jetaa toronto

Interview: David Namisato

phpIgMSJtPM

Did you know that David Namisato first started his comic strip, Life After the B.O.E, for the JETAA Toronto Newsletter? His widely popular comic, which has been taken up by multiple sites, is now available in book form. We catch up with David and talk about his time on JET, work as an illustrator, and future goals.

Q: To start at the beginning, what inspired you to go to Japan?

A: It really wasn’t inspiration. I was in the process of quitting animation school, and didn’t want to pursue a career in art anymore, so I was looking for something to switch to that would make use of my non-art skills. The JET CIR position seemed like a good fit.

Q: Let’s say someone creates a shiny time machine and you’re transported back to your first day in Japan. It’s 2002, you’re a fresh-faced CIR but you have all the experience that allowed you to create Life After the BOE. Anything you would do differently?

(more…)

Continue Reading

Tohoku Discussion Raises Awareness

phpm9NM9PPM

On December 2nd, 2011, JETAA Toronto hosted a Speaker Series event at the Japan Foundation which focused around a panel of individuals that have experienced the disaster and its aftermath first hand.

JETAA was fortunate enough to have a total panel of 6 individuals, 2 of them joined us live via Skype from Japan.

phpJDgfDuPM

(more…)

Continue Reading

Our 2011 Career And Re-entry Conference Report

phpF5aTs6PM

As another year comes to a close, a new crop of JETs have returned to Toronto and were welcomed home with open arms at the JETAA Toronto 2011 Career and Re-entry Conference on November 12th. The Japan Foundation once again hosted one of the year’s most important events, and a diverse range of speakers helped ease the re-integration process for new returnees.

Twelve participants came out on that Saturday morning and met with JETAA Toronto members, networked, listened to interesting presentations and had a delicious bento that must have made a few of them natsukashii.

(more…)

Continue Reading

Miyagi/Sendai JET Micro Grant Program

The Great East Japan Earthquake was an unprecedented disaster from which it will take the Japanese people decades to fully recover. Among the many victims of this disaster was JET Programme participant Taylor Anderson. Taylor’s tragic death shook the JET community and the lives of the many people she had come to know in Ishinomaki.

However, not wanting to let the bond between Taylor and Ishinomaki fade away, Taylor’s family have taken it upon themselves to directly assist with Ishinomaki’s recovery in a variety of ways, including raising funds for the benefit of the community.

Since beginning this fundraising, Andy Anderson, Taylor’s father, has consistently looked for new, creative ways to make significant differences at the grassroots level. Andy contacted the Miyagi Association of JET (MAJET) to discuss how JET participants could assist in this recovery effort, and how they could be empowered to do so. Through this discussion, MAJET and Andy Anderson have established the “Miyagi-Sendai JET Micro Grant Program”.

(more…)

Continue Reading
Close Menu