Issue 1
July 2003
JET Newsletter

 

In a change to previous years, a JET Pre-Departure Orientation Course took place in Edinburgh this month.

Over 90 new JET participants gathered at the University of Edinburgh for a two-day course, which covered aspects of Japanese culture and language. The aim of the course was to ensure new participants are well equipped to deal with their new surroundings in Japan.

As part of the course, a question and answer session was organised with the assistance of the JET Alumni Committee. Pamela Gupta, Josie Dean, Donald Ewing, Aoifa Desmond and Alison McEwen were able to offer practical advice and help alleviate the concerns of the new JET participants.

The discussion was followed by an informal drinks reception, hosted by Consul General Tsutomu Hiraoka. This allowed old and new JET participants to swap stories and enjoy a drink!

The new participants will fly to Japan in August, and the Consulate General of Japan would like to wish them the best of luck

On the 24th June, Mr Kakushow put on an exhilarating puppet rakugo performance at the offices of the Consulate General of Japan.

Alice in Wonderplanet tells the story of a young girl called Alice and her quest to defeat the Dark Queen and her plans to destroy the world. Through the use of puppets and props, Mr Kakushow delighted the audience with his eco-comedy. After the performance, wine and refreshments were made available to the audience courtesy of the Consulate General of Japan.

Missed the show? Don’t worry; Mr Kakushow will be performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from the 12th –15th August.

On the 6th July, a matsuri was held in the grounds of Lauriston Castle in Edinburgh.

Since the completion of a Japanese Friendship Garden in 2002, the castle and its grounds have become the venue for several Japanese related events.

The dry weather brought hundreds of visitors to the Matsuri where they enjoyed the tea ceremony, Japanese dance, martial arts, and the opportunity to sample some Japanese food courtesy of Bonsai Bistro.

The JET Alumni were also once again on hand to assist in the day’s event. A stall was set up to highlight the JET programme and children were given the chance to try origami and katakana writing.

The event was organised by the City of Edinburgh Council, with assistance from the Japan Society of Scotland and the Consulate General of Japan.

The JETAA Scotland and Northern England chapter boasts over 400 members. We are a relatively new chapter but a very active one and although small, have a number of events throughout the year.

This years AGM was held at Braincroft Lodge, near Crieff (Perthshire, Scotland) in late March and it was a great success. A number of ex- JET’s gathered for the weekend to elect a new committee and we decided to make a weekend of it! A new committee was appointed that weekend with Ali, Veronica, Sue and Steph handing over the reins. Many thanks for their hard work over the years!

The new committee are:

Chairperson: Pamela Gupta (jetaapamela@hotmail.com)
Communications: Aoife (Eva) Desmond
JETLag editor: Donald Ewing
Treasurer: Josie Dean
Events: Ali McEwan and Eilidh McClelland

We have lots of things planned for the coming months, and dates will be confirmed shortly. There will be pub socials, film evenings, a sports day in the summer and Japanese language lessons starting in September. Since returning from Japan, you’re bound to be missing the sushi and nama biiru. So sign up to the JETAA Scotland and NE England (jetaascotland@yahoo.com) and we’ll keep you up to date with what’s going on.

Aoife Desmond
Communications

International Conference: The History of Japanese Women from 1868 to 1945

11-13 September 2003

Organised by the Centre for Japanese Studies at Edinburgh University, this conference will focus on the life of Japanese women.

The three-day programme will be divided into two sections: one on pioneering women in Japan and the other covering general issues in Japanese women’s history. It will combine academic lectures, presentations and discussions by scholars, including four keynote speakers from Japan, America and Australia. This will be the first conference on the history of Japanese women ever to be held in Britain and will be attended by scholars from all over the world, and is open to the general public.

There will also be a small exhibition in the main university library of old postcards and photographs detailing the history of Japanese women.

For further information please contact the Asian Studies department at the University of Edinburgh.
Tel: 0131 650 4230
Email: Japanesewomen@hotmail.com
www.ed.ac.uk/east_asia/JapaneseWomen/index.html.index.html

In conjunction with the International Conference, three films will be shown at the George Square Theatre, Edinburgh.
On the 13th September, Nomugi Pass, directed by Satsuo Yamamoto will be shown. This film focuses on the lives of women working in the silk industry in the 1860’s and the brutal conditions they endured.
This will be followed by a screening of Melody in Grey on the 18th September. Set in 1918, Melody in Grey follows the story of Orin, a blind itinerant singer and the challenges she encounters as a blind lone female travelling from town to town.

The final screening will be of Actress on the 19th September. This film, made in 1987 tells the tale of Tanaka Kinuyo and her climb to stardom as an actress in the early years of Japanese cinema.

All the films look at the historical role of women in Japanese society and admission is free.

For further information please contact the Asian Studies Department at the University of Edinburgh or the Consulate General of Japan.

Please help us keep your contact details

up-to-date

In order to receive JET updates and the latest news on Japan related events, it is essential that the Consulate has your correct details. If your details are incorrect, or if you know of any JET’s in your area that do not receive correspondence from the Consulate, please print out and complete this page and return it to Joanna Stuart at the Consulate. Alternatively, you can email the details to Joanna at:

Name:                             ______________________________________________________

Address:                          ______________________________________________________

&

                                        ______________________________________________________   

Tel:                                  ______________________________________________________

Email:                               _____________________________________________________

Years on JET:                   _____________________________________________________

Prefecture:                        _____________________________________________________

Position (i.e. ALT/CIR):    _____________________________________________________

JET Facts and Figures

The JET programme began in 1987 and now 40 countries across the world participate in the scheme.

3057 new JET’s will join the programme this year, bringing the grand JET total to 6226 (CIR: 548, ALT: 5649, SEA: 29)

From the UK, 580 new JET’s will be flying to Japan this year. At the last count, 75 will be flying from Edinburgh on the 3rd of August. On their arrival, the total number of UK JET’s in Japan will be 1215.

A Word from Consulate Staff

Consul Hiroshi Ota (ota.cgj@btconnect.com)

I am from Hokkaido and since arriving in Scotland 2 years ago I have recognised that there are many similarities between Scotland and my home prefecture, such as the natural environment and landscape. I enjoy hillwalking and have tackled several Munroes during my time in Scotland.

I look forward to seeing you at the next JET event.

Joanna Stuart, Cultural/Information Assistant (joanna.cgj@btconnect.com)

I have been working at the Consulate for 4 years and one of my duties is to ensure JET participants continue to be involved with Japan related events after their return to Scotland and the north of England. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the JET programme and activities, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.