Call for Papers: Performance and Japanese Literature

call-for-papers-150-21The theme of the 2013 Association for Japanese Literary Studies Annual Meeting is “Performance and Japanese Literature.”  The conference will be held October 18-20 on the campus of the University of Chicago.

Performance offers a concept through which to re-examine our ethical and political engagements with the literary arts. We define it broadly to include not only conventional theatrical performances or literary representations of such performances, but also more metaphorical and theoretical understandings of the term, including (among others) narration or reading as modes of performance; the performativity of gender, ethnicity, and other modes of identity; linguistic or ritual performance; the social locations of performance; and the activities of literary criticism and publication as performance.

The organizers hope in particular to encourage reflection on literary scholarship and welcome presentations that address issues of pedagogy. We envision this meeting not only as a venue in which to present research, but also as an opportunity to reconsider current disciplinary boundaries and investments. In this vein, we hope to provide a forum in which to share best practices for the research and teaching of Japanese literature. We invite paper proposals from scholars of Japanese literature, modern and classical, as well as from kindred genres, including theater and performance studies, film and media studies, and music. Graduate students are especially encouraged to apply. Presentations may be made in either English or Japanese.

The conference will be designed to encourage innovative modes of scholarship as performance. The organizers solicit individual paper proposals (rather than panel proposals) and will combine these into panels designed to stimulate productive discussions across boundaries of genre, historical period, and institution. The deadline for submitting paper proposal abstracts (300 words or less) is May 15, 2013. Please send paper proposals, as well as inquiries, to the program committee at japanatchicago@uchicago.edu. More information will be available on the conference webpage (http://lucian.uchicago.edu/blogs/ajls2013/).

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Job Opening: Translator (Japanese-English), Lingua Science

job opening - 5Via the University of Michigan CJS mailing list:

Location: Gardena, CA
Start date: Immediate
Job Type: Contract with benefits
Education: BA/BS
Deadline: not listed

Translator (Japanese-English)

Description:
Contract position with benefits for a technical translator at an automaker research and development center in Gardena.

Responsibilities:

  • Translate technical automotive documents J-E and E-J, although mainly into English.
  • Work with a team of translators to handle large translation projects.
  • Use TRADOS and terminology management to maintain consistency of translations within the department and company.
  • Edit the work of other translators.
  • Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

  • Excellent written and verbal skills in Japanese and English
  • Good knowledge of MS Office
  • 3 to 5 years of previous translation experience desired
  • Ability to multi-task, work independently as well as with a team, and able to follow company translation protocol.
  • Must have prior professional translation experience, preferably automotive or another technical field.
  • College degree

For full details, see original posting on Lingua Science’s website.

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Summer Intensive Language Program (SILP)

Summer Intensive Language Program (SILP)

Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, CA (includes Chinese, Japanese, Arabic)

Location: California, United States

Our programs offer intensive language instruction for participants with a variety of academic or non-academic goals. Whether you are planning to study or work abroad, or just wish to strengthen your skills so you can enroll in higher-level courses at your home institute, our intensive and custom language programs might be just what you are looking for. We offer summer language programs in 6 languages, as well as customized one-on-one and small group language training programs in common and less-commonly taught languages.

Program Dates: June 17-August 9, 2013
Application Deadline: April 29, 2013
Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, Russian, Japanese
Small class size (8-10 student average)
Graduate and undergraduate credit earned
Elementary, intermediate, and advanced courses offered in most languages

Visit the website at http://www.miis.edu/academics/language/summer

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Job Opening: Receptionist, Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta

job opening - 5Via JETWit.com Jobs mailing list:

Institution: Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta
Location: Atlanta, GA
Received posting Feb. 15, 2013
Deadline: not listed
Education: not listed

Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta is seeking an individual for the position of Receptionist (including Telephone Operator, Assistant for Accounting Section and Translation).

Candidate must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. green card holder, must be fluent in Japanese and English, and possess computer skills (Microsoft Word and Excel etc. preferred).

To apply for this position, please send your resume to katsumi.isoda@mofa.go.jp

See original post at the Consulate General’s site here.

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Job Opening: Student Services Coordinator, Japan Center for Michigan Universities [Japan]

job opening - 5Via the University of Michigan Center for Japanese Studies mailing list: 

Institution: Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU)
Location: Hikone, Shiga pref., Japan
Education: BA required; MA preferred
Language: JLPT N2/TOEFL 550
Deadline: March 1, 2013
Start date: May 20, 2013

The Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU) in Hikone, Japan, is currently recruiting for a full time Student Services Coordinator. Details as follows:

Duties: The Student Services Coordinator (“SSC”) is responsible for maintaining a living and learning environment that promotes the overall personal well-being of all students participating in JCMU programs. Duties include but are not limited to assisting non-Japanese students in the transition to life in Japan and to functioning effectively within the JCMU environment and the Japanese culture.  Duties also include taking students and foreign faculty to the doctor. Responsibilities are in the areas of student orientation and residence life with oversight of service learning, community involvement, evaluation and assessment of JCMU student related activities, as well as supervision of student arrival and departure preparation. The SSC will communicate with administrative and academic staff both in Japan and the U.S. through regularly scheduled meetings and written reports. The SSC responds to student emergency situations and is expected to be available on an on call basis during the week and 24 hours a day on weekends when on duty.  Weekend duty is shared with other faculty and staff depending on need and availability.  The SSC should be skilled in conflict resolution and, when appropriate, take disciplinary action in the case of disruptive behavior. The coordinator is responsible for ensuring that all residents are aware of residential policies and have been trained in emergency fire, earthquake, and other disaster procedures. The SSC is a resource person to students and makes appropriate referrals as necessary in academic, personal and financial matters. The SSC must be available to students and staff on a daily basis through scheduled office hours and is responsible for scheduling and promoting educational activities and seminars related to health, safety, security, cultural issues and other activities that enhance the students’ educational experience while at JCMU. The coordinator reports to the Resident Director and may be asked to perform other relevant duties.

The student services coordinator is a full-time annually renewable position with an anticipated start date of May 20, 2013. Salary is commensurate with qualifications. Compensation includes Japanese benefits.

Required qualifications: bachelors degree, Japanese language proficiency (native, JLPT 2, ILR scale of 4 or 5 or equivalent), English language proficiency (native, TOEFL 550, ILR scale of 4 or 5, or equivalent) and experience in college residential life or college counseling, study abroad and conflict resolution. The SSC must have experience living in the United States and Japan.  Candidates should have or be willing to get a Japanese drivers license.

Preferred: Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling or related field. The candidate should possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity to diversity.

For full details and to apply, see original posting on JCMU’s website.

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Book Announcement: Japan Since 1945:From Postwar to Post-Bubble

Japan Since 1945Christopher Gerteis and Timothy S. George

‘An excellent interdisciplinary collection of essays on “postwar” Japan, from 1945 to 2011 – from the ashes of defeat to the anxiety of decline. It deserves to be read not only for its fascinating glimpses of Japanese society, economy and culture, but also for the comparative light it implicitly sheds on other advanced capitalist societies and their not always acknowledged arcs of uneven historical change.’  – Carol Gluck, George Sansom Professor of History, Columbia University

December 2012 . PB 9781441101181 . 288 pages . £19.99

http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/japan-since-1945-9781441101181

Does Japan really matter anymore? The challenges of recent Japanese history have led some pundits and scholars to publicly wonder whether Japan’s significance is starting to wane. The multidisciplinary essays that comprise Japan Since 1945, however, demonstrate its ongoing importance and relevance. Examining the historical context to the social, cultural, and political underpinnings of Japan’s postwar development, the contributors re-engage earlier discourses and introduce new veins of research.

Japan Since 1945 provides a much needed update to existing scholarly work on the history of contemporary Japan. It moves beyond the ‘lost decade’ and ‘terrible devastation’ frameworks that have thus far defined too much of the discussion, offering a more nuanced picture of the nation’s postwar
development.

CONTENTS in brief

Introduction – Revisiting the History of Postwar Japan, Christopher Gerteis
and Timothy S. George

Part I: Civic Imaginations

Contributions from Laura E. Hein, Timothy S. George and Martin Dusinberre

Part II: Legacies of the War and Occupation

Contributions from David Tobaru Obermiller, Katarzyna Cwiertka, Sally A. Hastings and Tetsuya Fujiwara

Part III: State Policy for a Late-Capitalist Society

Contributions from Lonny E. Carlile, Bruce Aronson and Satsuki Takahashi

Part IV: Looking Out, Looking Back

Contributions from Christine Yano, Christopher Gerteis and Hiraku Shimoda

Conclusion, Stephen Vlastos

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Job Opening: Head of Asian Library, Univ. of Michigan

job opening - 5University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, MLibrary

Head, Asia Library

OVERVIEW

The Head provides strategic leadership for the Asia Library in support of its role as a premier resource for East Asian Studies at the University of Michigan. The Head is responsible for ensuring that excellent user-centered services meet the constantly evolving needs of the Universitys large and diverse user community.  In addition, the Head informs the campus and broader community of the Asia Librarys resources and services.  Providing executive oversight of substantial collections, endowments, gifts, and
various budgets is critical to this position, as is fostering a collegial and productive environment for library staff.  The Head manages a staff of 11 FTE, including 3 professional librarians, and manages services and programs of the Asia Library in partnership with library-wide services and programs. This position reports to the Associate University Librarian for Research.

Continue reading

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Job Opening: Adjunct Professor, overseas program in Kobe

job opening - 5Location:   Japan, Kobe

Position:   Part-Time Instructor

The Year-In-Japan program of the Illinois Consortium (US University Consortium) at Konan University in Kobe Japan is currently seeking adjunct faculty to teach classes in its Japan Studies program for the fall and spring semesters of the academic year 2013-14.  We are especially interested in faculty able to teach classes in English about Japanese history, art, or religion, but faculty with other fields of specialization are also welcome. We would prefer individuals with Ph.D. in hand and prior university-level  teaching experience, but ABDs will be considered.

The Year-in-Japan Program offers advanced undergraduates the opportunity to spend an academic year developing Japanese language skills and expanding their knowledge of Japan through a variety ofcourses. The program was established in 1976 on the campus of Konan University and has educated over 600 students from a number of different American universities. The program is administered by the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for a consortium of American universities that includes the University of Arizona, the University of Hawai’i-Manoa, and the University of Pittsburgh.  The program takes place at the Okamoto campus of Konan University in the eastern part of Kobe. Remuneration for each 1.5 hour class meeting is 22,500 yen, including transportation.  Classes meet for 28 sessions (1.5 hours each) per semester.

Contact: If you are interested in applying, please contact Elizabeth Oyler, 2012-13 Resident Director, at eaoyler@illinois.edu.  Please include a CV and sample syllabus.

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Fun Link Friday: Amezaiku Candy Sculpting

Today’s fun link is a video featuring the craft of amezaikuor candy-sculpting, featured on Iromegane as part of the blog’s feature on shokunin, craftspeople.

Photo via Iromegane.

Juji Kurihara writes,

Today’s Shokunin (職人/ maestro) is a candy craftsman. 飴細工 (Amezaiku / candy sculpting) came to Japan in Heian period (平安時代/794-1192), precisely in 796 when Tou-ji (東寺) was built in Kyoto, Chinese candy craftsmen came and made a candy sculpting as a gift. These craftsmen stayed in Japan and started selling candies. In Edo period (江戸時代/1603-1868) this technique spread to Tokyo (Edo).

In the 10-minute video by Rachel and Jun of MyHusbandisJapanese, a shokunin sculpts a phoenix, a panda, a calico cat, and octopus from starch syrup using his hands and scissors.

Good enough to eat–or too good to eat?

[Via Japanese Art, History and Culture on LinkedIn]

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Internship: Japan Information & Culture Center (JICC), Embassy of Japan

Internship Opportunity
The Japan Information & Culture Center (JICC), Embassy of Japan is seeking unpaid, part to full-time interns (12-35hrs/week) for Summer 2013. Internship start/end dates and hours are customized with the academic schedule of the chosen candidate.

 

The JICC is a part of the Public Affairs sectionof the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC. Our primary role is to promote a better understanding of Japan and Japanese culture by providing a wide range of information and events to the American public, particularly in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. We strive to build bridges between the two cultures through various activities, such as film screenings, art exhibitions, lectures, an online newsletter, and school programs. The JICC is the gateway to connect the American public to Japan and the interns are an integral part of our efforts.

 

Requirements
Studies:
  • Enrolled in a four-year degree program and have at least two years of undergraduate study completed. Graduate students may also apply.
  •  Enrolled in a U.S. accredited university throughout duration of internship.
  • Major in International Studies, Japanese Studies, Asian American Studies, Public Diplomacy, Political Science, or a related field.
Languages/Skills:
  • English: Proficient to fluent in speaking/reading/writing
  • Japanese: Proficient to fluent in speaking/reading/writing
  •  Excellent writing, public speaking, and organizational skills
  • Superior interpersonal communication skills
  • Ability to take initiative and work successfully both independently and in teams
Availability:
  •  Interns are required to work at least 12 hours per week. Generally these hours are between 9am-5pm Monday through Friday. On occasion, interns are asked to work evening/weekend events.
  • Interns must be available to begin and end the internship within a week or two of the specified Internship Term. See below for specific Internship Term information.
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