Every year, Saga has an ALT-JTE seminar in November. Instead of just going, why not help shape the next Midyear Seminar?
District Representatives are currently planning for November 2009, so if you have a good idea for a seminar, please let us know! You can either contact Andy or your DR. Alternately, you can click through to the full post and submit your idea directly through the handy Google Form we’ve included.
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If you’re an incoming JET: hello, and welcome to the site.
Here you’ll find local information and can get in touch with real, live JETs who live in teeny tiny Saga Prefecture, Japan.
This website has TWO parts:
1. an articles section, that is part magazine, part guidebook.
2. Interactive forums (accessible from the “forums” link on the [...]
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Hi Everyone!
Last call for Haiku and Photo submissions for AJET’s Haiku and Photo Competition!!
The deadline is today, Friday the 12th, so if you still haven’t emailed your submission, be sure to email it today to contest(at)ajet.net!!
(contest rules and details below)
Thank you!
Alisa Tobin
2009-2010 National AJET Cultural Liaison
The AJET Haiku Competition
Write us a haiku
We’ll print it and [...]
This article, originally published on 9 April, 2008, has been reprinted. It outlines things to think about during those boring days of spring break so that you can kill time and get ready for the new term.
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Nagasaki can be a real pain to get out of, so why not enjoy it by staying the night at Hostel Akari, near the Spectacles Bridge?
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Planning a trip? Need a bilingual travel agent? Ryosuke Imai can help!
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Join in the fun as local businesses gather to build friendships within the community! There will be musical performances, including taiko and chorus, short plays, and a bunch of interactive corners.
Time: January 25, Sunday, from 10AM until 1PM
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If you are new to Japan and have a car, one thing that you need to know is that highways (expressways) are not free to use. They are all toll roads. In exchange for your hard-earned yen, you get the privilege of a higher speed limit, two lanes to work with, and no stoplights. [...]
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Learn to cook Japanese cuisine unique to the Spring Hina-Matsuri! The menu includes chirashi-zushi and light soups. Not only can you learn the recipies, you can also learn about their cultural importance–all while enjoying a nice meal with some great people from around Saga City!
Read the rest of bgesiak’s article.
Chances are, you recognize the logo for Kuro Neko Yamato. The black cat carrying its kitten is great branding. But did you know that the delivery service has an English website that lets you do things like track packages? Check it out! http://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/english/index.html
Another helpful thing is an explanation of their attempted delivery notices, which [...]
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I wanted to write a quick announcement that one Monday my laptop died. The good news is that Saga JET is hosted in California, and not on my laptop. The other good news is that my hard drive is just fine–the failure was a mechanical thing elsewhere on the laptop. So all [...]
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A huge party–attendance is expected to be somehwere around 1,000 people.
Date: December 6th (Saturday), 5PM - 7PM [Front Desk opens at 4PM]
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Dress in traditional Japanese clothing for free during the Saga International Festival! Enjoy the day in style–women will be able to wear furisode (long-sleeved kimono), and men can enjoy trying on a mon-tsuki hakama (formal men’s attire–wicked awesome looking, like a Japanese tuxedo).
-Brought to you by the Saga Life Cultural Exchange Association during the Saga International Festival 2008.-
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It’s getting chilly outside! Time to get your kotatsu / fan heaters / kerosene / heated carpets / water bottles out of storage! One thing I’ve noticed about Japan is that hot water is always readily available, either for bathing, making tea, or making soup–miso soup! In this article, I talk about how to buy, prepare and store miso paste. It’s certainly not comprehensive, but it should be enough to get you started.
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
The second installment of the Saga City International Relations Association’s International Cooking Classes! Your pleas have been answered, and we finally present you with Kobayashi-sensei! Kobayashi-sensei has studied Portuguese Cuisine in Portugal, and this time will teach us how to make food for a Portuguese Christmas/New Year’s Dinner! Try adding one of the dishes you’ll learn to make to your seasonal menu!
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Reporters working at Saga Newspaper are looking for 5-6 Saga JETs to talk about house parties, or “ho-mu pa-ti-” in Japanese, for an article to run in a special Chirstmas Issue of “Fit”, a health and living insert included with the Saga Newspaper on the first and third Fridays of every month.
Read the rest of bgesiak’s article.
Time: November 2nd, 2008
Place: Nichiyu Bowl (日祐ボウル), Saga City, Matsubara 1-4-18 (佐賀県佐賀市松原1丁目4-18)
[Heading towards Kencho, take a right at the intersection before the Post Office (name of interseciton is Matsubara Ni-chome / 松原二丁目)]
Competition Rules: First, each pair plays one game. The second game will be played alternating between two pairs.
Participation Fee: 1,500 yen / pair
Registration will [...]
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So you want to go skiiing or snowboarding in the winter? Here are some things you need to know to get started. This article covers places you can go for a snow fix, when to book, and what there is to do in Japan.
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Edward Crandall, a reporter and columnist for the Saga Newspaper, is interested in talking to a US JET and registered Republican for a possible feature article.
Read the rest of bgesiak’s article.
Come try on a Yukata (Japanese summer kimono), listen to koto (Japanese harp), and participate in a tea ceremony at the Saga Castle Museum!
Place: Gozanoma (changing will take place in the meeting room)
Date: 10AM - 3PM on Sunday, September 21
Fee for Tea Ceremony: 200 yen (the rest is free)
Registration for Yukata: 10AM - 12PM (Please be [...]
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The Saga ken 2008 Orientation is held today and tomorrow at the Hagakure-so (Hagakure Hotel) in Saga City. New JETs are expected to attend. Recontracting JETs are not.
Come join me and 30 Japanese people as we learn from everyone’s favorite first-year JET Spike how to make Tacos/Fajitas, Quesadillas and Cinammon Sugar Tortillas! Participants will be split up into 5 tables, each with around 6 participants, and will follow along as Spike explains his recipe to the class. Come and enjoy good food & [...]
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Hello mateys!
Unfortunately, the practice for the Dragon Boating on the 26th of this month (August) has now been CANCELLED due to lack of numbers available for the practice day. No problem! Without practice it just means that we will have more fun trying to get into a rowing rhythm on the 31st!
I have heard that many more [...]
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Hello 2008 ALT’s and Block Reps,
A big welcome to Nagasaki Ken for all you first year’s! I hope you guys are getting settled in and adjusting well to your new life here. Some of you I have met, but for the others I’m looking forward to doing so. I am organizing a big welcome party [...]
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Soejima san passed this link to me:
http://www.qq.pref.saga.jp/qq/qq41gnfrgnsr_2.asp
It’s a search tool to help you locate a medical specialist in the ken based on language. Two caveats:
1. Just because a hospital or doctor speaks “English” doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily going to be just like talking to your doctor at home; you might encounter funny pronunciations, etc. [...]
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
This is for all you 2nd-, 3rd-, and super-JETs out there–SPIRA is holding a role-playing session for a Medical Interpreting Workshop on August 26th (which just happens to be the day of the Saga Prefecture Orientation for 1st-year JETs), and they need a native English speaker to help out! Participating in this workshop was probably [...]
Read the rest of bgesiak’s article.
Yep! It’s back! the annual Karatsu beach party and this year it will be the group B welcome party as well! You lucky lucky group B kids.
This day will be a BBQ day full of lovely charcoal grilled meat, fresh vegetables, and all around goodness!
Swimming, sand, fireworks, beach… stuff…. hopefully not too many jellyfish.
There will [...]
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The first of several events Saga City is hosting, in which Saga residents from countries outside Japan introduce their home countries and cultures. This time Saga City has invited HOU Chuan-wei, a representative of Saga’s sister city in China, Lianyungang, to talk about his hometown!
Some authentic Chinese tea and dessert will be served as well, [...]
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If you or your friends have a car, consider a trip up to the Sefuri area to try soumen nagashi. There is still a little time left to do it.
A few other JETs and I did it a couple of weeks ago and it was the perfect JET day. The folks there are friendly [...]
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Nanayama Waterfall climb: August 24th
Join other Japanese and gaijin as we hike up a mountain river in Nanayama. It’s possible to walk along the bank for almost all of the climb, so it can be as easy or hard as you like it to be.
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2705
deadline: already passed (July). 1000 yen or free [...]
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Here is a basic overview of what you need for your taxes, including a summary of the form numbers and what they are and what you need them for.
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Host an International Cooking Class and spread your killer recipe to people in Saga! All you need is a recipe and a smile–the Saga City International Relations Association will handle reserving a space for the class, gathering participants, translation and interpreting, and helping you find all the necessary ingredients.
Read the rest of bgesiak’s article.
Today is the last day to sign up for the 2008 dragon boat races. Contact Ian for that.
THIS WEEKEND is the famous Saga Summer festival! As usual, JETs and other foreigners are invited to come dress up in festival clothes and dance around in the streets–for free! Recommended for newly arrived JETs! Read the full story for details.
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
The good people at SPIRA (inside Saga Kencho) are currently holding small informal classes for Japanese speakers of English who are volunteering to interpret for foreign residents in Saga when they visit the clinic/hospital.
In each class various role plays are carried out. A foreign person plays the part of a patient (who can’t speak [...]
Read the rest of applestereo’s article.
Today is the last day to sign up for the 2008 Nanyama Waterfall climb homestay. Contact Josh for that. Or, if you are interested in the Waterfall Climb (no homestay), you have until the end of the month to get those applications and payment in.
This page: http://www.geocities.com/myniigatacom/money.htm has some good info on sending money and using banks in Japan. It’s nothing too special, but a good summary nonetheless.
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Hello peeps!
Many of you may have already received notifications about the Dragon Boating but here is the version on Sagajet!
DATE: 31st August (08:00)
DATE of PRACTICE: 23rd August (09:00)
DEADLINE: 1st August
On Sunday August 31st, starting at a bright and early time of 08:00 people will gather at the Kasegawa River and race each other in Dragon [...]
Read the rest of kungfusushi’s article.
This article, originally published July 24, 2007, discusses how to prepare for your jiko shoukai (self-introduction) lesson, as well as the all-important self-introduction speeches that you’ll have to give to students, coworkers and BOE officials when you arrive.
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
It’s time again to play up the famous, the spectacular, the most amusing way of trying to kill yourself: The Nanayama Waterfall Climb. Josh in Nanayama tells us all about this year’s event, which is Sunday, Aug. 24th, 2008. The deadline to sign up is mid July. Josh is your liaison for all things waterfall climb: from applications to payment of the 1000 yen fee.
NEW: APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD RIGHT HERE ON SAGAJET!
Read the rest of The Event Poster’s article.
This article is reprinted from a post published on July 13, 2007. Aside from the reference to Man-Yi, the information is still relevant. In it, you’ll find a list of ways to prepare for typhoon season, as well as resources to help you.
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Second-years-to-be: the first step in getting your Japanese driver’s license is to get your existing license translated at JAF (the Japan Auto Federation). This article provides directions to the JAF office in Saga so you can get the Japanese license process started.
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
June is the best time to visit Mikaeri Waterfall, just a few kilometers off Route 203, near Ouchi in central Saga Prefecture. Spend an afternoon seeing the waterfall that they say will make you come back over and over!
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Hey folks, just letting you know that this years waterfall climb will be held on Sunday 24th August. I’ll post more information on the application process when I get it but mark it in your diaries for now.
Read the rest of applestereo’s article.
So I learned from experience today that contrary to previous reports, one CANNOT put “as many coins as you like” in the ATM for a deposit. The machine freaks out and sort of goes catatonic, shrieking as it shuts down. You have to call a person and they explain to you that if you are [...]
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AMAZING RACE: SAGA Application forms are available here (PDF) or here (Word).
Please note that the race format is subject to change– for example, we may randomly mix teams.
Use the PDF version if you just want to quickly fill in and print the form for delivery or fax.
The Word document can be saved for emailing, [...]
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Do you ever get those blue “notice of redelivery” cards in your mailbox? Here is a blog with step-by-step instructions to get your package redelivered on your terms.
http://melt-in-japan.blogspot.com/2008/02/rescheduling-deliveries-in-japan.html
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
This past Saturday I went to Hita City in Oita to see their hina matsuri (aka girl’s day aka doll festival) dolls. it was pretty sweet! there is a nice old part of town (a little touristy but meh) where all of the cute shops have their dolls displayed as well as private residences/museums that [...]
Read the rest of saritajuanita’s article.
On Sunday, March 2nd, there’s going to be a ‘Samurai parade’ taking place in Saga city. People are assembling at 7.30-8.30am in the gym of the Fuzoku Elementary school, next to the Saga Castle History Museum in Saga City and will be taking to the streets donned in feudal attire at 10.30am. The person organising [...]
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Happy Chinese New Year!
So here is a quick note for those of you looking for the 脱退一時金裁定請求書 (Pension Lump Sum Withdrawal Form):
There is information about this on the CLAIR website, in addition to the GIH (the General Information Handbook that you have no doubt lost by now ;o)
http://www.jetprogramme.org/e/former/pension.html
For those of you looking to [...]
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When: 7th,8th+10th of March
Where: ＊Nippon Budokan Training Center 582 Sawakura, Katsuura Citｙ, Chiba
＊International Budo University 841 Shinga, Katsuura City
There will be lectures in both English and Japanese on topics such as ancient martial arts techniques, the influence martial arts has on health as well as ancient martial arts of the ryukyu islands. There will also [...]
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We are now recruiting dedicated volunteers to join the Saga JET Habitat for Humanity 2008 Trip!
Wondering where to go and what to do during your Golden Week holidays? Why not join the Saga JET Habitat for Humanity 2008 group? Support the global community and build homes for low income earners and their families!
About Habitat for [...]
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Feeling stressed? Overworked? Having difficulty sleeping? Needing an energy boost?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you should consider getting a massage to release those weary muscles, help your body’s circulation, and improve your overall well-being.
Yuri Sakaguchi, Spa Director and Therapist at the Heaka Aveda Spa in Tenjin, offers [...]
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AEON/Jusco (and possibly MaxValu?) are now selling certified Fair Trade coffee.
At 200g for just under 400 yen, it’s a little more than the bargain basement blends, but it’s still much cheaper than Starbucks and you are doing something good for the coffee growers.
The two blends I saw were Ethiopia and Indonesia, but [...]
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Last but certainly not least are the C-Group people. Someone, please throw a party so we can meet them!
So we were offline today because Dreamhost was having problems with their computers in L.A.
The good news is that now (and actually during the problem) you can access SagaJET’s lovely wisdom on your cell phone!
“Where’s that onsen they were talking about?”
“What time does the event start?”
“What kind of restaurants are in Saga?”
Just point [...]
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On Sunday 26th of this month, the annual Dragon boat race is going to be held at the Kasegawa reservoir near to Saga city. Every year, over 50 boats compete for a prize of 100,000yen with each boat consisting of 16 people (1 skipper, 1 ‘rudder’, and 14 people furiously paddling). It seems that each [...]
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A bit late, perhaps, but for the last procrastinators, an extra boost: http://www.freewebs.com/kumamoto_electro/ustaxinfo.htm
The best part is the sample forms they’ve included. I think some of the information is dated, but the pictures help a LOT for the 2555EZ.
For your 2555EZ, a date calculator. Be sure to check the “include the end date” box: http://www.timeanddate.com/date/duration.html
According to [...]
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Basics. Good for newbies or potential Saga JETs
http://www.chickobe.com/CultureTips.htm
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Please give them a warm welcome at the party on the 10th.
Check your email or the forums for more information.
Original forums post here.
From Nirav:
As some of you may already know, the weekend of August 4th is the annual “Sakae no Kuni Matsuri” festival here in Saga City. (More info, in Japanese, here ) On the night of the 5th, there will be a big dancing procession along the main street in Saga (the [...]
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Please give them a big welcome at the welcome party on August 3rd.
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2359
If Elisabeth’s Geocities link doesn’t work, here is a copy of the form I saved and uploaded to our server.
Bored this week? Wanna see another part of Kyushu?
Fukuoka-Now.com maintains a list of festivals. You can sort by name, by month or by prefecture.
http://www.fukuoka-now.com/kcalendar/index.php?order=month,title&offset=120
Each has a short blurb and often contact info to get in on the action. We’ve linked you to August so you can start the new JET year running.
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Not a huge thing, but some people have never taken city buses before. Also, the Saga Buses (and a lot in Japan, actually) charge by distance, not a flat rate, so they might be different from other buses you’ve ridden.
Here is a PDF file to help you figure it out. But it’s not anything [...]
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Original Forums post HERE.
This Saturday, July 28th from 1-6:30pm at the Tojin Hiroba (where is that? you know, it’s that space on the eki street next to Tojin Cafe where they hold concerts all the time)
THere will be:
Workshops!
Jenbe (sp?) African drumming!
African dancing!
Stamp-making!
A Fashion Show!
Performances!
Ushizu African Drumming Club (high schoolers, they have this in ushizu?!)
Forikan (pro [...]
Read the rest of The Event Poster’s article.
PLEASE send Katie an email if you want to go to one or both of these parties.
“A” Welcome Party
WHERE: Naos
WHEN: August 3rd, 7.30pm sharp
WHAT: nomi-tabe houdai
(all you can eat and drink for a set period, usually 2 hours)
NON-DRINKERS:
Katie can speak to the restaurant owners if people don’t want to drink.
COST: [...]
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Office dress can be confusing when you’ve come straight out of uni and suddenly need to not wear t-shirts and jeans. Here is a basic guide for what to wear in the office. Since I’m male, my advice will focus on that. Maybe one of the female ALTs will add her thoughts.
There are two basic [...]
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So I’m working on the site behind the scenes, but it’s not a 1-man show, people.
I would love for people to start writing the odd article or maybe even a column if you love to write. I can contribute, but I don’t want to dominate.
Stylewise, think lifestyle magazine. The tone is not personal [...]
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Jayne suggests this article from the Japan times on how to deal with the muggy Japanese summer. We’ve reprinted a copy here on the site in case the original link breaks.
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Posted by: Lee
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:43 pm
Post subject: music fest in tosu
there’s a big (sort of) music festival on in tosu, at kawauchi dam, on the 16th. starts at about 1 or 2, til 9/10. lots of good music, good food, booze.
free bus goes every 30 minutes or so from the [...]
Read the rest of The Event Poster’s article.
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2338
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2316
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2353
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2319
http://www.fukuoka-now.com/events/index.php?id=1689
6/30/2007 http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2363
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2333
Read the rest of The Event Poster’s article.
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2284
Read the rest of The Event Poster’s article.
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2354
So it’s really a modest makeover– the layout stays the same, colors and images change. So Justin said he didn’t like the header’s funky “g” so I did a little playing around. I think I like this more than that, but maybe there’s room for improvement. Not sure. Let me know what you think [...]
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Okay, not really. But I was asked to put something up. It’s sort of a testament to the pain of content-generation that the last post here was from the LAST time we changed website admins. Hopefully, we can get fresh info and good articles up…at least until my energy starts flagging.
I don’t really [...]
Read the rest of Jesse’s article.
Hello, this is Sergio, the new SagaJet Website Administrator (wow, I’m finally important!). During these next few weeks, Chris and I will be discussing the website and he will be teaching me the sacred duties of the administrator and passing the mantle over to me. Please bear with this time of transition and let me [...]
Read the rest of shpena’s article.
*Thanks to Cheryl of Kitakyushu for authoring this article
Disaster Message Board Services
NTT as well as the three major cell phone providers (Docomo, Vodafone, and AU) each have an emergency message board system. This system allows those who are in a stricken area to leave either a voice (NTT) or text message (cell phones) with [...]
Read the rest of Chris Gibson’s article.
The 10th anniversary of the Caribbean Festival “Isla de Salsa” runs Saturday and Sunday, August 19th and 20th, on the island of Nokonoshima off the coast of Fukuoka. More information can be found at the Isla de Salsa homepage and on the SagaJET forums.
Japanese Lessons for this year’s Group A and Group B arrivals are located in Saga City. Classes are from 1:00pm - 5:00pm on August 16th-18th and 21st-25th.
The Tara Mountains are the collective name of the ten or so peaks that form the southwestern border between Nagasaki and Saga prefectures. Though named for Tara-dake (996m), the tallest mountain of this range is actually Kyoga Dake (1076m). Nearby towns and cities include Kashima, Ureshino, and Tara in Saga, and Takaki, Isahaya, Omura, and Higashisonogi in Nagasaki. Route 444 cuts a clear path from Kashima to Omura, providing easy access for the majority of activities described in this travel guide.
The Tara Mountains offer an abundance of things to do for the mildly to the super fit: hiking, camping, backpacking, rock climbing, and swimming. These should all be done at your own risk.
Read the rest of Joseph Tris’s article.
Join regatta lovers from all over Saga-ken in sailing down the Tafuse River in anything that floats. Saturday, 8 July, 1 p.m., Tafusegawa Riverside Park. Full details are on the message board.
Oita’s Concert on the Rock music festival runs Saturday and Sunday, 3-4 June. More info is, as always, on the message board.
Selling your Japanese car? Surprise, surprise, it involves a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy. Here are two illustrated guides to walk you through the process.
Read the rest of Leah Kennedy’s article.
Mud + Olympics = Gatalympics. More info on the website and on the message board.
As of today, I’ve lived in Japan for two years and nine months, and in that time I’ve done a lot of things: traveled around the country, met interesting people, eaten unidentifiable foods. I’ve lived here for so long, in fact, that I only have two months before they kick my wife and I out. Despite all of the experiences I’ve had in my first 2.75 years, though, I’ve realized that there are roughly one billion things I haven’t done that I need to squeeze into the next 0.25 years.
Many JETs are likely in the same situation. Between working, preparing to leave and trying to enjoy the warm weather before it gets too warm, lots of folks are finding their schedules filling up fast. For some, this isn’t a problem; they just go with the proverbial flow and do what they can, when they can. Me, I’m a planner, so I’m making lists and marking calendars to make sure I get everything done. You might remember that I’m also a technophile, so many of my lists and calendars exist only as bits on my computer.
One item on my current to-do list is “write article about electronic organization.” Since I love checking things off of lists as much as I love putting them on, here’s a quick survey of some of the tools I’ve used (or have looked into using) to keep myself at least marginally organized in my last few months here. Not every tool will work for every JET, but one or two may fit your needs well enough to make sure you don’t miss anything important before you leave. (If you’re not leaving in July, I suppose you could use these tools, too; just don’t go bragging to me about the free time you have on your Google Calendar from all the not-packing-boxes you’re doing).
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
Golden Week, a.k.a. the only time the Japanese go on vacation, begins with Green Day on 29 April, a holiday sadly wasted on a Saturday this year. Luckily Green Day is followed by Constitution Memorial Day (3 May), National Holiday (4 May) and Children’s Day (5 May), making for a nice five day weekend.
(Note: This week’s “Hi, Tech” is brought to you by Arita JET Sergio Pena, whose well-timed article on computer security saved me from having to dream up something to write about this week. Also, there will be no “Hi, Tech” next week because of the Golden Week holidays. If a “Hi, Tech” is written and no one is around to read it, is it really written? — Nicholas)
Computer security. These two words echo throughout the internet, but do you really know what they mean? Sure, you might have heard about viruses, spam, identity theft and the like, but do you know how to protect yourself and your beloved computer from the cesspool that is the internet? In this article, I hope to establish a baseline definition of certain terms and to enlighten you on this very important — but often overlooked — aspect of technology.
Let’s start off with the basics, shall we?
Read the rest of Sergio Pena’s article.
I’m freshly back from a four-day trip to Kyoto with my wife and our aforementioned visitor. Being in Kyoto, the epitome of beautiful Japanese cities, we did what any good tourists should do: take loads of pictures. Pictures of temples. Pictures of deer. Pictures of deer at temples.
We took so many pictures, in fact, that our guest’s digital camera gave out on the last day of our trip. One minute it was chugging away, and the next minute it was refusing to retract its lens or focus (important things for a digital camera to do). Luckily for our guest, her camera (like the three of us) just needed a break; it started working again the next day.
For that one day her camera was broken, though, our guest was seriously considering buying a replacement. She was in the right place–digital cameras in Japan are probably the smallest, coolest and pinkest in the world. I was of course only too happy to help her do a little research on what kind of camera was best for her. Since she ended up not needing a new camera, and since I can’t let good research go wasted, allow me to pass my thoughts on buying a digital camera on to you.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
PowerPoint slides and a handout from the leavers workshop at the 2006 Saga JET conference are available for those getting ready to end their tenure as a JET this summer. Download away if you liked them at the conference and want your very own copy!
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
Saga JETs heading to Bangladesh to work with Habitat for Humanity are throwing a charity “passport party.” Two thousand yen for adults (1000 for kids) will get you into five party rooms modeled after a different country. The party starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 15 at the Saga City ken apartments and everyone is welcome (kids can stay until 9 p.m.). There’s a lot more info on the message board.
The Saga City language classes at Avance are starting again on 12 April and will run until the 19 July. Classes are Wednesdays at either 6:30 p.m. or 8 p.m. Tuition is 4000 yen. The classes are “for those who are interested in entering at the introductory and beginner levels, covering basic Japanese daily conversation, reading and writing skills.”
If you want to sign up, send your name, address, nationality, work/school name, and telephone number to fax 0952 24-7337 or email nihong_saga@yahoo.ne.jp.
The placement test is on April 12th, so please arrive by 6 p.m.
Astute readers might have noticed that there was no “Hi, Tech” last week. Apologizes for not writing, but I had a really good reason, I swear. My wife and I are playing hosts to a friend from college, and we’ve been busy doing out host duties, like showing our guest the local sites (i.e. big trees and tiny cars) and helping her avoid accidentally eating raw horse.
All the hosting has (a) put me in a very travel agent-y frame of mind and (b) not left me with much time to plan a proper article. I didn’t want to let my writing muscles atrophy any more than they already have by skipping another week, though (some days I can barely string two words together as it is), so this week I’ve gone with my newfound fondness for planning other people’s trips and pulled together a collection of sites that may be useful the next time you have a visitor.
None of these sites are particularly obscure and you could probably find most of them after 30 seconds on Blingo (which may or may not be how I found some of them). Still, it might be nice to have them collected in one place for easy access the next time you’re looking to distract your visitors with something other than your tales of bravely facing six classes of elementary school students in one day.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
The annual Kyushu Cup football tournament (that’s soccer for the yanks) will be held in Saga this year. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at Saga Nishi High School. There’s more info on the message board, including a nice preview by Dustin Hovda.
Takeo’s Spring Festival runs from 1-2 April. Come for the drunk men parading through the streets, stay for the crowning of Miss Sakura.
It’s only a few days away from the beginning of April and a new Japanese school year. If you’re one of the lucky few who are allowed to take secret spring break vacation, count your blessings. Otherwise, you’re probably trapped at your school or office being forced to either look busy or help with spring cleaning. Or, if you are my wife, you’re doing both at the same time: her spring cleaning chore was to lug two dozen old computers down a flight of stairs and then lug them back up after she was done. Seriously.
Since I’m not a JET, I’ve been spared pointless computer lugging, but I do have some tidying up to do. I’ve been hoarding a collection of links that, until now, haven’t fit in any of my previous articles. I might as well join with the spring cleaners and take care of those links here. Enjoy.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
The gospel choir Golden Angels, an “Asian group from overseas,” will perform with three other choirs from Saga on Sunday, March 26 at Avance in Saga City. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.; admission is free.
In the world of computer applications, there are three kinds of free software, and three weird catch phrases that always go with them. Software can be “free as in beer,” “free as in speech” or “free as in illegal.” Technically I made that last catch phrase up, but does it sound any worse than “free as in beer”?
Software that’s “free as in speech” also goes by the name “open source software.” These programs are written by computing do-gooders who believe that the code used to power their programs (called the “source code”) should be available to the public to encourage collaboration and innovation. It’s actually a pretty noble idea, made even nobler by the fact that most “free as in speech” software also costs nothing to use.
Software that’s “free as in illegal,” on the other hand, is the kind that usually isn’t free but can be not-really-legally downloaded via file sharing programs and used with hacked or stolen registration keys. Downloading this software has the advantage of giving you a free copy of sometimes very pricey programs as long as you don’t mind (a) the off chance of getting hit with a big fine and (b) the horrible, horrible guilt of being a software pirate, matey. Okay, so the guilt isn’t that bad, but there’s usually at least a little twinge of remorse involved.
The final category of free software, the kind that’s strangely been dubbed “free as in beer,” is my favorite. This is the kind that’s available completely legally and completely free. Much of this software is also open source, so people nerdier than myself can marvel at all the source code then can handle. The best part about “free as in beer” software, though, is how far its come since the term “free as in beer” was coined. A lot of these free applications are advanced enough to rival their costlier cousins. Free software has gotten so usable, in fact, that I often prefer it to purchased software.
Since a computer is only as useful as the software you have on it, here are five “free as in beer” programs that will make your computer really, really useful without costing you a single yen.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
The official start of spring and a holiday. What could be better?
The Bangladesh Habitat for Humanity group is putting on a pub trivia night to raise funds for their trip. Competition starts at 5 p.m., March 18 at the Celtic Heart in Saga City and costs 1500 yen to enter. Details and rules are on the message board.
Go on a guided tour (in English!) of Arita, learn about its hina dolls, have a giant meal, paint some procelain. You can get more information on the message board.
When I first came to Japan from America, everything was new and exciting. Signs were unreadable! Food was raw and fishy! Cars drove on the left side of the road! I was living in a different country for the first time, and it was great.
My enthusiasm lasted for a couple of months, and then reality hit: I was living in the middle of nowhere in a different country. I’d left the breadbasket of America to come to the rice basket of Japan and, once I’d learned to read the signs, things weren’t all that different anymore. It was time a vacation.
Although at that point I was so accustomed to my Japanese home that I wanted to leave it, I didn’t want to see the rest of the world with a tour group like many Japanese travelers do. Rather than turning to a travel agent to help plan the trip, then, I turned to the internet. (Who am I kidding, I would have turned to the internet even if I came from a family of travel agents who would disown me if I ever booked an airfare online.)
Since most JETs I know get a similar wanderlust while they’re in Japan, I thought I’d share a few good resources you might be able to use to plan your next getaway (even if it is only a prefecture or two away).
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
Come make Jamaican and American desserts (Jamaican rock buns and pancakes!) in the latest installment of the Saga City International Cooking Class Series. Sunday, March 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., third floor cooking classroom in the Saga City Avance Building. More info is posted on the message board.
Final day to vote for your AJET national representative. Go to the AJET voting page to cast your ballot.
When I got my very first internet connection about 10 years ago, the only online task I did daily was check email. Back then, only a few major news outlets and a couple of very early adopters updated their websites on a regular basis. Most sites I knew about were either static advertisements for companies jumping on the web bandwagon or places for angsty nerds to publish their “poetry.”
Then man created blogs, and it was, well, if not good, at least more interesting. Suddenly everyone was writing on the web, and some people were even writing things worth reading. Angsty nerd poetry pages were replaced by sites offering fresh, interesting content that could develop a real readership. I started visiting more sites than just CNN.com every day.
But from frequently updated blogs arose a problem precisely opposite than the one I had when I first started using the internet: now I had too many sites I wanted to keep up with. Instead of just checking email and being done with it, I would check email and then go through all of my bookmarks to check for new content. Sure, it was only a matter of a few clicks, but I was living in the internet age, and a few clicks were too many.
Then, man created the news feed, and that was good. Now I only had to make one stop to be able to tell at a glance which sites had been updated since the last time I checked (probably five minutes ago, but that’s just me). And the more I played around with news feeds, the more I found they could actually be used for things more productive than finding out when my friends were writing about me.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
Over the weekend I updated WordPress, the system that runs SagaJET, to the latest version. WordPress runs entirely behind the scenes, so the upgrade won’t be noticeable unless something went wrong. All seems to have gone well, though, so you shouldn’t come across anything out of the ordinary. If you do come across an error, let me know by either posting a comment or using the contact form.
Also, WordPress only runs the non-forum parts of this site, so nothing at all has changed with the message board. If you see a message board error, then I should never be allowed to work on a computer again.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
Open mic night at Rebeers in Saga City to benefit the Habitat to Humanity trip to Bangladesh. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., music starts at 7:30 p.m. Admission is 1500 yen. You can find more info on the message board.
If the internet is to be believed, there are something like 2.5 billion phones in the world. Chances are, you’ll want to call at least a few of them while you’re a JET.
If the phone you want to call is in Japan, no problem: just dial area code and phone number, get connected and wait patiently for your perfectly reasonable phone bill to come.
It’s when the phone resides abroad that you get into trouble. Calling anywhere else in the world from Japan can be an experience that ranges from mildly tricky to hugely expensive. It took me a while after I first arrived in Japan to figure out all the ways to call home. It took me even longer to figure out how to work the answering machine, but that’s a different story.
What I learned (about calling internationally, not about working the answering machine) is that there are quite a few options, and with just a little research you can find the one that works best for you.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
When I first moved to Japan about two-and-a-half years ago, the only Japanese I knew came from Styx songs. I’ve come a long way since then. Now I know Japanese from Styx songs and commercials for Japanese car insurance.
Okay, I admit it, my Japanese is far from great; I’m barely able to hold a conversation with a five-year-old on my best days. Still, I’ve come across dozens of computer applications and websites that are useful for students of Japanese, and a few of them have even been good enough to fall into the category of “helpful to my linguistically challenged self.” Combine some of these programs and sites with a good study routine and you’ll be pera-pera in no time. (Or omit the good study routine–like me–and you’ll at least be able to avoid ordering raw beef from a menu. I think I understand why my Japanese is so bad…)
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
As a “computer guy” (and borderline obsessive, I think), I’m pretty particular about my computer. I like to have my desktop organized just so, I like to use Firefox for browsing the web and Thunderbird for checking email, I like to keep my documents folder squeaky clean. It’s pretty hard for me, then, to use a foreign computer for any significant amount of time.
For many JETs, though, using a computer other than their own for much of the day is a necessity. Whether they don’t own a computer, don’t want to lug their laptop around or can’t lug their desktop around, a lot of JETs are stuck using an office computer at work. I’ve heard some stories about these office computers that make me wonder how Japan got such a tech-savvy image; 10-year-old PCs with Japanese-only menus and restrictions on internet use can make it awfully hard for a JET to get work (or “work”) done.
Luckily, there are some solutions to office computing woes. Here are some fixes to the most common complaints I’ve heard about using clunky office computers.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
Attaka Matsuri is a festival that showcases the local art and dance of Ureshino, with various events around the town. Amongst these, you’ll be able to taste local dishes, view exhibitions at various sites and sample the unique Onsen at discounted prices. Definitely a good way to warm you up during this cold season! More info on the message board.
If there’s one computer-related question I’m asked more often than any other by JETs, it’s definitely, “Can you help me buy a computer?” Asking me for help computer shopping is like asking a junkie to please help pick out the best heroin, so I’m always happy to offer my advice. However, since my advice is usually the same, I’ll share it here for anyone who is in the computer-buying market to consider: buy the computer you need.
I doubt I could offer a more general piece of advice if I tried, so let me go into more detail. There are currently about 1.6 million different computer models you can buy. Before you buy any of them, you need to figure out what you’re going to use your new computer for. Once you have your needs figured out, you can jot down a few features your computer must have and then go looking for a good value. The problem for many JETs, though, is matching up what they want to do with their computer to megabytes of RAM, gigahertz of processing power and all the other numbers you need to know when computer shopping.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
I’m not a JET. Even though I may help out my wife–who is a JET–with the occasional eikaiwa, I’ve never been in a Japanese school as a teacher. I’ve never come up with a lesson plan about the progressive tense, never made a worksheet on gerunds, never recited vocabulary words for a classroom full of students. These are perhaps not the best qualifications for someone getting ready to offer advice to JETs.
I am, however, a big fan of technology. I’m a web designer and work on a computer most of the day, so I know a little something about technology, too. Even though I’ve never signed a JET contract, I can Google “JET contract” in two seconds flat.
As I’ve watched my wife and my other JET friends work as assistant language teachers for the past two years, I’ve realized a “computer guy” like myself (read: nerd) might have something to offer the JET community. I’ve often been able to give advice when these ALTs talk about scouring through dozens of websites to find good teaching resources, struggling with making a worksheet with pencil and paper or fretting about what kind of computer to get. No reason, then, for me not to offer this same advice–tips on how technology can help you do your job–here on SagaJET.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
Learn to cook traditional Japanese New Year’s food (osechi) on Sunday, Dec. 11, in the Avance cooking classroom. Registration is limited to 30 people. To register, call 0952-29-0322 and ask for Mika Baba or Sonya Kolba. More info is available on the message board.
The annual Saga-ken Charity Christmas Party is happening again this year. More info about the party and the meeting are on the message board.
Try naginata, a Japanese martial art characterized by the grandeur of its sweeping movements. Shimura Kinen Gym in Saga City, Nov. 26, 9 a.m. to noon, 300 yen per person. More info is posted on the message board.
Finding palatable Japanese food can sometimes be hard for even the most adventurous of eaters. It can be doubly hard for folks who don’t want their fish raw, their beans fermented or their bread white. It can be nearly impossible for those who stick to diets rarely heard of in Japan, like kosher or vegan.
The first step in finding food you can eat, though, is knowing how to ask for it. Here are some words and phrases you can use the next time you find yourself in a situation where you don’t want MSG in your dish or need to eat in accordance with Islamic regulations.
Read the rest of Elisabeth Friedeman’s article.
Karatsu Kunchi runs Nov. 2 to Nov. 4. Float pulling galore. More info on the message board.
Karatsu Kunchi is easily one of the best festivals in Saga-ken, maybe even in the world. Well, I can’t really support that, but suffice it to say that I like it. There is a feeling of excitement that emanates from every karatsu-jin in the last few weeks of October. Since the dying embers of summer they have been practicing the flute or the drum in the streets of the old center every night. They have been counting down day by day to the most important day of their year. They have plenty of beer, shochu and sake stored away so that they will not run out in this time of great need. They have prepared huge feasts, enough to feed their extended family five times over. They have been dreamily remembering the excesses of the year before. They have thinking about Karatsu Kunchi!
Read the rest of Seb Collet’s article.
Nagasaki JETs are putting on another fundraiser for New Orleans. Mix of music, DJs and drinks, followed by hiking the next day. Event runs 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Big Blue Sky Live House in Shimabara. More info, including directions, is on the message board.
Kawasoe ALT Michelle teaches a yoga class every week in Saga City. Class is every Tuesday night, 7 to 8:30 p.m, at Saga-ken Shokuin, Gojokaikan, second floor, Saga City Jonai 1-6-5. Bring a mat/towel and water. Contact Michelle for more information.
Generally speaking, most foreigners are treated pretty well in Japan. Sometimes shamefully well. However, legally the Japanese police can engage in behavior towards foreigners that would qualify as discrimination in most other democracies. This happens more frequently in some places than in others. I’m told that the Tokyo police, under the instruction and tutelage of the ultra-nationalist governor Ishihara, can be particularly difficult to deal with, routinely stopping foreigners on their way to work for a “random” I.D. check. In Kyushu, this behavior seems to be less pronounced, though in recent months two Saga ALTs (possibly more?) have been stopped for no reason other than their obvious non-Japanese ancestry. In both cases, the police were polite and the whole episode lasted less than five minutes, just enough time to check the ALT’s gaijin card before diving into the topic of Chicago’s two baseball teams. A minor inconvenience really.
Read the rest of Joseph Tris’s article.
Kawasoe ALT Michelle teaches a yoga class every week in Takeo. Class is every Wednesday night, 7:30 to 9 p.m, at Higashi-kawanobori kominkan. Bring a mat/towel and water. Contact Michelle for more information.
Foosball and beer at Arita’s Oktoberfest. What more could you ask for? More info on the event is on the message board.
AJET sponsored rafting trip in Kumamoto-ken. Complete info is on the message board.
SagaJET now features worksheets and lesson plans for you to download. All of the downloads on there have come from a very giving few Saga JETs so far, so a big thanks to them for getting us started.
If you’d like to be a “very giving Saga JET” too, send in your worksheets and lesson plans (to webmaster@sagajet.com as either a Word/OpenOffice or PDF file) for inclusion on the worksheet page. Feel free to use anything on that page in your classes. Just don’t go making a book out of all the worksheets online and selling it for millions of yen.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
An afternoon of AJET bowling in Saga City. Nichi Yuu Bowling Alley, 4 p.m. If you’re arriving by train, a group is walking from the Saga train station to the alley at 3:15 p.m. Cost is 500 yen per game.
Nagasaki JETs are throwing a fundraising happy hour to help vicitims of Hurricane Katrina. Saturday, 10 September, NEON bar in Shimabara-shi, 8 p.m. to close. Much more info can be found on the message board.
6000 fireworks, 8 p.m., Yanagawa-shi, Mutsugoro Land. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
6000 fireworks, 8 p.m., Okawa-shi, Chikugo River, Undo Park. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
3000 fireworks, 8:30 p.m., Imari-shi, Imari River. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
10,000 fireworks, 8 p.m., Sasebo-shi, Nagasaki-ken, Shinminato Park. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
1200 fireworks, 8:30 p.m., Nishi-arita-cho, Nishi Arita JHS. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
1500 fireworks, 8:25 p.m., Chiyoda-cho, south parking lot of the town hall. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
2000 fireworks, 8:30 p.m., Saga-shi, north side of Saga Castle. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
1000 fireworks, 9 p.m., Ogi-shi, Mikazuki Fureai Park. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
18,000 fireworks, 7:50 p.m., Kurume-shi, Chikugo River. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
1000 fireworks, 8:30 p.m., Yamato-cho, Kawakami. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
1000 fireworks, 8:30 p.m., Mitagawa-cho, Metabaru JSDF base. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
6000 fireworks, 8 p.m., Fukuoka-shi, Ohori Park. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
5555 fireworks, 8 p.m., Genkai-cho, Ikoinohiroba. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
1600 fireworks, 6:30 p.m., Tara-cho. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
1300 fireworks, 8 p.m., Karatsu, Hamatama Beach. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
After your short stay in Tokyo, you’ll be fully accustomed to the heat and humidity of the Japanese summer, so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise when you experience Saga’s climate for the first time. Shortly after touching down on the tarmac of Saga Airport, you’ll be whisked bleary eyed (after the 7:55 a.m. flight) to a prefectural welcome ceremony, where you will get to meet your supervisor for the first time. You’ll be expected to dress in business attire for this event and there won’t be much opportunity to get changed, so it is probably best to travel smart from Tokyo.
Read the rest of Neil Taylor’s article.
Note from SagaJET admin: Sorry for the belatedness of this post about the Tokyo Orientation, which is now not very useful for JETs who arrived in group A. Posting this got lost in the shuffle of the redesign. Gomen.
You’ll have already received some general information on the Tokyo Orientation in the welcome information from your DRs. Here is my take based on this year’s schedule and my experience last year.
Read the rest of Neil Taylor’s article.
3000 fireworks, 8 p.m., Karatsu-shi, Matsuura River. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
1300 fireworks, 8 p.m., Karatsu, hizen-cho tano (?). Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
1000 fireworks, 8:40pm, Mutsugoro Park in Ogi-shi. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
1000 fireworks, 8:30 to 9 p.m., Kitahata Junior High School in Karatsu. Found in T.J. Saga magazine, July issue. We apoligize if any of the Japanese was translated incorrectly.
One year ago today, SagaJET was officially launched. Back then, we were just a small group of people with a crazy idea of making a website to help JETs in Saga-ken communicate with each other and helping the rest of the world learn more about our prefecture (or at least helping them figure out we actually exist). That’s pretty much what we are one year later, only now we’re a small group of people with a shiny new website. This is SagaJET, version 2.0.
Read the rest of Nicholas Johnson’s article.
Figuring out train routes in Saga can be tricky, even if you’ve been here for a while. To help, here’s a route map (PDF) for all the JR lines in Saga. If you still need more help, you can go to a handy, English train schedule search page.
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
During my pre-departure preparation for Saga, I asked my soon-to-be DR if he knew of any ice hockey teams in the vicinity. He said he would check around for me, and a week or so later I got an email from him saying that he didn’t think there was. Since I am a size 12 shoe (size 30 here in Japan), I knew that skates in my size would be hard to come by, so I packed those just in case and left the rest of my gear behind.
It’s a good thing that I did because I was pleasantly mistaken. After about a month of settling into my new surroundings, I got a phone call at my school from someone I had never met before: Jeff Potter, a “lifer” who is married with three cute girls and has been living in Saga for 14 years now. He had heard that there was a new Canadian ALT in the area and was wondering if I could play hockey. Every year he looks for new foreign recruits to join the team. There are only two hockey teams in Saga Prefecture: Saga Club and Saga University. Of course, the Saga University team is restricted to university students and so the only real team to join is Saga Club.
Read the rest of David Bonar’s article.
Like many things in Japan, getting your driver’s license is a show, and the speed and ease with which you get your license is directly proportional to how well you play your part. But, like it or not, you are unfortunately expected to play a part and it is easy to play the wrong one. I have no doubt that there are many ways to find success with this process, and what follows is simply one that worked for me. It is a path that emphasizes speed and low levels of stress more than anything else. It is neither the cheapest (or the most expensive) way that someone can take the test. But, for me, the time and aggravation that I saved by passing the test the first time was well worth the marginally higher cost. I hope it is helpful to you.
Read the rest of Matt Cohen’s article.
During a recent school lunch, I made the mistake of assuming that people who had lived in Saga their entire lives would know a thing or two about their home. So, I asked a simple question: What is the tallest mountain in Saga? After a 20 minute discussion and still no answers (though much amusement in actually being acknowledged as a sentient being for once), I decided to ask the one infallible source in the school. Sure enough, the social studies teacher had the answer. “Kyoga Dake izu da to-re-sto,” he said proudly in bastardized English that would make the Queen weep.
Read the rest of Joseph Tris’s article.
I’m sure many of you, like me, had a teacher (particularly an English teacher) who, when correcting papers in high school, liked to say, “You have to know the rules before you break them.” While grammatical structure of a report and investing methodology may seem worlds apart, they do share this common wisdom. There are an endless number of books detailing fancy trading techniques, special charting software which promises to give an edge and any number of different products, programs and people all claiming to have the answer. Some are legit, some are not, but if you really want to start investing it’s absolutely necessary to understand the basics first.
Read the rest of Joshua Novak’s article.
During your life in Japan, your body and mind will undergo a series of challenges: a new culture, a foreign language, a new work environment, different weather, new foods, etc. The pressure of adaptation can create a lot of stress on your body and drain your energy. One can prevent many problems just by eating well, sleeping enough and staying physically active.
Read the rest of Carmen Abdallah’s article.
Stress is defined as any stimulus or factor that threatens the health of the body or has an adverse effect on its functioning.
Extreme stress (for example, wounds from an accident) can cause great changes in the body, such as a drastic drop in blood pressure. In these acute cases, Western medicine can be beneficial. However, medication can help the symptoms of stress, but it will not cure the problem until you remove the causative factors.
Mild stress can be a contributory factor in conditions such as ulcers, migraines, heart attacks, eczema, diabetes, and even cancer.
Read the rest of Carmen Abdallah’s article.
Saturday night, I leave my favorite eatery and make my way over to my video store. What a loser. I remain there for only the briefest period of time, say, about as long as it would take an Iraqi mortar team to launch some rounds at U.S. troops. It was hell on earth inside the store. Teenagers rampaged through the CD racks, high velocity rounds cracked over our heads and that funny looking foreign guy with the long hair wandered aimlessly. Cheney was there too, with tones of Halliburton cash, so somehow that was supposed to make it better for us whiteys. There was a good reason for my quick departure, and it wasn’t the heavy artillery fire or a pack of furtive gophers (again). I found the Premium Edition Director’s Cut of Dawn of the Dead, released in Japan only seven days previously, on sale.
Read the rest of Adam McMahon’s article.
Feel like there’s nothing to do on a rainy afternoon in Saga? Have your science needs suffered upon arrival in Japan? Are you looking for hot destination to impress your date?
Well, two out of three isn’t bad. Look no further than the Space and Science Museum south of Takeo.
Read the rest of Christopher Garbrecht’s article.
In Japan, simply stepping out of your house could be considered a cultural experience, and, therefore, baseball in Japan would qualify as a cultural experience. So, taking a trip to the Fukuoka Dome to watch the 2003 Japan League Champion Fukuoka Daiei Hawks is a highly recommended destination. If you are at all familiar with baseball, (which is certainly not a prerequisite), it is more like going to a minor league baseball game in the States that has been taken over by the owner of a circus. Expect anything from excessive organized cheering, tons of garish plastic noise-makers, balloons and mascots to scantily-clad female cheerleaders, fireworks and retina-burning, neon-wearing beer venders. In short, expect a ton of fun.
Read the rest of Christopher Garbrecht’s article.
As far as inflammatory films go, the kind of films where, for example, a senior high school boy’s severed head is thrown through a window with a grenade in his mouth, few have managed to top Kinji Fukusaka’s kid-killing tour de force, Battle Royale (2000).
Read the rest of Tim Cooke’s article.
Stories of change and transformation, or setsuwa (apparently), are an old tradition in Japan: the crossing of boundaries between the human and the non-human; tales linking the animal and human worlds that overlap, on occasion, with Western mythology. It’s tempting to cite salary men morphing into slobbering, giggling, schoolgirl-hungry creatures from a netherworld twenty minutes after kampai as the most obvious example, but narratives often found in Japanese anime (animated movies) presenting fluid subjects (transforming robots, humans turning into demons, that sort of thing), whose very identities are unstable, paint a (slightly) more sinister vision.
Read the rest of Tim Cooke’s article.
Hot as hell and the A/C is feeling less than adequate? You could go hang out at the local Youme Town and rot under the fluorescent glow of consumerism, or you could hitch a ride to Ryutosen. Located between Ureshino and Omura-shi, Nagasaki, Ryutosen boasts an 18-meter high waterfall (minus the patented Japanese cement job) which cascades into a pool that reportedly measures 23 meters in depth. I’m not sure exactly how deep it is, but I do know you can dive from the water’s edge without fear of un-doing thousands of dollars worth of pre-pubescent orthodontic work. Not up for diving or even swimming? Then just relax on the stone floor that encircles the water’s edge.
Read the rest of Joseph Tris’s article.
There are several places that you can go to get your groove on depending on what your music preference is.
Read the rest of Kiara Raazi’s article.
Thinking of travelling outside of Japan this year? The best advice is to plan ahead, especially for those peak holiday travel times (Christmas, Golden Week and summer vacation). Generally speaking, it is best to check prices and book a flight about three to four months in advance. In most cases, booking well in advance still only guarantees you a spot on a waiting list. What’s going on, you ask? My guess is your friendly travel agent is putting you (tormented soul with money in hand) on the waiting list so that they can wait and see if a big tour bus full of package tourists will be taking the same flight and hence spending a lot more money on their flight, hotels and car rental. Pure economics my friend. It seems to be common practice here. But not to worry, if you start early, you’ll more than likely be going on your trip. The point is book early and you’ll be the first in line on the waiting list; book at the last minute and you’ll be at the end of the queue. Simple as that.
Read the rest of Christopher Garbrecht’s article.
Wellington-boot throwing competition. Cock fights. Standing with a vegetarian friend and gaping at an atrocious parade of slain moose mounted on the back of pick-up trucks. Sleeping rough in St. Mark’s Square, with nothing but a box of tic-tacs for nourishment and torn pages of a magazine for warmth. Up until the last weekend of May 2004, I was content with my repertoire of absurd experiences. Not bad, ne? I hadn’t expected to add to the list. Well, not in Japan, and certainly not whilst living in my new adopted home called Kashima.
Read the rest of Aine Flynn’s article.
Most rock climbing areas in Kyushu offer bolted sport routes typically one pitch in length. For those living in Saga-ken, there are several rock climbing areas that are easily accessible. With the exception of the rainy season or dead of winter, you can climb all year. Japanese climbers are generally sociable and safety conscious. Climbing gear can be purchased at Base Camp in Saga City (west of kencho on Route 207).
Read the rest of Kiara Raazi’s article.
A collection of external sites, submitted by Saga JETs, that deal with teaching English as a second language and ideas on how to do it.
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
Foreign residents in Japan must be in possession of a valid International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive in Japan. Whilst rules vary from country to country, generally speaking, the IDP must be applied for in your home country and will be valid for one year. Some countries allow postal applications with photocopies of the supporting documents.
Read the rest of Kamil Shah’s article.
Created in the late 1980s, Global Village has prepared and sent hundreds of teams to almost fifty countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Carribean and North America to help build houses.
Habitat houses are built by people who have donated their money and time to those in need. The new homeowners contribute to more houses and Habitat families through a programme called “sweat equity” and mortgage payments on their no-interest house loans.
Read the rest of Aine Flynn’s article.
I put this together from my junior high school’s schedule for the year distributed in April. Some dates and activities may vary in other schools but the months and main activities will generally correspond.
Read the rest of Rachel Woodley’s article.
Bill Graham, Foreign Affairs Minister of Canada, recommends that the UN take immediate action to prevent crimes of humanity and the death of millions of more Sudanese people — or should I say “genocide”? The situation in Sudan is a genocide, but no one, including Canadian leaders, wants to use that word because it would require intervention under international law.
Read the rest of Petra Mach’s article.
Or, why can’t my students speak in English?
Read the rest of Christopher Garbrecht’s article.
Bored at school? Try one of these ideas to fill your free time
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If you are anything like me, arriving in Japan with no previous immersion language experience, you are probably thinking that Saga prefecture presents an ideal situation in which to learn Japanese (an expectation that your family and friends have probably also expressed, including their parting farewell, “you’ll be fluent in no time”). Well, shit happens! Getting a good grasp on Japanese no matter how smart you are is really hard; just hearing it constantly is not going to set up you up to be able to understand it, speak it or read it without lots of regular practice and study (I thought I’d start with the bad news).
Read the rest of Rachel Woodley’s article.
Hedonism aside, for a medium-sized prefecture, Nagasaki has a rather high number of universities and post-high school colleges. This is clearly reflected on the streets during weekends when the lab rats and future lawmakers come out to play. Upon clearer inspection into bars and clubs, it’s not at all difficult to acquaint oneself with brethrens from different parts of the country who are eager to practice their English.
Read the rest of Kamil Shah’s article.
Coming from Michigan, U.S.A., which is surrounded by the Great Lakes, I’m a fresh-water kind of guy. So if you are hot and bothered (you know what I mean) in the summer, why not grab a few friends and head to one of these lovely little natural swimming pools.
Note: You’ll need a car or to know someone who is willing to chauffeur you around to get to either of these places. If you don’t have either, well, there’s always your shower.
Read the rest of Christopher Garbrecht’s article.
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
As Prefectural Advisor, my primary role is to support you confidentially and emotionally when you are going through a rough time. However, I understand that in some situations, you might feel more comfortable consulting a licensed counsellor. So I have information on that too!
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
This is from the Hokkaido JETs listserve: info on special train discounts at certain times of the year. Discounts & night trains. Check it out & tell your friends!
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Application for Lump-sum withdrawal must be made within 2 years of you leaving Japan, and it will be sent to an account you designate in your home country. It is not clear in the General Information Handbook if you can designate an account in 3rd country that you intend to go to but from what I hear, the CIR/PA from 2 years ago has not yet claimed his back because he has not yet gone back to his home country.
Your lump-sum payment WILL be taxed, and this will be refunded but to a Japanese “Tax-representative’s” account in Japan. Refund of this must be applied for within 5 years.
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
Santa Claus
North Pole
HOHOHO
Canada
Check out this link for more info.
The very generous Canadian Postal Service even post replies to all students — tell them and even the kids who hate English will be writing away into the next lesson.
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
I thought some people out there in Saga might be interested in taking a distance learning course in TESL or TOEFL. There are two schools that I am aware of up in the Tokyo area. They are Lambert University and Tokyo College (or University — I can’t remember) and they offer distance programs. All you need is some cash, access to the internet, and some time.
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
The JET Peer Support Group is a Volunteer Listening Line here to help.
Dial: 0120-837-725
The line is available from 8pm-8am everyday
What is it? The PSG is a night time listening line that is a useful resource for JET specific issues, more general Japan related questions or just to vent or work through some personal issues with the help of a listening ear.
This time of year can get really busy for a lot of JETs with summer festivals, work, returning home, summer travel, saying good-bye to friends, leaving JET as well as day to day survival in the summer months. We just want to remind you that the Peer Support Group is available should you start to feel overwhelmed (or underwhelmed for that matter).
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
If you ever go to elementary schools, you should really, really! Check out the book:
English for Primary Teachers: A handbook of activities & classroom language by Mary Slattery & Jane Willis. This book is a clear, easy to use introduction to teaching English to children in elementary grades. It contains advice and practical teaching tips. It also builds teachers’ confidence in their ability to use classroom English effectively. A free audio CD gives examples of language from actual classrooms.
It’s won all sorts of awards, and the best thing is that there is a Japanese version! Oxford had the book translated! So you can hopefully get your JTE to read it too. If you leaving and looking for a goodbye gift to give a JTE…
You can find it at Amazon Japan.
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
Edward Crandall of the Saga Shimbun has just launched his homepage.
It is a bilingual page. Click on the English table of contents to access the various sections. Note that the “update” section, which contains an English translation of his weekly column (originally appearing in Japanese in the Saga Shimbun), will be updated every Thursday with new material.
Free to send him an email. Enjoy!
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
Akita International University AIU as you may or may not have heard is Japan newest university located in Yuwa Machi Akita Prefecture. AIU is a unique university in that it is the first in Japan to offer all its courses and lectures (except some Japanese language classes for International students) in English.
Read the rest of Saga JETs’s article.
The fundamental principle of aikido is to be so “in tune? with the opponent that one can sense his intentions and be able to take advantage of his movement. This principle has given aikido its name: ai means “to meet,? the character ki means “spirit or energy? and do means “the way? in the philosophical sense of Zen Buddhism.
Read the rest of Carmen Abdallah’s article.
Wadaiko, also known as taiko, is what I would call an ancient art form. It requires strength, stamina and rhythm. Wadaiko started its life as a method of communication, possibly between communities, but reportedly it was used as a method to talk to god(s); the harder you beat, the clearer the god(s) would hear you. Nowadays it is a mezmorizing and awe-inspiring spectacle. If you’ve ever played or seen some professional taiko group play, you will gape at the effort needed to play some pieces.
Read the rest of Leah Kennedy’s article.
Japanese cuisine isn’t just fish and noodles. Okay, it’s mostly fish and noodles, but if you spend any time in Japan, you’ll discover a culinary selection as big as any in the world. Read on to learn more about some typical Japanese dishes.
Read the rest of Carmen Abdallah’s article.
I’ve used this recipe a few times and I’ve never been disappointed.
Read the rest of Christopher Garbrecht’s article.
The easiest soup in the world to make. Look for a tub of brownish paste in your local supermarket. Most generally cost around 300 yen and you can make at least 20 soups from it.
Read the rest of Christopher Garbrecht’s article.
A different way of getting to know your area is to hop on a bicycle and explore the country roads outside of your town. Get off the main roads, find those small farmers’ roads and get lost for an hour.
Read the rest of Carmen Abdallah’s article.
Aso, which lies in Kumamoto Prefecture about two to three hours away from Saga Prefecture, is one of the biggest active craters in the world. Most people go see the huge and impressive active crater and then drive home missing out on the whole area surrounding the crater.
Read the rest of Carmen Abdallah’s article.
Every year during Golden Week, which is from 29 April to 5 May, one of the biggest ceramics fairs in the world takes place in the little porcelain town of Arita in Saga prefecture. In Japanese, it’s called Arita Toukiichi.
There are thousands of shops and stalls full of all kinds of ceramics at all prices. Most ceramics are industrially produced in the area and others handcrafted by local potters. That’s what usually makes the difference in the price. A hand made ceramics vase hand painted by a local potter will be quite expensive as opposed to a mass produced bowl with a design printed on it which might only be 200 yen.
Read the rest of Carmen Abdallah’s article.
