The Japanese School in Perth has informed us that they are looking for an ESL teacher to start March/April, when the new Japanese school year starts. The school is in City Beach. The main requirements, in order of importance, are:

1) ESL qualification
2) Good Japanese (not necessarily fluent, and not necessarily specialised, but good enough in a practical sense to roughly interpret between local and Japanese teachers if required)
3) WA teaching qualification

If you are interested, please contact the JSP at info@japaneseschool.wa.edu.au and let them know “Ken sent me”. Just kidding, let them know you are an ex-JET and JETAAWA told you about the position.
Please let us know if you are thinking of applying but not sure if you satisfy enough of 1, 2 and 3, and we’ll point you in the right direction.

2. Hiroba

Each month the Consulate-General emails out Hiroba, an informational e-zine. There are always lots of neat events and photos featured (including us!) and other general info. If you’d like to subscribe, please visit http://www.perth.au.emb-japan.go.jp/hiroba.htm. Thanks!

3. School festival recap

Thanks again to those who participated in our gyoza stall at the Cha-cha-charity event at the Japanese School in November. We donated all our profits, making us the highest donor of all the stalls. In total, the event apparently raised an amazing $30,522.65!

4. Fukushima!

We haven’t forgotten that there are still a lot of people doing it hard in northern Japan, especially now that it’s winter. Fukushima JETs have been selling tshirts to raise funds for the disaster relief efforts. They are ‘i Akabeko Fukushima shirts’, the akabeko being the symbol of aizu, and Fukushima. More info about (and orders for) the tshirts are here http://fukushimatshirt.blogspot.com/p/english.html

5. Upcoming events

Over Feb-March we will likely have an okonomiyaki family BBQ, the official returnees’ reception at the CG, our mega quiz night with JAPSSOC and the AGM. Stay tuned or email us for details!

6. kaiWA

kaiWA is on on break today, 26 January, but is back for February on Thursday 9 and 23, as always from 530-late at 43 Below, corner of Hay and Barrack. Come along and meet new people and try out your rusty Japanese/English!

7. Theatre

For the culture vultures:
The White Divers of Broome

By Hilary Bell

WORLD PREMIERE!

28 January – 16 February 2012

In the boom times of 1912 Broome, Sydney Pigott is a wealthy pearling master looking for a way around the White Australia Policy, anxious to keep his cheap Asian workers – and his high profits.

Webber, Sanders and Beasily are the cream of the British Navy deep sea divers. Hired by Pigott, they arrive in Broome naïvely convinced they’ll prove their skills when they hit the hazardous seas and collect the precious mother-of-pearl. But desperate Asian crews, shadowy alliances and the ruthless environment of Broome are against the white divers from the beginning.

From the brothels to the ballrooms to the deep seas, it’s a cutthroat world and trust is hard to find.

Inspired by the book of the same name by John Bailey, The White Divers of Broome is a celebration of boom time Broome and its exotic clash of cultures. Be captivated by a stirring account of greed, betrayal, loyalty and survival that resonates through the years.

This production also includes all scenes between the Japanese characters Nishi (played by Yutaka Izumihara) and Yukiko (played by Miyuki Lotz) to be spoken in Japanese with English sub-titles.

Venue: Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA

Director: Kate Cherry

Featuring: Caitlin Beresford-Ord, Nick Candy, Adriane Daff, Kylie Farmer [Kaarljilba Kaardn], Michelle Fornasier, Stuart Halusz, Sean Hawkins, Yutaka Izumihara, Miyuki Lotz, Greg McNeill, Kenneth Moraleda, Jo Morris, Tom O’Sullivan, Ian Toyne

Tickets: Standard $69.50 / Concession $54.50 / Previews $52.50 / Family Package $158 / Groups 8+ $53.50 (plus 1 free ticket for every 10 tickets purchased) / Students $29.50

Warning: Some coarse language and adult themes.

Thanks all!

Nick John
President
JETAAWA
Mobile: +61 4 0808 3131
president@jetaawa.com

1. TOHOKU FUNDRAISING

JETAAWA operated a stall cooking and selling gyoza at the Cha-cha-charity event at the Japanese School in Perth on 27 November 2011, replacing the usual JSP bunkasai. From early morning until mid-afternoon, volunteers worked hard to serve an ever-increasing queue of ravenous customers. The result? A total, after expenses, of almost $700 was donated to the Japanese Red Cross via Niji-no-kai. That was the largest donation from any single stall.

Thanks to everyone who put in the hard yards to make the stall possible.

2. JOB OPPORTUNITY

We have been advised that a large Japanese trading company is seeking to fill a Document Controller position which includes secretarial duties. JET participants are officially “highly regarded”. The position is up on SEEK, which explains:

Great career opportunity in a resource related company

• Perth CBD location
• Available from next year
• Japanese language skill needed

A major diversified company in resources industry based in Perth is currently seeking to employ a Document Controller / Secreatry.  This is an exciting opportunity to join a high profile and dynamic natural resource related company.

The key responsibilities may include, but will not be limited to, the following:

• Management of project documents, internal documents, and formal correspondence;
• Maintain electronic and hard copy filing system, retrieve documents from filing system;
• Assisting with the production of presentations and documents using various media;
• Assist administration of office expense, budget and create and update routine report for office expense;
• Coordinate detailed schedule (including accommodation, transportation etc) for visitors to Perth in relation to client’s business;

To be successful in this position you will have a minimum of 2 – 3 years demonstrated experience in similar role and be able to read Japanese. Those who experienced JET program are highly regarded. If you meet the aforementioned criteria and possess numerical accuracy and exceptional business acumen, please send your resume to perth@ssaust.com.au.  Your interest will be treated with strict confidentiality.

3. ARRIETTY TICKETS

Madman Entertainment are releasing the film ARRIETTY on 12 January, 2012. It is from Studio Ghibli – creators of other animated masterpieces ‘Spirited Away’, ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ and ‘Ponyo’. The film opens January 12 and here in Perth it will be screening at Luna Leederville, Luna SX, Hoyts Carousel and Event Cinemas Innaloo.

The official blurb is:

ARRIETTY
In cinemas 12 January | Madman Entertainment

This is a story of a family of ‘little’ people.
Beneath the floorboards of a sprawling mansion set in a magical, overgrown garden in the suburbs of Tokyo, tiny 14-year-old Arrietty lives with her equally tiny parents. The house is occupied by two old ladies, who are absolutely unaware of the existence of their miniature tenants. Arrietty and her family live by ‘borrowing”. Everything they have, they borrow or make from the things they have borrowed. Essentials like gas, water and food. Tables, chairs, cooking utensils. And treats – a sugar cube here, a scrap of material there. But only a little each time, so the ladies do not notice. A 12-year-old boy, Sho, moves into the mansion while he waits for urgent medical treatment in the city. Arrietty’s parents have always warned her: “Never let humans see you”. Once seen, little people always have to move on. But the adventurous Arrietty doesn’t listen, and Sho discovers her.

The two begin to confide in each other and, before long, a friendship begins to blossom…

Trailer link
http://www.madman.com.au/catalogue/view/14864/arrietty

We have been fortunate to receive some family (admit 4) passes to see Arrietty. If you’d like one, please send us (president@jetaawa.com) your name, placement and years on JET, and a short (no more than 100-word) blurb on how you stay connected to Japanese culture – which you can interpret as you like! The catch? We get to run your responses in the annual newsletter. We’ll contact winners with further details on collecting your prize! Good luck! Entries close 31 December 2011.

4. kaiWA

The final kaiWA for 2011 is on 15 December 2011 from 17:30 at 43 Below as always. We will let you know 2012 dates as soon as they are set.

Merry Xbox!

All photos © JETAAWA

November is always the busiest month for JETAAWA and this year is no exception. We have some big events we are organising or involved in and some other news to report – read on!

1. CAREERS SEMINAR
Every year JETAAWA organises this seminar for students, ex-JETs and others who are interested in working in a Japanese company or in Japanese-related industries either in Australia or globally.

This year the seminar is from 545pm (starting 6pm sharp) on Tuesday 8 November 2011 at UWA Social Sciences Lecture Theatre 1. Details are on facebook here.

A number of speakers will be presenting at the seminar to talk about how they began employment and their experiences. Speakers will include those from resources, commercial, educational, translation and other professional fields, many of whom participated in JET themselves.There will also be a presentation on the JET Programme itself, for prospective participants.

The seminar is a great introduction to Japan-related careers and an opportunity to meet with people who are using Japanese knowledge in the workplace.

Entry is free and open to all so please RSVP to employ@jetaawa.com or on facebook ASAP!

2. RETURNEES HANAMI

On Sunday 20 November 2011 from 3pm-7pmish, we will be holding a combined hanami – returnees welcome-back party under the beautiful jacaranda in Hyde Park in North Perth.

Some food will be provided but drinks are BYO, except for the returnees: we’ve got you covered with some cho-traditional beer and tantakatan to get you in the mood to pen some haiku and reminisce under the purple.

Please RSVP to president@jetaawa.com by 18 November. This is open to the general public but we need RSVPs so don’t just show up!

3. CHARITY GYOZA
On Sunday 27 November 2011 we will be cooking gyoza in “Genki Japan”, the Japanese Association’s reformed bunkasai, which this year is a fundraiser for the nuclear/natural disasters that have affected Japan since March this year.

Entry is from 9:30 with stalls and a charity concert starting from 10am and running until 3pm. The venue is the Japanese School in Perth, 20 Kalinda Drive, City Beach.

Come along and enjoy the authentic matsuri atmosphere, JETAAWA’s ever-popular gyoza, and your contribution to charity.
If you are interested in helping cook at some stage throughout the day, then please contact president@jetaawa.com – you would be most welcome!

4. JAPANESE HISTORY CONFERENCE
Murdoch University is hosting an international conference, the 4th Japanese History Workshop Australia, inviting 24 scholars from 13 universities in 7 countries to Murdoch campus. Keynote Speakers are Professor Richard Rubinger (University of Indiana, USA), Professor Koichiro Matsuda (Rikkyo University, Japan) and Dr Barak Kushner (University of Cambridge, UK).

When: From Wednesday 30 November to Friday 2 December, 2011
Where: ECL Lecture Theatre 3, Murdoch University (Murdoch campus, South Street, Murdoch)
RSVP: by Wednesday 16 November to Tamara Dent at t.dent@murdoch.edu.au or 9360 2263
Please see the flyer attached for further details. JETAAWA members are welcome to attend.

• Japanese History Workshop Australia 2011 (PDF)

5. kaiWA
kaiWA continues every second Thursday from 530pm at 43 Below on the corner of Hay and Barrack Streets. It’s a great place to polish your Japanese, make new friends and help Japanese tourists get to know the real Perth.
Upcoming dates are 3/11 and 17/11.

Firstly, we would like to wish a warm official welcome to new Consul-General Ishikawa and his wife.
The committee has had the opportunity to meet with the Consul-General and was encouraged by his positive outlook and personability. We look forward to ever stronger ties between JETAAWA and the Consulate-General.

The Japan Film Festival is on again from late September. Details here and there. It’s first-come-first-served, remember!
We may have some reserved spots for JETAAWA members, so stay tuned!

In other news:

1. 13 ASSASSINS DISCOUNT SCREENING

On Sunday 25 September from 1615 at Cinema Paradiso in Northbridge, JETAAWA has secured a discount screening of cult director Takeshi Miike’s new critically-acclaimed movie, 13 Assassins. Those of you who know Miike will not want to miss this!
Subidised tickets are $5 for JETAAWA members and $10 for non-members. It’s rated MA 15+ so maybe not one for the kiddies.
RSVP ASAP and by 1200 Friday 23 September 2011 at the latest to vp@jetaawa.com. We would appreciate payment in advance via EFT – you can get the details when you RSVP.

2. HANAMI

We are currently looking at a combined returnees party / hanami under the jacaranda in Hyde Park for early to mid-November.
Keep your eyes peeled to this space!

3. MEET THE AUTHORS FUNDRAISER: CRISTY BURNE

JETAAWA member Cristy Burne is the author of the Takeshita Demons series of adventures for 8-12s. Takeshita Demons won the 2009 Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Childrens Book Award and was selected by more than 30,000 children as part of the UK BookTrust’s Booked Up program. Book three in the series, Monster Matsuri, is scheduled for release in July 2012.

Cristy and fellow author Briony Stewart are sharing the secrets of their publishing success to raise funds for the International Board on Books for Young People Japan Bibliotherapy Appeal. Funds raised go to funding library vans to deliver books to children affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

The workshop runs on Saturday 24 September from 3-6pm at the Hyogo Centre in City Beach. The $20 fee includes a Japanese cultural presentation at 3pm by two visiting university interns from Hyogo Prefecture.
More details are in the attached PDF:

• Meet the Authors Flyer.

4. NORWEGIAN WOOD BOOK-TO-SCREEN DISCUSSION

Continuing the theme, JETAAWA committee member Richard Southern is one of the Perth luminaries who will be discussing the book-to-screen adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood and trying answer the age-old question: which is better, the book or the movie? The discussion will be at Cinema Paradiso, following opening night for Norwegian Wood on Thursday 6 October at 6.30pm.

5. UWA EVENTS

UWA is going Japan-crazy in September and October 2011. The Japanese Studies program has organised:

(1) A public lecture, Inside/Out Japan: Families moving in times of sociocultural change, given by two distinguished Japanese Studies scholars, Professor Vera Mackie, Australian Research Council Futures Fellow, currently at the University of Wollongong, and Associate-Professor LengLeng Thang of the National University of Singapore, on the evening of Monday 26 September. The lecture is hosted by the Institute of Advanced Studies at UWA and Asian Studies. Details are on the attached PDF:

• Inside/Out Japan: Families moving in times of sociocultural change.

(2) A 2-day research workshop on ‘Configurations of Conventional and Non-Conventional “Family” Arrangements in Japan’ on Monday 26 – Tuesday 27 September 2011. Again, flyer attached:

• Configurations of Conventional and Non-Conventional “Family” Arrangements in Japan

These two inter-related events are part of an Inaugural Bilateral Research Collaboration Award between Japanese Studies at UWA and at the University of Queensland. Both events are free and open to all interested. However, due to room capacity constraints, spaces available for the 2-day workshop are limited. If you are interested in attending the workshop, even if it’s for one of the days, please RSVP by the end of next week (so Friday 16 September – sorry we’re a bit late!) to the email listed on the flyer. There is no need to RSVP for the public lecture on the evening of Monday 26 September.

Also attached is a flyer for a separate Japan-related public lecture also organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies on Tuesday 4 October. It is a talk by Winthrop Professor Michael Levine from the Discipline of Philosophy at UWA on a film by the renowned Japanese film-maker, Kurosawa Akira. The film, ‘Ikiru’ will also be screened after the talk.

• Ikiru & Michael Levine Public Lecture Flyer

6. EDUCATION EXCHANGE SCHOLARSHIP

Applications are now open for up to 100 people to take advantage of a one-off scholarship program of education exchanges between Japan and Australia. The Program, announced by the Australian Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP during her visit to Japan in April, has been established to provide assistance for education exchange in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011.

The Program will support short term, two-way education exchange between Australia and affected areas of Japan (including Tokyo). It is designed to provide opportunities for students, academics, researchers and professionals in Australia to travel to the affected areas of Japan to study or to continue or enhance their collaboration in education with their partner institutions, and vice versa. Applicants will be able to seek financial support for an exchange occurring in 2011 or 2012.

Details are available here.

7. PHOTO CONTEST

To help celebrate the , we are currently planning an open photo competition for the first half of 2012. It is anticipated that there will be a Hyogo Prefecture division and a separate JET division (as well as open divisions). Time to start fossicking through your old snaps!

8. kaiWA

kaiWA continues as usual, at 43 Below from 1730 every second Thursday. Dates are available at jetaawa.com. kaiWA is the perfect opportunity to chat with Japanese people staying in Perth, polish your Japanese, polish someone else’s English, or just shoot the breeze. See you there! It’s free and fun!

9. JAPANESE SCHOOL FESTIVAL

Unfortunately, it seems there will not be a bunkasai this year. Instead, the JSP is apparently cooperating with the Japanese Association for a charity fundraising event in November. We will keep you posted and will still be looking for excuses to cook gyoza.

10. HYOGO-WA SISTER STATE RELATIONSHIP

On 5 August 2011 the President and Treasurer had the honour of attending the 30th anniversary celebration reception for the sister state/prefecture relationship between WA and Hyogo. The Premier and the Prefectural Governor made excellent speeches and we had the opportunity to speak with the Governor and the Ambassador, both of whom were very supportive of JETAAWA.

11. BELMONT-ADACHI

JETAAWA is proud of its ongoing relationship with the Belmont-Adachi sister city program. Our Vice-President engaged in interpreting duties for a visiting delegation in August and the JETAAWA table was recently victorious at the fundraising quiz night for the students’ delegation to Japan.

As always, we welcome your comments and feedback.
Please let us know if anything Japan-related is happening in the community, and also if you, as a JETAAWA member, would like anything conveyed to our other members!

Honja!

Nick John
President
JETAAWA
Mobile: +61 4 0808 3131
president@jetaawa.com

Check them out at www.billabongcamping.com and speak with Cassie for more information.  They also run a range of extended tours.