushi, a place I am sure we will be returning to in 2013. I would like to give a special thanks to the Victoria crew, especially Gil Oishi, Kyle Armour, Karen Murphy, Suzan Last, Keith Arvisais, and Samantha Lauson, all of whom came out to most or all of the 2012 get-togethers. 2013 promises to be an even more eventful year.

On Vancouver Island? Get in touch with Alison at alison@jetaabc.ca.

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SenZushi restaurant

Uminari Taiko group

KNOW AN ALUM NEW TO THE METRO VANCOUVER AREA? Have them join JETAABC at membership@jetaabc.ca!

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS! text by Thomas photo from

Law Sabine Sasakura

JLPT IN THE SUMMER!

N

ot sure if this is something that has always been the case that we missed, or something that’s completely new, but it appears the Prince Takamado Japan Centre for Teaching and Research at the University of Alberta in Edmonton is hosting JLPT tests in July. It also looks like it is the only location in all of North America that offers the test in the summer. Might be worth checking out if you’re interested in advancing your levels quicker or if you don’t want to wait till December for that redo.

There isn’t much information at the moment, but the main JLPT schedule can be found at: http://www.jlpt. jp/e/application/overseas_list.html

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huge thank you and arigatou to everyone who volunteered, helped out, and/or contributed to JETAABC’s many events this year. It was great having 30 of you join us on our Volunteer Appreciation luncheon cruise up Indian Arm on September 22. The weather was a bit nippy as expected on the water, but the lunch was great, and so was the company of fellow JET alumni and their loved ones. text by Thomas

To those of you who are curious about what we do, please get in touch with our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@jetaabc.ca! Our whole association is run by volunteers, and we have many events throughout the year where you can help out. There is a wide range to the commitment time — you can volunteer for an hour or two at our Sakura Days or Powell St Festival tents, or you can suit up and run a seminar at the Vancouver JET Pre-Departure Orientation.

Please keep an eye for callouts on the email mailing list, Facebook and Twitter channels, the newsletter, and the JETAABC website.

peace boat thanks jETAABC for Changing Tides donations Of the $3955 that were raised in JETAABC’s February 2012 Tohoku fundraiser, Changing Tides, $2455 was donated to Japanese NGO Peace Boat.

The donation has gone to support Peace Boat’s initiatives at temporary housing facilities in the Tohoku area. More information about some of their programs at the housing facilities can be found in the following blog posts: http://peaceboat.jp/relief/reports/ishinomaki-tea-party/ http://peaceboat.jp/relief/reports/planters-and-benches/ http://peaceboat.jp/relief/reports/small-connection/

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Law Compiled with help from Megumi Bourns and JETAA Ottawa

Google adds street view inside damaged buildings in tohoku Google’s Tohoku “Memories for the Future” project has added Street View perspectives of the exteriors and interiors of many buildings that were ravaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Visitors to the site (www.miraikioku.com/ streetview/en/building) can “look” around various sites in Iwate and Fukushima.

Lonely Planet posts revised Tohoku chapter for free download Ahead of the pubication of the 13th edition of its guide on Japan, Lonely Planet has posted a digital version of its Tohoku chapter as a free download.

The chapter has been completely revised with post-disaster information, including volunteering opportunities for travellers. The chapter can be downloaded at: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ blog/2012/11/20/free-download-lonely-planetsnew-northern-honshu-tohoku-chapter/

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Thanks to donations like these…

JETAABC’s collection of donated cameras, sent off to the Photohoku team in late-November.

you helped bring these folks a bit more normalcy and happiness back to their lives.

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text by Wanda Yee

W

ith the generous support of friends and family of JET Alumni, JETAABC was able to send another shipment of used digital cameras in November to our friends at PHOTOHOKU (photohoku.org) that will allow those displaced by the tsunami and earthquake of 2011 to rebuild their own family photo albums.

YAY! Many thanks to those who brought in their used cameras for this amazing cause. All of your used cameras have found a loving home in Tohoku.

In 2013, we at JETAABC hope to continue our efforts to bring smiles back to Tohoku with our friends at PHOTOHOKU. We will be conducting year-long used digital camera drives and will be shipping cameras once we fill some boxes. So if Santa brought you (or anyone you know) a brand new camera for Christmas, or if a family member happened to get a good Boxing Week deal on new camera equipment, please consider donating/recycling your used camera(s) to our PHOTOHOKU camera drive.

PHOTOHOKU has been photo-documenting all of their work with the families in Tohoku on Facebook. You can follow their progress and witness their incredible work here: www.facebook. com/photohoku If you have a camera you would like to donate, please contact socialmedia@jetaabc.ca. Alternatively, you can support PHOTOHOKU via Paypal on their website: http://photohoku.org/ On behalf of JETAABC, thank you for your continued support!

1 5 9 12 15

2 6 10 13 16

3 7

4 8 11 14 17

Photo credits: Photohoku: #2,3,10,17; Craig Watson: #1,7,11; Martin Holtkamp: #8; Matteo Aroldi: #6,12,14; Brian Scott Peterson: #4,5,9,13,15,16.

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RIKUZENTAKATA The Recovery Continues

Mayor Futoshi Toba addresses the press text by

photos from

Alison Dacia Brown Rikuzentakata ALT, 2005–2008

Rikuzentakata City Facebook Page (with permission)

I

t has been almost a year since my last article about Rikuzentakata. This is the third and it will not be the last.

There has been a lot to report, both good and bad, and as I want to end this article on a positive note, I will start with the challenges that the people of Rikuzentakata are currently facing.

Let’s start with housing.

living in it for such a long time is causing depression in some residents. It has been almost two years since the tsunami, and all this time has allowed the reality of the tragedy to really sink in. You can imagine the frustration that people are experiencing when recovery is taking so long to happen. Each day spent in temporary housing is another reminder of what happened on March 11, 2011.

This is further compounded by bureaucracy. Federal funds allocated to Rikuzentakata are simply astounding but when the city tries to use the funds, there are barriers. Bureaucrats say “no,” outlining conditions and stipulations. This is incredibly frustrating for the city as politicians who have never been to Rikuzentakata are deciding what can and cannot be done with the money. Unfortunately, this is a reality. Fortunately, I have hope that this will change.

First of all, many of us know that when after the tsunami occurred, residents who were able to escape the waves suddenly had to call schools and community centres their new homes. We all saw footage of thousands of residents, suddenly crammed together sharing gymnasium floors, trying to keep warm, Now the Ipponmatsu, or the Many people are still in temporary housing “MiracleTree.” In my first artiand dealing with the horand although this was an important step rific shock of not only losing cle I talked about it briefly. The family but also their homes. gorgeous Takata-Matsubara in getting people out of the shelters, the Temporary housing was put beach was lined with thoucontinued reliance on this housing is up within months, which was sands of slender yet majestic presenting its own challenges able to move people out of pine trees. My research indithe shelters. Many people are cates about 70,000. Only one still in temporary housing and although this was an important survived, which was aptly named The Miracle Tree, a symbol step in getting people out of the shelters, the continued reli- of hope and miracles since March 2011. Just four months ago ance on this housing is presenting its own challenges mainly in September, the tree was cut down. The tree was not able to because temporary housing is small. This cannot be helped and survive the salt water that seeped into the soil around it, as the

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tsunami caused the present shoreline to advance further inland. A project has been created to preserve the tree but it will be expensive. It is also controversial.

Even though it will cost a lot of money to preserve, money that will come from donations and not from taxes, many people want it back. Opponents of the project I am sure feel the money should be spent on other areas of recovery. Rikuzentakata’s new Global Public Relations Director, Amya Miller, is hoping past Rikuzentakata ALTs will help with this project. I do not need to be asked twice.

Now the positive. Rikuzentakata is online. A lot. In the last few months I have noticed an increased presence of not just the city but also the town residents on Facebook and Twitter. Facebook was still relatively new when I left the city in 2008, but Rikuzentakata has realized the power of social media and has used it to communicate with the public. In addition to the city page, Mayor Futoshi Toba also has a personal page with 4,260 friends as I write this. Whenever he updates his status, he often gets hundreds, sometimes thousands, of likes. I “like” them before I even translate them. The city page has lots of photos, and I am happy to say that there are a lot of smiling people in those photos. I was especially happy to see photos from the Tanabata festival back in August.

One Japanese friend added me one day [on Facebook] and I was shocked because I thought he had died. You can imagine what I felt when I got that friend request.

Left: Prince and Princess Akishino visit Rikuzentakata; Right: Princess Akishino meets residents

I have also been able to reconnect with many friends. My former neighbours are online. I have been able to locate some junior high school students who have since moved away. It is wonderful to have awkward online conversations with them with the help of Google Translate. One Japanese friend added me one day and I was shocked because I thought he had died. You can imagine what I felt when I got that friend request. He was part of the Takata taiko group and most of the group were swept away. One of the first photos I saw after the devastation was a pile of rubble with a taiko drum in the midst of it all.

In terms of construction, Rikuzentakata has a new City Hall. It is made of four prefabricated buildings. Near City Hall is where the new police station and fire hall will go, as well as an apartment building to house people presently in temporary housing. There are a lot of the aforementioned prefabricated buildings around town. They are essentially grey boxes and not much to look at. The Japanese do try to make them unique though and decorate them as they have a penchant for creativity and art.

As the two-year anniversary approaches next March, it will be a tragic reminder for people personally affected but hopefully the added publicity will remind people, Tokyo, the world, that faster recovery is needed.

Tanabata float

Industrial Festival featuring Alison’s former co-worker Hiroshi Kanno

For Alison’s earlier articles on Rikuzentakata, please see the Volume 16.1 (May 2011) and Volume 16.3 (Jan 2012) issues of the JETAABC Newsletter at www.jetaabc.ca/newsletter

Temporary Library

Amya Miller, new Global Public Relations Director for Rikuzentakata

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APPEARANCE AND REALITY: RECOVERY IN TOHOKU text and photos by

Matthew Gillam, Senior Researcher at Japan Local Government Center re-published with thanks from

JLGC Newsletter, December 2012

S

endai looks normal. As if nothing has happened. Even as you drive toward the coast, there is really nothing to indicate that a major earthquake and devastating tsunami hit this area a little less than two years ago. And even when you arrive in Ishinomaki City it is still not apparent until you enter the lower sections of town, away from the bus station, that something is wrong.

As we approach the second anniversary of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, through the workings of time and a herculean cleanup effort, it has become harder to discern where large neighbourhoods have been erased or decimated, and exactly how massive the scale of the tsunami was. Now, to a large extent, roads are repaired, destroyed buildings torn down and rubble cleared, less damaged buildings renovated, and survivors moved into scattered blocks of temporary housing. There are enough ravaged and gutted buildings left standing to serve as testament to the disaster and, when you look closely, the concrete foundation walls in the lots overgrown with weeds defining where homes and businesses once stood to give a sense of what has been taken. And the “garekiyama” — those mountains of debris and junked cars that line the coast — loom over the zones of destruction like breakwaters put in place too late.

While most debris has been cleared from the tsunami zone, some buildings are still waiting to learn their fate. (Watanoha, Ishinomaki City.)

on, adjusting to their cramped temporary quarters, sending the kids to school, looking for jobs, getting on with their lives. Even people who live there can sometimes be amazed at the pace of recovery. Until you talk for a while and realize there are two recoveries going on: the physical and the psychological, and there is a vast difference between what can be seen and what cannot.

This point was driven home for me when I spoke with the principal of an elementary school in Ishinomaki who talked about how many problems the kids are having lately and the increase in theft, bullying, fights, and other manifestations of the stress and trauma that they bring to school from their homes. Even for families that did not lose their homes, there is not a household that did not suffer in some way — with family and friends killed or struggling to put their lives back together, jobs washed away, vital services disrupted and communities devastated. And to add to this, the

There are two recoveries going on: the physical and the psychological, and there is a vast difference between what can be seen and what cannot.

It takes more imagination now, especially for someone who is on their first journey to the region, to understand what was there before and how vast the devastation is. And the people seem to be moving

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A new shopping center in Watanoha, Ishinomaki City.

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school is surrounded by temporary housing, so that it has taken in a large number of refugees from the hardest hit areas who have lost everything and are now forced to live in very cramped quarters. One of the biggest problems children have is the lack of a quiet place to study, since so many are forced to live in small apartments or share their space with other family members. Another problem is a lack in many places of sports grounds or parks for students to practice or play, since either their schools have been destroyed and they are sharing space in other districts or their open space has been given over to temporary housing.

Project Yui homepage

One group in Ishinomaki that is working with schools to provide programs for students is Project Yui (http:// project-yui.org).

Yui works in partnership with citizens groups, government, and business to create opportunities for children to learn and to play. Yui pursues a variety of activities that focus on making schools and the communities they serve more healthful and supportive for families through providing educational and recreational after-school programs, gathering information from and helping coordinate efforts among the various entities involved in relief and recovery in order to more efficiently and effectively provide aid to affected communities, and putting on special events to cheer people up and give them a break from their cares.

Another organization involved in much the same work is the YMCA. The Ishinomaki YMCA, for example, has been holding after-school study sessions followed by recreational time, as well as providing the chance for kids to get away from everything with their families and go camping. Other programs include visiting temporary housing facilities and conducting evening singing programs, and sponsoring other community events.

own issues while providing necessary support to students. They have also partnered with Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Japan to help provide job training to young people interested in careers in the food and service industries — an important opportunity

[The MIA] brought young people from other disaster zones such as New Zealand and Indonesia to Sendai, where they could meet with survivors of the earthquake and tsunami.

There are a number of mental health initiatives beyond simply addressing children’s needs for quiet places to study or space to run around and be kids. Many of these are being undertaken by various government agencies, but there are also a number of NPOs working with schools and citizens’ groups to address the needs of those who have suffered trauma and are dealing with its lasting effects.

One of the first groups on the ground after March 11th was IsraAid, a group involved in addressing issues of stress and PTSD around the world. Their first personnel arrived in Japan on March 15th, 2011, to assess needs in Tohoku, but soon found the situation too overwhelming for even that basic task. However, they have persevered, and were eventually able to start a pilot program to help children find ways to deal with daily stress and to work through the larger issue of post-traumatic stress that so many have been left with. Almost immediately, however, the group came to understand that they could not simply ask teachers to help with these efforts, since the school personnel themselves were suffering just as badly and were in no condition to help others. IsraAid has since developed programs to help educators cope with their

The 2nd Looking Beyond Disasters UNESCO Youth Forum. (Photo from MIA)

in a region where many people do not go on to college and lack necessary skills to compete in the post-disaster economy. While talk therapy would normally be one central component of healing for disaster survivors, both cultural and linguistic barriers largely hinder that in Japan, so IsraAid has found that many non-verbal

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activities are better-suited to people’s needs. Activities involving singing or movement, creating visual art projects, etc. have been providing effective channels for broaching painful topics and getting both children and adults to face and talk about their experiences.

They have also conducted workshops in Fukushima Prefecture, where the need is especially great among children who are forced to stay inside all day because of radiation, making it even harder to get their minds off of their troubles.

Another group active in the area is the Miyagi International Association (MIA). One project they were involved in was the 2nd Looking Beyond Disasters UNESCO Youth Forum, held in Sendai in mid-August of 2012. This forum brought young people from other disaster zones such as New Zealand and Indonesia to Sendai, where they could meet with survivors of the earthquake and tsunami.

This was an important chance for the participants to share their experiences and find support among their true peers — people their own age who know what it is like to suffer loss and disruption, but who have also learned how to find hope and the strength to create a more positive future for themselves despite everything that has happened. One focus of the forum is to find ways to get youth especially, but all members of the community, more involved in disaster preparedness and response. This kind of engagement has not only practical benefits in terms of better preparedness and more effective response, but also in terms of giving people a sense that they are not powerless and have a role to play in an emergency. MIA has also been involved in providing help to displaced non-Japanese residents in the affected areas of Miyagi and in acting as a bridge between these residents and the officials responsible for running evacuation shelters and other response programs, where communication difficulties can lead to poor information exchange and isolation even in supportive communities.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the efforts being made by so many people. It is, rather, a quick introduction to a few organizations I have met with during my visit to Ishinomaki, in the interest of learning something about the needs of the people and the resources currently available to them through various non-government groups. There are many relief organizations still very active in and around Ishinomaki and throughout the region, and the services they are providing will be essential for the long-term recovery of the March 11th survivors.

Matthew Gillam is a Senior Researcher at the Japan Local Government Center, also known as the New York branch of CLAIR. To find out more about what the JLGC does, visit: www.jlgc.org

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THE GOOD OLD HOCKEY GAME IN JAPAN text by and photos from

re-published with thanks from

Thom Gysler

JETAABC Ottawa Newsletter, Winter 2012

Fukui prefecture may be thousands of kilometres away, but ALT Thom Gysler has found a way to enjoy Canada’s iconic sport in Japan. Read about how he uses his love for the game to foster bonds within his Japanese town.

The Fukui prefectural team.

W

hen I first searched “Tsuruga” on Google, I was prompted with an article on the vast number of nuclear power plants located there. As I scrolled down, I found pictures of beautiful beaches, delicious fish and some famous shrines. As I’ve spent more time working and living here, I would like to share one of the hidden gems about living in Tsuruga: We love to play hockey!

Tsuruga is unique in that it is quite a small city of about 70, 000, yet it possesses the only ice rink for about 100km. The ice rink, Sanpia, is used for hockey, figure skating, and speed skating for about six months a year. After the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, Japanese ice skater champion Daisuke Takahashi was actually forced to come and train in Tsuruga; his usual training facility was deemed too dangerous.

Playing hockey in Japan was first brought to my attention by a fellow Vancouver ALT, Iker Gomez. I remember going to my first practice not expecting much — I had images of people playing shinny with home-made sticks and pine cones for pucks. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone was playing in full equipment with goalkeepers. Some people were even wearing full Canucks and Team Canada kits. Keep in mind that hockey equipment prices are even pricier in Japan, and are perhaps one or two years behind products currently available in Canada.

You can get an idea of the financial investment that is required

JETAABC

The Fukui prefectural team at the Big Hat Olympic area in Nagano.

to play hockey in Japan. Although this team was just holding an open practice and it was a low-level of hockey, I was happy to be introduced to an underworld of ice hockey within Japan.

of playing in this arena was not lost on us, as we were aware that Wayne Gretzky had played his last international game in the same arena.

Every year the Stanley Cup playoffs are televised on J-sports TV with Japanese colour commentators and I am able to watch the finals with my co-workers during our lunch hour. Although I had to grimace the last two years at the Vancouver Canucks’ performance, the other teachers enjoyed experiencing such a foreign sport. Another shock came to me when I grabbed a copy of Fukui’s newspaper, and found that they print daily NHL scores. Many of my co-workers have also watched hockey games, whether they were at the Nagano Olympics or when the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Mighty Ducks played an exhibition match in Tokyo. Hockey in Japan may not have a strong pulse, but it is certainly not flat-lining.

We did not get the desired results at the tournament, but we did have the excellent opportunity to bond with our Japanese teammates and give them some insight into our lives both in Japan and back at home. It was during this tournament that it hit me — I was playing a relatively unknown sport, in a tiny city, in a rural prefecture. Not only were we having fun playing hockey, but we were implicitly creating a cross-cultural network.

Although as ALTs we are expected to do this at work, grassroots internationalization can extend into the community and beyond.

When you can create a cultural exchange while doing something you love, it is truly satisfying.

In late 2011, I was invited by Nathan Briffa, a Canadian ALT from Windsor, Ontario, to play with the Fukui prefectural team along with American ALT Nick Steward. Nathan had been playing on the team for a couple of years before we joined. The practices were definitely more rigid, but our chatter and antics brought an upbeat tempo. Despite the fact that most players could not speak English, we were able to use a mix of English and Japanese in order to communicate.

In February we then headed off to the Big Hat Olympic arena in Nagano to participate in the 60th Prince Mikasa Cup. This tournament attracts teams from all over the Chubu region and is organized by the Emperor’s cousin, Prince Tomohito Mikasa.

Our team was fully sponsored by the prefectural government, who had provided bus transportation and hotel accommodations. Despite the six-hour trip from Fukui, we were scheduled to play Shizuoka and Gifu teams all in a day! The significance

Thom and friends at the rink.

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Behind the wooden screen, outside the window Comes the pitter-pattering of the windblown snow.

The cold creeps in through the concrete wall.

In each room and down the hall.

Summer is gone and sadly, Winter is here.

And the ominous blizzard draws near.

On Sunday, at home snowbound.

Wrapped in fleece, tightly wound.

JUMP Comics and Tetsuwan Atomu, on the tatami lay Suppress the laziness of this wasted day.

The need for heat weighs heavily on my mind Time to go underneath the table on where I dined.

I

another love letter to an

The Kotatsu, a phantasm of an invention.

A simple table of heavenly convention.

Four legs and a removable top Under it, a cascading comforter drop.

From beneath, a magnificent contraption of heat To toast and warm the coldest of feet.

inanimate object by

Bryan Chau drawing by

Thomas Law

Under the fiery Kotatsu, I hunker down.

Beneath the heavy blanket, my body drowns.

Atop the table sits a bento box and a koppepan Warm miso soup and a kohi-kan.

What wind howls and storm brews out there I know not of and I have no care.

Apathetic of the flickering images upon the screen.

On one elbow, I slowly begin to lean Further and deeper into the blazing fire.

From where I once sat, I now lie here.

Drifting wayward into the domain of dream and sleep.

The somnolent power of the Kotatsu is wondrously deep.

I enter into the land of vivid imagery and illusion.

Whilst lying under a hot Kotastu and thick quilt collusion.

A distant tapping of flurries upon the windowpane And the constant murmuring voices of the inane Does not and will not arouse me from my daze.

Much love and gratitude to the Kotatsu and its amazing ways.

14 

MY KOTATSU

JETAABC

“Oh by the way…” my predecessor started saying as he was strolling out the door and leaving me his former apartment, “this place is sort of haunted… and also don’t forget to turn off the gas after you use it. You don’t want to blow yourself up.” He laughed as he reached for the doorknob.

“Hold on for a sec. What do you mean haunted?” I said while pushing the door close.

THE APARTMENT ON HAUNTED HILL text by

doodle by

Bryan Chau

Thomas Law

“Sort of haunted,” he corrected.

“Okay. Sort of haunted. What do you mean by that?” I fired back.

He rolled his eyes and let out a big sigh. I realize after why he had such a reaction to this unsettling question. Apparently, he’s been answering that very question since the day he moved in three years ago.

“Well, you know that community centre outside?”

“Yeah. What about it?” I asked.

“The Centre used to be a hospital; they converted it after the new one was built. The covered area on the side is where they moved the dead bodies out,” he answered casually.

The apartment complex was built adjacent to a large community centre surrounded by a dense grove of trees. The apartments sat on top of a small hill with a narrow stairwell that led to the parking lot. Originally, the apartments were dormitories for the doctors.

“People say that they see dead people walking around the parking lot.

My friend said she saw her dead uncle walk clear across the lot one night.

Anyways, good luck, guy!” he smiled coyly, opened the door and left.

The coy smile and the feign offer of success was like a paranormal baton being passed between him and me. He didn’t have to deal with this anymore; it was my problem now. I looked out the window and I could see the top of the covered area and the dimly lit parking lot. I looked closer to see if I could see anybody’s dead relatives strolling around the asphalt but alas, nothing.

For the first couple of months, I didn’t put too much thought into my whole haunted situation; I was too busy trying to figure out all the English teacher’s names and locations of the schools. When people found out I live next to the community centre, they will inevitably have some story, much like my predecessor’s, of a friend of a friend who saw something drifting around the parking lot. And of course in passing, I always get the random query from people in the know, “Oh… you live next to Fureai Centre? Have you seen any ghosts yet?” Always followed by a nervous giggle and slight upward look, as to maybe suggest that I might have seen something and I am welcome to share my experience.

As I approached the front entrance of the centre and about to make a right for my spot, I caught sight of something in my headlights. I stopped and my lights shone straight at it. I could make it out to be a small Japanese boy, wearing a ball cap with the traditional Randoseru backpack. He was making his way towards the direction of my neighbour’s van. I looked closer, trying to see if I know him from one of the Elementary Schools I visit. My thoughts wandered to why a young boy was out so late and where he was going.

I took a closer look at him and the hairs at the back of my neck stood up on end. The eeriness engulfed me and the feeling of dread came over me. This young boy was walking without legs. I blinked quickly several times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming but there he was walking further away from me without a lower half. As he neared my neighbour’s van, he became paler and paler until he was nothing but a white mist.

I sat there awestruck of what I just saw. I drove around my neighbour’s van several times, doing slow donuts to look for an explanation but I knew at the back of my mind, the questions were warranted and the stories were true.

A couple of weeks later during a break in an adult English conversation class I was teaching, the inevitable question came up.

“So where do you live?” one of my students asked.

“I live next to Fureai Centre.”

I always smile and reply, “No, not yet but I can’t wait to see one.” And soon I would.

“Oh… Do you know it use to be a hospital?”

One late autumn night, I was coming back from the Junior High. I drove up the long driveway towards the community centre parking lot. Not a soul in sight except for my neighbour’s minivan.

I nodded.

“How did he get home so fast?” I wondered to myself.

I smiled coyly and answered, “Well …”

JETAABC

“Have you seen any ghosts yet?”

15

THE YEAR THAT WAS 2012 So the world didn’t end (which means we’ll live to see Roland Emmerich churn out more disaster movies), though we also sort of had the Big One in BC a couple months ago (really dodged the bullet on that one, and we’re still no where close to Japan for earthquake preparedness…). At JETAABC, this was how we spent 2012:

AGM + SHINNENKAI 2011 VANCOUVER ISLAND SUBGROUP FORMED (YAY!) CHANGING TIDES CAREER EVENT — JAPAN-FOCUSSED WORK SAKURA DAYS FAIR GREG ELECTED AS JETAA CANADA REP SEMPAI LIST PILOT PROJECT STARTED TAIKO EVENT WITH MOKUYOKAI JETAA CANADA CONFERENCE IN CALGARY JET PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION JETAABC PRE-DEPARTURE RECEPTION CONSUL-GENERAL JET DEPARTURE RECEPTION POWELL STREET FESTIVAL JETAABC × CANADIANS BASEBALL BBQ (BOOM!) VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON CRUISE READY JET THROW STARTS SEASON VISIT FROM CLAIR REPRESENTATIVES JETAABC CERAMICS CLASS JETAABC JAPANESE CLASS MOKUYOKAI VS JETAABC BOWLING TAIKAI CAREER EVENT — BUILDING YOUR BRAND JET RETURNERS’ RECEPTION EMPEROR’S BIRTHDAY RECEPTION PHOTOHOKU CAMERA DRIVE 16

JETAABC

e v e nt s + n ot e s JETAABC ANNUAL GENERAL MEE TING AND SHINNENKAI Friday, Jan 18th — 6:00–9:00pm YWCA Hotel, 733 Beatty St (Between Robson St and Georgia St)

JETAABC JANUARY PUB SOCIAL Late-Bonenkai or a pre-Shinnenkai warmup? Come out for our last social event of the current cycle! Come hang out with JET alumni in the area, enjoy some refreshments courtesy of JETAABC, and have a great time. Can’t make it to the AGM? This is another chance to come say hi! See you there!

Friday, January 11th, 2013 — 7:00 – 9:00 pm Kingston Taphouse & Grille, 755 Richards St, Vancouver, BC

The AGM is your chance to participate in the election of our new Board of Directors and other important JETAABC business.

Please consider running for a position!

If you would like to run for a position but cannot attend the AGM, please send a platform to agm@ jetaabc.ca by January 11th, 2013.

Light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided at the AGM Shinnenkai. Come meet and catch up with fellow alumni!

We look forward to seeing you there! Please RSVP to agm@ jetaabc.ca by January 11th, 2013.

ONSEN DAY? TBA JETAABC is currently in discussions to do an “onsen” outing in February, which may or may not be a trip to a Korean jjimjilbang, which is pretty onsen-y too! Keep an eye on our eblasts and social media channels!

DODGE-BALLERS REUNITE! Thursdays from Jan 31 — May 9 7:00–8:30pm or 8:30–10:00pm East Vancouver Schools Fees: $50–60/person (see text below) The JETAABC dodgeball team, Ready JET Throw, is starting its Winter/Spring 2013 season real soon! Games run Thursday nights from January 31st – May 9th (there is a break for March 15th and March 22nd). Game times are either 7:00–8:30pm or 8:30–10:00pm (depends on the schedule).

Location: Various schools in East Vancouver (we have generally played at David Thompson Secondary, Hastings Elementary, and Charles Dickens Elementary) Cost: between $50-60 per person (maybe lower but depends on the number of people we get)

DUO VENTAPANE RECITAL: EVENING WITH JAPANESE & CZECH MUSIC Jan 10th — 7:00pm Pyatt Hall 843 Seymour St, Vancouver, BC Enjoy a violin performance by Mana Shiraishi and piano performance by Martin Karlicek.

JAPANESE URBAN PROJECTS IN THE 1960 s Dec 1, 2012 — Jan 27, 2013 New Westminster Museum and Archives 302 Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC An exhibit of experimental ideas on the city in the 1960s, with architectural scale models and photographs.

Admission by donation.

If interested, please email Ann at: president@jetaabc.ca

JETAABC

17

backtrack What happens when you cram a bunch of JET alumni into a conference room? People get elected to the Board of Directors. Oh, they so get elected… — page 2–3. None of the 12 positions on the Board suit you? Join the Board as a Member-At-Large and lead your own initiative! — page 3. We know you’re out there. Waaaay out there. — page 4. They stood there like that for the whole cruise. Near the end of the trip someone from the group realized they’ve been smiling for a security camera all this time. — page 5. What better way to spend your summer vacation than to go to Edmonton to take a four-hour language test? — page 5. Someone donated a DSLR. Amazing!

— page 6. Dedication and love for a JET town? Look no further than Alison and Rikuzentakata. — pages 8–9. Empowering Tohoku youth by having them share their experiences with youth from other disasterstruck countries. — pages 10–12. Just in time for the end of the NHL lockout! — pages 12–13. Love letter to a people-magnet. — page 14. What is it with Japan and hospital-based ghost stories? — page 15.

It didn’t feel like so much happened this year… — page 16. Dodgeball! Onsen! The return of the pub social! — page 17.

This issue’s cover photo was taken by Thomas during his ALT days in Hokkaido, in front of Bifuka Junior High School. The comfy-looking snowman was a teaching prop.

stay in touch! www.jetaabc.ca

@jetaabc

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write for us!

Please send submissions (anything!) to newsletter@jetaabc.ca

18

ALISON DACIA BROWN

MEGUMI BOURNS

JETAA OTTAWA

BRYAN CHAU

SABINE SASAKURA

JETAABC BOARD

DALTON P OLYVAS

STEVE CHEVALIER

N E W S L E T T E R D E SIGNED + C O MP I L E D BY

MARK MONTGOMERY

THOM GYSLER

THOMAS LAW

MATTHEW GILLAM

WANDA YEE

JETAABC