If you have not seen it, the Daily Yomiuri has published an article about how the current administration is looking to eliminate the Elementary School reforms that were recently put into place. I say that teachers in rural Saga need all the help they can get, seeing how there are fewer and fewer ALTs every year. Please read this post in the forums and consider emailing MEXT.

Also, another BIG thing you can do, is to talk to your ES teachers about it, if your Japanese allows. If they are in favor of Eigo Noto and the new course of study, give them the contact information that we’ve included.

http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=11937

Here is the link. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8340128.stm It’s the 5th photo. :)

Here is the link. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8340128.stm It’s the 5th photo. :)

Lunch Catering is available for the midyear seminar. Click here to order–or email Jesse for a link to the order form. The password is that meal between breakfast and dinner that starts with an “l”.

Come try on yukata (Japanese summer kimono) and experience Japanese culture (Koto music, Powder Tea Ceremony, and Ikebana) at the Saga International Festival, 2009!!

DATE: Sunday, September 13th

REGISTRATION: From 10:00 to 13:00 (or 1 pm for those of us who do not do 24 hour clocks)

PUT on YUKATA:  in the special meeting room for women, and the Broadcasting room for men on the 2nd floor of AVANCE

*registration will be on a first-come-first-serve basis

*please wear an undershirt (tank top or v-neck shirt) for soaking up sweat under the yukata.

TRY Japanese Culture:  Koto performances, Tea Ceremony, and Ikebana (which I believe you will be able to try for yourself, very fun!) will be held in the 3rd floor tatami/traditional room from 10:00 to 13:00

Host organization: Saga Seikatsu Bunka Kouryuukai

For more information contact:  Yuriko Shirahama Tel&Fax 0952-24-6990

Saga Prefecture International Relations Association (SPIRA) Tel: (0952) 25-7921 Fax: (0952) 25-7417 e-mail spira@po.saganet.ne.jp

This seems like a fun event, so if you have time, please do attend! Even if you do not want to wear a yukata, the cultural events sound really neat, so you could just go to do that. It is  not every day that you get to see a koto performance or arrange flowers!

I’ve compiled a list of things to do this summer in or around Saga.
I also made a nice PDF which you can download here.

What’s on Saga : August 2009
Contrary to popular belief, Saga is not a sleepy prefecture. There is plenty to do (I think I have had four free weekends in the last 18 months). In addition to Saga events, we are surrounded to the north and east by Fukuoka Prefecture. JETs living in southwest Saga will find Nagasaki prefecture readily accessible. From Tosu City, Kumamoto City is only about an hour away. –Jesse

Nanayama Waterfall Climb (registration closed- Nanayama town, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture)
July 26th
Join hundreds of foreigners and locals alike as you walk up a mountain — in a river. As easy or as hard as you want it to be. Bring: sturdy, waterproof shoes (fully enclosed work much better than flipflops!) Too early this year for newbies, but there is always next year. A unique experience, this scenic and refreshing workout is highly recommended! SagaJET info: http://www.sagajet.com/forums//viewtopic.php?t=2798 (registration and insurance fee)

Saga AJET Welcome Party A (Saga City, Saga Prefecture – TBA)
Date TBA – usually the weekend after Group A arrives in Saga.
Get together in Saga City for your first all-gaijin enkai! Meet other JETs in Saga and enjoy whatever afterparty we’ve got lined up (in the past, karaoke, bowling, arcade games were all options)

Ohori Fireworks Festival (Ohori Park, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
August 1st
Take the orange Fukuoka subway Kuko line to the Ohori Koen stop (denoted with a cherry blossom symbol) arounf sundown and enjoy the biggest fireworks display in Fukuoka City. 6000 shots of fireworks and thousands of visitors. Fireworks are shot off from the central island of a pond in Ohori Park, and you can see them from all around the lake. (free entry)

Fukuoka Now Fireworks Afterparty
August 1st
Ohori Fireworks Festival falls on a Sat. night so continue partying at Fukuoka Now’s post-fireworks party at La Bohème Qualità restaurant! Wear a yukata or jinbei (traditional Japanese summer attire) and get 1 free drink! Best dresser awards & games. No yukata? No problem! Everyone welcomed! (entry fee)

Sakae no Kuni Matsuri (Saga City, Saga Prefecture)
August 2, from 5 pm.

Street stalls, musical groups, dancing, fireworks– a great way to kick off your year in Saga! You can even sign up to be in the parade and learn to do a simple festival dance. Facebook details at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124885466232 (free)

Kurume Fireworks (Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
August 5, 6pm – 10pm (arrive earlier for a good seat)

The biggest fireworks festival in Western Japan! Hang out with fellow JETs from Saga and Fukuoka as we watch the fireworks. To bring: something to sit on (folding chair or just a blanket/tarp) Your beverage(s) of choice, money for festival food (about 2500 yen should be enough to pig out. Most items are around 500 yen / serving) Facebook details at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120649561564 (free entry)

Saga AJET Welcome Party B Hamasaki Town, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture)
August 8th
The second of our Welcome-to-Saga bashes. This one is usually held in the beautiful seaside town of Hamasaki. Music, food, fun in the ocean. Be sure to bring a swimsuit, towel, and a change of clothes (there are restrooms to change in on the site).

Isla de Salsa (Momochi Seaside Park, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
August 8-9
Famous latin music festival held every summer in Fukuoka. Formerly held on an island in Fukuoka Bay, now on easily-accessible Momochi Seaside Park. It’s possible to camp out on the site overnight. Advance tickets are available, with a special discount for JETs. See: http://www.sagajet.com/forums//viewtopic.php?t=2808 (entry fee)

District Orientations – various locations throughout Saga –
Week of August 10-14
Spend the day hanging out with your DR (District Rep) and get your practical living questions answered– everything from trash sorting to trains. Ask your DR for more information, or just wait for the announcement.

Shoro Nagashi (Obon Festival- Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture)
August 15th
Climb aboard a sparkling white Kamome train and whisk yourself down to Nagasaki City for the obon festival. Locals make noise to summon the spirits of those who have died this year and direct them to the afterlife. Just be sure you pick up earplugs (get them from a drugstore or convenience store) as the firecrackers get loud! (free entry)

Language Classes (Jichikaikan behind kencho, Saga City, Saga Prefecture)
August 17th – 21st
Mandatory for all new JETs (but usually exceptions for CIRs). Not just a way to pick up some Japanese, but a way to bond with your fellow 2009-2010 Saga JETs. After your classes, it will be rare for everyone to be in one place at the same time, so enjoy going out for dinner and possibly drinks after your classes. If you live far from Saga City, we can arrange for you to stay with someone in town. (no cost)

English Festival – Taku City, Saga Prefecture
August 24th
Come up to Taku city in the mountains of central Saga. Play games and cook food with junior high school kids. Lots ofhttp://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2816 fun and the city may even reward you with free meals! SagaJET info:
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2816 (no cost)

Saga Orientation – Saga City, Saga Prefecture
August 26 – 27th
Two days at Grand Hagakure Hotel where you can attend workshops prepared by your DRs on locally relevant topics. Less formal and more fun than Tokyo Workshops. This is your chance to meet experienced Saga JETs and learn about working and living in Saga. Dress is professional. There is also a welcome reception at 17:30 for JETs and their supervisors the night of the 26th. (mandatory)

Dragonboat Race (Kubota Town, Saga City, Saga Prefecture)
August 30 (register by August 5th– ask your DR for details)
This community event is held every summer. Teams of 12 people row boats shaped like dragons. The tradition comes from China and the festival begins with the legend of the monk who rowed in one from China to Japan. A good, fun day in the sun. (registration and insurance fee)

AND MORE:
Blueberry picking, Night Aquarium, Cinema, film festivals, concerts, etc. Check it out at Fukuoka Now’s online site http://fukuoka-now.com/en/events

For Nagasaki events, check out the brand new lifestyle magazine, Nagazasshi:
http://www.nagazasshi.com/

Ask your DR or other JETs if you are not sure how to get to a particular place. We’re here to help!

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–or use the form below.

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 black navigation menu at the top of this page).

We have separate user registration for both parts.
Most of the site is visible to everyone, so you don’t need to register to benefit from SagaJET.

However, if you want to register here is a guide to that.

1. for the “magazine” part of the site, the only reason to register is if you want to write articles. So I wouldn’t bother.

2. If you register for the “forums” part of the site,
– You will gain access to the “Incoming JETs” forum (once we confirm that you are actually an incoming JET) This is a place where you can introduce yourself, so it’s not visible to outsiders.
– You will also be able to ask questions/write forum posts.

If that sounds like something you might like to do, then go to the forums part of the site (accessible under “forums” on the black navigation bar at the top of this page) and then click “register”.

this image shows where the "register" link is located

Registration is not immediate–it needs to be approved (don’t take it personally; it’s an anti-spam measure). If you haven’t heard anything and several days have passed, shoot me an email: webmaster at sagajet.com.

This article was originally published on 9 April, 2008. It’s been reprinted below for the new school year.

By now you know that in Japan, the school year starts in April and a few teachers leave at the end of March, with new ones rotating in to replace them.

The holidays are dead if you are not vacationing. Likewise, the first week of school will be a testing time for the students. It might get boring for you. But you should NOT (just) veg out at your desk! Here are some things you can do:

Network with the new teachers.

At this point, if you have not introduced yourself to the new teachers at your school, you should do that. Especially if the teachers are either administration or teachers whom you will be directly working with.

The stock phrase here is “Hajimemashite” and of course your name. If you can say in Japanese “I’m the ALT for xx school” or “I come every week on Tuesdays,” this would be good. The teacher may or may not ask about your history. I don’t give a jiko shoukai to them, though, because I think it’s unwieldy. They can slowly find out about you over the next few months. The last thing you should both do is a “yoroshiku onegaishimasu” to express your desires for a good working relationship.

If I am working with a teacher (for example a JTE or a person who coordinates schedules at the school) I always give them contact information. You can make neat little business cards on the computer during your free time. It’s easy. I got fancy and printed English on one side and JP on the other. It sounds hard, but you don’t really need to know much grammar to make business cards in Japanese! On them I have contact info for my base school (base school JTEs might get keitai email or my home/keitai number for emergency use). I might handwrite my email address and stuff like “kantan nihongo demo ii desu” — you can email me in simple Japanese, as well.

If you don’t have a card, when you are first introducing yourself, that’s cool. Just put it on their desk later, or stop by when they look free.

*I* think it is VERY important to attend the farewell enkai (the last chance you may have to see teachers you’ve worked with all year!) as well as the welcome enkai for new staff. You can not only show that you are NOT an island off on your own, but that you are a nice person. You can also get a feel for what they are like–and how they drink!

Last year, I made a coffee cake to welcome the new teachers. It might be a little over the top, but I wanted to ensure that we got off to a good start and was too cheap to buy omiyage or welcome gifts. Occasionally when the office seems tense or unfriendly and there are no enkai in sight, I find it helpful to bring food to work to share. Last week, one of the leaving senseis thanked me for bringing food the summer before. I had totally forgotten, but evidently, it made an impression on her.

Think Ahead!

If you have more than one school, this is the time to coordinate your schedules. Some ALTs have more freedom in scheduling than others. I am allowed a bit of leniency: I cannot control my outreach schools’ schedules but I can choose my classes at my base school to work around them.

You should have received a big master calendar (ours was in a packet) at one of the meetings over the break. In this calendar, we have the school’s schedule for the year. The important stuff to note is when your school holidays are, when you have to work weekends, and if your school makes everyone take daikyuu (a compensory day off for weekend work), what day that is.

I found that a lot of times, my daikyuu for one school fell on a workday for another. So in essence, I wouldn’t have a “day off”. This year, I am informing my shougakkou of when my base school is not in session so we can pre-schedule make-up days.

If you plan your shougakkou curriculum, this needs to be done now. Some schools plan it, some schools don’t. But I find that at least having a year-plan (even if you don’t have specific vocab words and games worked out) fill give your lessons direction. Sarah Cardenas gave a workshop on elementary teaching and she has great resources for lesson planning. Also, even if you think you are too hip for Genki Richard’s style, his website has great sample curricula.

If you are working from a previous curriculum, consider what worked well and what didn’t. (Too hard, too boring, too useless, whatever.)

In my opinion there are two kinds of curricula: short term and long term.

Short Term

* Also called “1-year”
* Good for ALTs who might not be around much longer.
+ Easier to plan.
+ Reinforces knowledge
- Boring for the kids. Especially if it covers material they had last year.
- Limited in Scope. You can only teach so many topics.
- Doesn’t account for varying interests of different ages.
- Might be hard for the ALT to adapt between grades.

Basically, you teach the same topics across the grades. 1nensei and 6nensei learn the same thing. The ALT needs to rework the lessons to make them easier or harder for kids at different ages…but the theme is the same for everyone. This is good because it requires a minimum of lesson material preparation. I think it’s popular with teachers, but I don’t think it’s very good. It’s incredibly repetitive, which might make your job less fun, and the kids will be turned off if they feel they already learned this. Another big minus is that it limits the topics you can teach in a given year and that the kids learn.

Long Term

* Also called “vertically integrated” or “multi-year”
* Good for ALTs who will think they will be at the same schools for a good while.

+ Interesting for you and for the kids because it doesn’t repeat very much.
+ Wide in scope: you can teach many subjects.
+ Works well for schools with lots of siblings: older sibs can teach their younger brother/sister English, too!
+ Considers the students’ ages and levels.
+ Easier for the ALT to keep track of who was taught what. Lessons don’t have to be modified as much.
- May not offer enough review.
- More involved planning and preparation since (in a given year) you don’t repeat.
+ But pays off the following year(s).
- Can get disrupted. If you schools change or your school changes HOW they teach English.

This is how I teach. I give the 1-2nensei the same topics, 3-4nensei the same topics, 5-6nensei the same topics. That way, the learn certain things at certain points in their elementary school tenures. It also allows you to work on more complex or abstract topics or projects for the older students and use simpler concepts (”hello/goodbye!”) for younger students. MEXT emphasizes the differences in kids’ development, and I think it’s really important, too.* The biggest problem is that if another ALT takes over or your schools change or if the school decides to use their own curriculum or discontinue English education for certain grades, those kids are left out in the cold. But this is a risk you have to take. The benefits are worth it, I think. Your students have a sense of pride in learning stuff their siblings aren’t. You also have more freedom to integrate with the subjects the kids are studying in other classes.

–
*See Resource Materials and Teaching Handbook, p.96 in the 2006 ed.

Work Ahead

I actually find this one the hardest to do: I’m not motivated until I have a deadline looming. But if you are inclined, consider actually working up lesson plans (for shougakkou) ahead of time. Print out flashcards, buy magnets, etc.

For chuugakkou, go through the textbook and try to remember the worksheets and props and activities you used last year. Scrape up these materials and get them organized where you can pull them up when you need them.

I can’t offer advice for high school ALTs, since I have no idea what their work is like. Please comment if you have experience with this!

Also consider extra projects: planning/making English boards, planning a skit, making a mailbox for your kids to write you with, designing fake money or “sticker passports,” writing small quizzes or talks for announcement time or whatever.

Refresh

The other teachers do this in the days before they move the desks in the staffroom: get rid of crap that’s accumulated at your desk: old papers, books you don’t need, post-its, memos, old schedules.

Give everything a dusting.

If you want to reorganize your desk layout (by making a hutch for your laptop, adding a small bookshelf, etc) this is a good time to do it. If you are unhappy that your LAN cable is wonky, now’s the time to swipe a new one!

Don’t Forget About Japanese

If you are taking the CLAIR Japanese course and plan to be gone for Golden Week, you should get an earlier than usual start on the CLAIR test. Remember that you will come back once May is underway, so you will also have less time to complete the final book.

If you are interested in the JLPT, you only have about 6 months at this point to get ready for it. Now is a good time to grab a guide or two and start drilling kanji or whatever.

Fun Stuff

Now that you have the master calendar for the year, you can also figure out when you want to do travel over the next year. This allows you to not get into a rush to get all of your travel plans in at once, to request nenkyuu earlier, and to book flights while they are still cheap. At the very least, get an idea of when you want to take off and how much you will have saved up between vacations.

Nagasaki can be a real pain to get out of.  If you are going to Saga (or by extension, Tosu, Karatsu…)  your last local train to get out is 7:30 pm.  The last White Kamome Limited Express leaves around 9:30.  You came to Nagasaki for the Lanterns / o-bon / fireworks / (maybe even the nightlife, though I am not sure why) so why not enjoy it by staying the night?

Hostel Akari, newly remodeled in 2008, is the answer. I have stayed at this hotel twice and it’s quite cozy.   The location is easy to find (just a few blocks from the Spectacles Bridge) and the staff are friendly.  They have English speakers, but will of course, be delighted to speak with you in Japanese, if you want to have a chat.

Dormitories are 4 or 8 bed.  I stayed in the 4-bed one on the 4th floor.  It had an aircon and was comfortable.  There were two toilets just across the hall and a small bath with a three showerheads (though, curiously, only one stool and basin!)  The bath looked nice: big enough for a couple of folks to enjoy, though I sense that most hostellers would be disinclined to bathe naked together.  Baskets are provided in the small changing area, but  it’s BYOT (bring your own towel + washcloth).  Also, body soap, conditioner, and shampoo are available for 100 yen each.

On other floors they have doubles and twin rooms, as well as singles and three person bunks. The twin I stayed in (on a separate occasion) also had an aircon and had an ensuite toilet and bath…so it was basically like a hotel room, but not as sterile and impersonal.  Twins are 6000 yen (3000 / person)   Dorm bunks are 2500 yen.

There is no curfew:  you let yourself into the lobby via keypad, then use your key to access the stairwells and yet another key for your room.  So pretty secure.

Downstairs, there is a toilet and a den area, where you can use one of the two public computers, watch TV or one of the DVD there, read or learn how to make a paper crane (the hostel collects them for peace ceremonies) .

The lobby has local information, including a bulletin board with things to do on a rainy day.  They also arrange cultural experience (such as an upcoming straw-thatching workshop) and rent bikes (500 yen for the day).   Encrypted Wifi internet access (they provide the key) is available throughout the hostel.

For more information, or to make a reservation,  visit the hostel’s website.  Reception is open from 8 am to 1 pm, then from 3 pm to 8 pm.

Hostel info:

2-2 Kojiyamachi, Nagasaki-city, Nagasaki, 850-0871 Japan
095-801-7900
akari
@nagasaki-hostel.com

• Business hours
  8:00am-8:00pm
  (Closed for lunch 1pm-3pm)
• Check In
  3:00pm-8:00pm
• Check Out
  by 11:00am

BONUS: If you stay on the 8th, the hostel will give you 500 yen off your room to commemorate their 1-year anniversary.  This date falls during the Nagasaki Lantern Festival, so it’s particularly convenient, as the festival sprawls through the same area that the hostel is in.

Planning a trip?  Ryosuke Imai can help!   Imai is the CEO of Wonder Years Co, Ltd.   He studied in California and speaks fluent English.

This year, I wanted to take a long ski trip to a large ski area.  I found an appropriate area, but after thumbing through a half dozen travel brochures, visiting two big-name agencies, and scouring the web, I learned that there are no departures from Fukuoka for my destination!   A few days later, I happened to run into Ryosuke at a festival and remembered his agency.  I emailed him with an inquiry and he gave me a quote and travel options within a day or two–no problem.   So if you are thinking about taking a trip, why not contact Wonder Years?   Their office, located in Hakata-ku, is open M-F  9:00 – 18:00.  They accept payment in cash or via furikomi (bank transfer).

Wonder Years Co. ,Ltd
5th Floor AQUA Hakata
5-3-8 Nakatsu, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi
Fukuoka 810-0801, Japan
TEL:  092-287-9638               M-F 9:00 – 18:00
FAX: 092-287-9501

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.

Many corners are eco-focused, and will teach visitors how they can use things they’d normally throw away in order to make their own chopsticks, candles, storage boxes, and great food.

There will also be corners where you can play with replicas of really old Japanese toys–that’s def what I’m most looking forward to.

Of course, as usual the event is a great place to make friends in the community!

Time: January 25, Sunday, from 10AM until 1PM

Place: Meet Plaza (next to Hohoemi-Kan–from Saga Station, take the Youme Town bus, and get off at Hohoemi-Kan Mae. Meet Plaza is right next to it, to the West.)

Cost: FREE!

Sure to be lots of fun, see you all there!

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!

Time: February 7th (Sat), 2009   10:00AM – 2:00PM

Place: Avance Cooking Room

Instructor: Ms. Sachiko Yamasaki

Participation Fee: 200 yen

Attendance: 30 people (RSVPs work on a first-come, first-served basis, so act quickly!)

Brought to you by the Saga City International Relations Association. Contact me at b(dot)gesiak(at)gmail(dot)com in order to reserve a spot!

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 of my data and backups are okay.

The bad news is that I am not able to do much of anything for the site until I get a replacement computer shipped to me…which will be in 7-10 days, I’d guess. So right now, nothing on the site is getting done. That includes software updating, spam-fighting, approving new users, answering fan mail, generating content….

I promise that I will get my new laptop up and running ASAP and catch up during the winter break, if not sooner!

A huge party–attendance is expected to be somehwere around 1,000 people.

Date: December 6th (Saturday), 5PM – 7PM  [Front Desk opens at 4PM]

Venue: Heartfull, Morodomi Cultural Gymnasium [Oza Morodomito 52, Morodomi Town, Saga City]

What to Expect: Brass Band, King School Chorus, Handbell Performance, Guitar Performance (and, between you and me, I hear a bunch of Sasebo GIs are going to attend, with the permission of the base commander. Good opportunity to meet someone who can get you access to a military supply store!)

Entrance Fee: 500 yen (free for children up to 7–kids get free drinks and presents, too! Bring your school kids and butter them up.)

On the schedule is a potluck party as well, so bring some food if you can–anything, even an old tootsie roll you found in your back pocket. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to cook something special or buy something nice for the occasion, you cheapskate.

The event is being organized by the Citizen’s Activity Association L.D.A. (Ladies’ Dream Action). For more information, or to ask about how you can volunteer to help make the party an even bigger success, contact:

Tel: 090-8397-1783 (1pm – 6pm), ask for Mr. Tsugami

HP: http://www.ldajapan.blogspot.com/  (Japanese)

Email: ldajapan@live.jp

Partnerships: Saga Brass Band, Sasebo Base King School, Saga Joshi High School, and those who volunteered in putting on the handbell performace

Support: Saga Prefecture, Saga Prefecture Board of Education, Saga Presefecture International Exchange Association, Saga City, Saga University, Saga Newspaper (Saga Shinbun)

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Please RSVP for the party by contacting me, at b(dot)gesiak (at) gmail(dot)com. The deadline for reserving your ticket is November 30th (you can buy tickets at the door no problem, though. The LDA just wants an idea of how many people are coming by the 30th).

Anyway, sorry to be the middle-man here, but I was told to tell you guys to email me in order to reserve your spot, so them’s the breaks. Lemme know!

Dress in traditional Japanese clothing for free! 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.-

Time: November 24 (Monday, National Holiday), please come from 10AM – 11AM
Place A (Changing Rooms): Avance 2F (Women: Special Meeting Room, 特別会議室、とくべつ かいぎ しつ / Men: Broadcasting Studio, 放送スタジオ、 ほうそう すたじお)

※Participants will be given a queue number in the order they arrive.
※Please wear undergarments, such as a t-shirt, in order to prevent perspiration from dirtying the kimonos.
※Please return to the changing rooms in order to change out of the kimonos by 3PM.

Place B (Tea, Koto Performance, Ikebana): After donning your bad-ass kimono, head to the Avance 3F Japanese Room (和室、わしつ) for some hands-on Tea Ceremony and Ikebana (flower arranging) action! There will also be a Koto (Japanese zither) Performance. The activities will take place from 10AM – 3:30PM.

For more info, or to let them know you’re coming, contact Yuriko Shirahama (白濱百合子), Saga Prefecture International Relations Association (SPIRA), at spira (at) po.saganet.ne.jp ; or by phone at 0952-24-6990.

Flickr photo courtesy of Panduh.

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.

BUYING MISO

If you have never purchased miso, it can be a little overwhelming. It comes in bags, tubs, packets, oh my!

There are several kinds of miso. But the two real distinctions are light or dark. The white kind is sweeter (I don’t personally like it very much) and the darker kinds are saltier and more flavorful. You don’t have to use just one kind in your soup– you can mix them (although, confusingly, you can also BUY miso blends. These are called “awase miso” I’m guessing the kanji would be like this: 合わせ (awase) 味噌 (miso).

Considering the number of servings you can get from a tub or bag of it, miso is dirt cheap. Also, I swear by it as a hangover remedy, so it’s good to have around.

Technically, miso soup is made with : Dashi (broth) + miso paste + 1-2 veggies (including “sea veggies”) and perhaps a garnish.

I just like to drink the miso paste with hot water. If you are also too lazy to make or acquire broth, the other option is to buy a miso paste that has the dashi in it. look for　出し or 出汁 (dashi) and then the kanji for “put in,” 入. If you want to try your hand at making dashi, you can hit up friends or neighbors. I would suspect that most middle aged women in Saga know how to make it. OR, you can check out this page, which has instructions and recipes (including for vegetarian dashi!).

As far as brands go, I like the one that comes in tubs and has the scary baby one it. Or maybe it’s a little bald man. I don’t know the name off the top of my head. UPDATE: It’s Marukome マルコメ that I was talking about. He’s officially called マルコメ くん. So he’s not a gnome from your nightmares! (Or maybe he is, if you dislike miso.)  I think this is the kind I bought before that I liked.  Based on the description and ingredients, it seems to also have the dashi components mixed in.

If you still are at a loss for which miso to buy, consider having a miso party with a few friends: everyone brings a small package or tub and you can sample and find one you like (and then donate the unwanted ones to students/neighbors?)

Once opened, you should refrigerate miso. It keeps for several months. I have some that was 2 years old and it was definitely due for being thrown out–it was sort of dehydrated and hard. But if you keep it sealed up tight, you can get a lot of use out of it.

USING MISO

To make your miso soup (or miso and hot water), just mix as little of the paste (a tablespoon or two for a big bowl) with some water to thin it and then add hot water (or dashi) to fill the cup. Don’t use boiling water, because the miso contains microorganisms that are supposedly good for you. You can either use water from one of those electric pump-thermoses or boil some water and wait for it to cool a little bit.

When it’s in the water, the miso “blooms” or sort of floats up to the top. I love watching it. I’m not sure if that’s because I appreciate simple beauty, am easily amused, or if it’s really just that boring in the winter. Probably the latter two.

SOME TIPS

Here is a miso tip on a useful website I discovered : http://nihonhacks.com/japanese-food/a-short-guide-to-faster-miso-soup/ Nihonhacks looks a lot like Lifehacker, Japanese edition. If you don’t wanna go to the site, basically the tip is to use a ladle as a mixing area for the miso paste.

Put the paste in a ladle, dip into the water or broth, mix with a spoon, pour out the mixed miso (but not the clump that’s still in the ladle). Repeat until there is no more unmixed miso clump.

Finally, here is a tip for the office: In the wintertime, I buy bags of instant miso (they come as a package and inside are little packets of dashi and dried seaweed and stuff and then little packets of miso paste). Anyway, I keep a sack of these in my desk drawer and when midmorning hunger hits–or when I need a pick-me-up, I mix up a mug of miso soup and have it at my desk.

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!

Time: December 27, 2008  10:00 – 14:00

Place: Avance, Kitchen Classroom

Instructor: Ms. Wakana KOBAYASHI

Fee: 100 yen (Insurance Fee for members of the Saga City International Association); OR 500 yen (for non-members)

Capacity: 20 People (Act fast! No more students will be accepted after the limit has been reached)

In order to reserve your spot, contact me, at b (dot) gesiak (at) gmail (dot) com, or the Saga City International Relations Association at:

sagakokusai (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) jp

TEL: 0952-29-0322

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.

House parties are somewhat uncommon in Japan–people usually go out with friends, rather than inviting them to their homes. However, the trend is beginning to catch on. In the Christmas Issue of “Fit”, the reporters at the Saga Newspaper are looking for people from several different countries/cultures to talk about how they would throw a house party (for example, a Christmas party).

Now, we’re all pretty young, so I don’t expect we’re throwing house parties for all the gals in our sewing circles and bridge clubs, but you can even just talk about what your parents always did when they invited guests over for a party. For example, “we always had crackers and cheese at our house parties. I was always sent to bed, but I could never fall asleep, so sometimes I would go and interrupt the party and everyone was drunk!” etc, etc.

Anyone interested in talking about house parties in their culture should contact Edward Crandall at the Saga Newspaper. He’s not writing the article personally, but he’ll handle all the translation for the interviews and stuff. Participants will be given a short interview, and will have a profile picture put in the newspaper.

Getting in the newspaper is a great way to get to know people! And not just old people, either–some woman in their mid-20s recognized me from my breif Saga Newspaper debut the other day, it was cool!

The editors are hoping to have the article done by the end of this month, so contact Ed Crandall at the following email address ASAP! They’re looking for about 5-6 people, and once they’ve secured those people it’s over (also note that I’m not doing the USA point-of-view, so that’s definitely open for those US JETs interested).

Edward Crandall
ecrandall@gmail.com
0952-28-2128 (note that there’s a good chance a Japanese person will answer the phone)

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 end once 20 pairs have RSVPed, so reserve your spot quick by either telling me or calling the following number: 0952-33-2255!

Anyway, I think I have to for work, so I’ll definitely be there (me and the Chinese guy at my office are gonna tear this competition apart)! It’s gonna be awesome.

Organized by the Saga City International Relations Association and the Saga City Health and Sports Association; Sponsored by Saga City and the Saga City Board of Education

So you want to go skiiing or snowboarding in the winter? Here are some things you need to know to get started.

The number one thing you should keep in mind is that January (and early February) are great times to go skiing…but you will have just finished the big Winter Break and New Year’s holiday… so both money and nenkyuu will be tight. You can alleviate the money cramp by putting away some money each month starting in the fall. If you can spare 5 man yen a month, then you should be in a good position later. Put it into an envelope or another banking account or something. And for get it’s there until you need to start paying for things.

Hokkaido is a good place to go: Niseko is popular among international tourists. Rusutsu is wonderful and a bit less trafficked. Resort hotels are expensive but have the added benefit of getting you out on the slopes quickly and, if you are renting equipment, letting you keep your equipment between ski days (rather than getting back in the breadline for skis every morning). I recommend a trip to Hokkaido. But be aware that round-trip airfare from Fukuoka is rarely under 5 man(!) yen. Another option for lodging are 民宿 (minshuku–Japanese Inns / boarding houses). Compared to big hotels, these are hard to find (you may need a Japanese-reading friend to do online research for you or get a recommendation from someone). Another option is hitting up Tatami Timeshare (login to AJET’s website first) and find a JET in Hokkaido. Be aware that although buses do exist, you really need a car to see Hokkaido–so your best bet is to tag along with Hokkaido JETs who are planning to go skiing and have a car with some space.

Tottori-ken also is famous for skiing, though I can’t comment on what it’s like.

The Japanese Alps are another option. I’m going to give them a try this year.

For smaller (cheaper) trips, consider Hiroshima-ken. You and some friends can get a weekend skiing there for around 3 man yen each. Travel agents in Fukuoka are good to consult about this. The usual routine is:

THURSDAY: pack.

FRIDAY NIGHT: go to Fukuoka City , get on an overnight bus.

SATURDAY: go skiing starting from 5 or 6 am (it takes awhile to get gear and get oriented). Stay overnight at a ryokan .

SUNDAY: take a shuttle/bus back to the ski area for another day of skiing (finish up around 4 or 5) and then get back on the bus and get home that night.

These small trips are a good way to try your hand at the “other” winter sport (skiing for snowboarders/snowboarding for habitual skiers). I learned the basics of snowboarding in Geihoku, Hiroshima two years ago. If you are taking a huge, expensive trip to Hokkaido, you may be loath to spend one of your (expensive) days falling on your butt. Closer to home, it’s no big deal.

Finally, Kyushu skiing, while not fabulous (I hear) is available. For a trip you can actually drive to, consider Miyazaki ken. They have Gokase, the southernmost natural snow skiing in Japan, but I have heard that the pistes are a bit crowded.

And what article about skiing would forget to mention Tenzan, Saga’s very own ski area? A typical exchange about it goes something like this:

Co-worker: “And you can go skiing on Tenzan!”

You: “Uhhh… in Saga? It’s too warm.”

Co-worker ( a bit defensively/blithely oblivious) “They MAKE the snow! You can go skiing no matter what the weather!”

You: (silently consider the role ground temperature plays in keeping the manmade snow…snow. Ultimately, you decide not to argue about it and just smile and nod thoughtfully.)

–

BOOKING:

Especially if you want to go around the Snow Festival in Hokkaido, BOOK NOW. Things fill up fast. If you are a procrastinator, you can always go on the HAJET (Hokkaido-AJET) annual ski trip. In the past, they have set their deadline in December (yes, December is “procrastinating” when it comes to booking ski trips). They already have a sign-up/inquiry form on their website if you want to take a look. The biggest problem with the HAJET trip is that they only do one day of skiing, and if you are going to Hokkaido, that is just not enough. One option might be to work out your own accommodation and airfare and then go skiing for a couple of days before the event, joining up with them after. Actually, I kind of want to do that now. But no, Jesse, this year it’s Japanese Alps…which will ALSO be kickass. The HAJET trip will usually require a day or two of nenkyuu, so be sure you can handle that. Finally, if you are fond of mutton/lamb, the HAJET trip usually includes an option for a farewell enkai which is almost always ジンギスカン (”Ghengis Khan”– all you can eat mutton yakiniku, veggies). They give you these HUGE bib-apron things. Oh, good stuff!

ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT:

I don’t recommend busing to Hokkaido. There actually IS a ferry that goes 3 times a week from Fukuoka to the Muroran in the southern part of Hokkaido. It takes a long time, something like 38 hours, and makes one stop in N. Honshu. The length of time it takes is the biggest detractor. Another alternative might be to ferry to Kansai (Osaka, for example) and then take trains the rest of the way up. But be sure to compare prices.

NIGHTLIFE:

Aside from nomihoudai (I don’t drink the night before skiing because of the risk of being dehydrated), another great way to increase your ski trip enjoyment is to go to an onsen. Certain JETs, who shall go unnamed, have been known to sneak into ski resort onsen after a hard day on the slopes. Somehow, the snow outside makes soaking in hot water that much more sugoi.

Make this article better! If you have questions or comments, please use the contact form to send a quick note to me.

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 on time!)

※ Appointment cards will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

※ Please wear an undershirt!

※ Please return to the changing room by 3PM in order to take off your Yukata.

Host organization: Saga Seikatsu Bunka Kouryuu-Kai (佐賀生活文化交流会)

For more info, contact Yuriko Shirahama (白濱百合子), Saga Prefecture International Relations Association (SPIRA), at spira (at) po.saganet.ne.jp ; or by phone at 0952-24-6990.

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 & conversation with fellow residents of Saga City!

The class will take place at Avance in Saga City (email me for directions) on Saturday, August 6th, 10:00AM – 2:00PM. The fee to participate is a measly 500 yen!

(For those of you worrying that you won’t able to make it to the Sasebo Pirate Party–don’t worry! There should be no problem getting to Sasebo on time. Everyone knows pirates need tacos to play at 110%.)

Email me at b.gesiak@gmail.com in order to reserve a spot or if you have any questions–yoroshiku!

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 people wanna join in on the fun. Although it IS past the deadline that I set out, I am not one to abide by deadlines, (always late), so in return I will allow anyone to join in!

Food will be in the form of sandwiches. Veggy people dont worry, half the sandies will be veggy’y.

PLEASE CONTACT ME if you want to participate and your name is not below! Contact me via 080 1786 6395 or i.kt.cheung@gmail.com 

People PARTICIPATING:

Charlotte Rodgers

Brian Ivan Gesiak

Tim Russell

Ruriko Yamaguchi

Charlene Chang (spectating)

Jacob Call

Rebecca Schwartz

Ian Davis

Carl Joseph

Valerie Kanemoto

MAYBES:

Myra Chan

Jade Freeman

Yuko Akiyama

Barret Kaubisch

Amanda Carling

Keith Perry

Davis Shum

Jen King

Cheers dudes and dudettes.

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 here in Sasebo on Saturday, September 6th for everyone in the Prefecture to attend. It’s going to be a huge day so mark your calendar and make sure to attend.

I am renting out a huge Pirate Ship for a private Sunset Cruise through Kujuku shima (99 Islands). The Party will start at 4:30PM on Saturday, September 6th. It is all-you-can-drink: beer, wine, cocktails, softdrinks. There will be food, a DJ, live music, Pirate Costume competition, prize drawing and give-aways. The ship will depart at about 5:15 so make sure you get there early. After departure we will have a 90 minute sunset cruise around the Islands which are world famous and incredibly beautiful. After sunset, we will return to port at about 7:00PM. The fee for this party is 3000yen which includes everything. The ship departs from the Pearl Sea Resort which is in Kashimae in Sasebo. There is a big parking lot if you come by car, but you can also take a bus from Sasebo Train Station. There is an express bus from Sasebo Station that leaves every hour from 12:30 to 3:30, and you will get off the bus at Kashimae Sanbashi. Tickets can be bought from me beforehand. any hassle with directions give me a ring 090-6298-1982, email: pdh406 at ezweb.ne.jp

I have also rented out a dance club called Dazzle Puzzle for the night. Dazzle Puzzle is the only real Club in Nagasaki Prefecture and is a pretty sweet place. This party starts at 9:00PM and will be open until 2:00AM. There will be 5 dj’s spinning the beats for the night, all of whom are 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year ALT’s based around Nag Ken. Entrance fee is 1000 yen,and all drinks are 500 yen. Dazzle Puzzle is only 2 blocks from Sasebo Train Station and Bus Center. I’ll include some pics and a map.

There are cheap hotels that are downtown for around 5000yen so you can stay the night and check out Japan’s longest shopping arcade the next day. I will find out more info for Hotels later, but in the time being you can try to make friends with Sasebo ALT’s to find a free place to crash. There is also a train that leaves Sasebo at 11pm that goes through most of the Prefecture if you’d prefer to go home after the festivities Saturday night.

It’s going to be a great day so I hope everyone can make it. Block Reps rally the troops. If you have any questions just holla.

-Pat pdh406 at ezweb.ne.jp (Sasebo)

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. So keep that in mind. If you are really worried about your Japanese, take your DR (that’s what they are here for!) or another JET with you.

2.  Soejima san warned that doctors on this list may have since transferred.  The area selection predates the most recent merger– so it was probably updated sometime between 2005 and 2007.

Still, it should give you a place to start.

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 one of the most fun things I’ve done in Saga so far, so I’d definitely recommend it!

If this sounds familiar it’s because Jesse posted it a while back. I signed up for the 26th, not knowing the Saga Pref. Orientation would fall on the same day. Here’s the original info:

“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 Japanese) and a member of SPIRA plays the part of a doctor (who can’t speak English). The Japanese volunteer has to interpret between the two people. Each role play is scripted so all you really have to do in the class is read from the script.

The group is really good fun and its a great chance to learn some more Japanese whilst doing something to help the foreign community in Saga.

Please email Kitamikado san at: spira03@star.saganet.ne.jp”

There are two sessions on the 26th, one from 9AM – 11:30AM, and one from 1:30PM – 3:30PM.

Besides just “reading from the script”, you’ll also help people out with their pronunciation, answer questions regarding medical services in your home country, and ad-lib when appropriate. Anyway, it’s a lot of fun, so give Ms. Kitamikado (北御門) and email if you’re interested!

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 be a small fee for the food and drinks but we will make sure it will be kind on the wallet and purses. Costco food, y’all. Details later.

How to get there:
First get yourself to Hamasaki station. it is 4 stops from Karatsu station in the Fukuoka direction (Chikuhi/Airport Line). Walk straight out of the station (there is only one exit) and just keep walking ’til you hit the beach (less than 5 minutes). If you want to stop and get drinks, there is a mom & pop grocery store on the way.

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, some come hungry–for knowledge!!!11

The lecture will be conducted in Japanese, and will be a great opportunity to meet other Saga residents (including yours truly)!

Time: August 30th, 2:00PM – 3:30PM
Place: I-Square Building (3 minute walk from Saga Station), 5th Floor
Attendance: Up to 30 people, RSVP required
How to RSVP: Email me (b.gesiak@gmail.com) or sagakokusai@yahoo.co.jp

Let me know if you’re interested, or if you need directions to I-Square Building, or if you have any questions at all! See you all there!

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 and the soumen filling. 600 yen gets you a nice lunch of soumen which you catch from a sort of “noodle waterslide” plus sauce and garnish (ginger, chives, wasabi). Drive up the road a bit further and you will arrive at a dam/waterfall area where you can swim or relax.

Mark says:

“A long trough is set up, through which a stream of cold water flows, carrying bunches of cold noodles placed in at one end by the cook. Participants sitting along the trough pick the flowing noodles out with their chopsticks and place the tasty morsels in their individual bowls of dip. It goes without saying that being “downstream” from a healthy eater could mean slim pickings, so where one sits is very important! “

If you’d like to give this a try, you can do so for free at Niiyama Park (仁比山公園）in Kanzaki city(神埼市) every weekend from 19th July – 24th August. Niiyama Park is around 5 km North of Kanzaki train station, so you’ll probably need to get there by car. Reservation is necessary but they don’t speak English so if your Japanese isn’t up to reserving a spot at the floating noodles stall, I don’t mind phoning on your behalf (although I’m only here until the end of July). If you do phone them, tell them こくさいこうりゅうのしょうかいで　きました　（kokusai kouryuu no shoukai de kimashita), then they’ll understand that you heard about it from SPIRA and let you try it for free. Their phone number is: 0952-52-2625.

Actually, I mentioned that we were sent by kokusai kouryuu a couple of times and their reaction was sort of, “uh, that’s nice.” So we didn’t get to do it free…but that’s cool. It was only 600 yen. Also, they didn’t seem to mind that I called up the day before and forgot to leave a name or reserve a time. They said anytime between 11 am and 3:30 pm was good to show up.

Here is a Google Map to help you find the place. It’s past the park that has a building shaped like a waterwheel. I can’t remember the exact name of the shop, but the first kanji is hyaku (百) and it’s on the left.

View Larger Map

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 if you do the homestay.

Soumen Nagashi (Floating Soumen): Weekends July 19th – August 24th
About 5 km north of Kanzaki station on Route 21, in the mountains, you can try a fun way to eat: cold wheat noodles are dropped down a chute with water and you have to catch them if you want to eat them. Not too hard, but a novel sort of lunch in a pretty setting. The friendly Japanese folk who work there will be happy to chat with you if you speak a little Japanese. A great outing to take with your new fellow JETs.
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2705
deadline: none, but consider calling ahead (in Japanese) to check if there are spots. 600 yen for all-you-can eat noodles, sauce and garnish.

Isla de Salsa: August 9-10
Head out to Momochi beach in Fukuoka City for two days of dancing and salsa music by the ocean! This is one of the cheapest summer music events you’ll find in Japan. http://www.isla-de-salsa.jp/2008/home_en.html
deadline: none. 4800 yen presale, 5600 yen at the event. Possibly a bit cheaper if you go through the right channels.

Karatsu Beach Party/Welcome B: August 16th
You and your team can hop into a fancy boat and paddle your way to victory on the Kase River. http://www.sagajet.com/dragon-boating
deadline: already passed (July 31). 3000 yen. Includes lunch.

Dragonboat Races: August 31st
You and your team can hop into a fancy boat and paddle your way to victory on the Kase River. http://www.sagajet.com/dragon-boating
deadline: already passed (July 31). 3000 yen. Includes lunch.

Papermaking Tour: Sept. 6th
Take a tour of the Hizen Nao Washi workshop and learn about how traditional Japanese paper is made. bring-your-own picnic lunch. Tour includes transportation and materials for making paper. http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2730
deadline: Aug 22nd. 2000 yen.

Here is a basic overview of what you need for your taxes. But first some notes:

A) if you filed form 4868 (application for extension of time to file) last spring, then your extension is almost up.

B) This year, Americans will get a little tax kickback thanks to Uncle Sam. If you file before Oct. 15th, you can still claim your rebate.

C) A disclaimer: Though I am offering tax information, I am not a tax professional and can’t take responsibility if there is a problem with your taxes. You will be preparing your own returns. That said, I am also following my own advice so if you get in trouble with the IRS, I probably will as well.

Let’s get started.

First, you will need to gather your supporting documents. This means proof of your income:

* W-2, if you worked in the US
* H19 Gensenchoshuhyo if you worked in Japan last year.
* special forms (like 1099) that your bank or loan providers mail you– these might show the amount of interest you paid on student loans, any income you received from stock dividends, the interest from your savings account, etc.

It’s helpful, but not necessary, to have a copy of your tax return from last year. Most people don’t see too many changes from year to year, so your old form might remind you of income sources or other special things you’d otherwise forget about.

I also find it helpful to make a Word document each year that lists all of my income sources and how much so that I just have to look at one paper and not a bunch of forms.

Next, you will need forms. Go to the IRS website and find the list of PDF publications. Or just click this link: http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/lists/0,,id=97817,00.html

Assuming you have already filed for your extension (using either form 4868 or form 2350)

You will now need to download AT LEAST these PDFs:

2007 f1040
2007 i1040
2007 i1040gi
2007 f2555ez
2007 i2555ez

The forms should be listed in order of number. The naming convention is simple: the year first, then f (for “form”) or “i” (for “instructions”) then the number.

“gi” refers to “general instructions” and “ez” is the “easy” or simplified version of a form. Because we are excluding foreign income, we have to file the regular 1040 (not 1040ez or 1040A). But we can use the ez version of the 2555.

Summary / Guide to Commonly-Used Forms for JETs

1040 — the basic tax return.
2350 — First years file this form or 4868 in April to get an extension of time to file. You CAN’T file your 1040 in April or you will not have been in Japan long enough to exclude your Japanese income.

2555 — This is the form that lets you exclude your Japanese income.

4868 — This is a form that will give you until mid August to file. File it in or the 2350 in April. It’s really short and easy to complete. The hardest part is that it asks you to estimate how much tax you’ll owe. That’s a bit tough.

8802 — You should already have filed this form when you arrived in Japan or before. When you file it, the IRS will send you a letter which you give to your supervisor. That letter gets you out of paying JP income taxes.

8822 — Change of Address form. You should have changed your address to your Japanese address already. According to the IRS, simply filing a form with your new address is not acceptable. You need to formally fill out the very simple 8822 and mail it in.

You will need to convert your salary to USD. The official way to do this is to find the exchange rate on your payday and then add all of the converted sums up.

Use the exchange rate prevailing when you receive, pay, or accrue the item. If there is more than one exchange rate, use the one that most properly reflects your income. You can generally get exchange rates from banks and U.S. Embassies.  — IRS, “Foreign Currency and Currency Exchange Rates”

This site is useful for that: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

However, I’ve already figured this and you are welcome to use my figures, provided the following conditions apply:

1. You got paid 300,000 yen each month from Jan 2007 to Dec 2007.

2. Your C.O. pays you on the 21st of each month OR the earliest prior day in the event that the 21st follows on a non-work day.

If that’s true, you made the equivalent of $30,625.97 in 2007.

The IRS allows you to round figures to the nearest dollar, but you have to do it consistently (i.e. everywhere) on the form.

Hello everyone! We here at the Saga City International Relations Association are looking for someone to host an International Cooking Class at the Saga Prefectural Women’s Center / Lifelong Learning Center, Avance, in Saga City.

Teaching a cooking class is a great opportunity to interact with the local community, make new friends, and spread your favorite recipe to a new, wide audience! Many previous JETs have participated in similar classes, and their experiences have been great!

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.

If you’re interested or have any further questions, please email me, Brian Gesiak (Saga City CIR), at b.gesiak@gmail.com , or my charming coworker BABA Mika-san (馬場三佳), at mikamikamika64@yahoo.co.jp .

In your email, please give us an idea of what kind of recipe you’d like to introduce, and a general time frame you’d be available to host the class (it could be as specific as an exact date, or as general as “any weekend in September”).

We’re looking forward to your email!

Come learn the traditional Sakae no Kuni  festival dance and then dance through the streets of Saga!  It’s a great chance to meet the people of Saga and enjoy a summer evening!

The festival runs Saturday and Sunday.  Here is a schedule of events (in Japanese).

The dance that we are involved in takes place on Sunday,  August 3, 2008.

Place:  I-Square building, 4th floor.  It’s just south of Saga Station.

Times:   4:00 or so: arrive and get dressed

5:00 pm:  practice begins

6:30 pm:  dancing in the streets begins.

Contact the Saga City International Relations Association to reserve your spot!

tel.  0952-29-0322

email: 

Even if you don’t take part in the dancing, there is plenty to do at the festival. In past years, they’ve had bands and dance troupes (traditional and modern), ice sculptures, fireworks, and of course lots and LOTs of yummy festival food!

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 Japanese) and a member of SPIRA plays the part of a doctor (who can’t speak English). The Japanese volunteer has to interpret between the two people. Each role play is scripted so all you really have to do in the class is read from the script. Although they need someone to translate the scenes into English from Japanese, so you would have to have some Japanese ability, although if you just have a basic grasp and don’t mind looking up some medical words in the dictionary, that would be fine.

The dates are:
August 12th 9.30-11:00 (One person required)

August 26th 13:30-15:30 (Two people required)

The group is really good fun and its a great chance to learn some more Japanese whilst doing something to help the foreign community in Saga.

Please email Kitamikado san at: spira03@star.saganet.ne.jp

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 Boats. This year insurance is inluded and so is the price of drinks and food. Total of 3000 yen altogether! So all you need to bring is yourself, suntan lotion (a hat?) , a towel, and I advise another drink to carry around with you.

There will be a practice day on the 23rd of August which is voluntary. This starts at 9:00 and lasts till 12:00. Beware, it does coincide with the Nanayama Homestay. If you can’t make the practice, don’t worry, you can still attend on the main day!

DIRECTIONS: Take the train from where ever you are to Kubota station near Saga station. The location is near the Saga prefectural baseball stadium. I have included a nice little map with this message. Hopefully it comes out…

Saga station is one station to the right of Nabeshima station which is shown on the map above.

If you need any other details don’t hesitate to call or email me! It might be useful to store my number in your keitai’s for use on the day!

Here is my email and mobile phone details! i.kt.cheung@gmail.com

080-1786-6395

Facebook Link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=32663996632 for you facebook freaks like me.

A message from Josh in Nanayama:

It’s time again to play up the famous, the spectacular, the most amusing way of trying to kill yourself:

The Nanayama Waterfall Climb!

(or, International shower climbing in Nanayama as it is sadly written on the sheets…)

Date: Sunday, August 24th

Place: My home of Nanayama

Fee: 1000 yennies

So, we’ve got these waterfalls in Nanayama, and someone decided we should all climb them. There’s usually over 1000 people climbing the falls and we’d like over 100 of them to be foreign folks.

It seemed like a rather easy climb for me last year. There’s usually two courses at every waterfall. The easy course and the hard course. Either way, there’s plenty of ropes and people to keep you from dying. It’s fun, it’s exciting and it’s almost entirely in the river, so you don’t feel horrible and sticky the whole time.

There is provided transportation from Saga City allll the way to Nanayama. Alternatively, you could drive there.

Additionally!

There is a homestay program this year. We’re looking for 10-20 people to come to Nanayama at around noon on Saturday 23rd and stay with a family for the night. They’ll feed you and the like and you might even get a free trip to the great onsen up here. Then, they’ll take you to the waterfall climb and you can have fun.

Since this is Nanayama, there’s a surprising amount of decent English ability to be found. Plus, the families will usually have junior high or high school kids that will probably get a kick out of talking to you. They’re supposed to be showing you how good live is up in the mountains, so expect fresh food and stuff too.

The homestay is, of course, free. Also, you don’t have to pay to participate in the waterfall climb either.

Date: Noon Saturday, August 23rd – 5PM Sunday, August 24th

Place: Nanayama (and maybe Hamatama)

Fee: FREE (The Waterfall climb is also FREE)

For this one, there is no free bus from Saga, but there is one from Karatsu station. Alternatively, you could drive.

I will be helping coordinate the monies and the applications this year, so it should go smoother than last year.

HERE IS THE APPLICATION. You can fill it out on your computer and send it me [Josh] as well.

I’ll also be sending emails and probably a facebook invite as well. One thing I’m not entirely clear on is that you can also form teams and win prizes and such for the climbing. (Not just fastest, but best costume and such) More information on that as I get it. New people will be here at this time and they are also invited.

Deadlines: Waterfall climb July 31st; Homestay mid-July

I live in one of the most beautiful places in Saga. Come, visit, be happy.

Questions? Comments? Quibbles? email, pm, message, call, text, fax me

ed. note: this article is reprinted from a post published on July 13, 2007. Aside from the reference to Man-Yi, the information is still relevant.

You too can ride out the storm with the gusto of Slim Pickens on a warhead!

….okay, bad comparison there…just read the article.

As typhoon Man-Yi rolls up towards Kyushu, it’s a good time to consider your personal emergency plan in the event of a natural disaster.

Before newbies start re-watching all of those awful nat. disas. summer blockbusters for notes (”What would Bruce Willis do?! Why, he’d fly up to the damned asteroid and show that mo-fo who’s boss!”), it’s important to say that Saga prefecture is one of the safest (”Most boring? Hush!”) prefectures in Japan, in terms of natural disasters. Most typhoons have to travel over enough land to considerably weaken before they can hit Saga.

Nevertheless, a good emergency plan never hurts: some things to consider:

I actually HAD this conversation last September:

Me: Good morning.

Coworker: Good morning! Is your house okay?

Me: Yes, but I was REALLY scared this weekend. The power was going off and on every five minutes and I thought the roof was going to come off– the apt. was shaking so much.

Coworker: Yeah! My house STILL doesn’t have power. Lots of your neighborhood was knocked out for more than 24 hours. You’re lucky! In fact, this was the strongest one we’ve gotten in 15 or 20 years!

Interior Monologue: I see. That might have been good to know before I had to weather it.

6.  Finally, keep on top of the weather during typhoon season.  The Japan Meteorological Association publishes information in English on their website: http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html.

With any luck, you will never have to endure a natural disaster while in Japan, but if you should, you can feel more confident and in-control by being prepared.

Other Links
For people who actually get off on disaster planning, jackpot:
http://www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm

AUSTRALIA
CANADA
INDIA (paper form)
IRELAND: ?
JAMAICA
NEW ZEALAND
SINGAPORE
SOUTH AFRICA (online registration is not up yet)
UNITED KINGDOM*
UNITED STATES

* Oddly, the UK website seems to imply that people living in Japan can’t register (”Japan” is not in the list of countries they specify).

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). It’s basically the counterpart to whichever organization issued your IDP in your own country.

Here are directions to the JAF in Saga City. It’s possible to have you materials mailed there if you can’t get to it, but it seems like more people opt to go there in person.

Also, if your license does NOT say “ISSUED ON: xx/xx/xxxx” then you will need to order a copy of your driving record – or some other proof of when you got your first license. JAF will not translate this. You will have to find a translator, but anyone can do it. Just get your translator to write his/her name, position, contact number, and stamp it with his/her inkan.

Back to JAF’s role: the cost to do the driver’s license translation is about 3000 yen. JAF also sells English copies of “Rules of the Road” which is worth looking through before you take you driving test (and also to bone up on the differences between Japan and your own country so you can drive better). It’s 1000 yen. Check your apt. to see if your predecessor left a copy. Chances are s/he did. While the newest versions will have the newest laws noted, the vast majority of the information doesn’t change from year to year.
Here are the directions, from Saga Station’s North exit. I recommend doing this in a car or possibly a bike. It’s too far to (happily) walk.

Go directly north from the north exit of the station. Pass the Sports Grounds. Instead of turning at the Lawsons for the ken apts, keep going straight. You will pass all kind of stuff. You should pass a car place on your left (I think Suzuki).

Eventually, the road (263) will fork off, with one branch going to Mitsuse, I think. You should stay on the left fork. Then, look for a big, gaudy pachinko parlor (”Tiger”) on the right. I think it’s at a big intersection. If you pass the Mc Donald’s you have gone too far. If you get to Jusco, you have REALLY gone too far.

This all happens very quickly. It’s the next left after the split, I think. I had to go back and try again. But maybe you will be okay. Here is a picture of the JAF from the side street that it’s on:

And here is a picture of it from the main road:

Notice the gas station that is in front of it. Turn left into the road JUST before it and you will be okay. It’s pretty nondescript. Finally, here is a Google Maps link to it.  View Larger Map

Good luck, road warrior!

Speaking of waterfalls, I went to Mikaeri Waterfall last weekend and the smell of the stream made me long for the next Nanayama Waterfall Climb! Mikaeri Waterfall is so-called because once you see it, you will have to come back.

The next time you are in central Saga Ken (near Ouchi, to be precise), consider giving it a look. You will see a sign for it on Route 203 (between Ouchi and Honmutabe stations)

It’s about 5 km from the sign. You will have to follow a few signs, but it’s not too hard. One of the signs is in kanji, I think, but you can just match the symbol for “waterfall” 滝 (TAKI)

If you go during June, you will arrive for the あじさい　まつり (Hydrangea Festival).

The hydrangea bushes planted along the walking trail make it quite unique. If you are not up for walking, there is a shuttle bus (the first few days of the festival, if I remember.) But you would do better to take the trail. It’s much more relaxing. I was awed by the vastness of the forest around the mountain stream that the waterfall feeds.

Pictures just don’t do it justice. Also, the trail is well-maintained and pretty easy. This is not a difficult hike, and you don’t need special shoes or equipment (though, I wouldn’t advise wearing your heels, as I saw some Japanese girls doing. Silly fashionistas.)

Before and at the end of the trail, you can buy hydrangea plants. The ones at the end of the trail, just before the waterfall are the cheapest. They are 200 yen a pot. The ones at the base of the mountain are between 600 and 1200 yen. They are bigger, though.

It’s possible to drive all the way to the waterfall, but during the festival, the spaces are all full and there are large buses/shuttles on the road. Parking is free just before the village at the foot of the mountain anyway.

Just uphill from the waterfall, behind the rows of potted baby hydrangeas, you will find several jizou, or guardian statues, adorned with colorful aprons. Take a peek up there before you head down!

The festival runs from until 4:00 pm, June 1st ~ June 30th.

Tel. 0955-51-8312 (probably just JP) for more info. 

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.

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, but is a little more cumbersome to fill out because you might push stuff around as you type. However, you should be able to save the Word version and email it to

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

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 have displays as well. some are free, some are 200~400yen. the nicest, most famous one, Kusano Honkei (Kusano family manion) was 550yen but totally worth it. they have over 150 dolls, a number of them are around 300 years old.

also in Hita is the Kyushu factory of Sapporo beer. didn’t go to that one but there is a factory tour!

this was a very pleasant day trip and if you have some time in the next couple weeks why no check it out? i believe the dolls have been out since last week and should continue being displayed until mid-march (hina matsuri is march 3rd).

how to get there:
from fukuoka:
i took the bus from the tenjin bus center. there was a special ticket for the hina matsuri that was 3,200yen (round trip ticket) plus a voucher for free rides on the community buses and a few discounts at places around town (the bus goes to the dolls district, the beer factory, bus center, eki, etc). the buses to/from tenjin run every half hour (or more frequently). it’s a 1 hour 20 minute drive

from saga:
buses to hita leave from tenjin, kurume, or 六ツ門(mutumon?)
so, get yourself there and go :D hita shouldn’t take sooo long so you could definitely work in some lunch/dinner in tenjin before/after you go

once in hita i rented a bike at the tourism center near the eki. they were 200yen for the first hour and 100 yen/hour after that. i guess we didn’t really need the bikes but it was nice riding around the traditional streets. we found a few cool places off the beaten path

links!:
http://www.city.hita.oita.jp/　
Hita City website (japanese)

http://iris.hita.net/~city/ht/hina.htm
weird high school computer class version (engrish)

http://www.japan-hopper.com/2007/03/02_09958.php
travel site with pictures (english)

p.s.–
if you get there around lunch time (like i did), you may stumble across a hamburger shop by the station called “OJ” or something. eat at your own risk. the staff was rude, the hamburgers were really just thin hamburg steaks on buns, and they won’t let you order something off the take-out menu if you plan on eating it in the place (???).

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 this is really keen on getting the foreign community involved. Also, TBS will be making a 30 minute documentary about the day, which will be broadcast nationwide. So if you fancy seeing your mug on the TV, this could be your big break. Clothing will be provided, as will lunch. There’s no fee.
Further details: markchanner@gmail.com

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 get straight to that delicious government form, you’ll find an English/JP version here:
This was also on the CLAIR website: http://www.sia.go.jp/e/pdf/english.pdf

They also provide the form in a few other languages that are popular in Japan, namely, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Indonesian.

I hope this is helpful.

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 be the chance to try some of these arts yourself. The number of places is limited, so you must apply in advance. The deadline is February 15th. If you’d like any more information, send a mail to me at: markchanner@gmail.com and/or check out this link: http://www.nipponbudokan.or.jp/shinkou/html_1/index5.html

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 Humanity:

Habitat For Humanity International (HFHI) (generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat) is an international, ecumenical Christian, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building “simple, decent, and affordable” housing. Homes are built using volunteer labor and are sold at no profit, with no interest charged on the mortgage. The organization was founded in 1976 in Americus, Georgia by Millard and Linda Fuller, whose vision grew out of their experiences at Koinonia Farm. The international headquarters located in Atlanta (moved from Americus GA in 2006) serves to support and promote the activities of local, independent affiliate chapters, which initiate and manage all construction, mortages, and homeowner selection.

This past Golden Week, 11 Volunteers from the Saga JET community visited Mongolia, the land of blue skies. We helped to build two homes for two families over 14 days, and visited a local elementary school with school supplies as donations. As a member, I can say with confidence that it was an amazing success and is one of the most fulfilling life experiences I have had!

You can read more about our trip (in Japanese):
http://www.habitatjp.org/gv_report/cat1/1111/

We also have a Facebook group (Habitat for Humanity – Saga JETs 2008), where anyone can join to receive news and updates about upcoming events!

For more information, please visit:

Habitat for Humanity International:
http://www.habitat.org

Habitat for Humanity Japan (in English)
http://www.habitatjp.org/index_e.php

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 some of the best massages this author has ever had the pleasure to experience.

Yuri has spent several years in Australia and has recently returned to Fukuoka with her husband, whom is also a massage therapist, where she has worked with Heaka Aveda Spa since its opening this spring. Her technique can most easily be described as “Shiatsu Fusion” – using a variety of deep tissue and relaxation methods to achieve the client’s desired state of well being. The final result? A definite sense of improved circulation, well being, and calm, which noticeably lasted throughout the entire weekend. Tension was released and replaced with relaxed muscles and joints. Even your hair will feel relaxed!

Heaka Aveda spa is the only Aveda product and treatment spa in Fukuoka, and all of their treatments are exclusively used with Aveda products. For those not familiar with the Aveda Brand, it would be useful to note that the comapny believes in conducting business in a manner that protects the Earth, conserves resources and does not compromise the ability of future generations to sustain themselves.

Headquartered in the U.S., Aveda has quickly become the forerunner of Eco-friendly Haircare and Skincare products, offering their customers unique blends of organically grown floral and plant extracts and oils that have been scientifically proven to improve your hair’s texture and strength, in addition to your skin’s complexion and radiance. Eco-conscious spa owners have taken notice of Aveda’s unique branding image and advanced techniques and since early 2000, Aveda spas have been spreading across the world and just recently, to Fukuoka. This author says that it’s about time!

You can easily walk into the front of the house and purchase any product from Aveda’s line, or walk in and make an appointment for either a hair or spa treatment with one of Heaka’s friendly staff. Be warned that most of the staff do not speak English, so it is helpful to know your katakana in order to point to the services that you would like. Luckily, Yuri is very proficient in English, so you can ask to speak with her directly if you need assistance.

For a 30-minute (plus) body treatment, the cost is competitive at 6,300 yen. Since your head will be massaged as well, a bonus hair set and style is provided at the end of the treatment, a value of 1,000 yen! Sa-bi-su in Japan at its best!

To make an appointment, please contact:

Yuri Sakaguchi, Spa Director/Therapist
Heaka Aveda Fukuoka
BM bldg. 2F 1-12-66 Daimyo Chuo-ku Fukuoka
092.720.5220
www.aveda-heaka.com

Hours of Operation:
Weekdays: 11am-9pm
Weekends: 10am-8pm

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 they may have others.

Read more about Fair Trade here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade

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 your phone to http://www.sagajet.com or scan the barcode below:

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 year there’s a good few teams of JETs competing and it’s hoped that this year will be no different. So I’m trying to help assemble two boats worth of people. If you’re interested, please mail me at:

There will also be a ‘practice day’ on Saturday 18th 1-3pm, for everyone to fine tune their paddling technique. Although there is a competive element, the main point of the race is to get people together and have a good time. So I think it’ll be a good chance for not just JETs to get together, but also to meet some of Saga’s finest Japanese peeps.

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 the 2006 instructions, you are supposed to figure your salary in US dollars based on the historic rates for each payday.
You can do that here: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

Basics. Good for newbies or potential Saga JETs

http://www.chickobe.com/CultureTips.htm

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 one that goes from the station to Kencho), and we at the Saga City International Relations Association would love for you to come take part!

We’ve got a bunch of Yukata (summer kimono) and depending on how many of you sign up we should have enough for everyone to wear during the dance. Although I personally won’t be the CIR in charge anymore, it’ll also be a good opportunity for you all to meet my successor, Kevin, who will be among the group A JETs.

When: Sunday, August 5th 17:00
Where: Meet at I-Square Building, just south of Saga Station
How to Sign-Up: Send an email to sagakokusai at yahoo.co.jp

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 drummers)
MIYAKO – african dancing
Warakudan S.A.G.A. – taiko
馬洪陽ー pro Chinese fiddle! (for real?)
Teens Musical Saga!
and more!

Food!
Indian!
Pakistani!
Mango Juice!

pretty cool eh?
And, did anyone notice that neither Habitat nor the Christmas Party is fundraising at it? Marianne, where are you?? Smile

UNTIL: 3 am.

AFTER: Round 1 (bowling/games)

For both of these events, Katie needs numbers.
The A-Party is tentatively booked for 25 and the B-Party for 35, but please email her to secure your spot.

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 rules of thumb to follow:

1. Dress up REALLY nicely the first day. You will need a suit and tie.
2. From then on, it’s up to your BOE/schools’ culture. Look at what other teachers of your sex and approximate age are wearing, and match them.

But how, then, can you possibly pack if you haven’t yet SEEN your school? Here are some more guidelines. Bear in mind that you can buy clothing here at UNIQLO (or the GAP or wherever). You can also order from online stores and either have them ship to you in Japan or have your family/friends forward them to you.

Remember when I said to look at your “closest peer teachers”? The obvious exception is P.E. teachers, who are always dressed down. You probably won’t be able to get away with this, except during the vacations (like summer!)

You’ll want to wear a suit the first day (ick) and probably on “special days”– that is, open/observations classes and formal events like graduation. Conversely, I found that when I arrived, ALL of my school’s teachers were dressed down because classes were not in session. Actually, on my first day, we had a Big Cleaning– and it kind of sucked to be in a suit doing dirty work, but I think my teachers appreciated that I was game enough to do it.

Many teachers change during the day (especially before club activities). I do not like hauling clothes around and I really don’t like changing clothes gratuitously. So I don’t do this.

For men,
I usually wear khakis and polos (solids, not patterned) on shougakkou days.

For non-shou days, a short sleeved shirt in the summer or a broadcloth, button-up oxford shirt in the winter/fall/spring. I sometimes wear a tie–but never on a day when I’m around elementary school kids. It’s dangerous!

I the winter, I throw a sweater over the shirt, collar out English style). I justify this because I teach in unheated classrooms. And, honestly, the other teachers wear coats and things as well. The sweater thing has the added sneaky benefit of making ironing unnecessary, which makes my mornings happier.

You don’t have to spend a crazy amount on your work wardrobe. With the exception of the suit, everything I wear to work comes from either UNIQLO or Old Navy.

Shoes are a funny thing here. Your workhorse “outside” shoes need to be the kind that slip off and on. I have some brown ones that have a little elastic on the sides so they are easy to slip off and on. And slip them off and on you will. I think I must change shoes about 6 times a day–so the easy on/off thing is of utmost importance.

Inside your school, you will wear sandals or slippers. The most important thing here is that they never have been worn outside. Outside shoes and Inside Shoes are delimited in certain (but oddly, not all) places in Japan (read: schools). I see a lot of shower shoe style here. It’s really bizarre to see men in suits wearing these super casual sandals, but whatever. I wear birkenstock knockoffs. Note that the slippers are what you will actually be wearing throughout the day. Also note that they are not worn barefooted (pantyhose is okay for ladies). So thongs are not a good idea, unless you have toed socks.

Speaking of socks, I usually just wear white or black cotton ones. It’s not too big of a deal. But they DO need to be in good condition (no holes!) because you will sometimes be in your stocking feet when you go to special rooms like the gym or computer lab.

I have two pairs of slippers: one for my base school, and one I keep in my car for whenever I’m doing an outreach school. If you somehow forget your slippers, you will have to wear the narsty plastic ones that guests wear and they won’t fit well and they will be ugly. But probably not as ugly as the slippers your kids will be wearing as part of their uniform. Don’t worry about a second pair of slippers if you aren’t sure that you will need them: I was able to pick up my second pair here in Japan for about 9 bucks.

That’s about it. I hate wearing dressy clothes, but I think that dressing at least somewhat professionally is important if you want to be taken seriously. However, elementary schools tend to let the teachers dress more casually, and I know of JETs who wear jeans and t-shirts to elementary. It’s probably best to start out on the conservative end and gradually loosen up as you figure out what you can get away with.

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 or bloggy, though it’s not businesslike or newsy, either. Fukuoka Now is a good example.

Writing Ideas:

– Product/restaurant reviews
– Local history
– Japanese items/culture (ex: how to choose sake; waxing rhapsodic about soba)
– Teaching issues (Always wanted to present a workshop? Put that material to good use here!)

If you’re interested, sign up here below.

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 eki.
not sure on price, but no more than 3,000….
http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2404

http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2333

http://www.sagajet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2284

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 about this one, folks.

The FTP server is acting up. If it were working properly, I would have brought the blue look over to the forums to see how that went over. Also, we would have a fancy new favorites icon for your address bar. Unfortunately, that will all have to wait.

Here are a couple of changes I tried with the font. Feedback gets you a voice in all of this, so dozo.
http://www.sagajet.com/site-changes/

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 have anything else to say. Welcome to the new SagaJETs who are trickling in. :o)

Enjoy the weather while it’s not pouring every day.

~~Jesse

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 know of any problems that occur during the transition time.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Don’t adjust your monitors

The first thing you’ll notice about the new SagaJET is the new design. Where the previous design was bold and flamingly orange, this look is meant to be subtly striking (it is “prime rib,” after all), usable and definitely not flamingly orange. There are a couple of points in the new design worth elaborating on.

First, if things look really weird, you might have to clear the cache of your web browser of choice to make sure you’re not seeing parts of the new site layered on top of the old site.

Second, this new look is based on a fixed width layout. That means that the content will always be 740 pixels wide rather than expanding and contracting to fit your screen like the old design did. Hopefully the switch to a fixed width design will improve readability; users with small screens won’t have to scroll horizontally to see content like they may have had to before, and users with large screens won’t have to move their eyes so far to get to the end of a line. Users with medium screens: things will look pretty much the same.

Finally, we’re still working out some kinks in the new version, so if you see anything that’s broken, please let us know and we’ll fix it.

Gone to the blogs

After you’ve gotten used to the new look of the site, you’ll start noticing several very blog-like features have crept onto SagaJET. In fact, SagaJET has always had one foot in the blogging world (new articles getting posted in certain categories in chronological order); we’ve plunged in head-first with the new version. SagaJET is now powered by WordPress, an excellent (and free) blog publishing tool, and that swtich has allowed us to do things we never could before. Highlights follow.

• SagaJET readers can now comment on any article on the site, just like on a blog. To make sure commenters are accountable for what they write, you have to be logged in to post a comment, but if you have an account on the message board, you can use that login information to post a comment. Also check out the comments policy if you’re curious about that sort of thing (the short story: don’t post anything illegal).
• Since all of our content now lives in one database rather than in hundreds of HTML files, we can do some pretty interesting things with it. The best example we’ve come up with so far: the name of the author of every article is now a link; follow that link to see a list of everything that author has written.
• Using a blogging system makes it much easier to post new articles, which will significantly reduce the time it takes to get new articles posted. So now you have even more incentive to submit an article for publication (if you’ve submitted one in the past few weeks and it hasn’t been posted, it will be soon; we’ve had our redesign blinders on for the past month or so).

Ready, go

There are many more features in the new version of SagaJET, but it’s pushing 1 a.m. as I write this, so talking about those will have to wait for another time. If you’re so inclined, leave a comment to let us know what you think about the new site and what you’d like to see in it.

And happy birthday, SagaJET.