Toyama Times

A word from the Ed: Happy November Toyama. November! WTF! How did that happen? Well Iguess time flies when you’re having fun!I’d like to take a quick moment to thank everyone who helped put this month’s newsletter together,and in particular Jon and I would like to thank Kellie Petruzzelli and Nicole Meanor who helpedwith the sourcing and editing this month – we’re very happy to have you guys on board!If you would like to get involved in the Times please send an email to [email protected]

What’s inside this month…

November Calendar Pg 2

Getting To Know You (1)

Paula Kerrigan & Torry Ha

Pg 3 - 5

Getting To Know You (2)

By Torry Ha

Pg 6 - 9

Black Rain Pg 10

TOYAMA TIMESVolume 2 Edition

�November 2009

Congratulations to all our Hallowe’en Costume Winners!Congratulations to all our Hallowe’en Costume Winners!Congratulations to all our Hallowe’en Costume Winners!Congratulations to all our Hallowe’en Costume Winners!Congratulations to all our Hallowe’en Costume Winners!Congratulations to all our Hallowe’en Costume Winners!Congratulations to all our Hallowe’en Costume Winners!Congratulations to all our Hallowe’en Costume Winners!

By Kyle Albright

A Tale of Two Systems

By Kieran Murphy

Pg 11-12

Korean Is The New Japanese

By Christine Peng

Pg 12-13

AJET Charity Buffet and Auction

Pg 14

Japanese Idioms

By Jon Perry

Pg 15

Similarly Different

By Nicole Meanor

Pg 16-17

CasseRole

By Matt Dowd

Pg 18

Tekitouna Gyouza

By Revan Williams

Pg 18

Toyama Book Club Pg 20

AJET Contacts Pg 20

Best Male Best Male Ryan LivermanRyan Liverman

Best Group Best Group Maddy Rodell and Maddy Rodell and Sherilee KahuiSherilee Kahui

Scariest Scariest Trevor MagsonTrevor Magson

Sexiest Sexiest Van TranVan Tran

Funniest Funniest Zach ZezimaZach Zezima

Best Female Best Female Marissa TakazawaMarissa Takazawa


�November 2009

Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat

1Namerikawa International

Day

2Shamisen and

Shadow Puppets (Imizu)

3Culture Day

Shamisen and Shadow

Puppets (Colare)

4 5Guy Fawkes

Night

6 7Toyama

International Festival

AJET Charity Buffet and Auction

8Day Trip to the Kurobe

Gorge

9 10 11 12 13 14Toyama Book

Club

What’s Happening What’s Happening What’s Happening What’s Happening What’s Happening What’s Happening What’s Happening What’s Happening November 2009November 2009November 2009November 2009November 2009November 2009November 2009November 2009

Advertise your event (or an event you know Advertise your event (or an event you know about) on the AJET calendar! Send info to about) on the AJET calendar! Send info to

[email protected]@gmail.com

Loose as a Goose

15 16 17Happy

Birthday Kellie

18 19 20 21Happy

Birthday Adam

22 23Labour

Thanksgiving Day

24 25 26ThanksGiving

27 28Thanksgiving Givingthanks

II Party

29 30 1Happy

Birthday Kyle

2 3 4 5Happy

BirthdayRandy


�November 2009

GETTING TO KNOW YOU (PART 1)GETTING TO KNOW YOU (PART 1)GETTING TO KNOW YOU (PART 1)GETTING TO KNOW YOU (PART 1)GETTING TO KNOW YOU (PART 1)GETTING TO KNOW YOU (PART 1)GETTING TO KNOW YOU (PART 1)GETTING TO KNOW YOU (PART 1)By Torry Ha and Paula Kerrigan

They snuck into the ken, masterfully sidestepping the millions of orientations and mixers that new JETs are usually subjected to. We’re talking about the most recently arrived JETs. Since our feature in the Welcome Weekend edition of the Toyama Times (in which the Times interviewed all the new JETs to find out which were likely to post hideous drunken pictures on Facebook, etc) there have been several new arrivals, so we thought we’d get to know them a little better to by asking them some questions (which, of course, we asked them to answer dishonestly and to the worst of their ability – only fair!). Ladies and Gentlemen,introducing…

1. Name please: Zac (Parkerson)2. Where are you from? Where have you lived? Born in Newport Beach,

CA - Raised on Orcas Island, WA - Went to University of San Francisco, CA3. Where did they place you in the prefecture? Sakurai SHS, Kurobe4. One word to describe yourt new apartment: Tatami-ish5. Can you eat Japanese food? Yes6. Proudest primary (elementary) school memory? Almost winning the

spelling bee (sorbey? dammit!)7. Least proud university memory? Going to my best-friend and dorm-neighbor’s room the7. Least proud university memory? Going to my best-friend and dorm-neighbor’s room the

morning after to find my forgotten wake of belligerence!8. Please rate your chopstick ability using one of the following items: Chicken Nugget,

Rice, Cherry Tomato, Soybean (uncooked), Ice Cube (not the artist), Mayonnaise:Ice Cube the artist

9. Are you likely to take horribly drunken photos of others and indiscriminately postthem on facebook? No

10. Which ninja turtle are you? Slash11. Which super power would you choose? Speaking fluent Japanese12. Favorite word? Ninja13. Coffee or Tea? Both14. Would you choose to live near mountains or the sea? Why? Mountains by the sea of

course!15. Before Japan, what is the most ridiculous thing you have seen another human

being do? (Remember this a year from now) Chain-smoking cigarettes while holding anoxygen mask, trying to hike up Mt. Fuji

16. What is your stripper name? Gunther Achsah17. Karaoke + Beer = probably me laughing at somebody else.

DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW?

Zac is our newest JET! He arrived in here on the 23rd of October to replace Alison Shrives in Kurobe.


�November 2009

8. Least proud university memory? My hall made a slip ‘n’ slide in the hallway and one guy got a concussion and lost a tooth when he hit a door.

9. Please rate your chopstick ability using one of the following items: Chicken Nugget, Rice, Cherry Tomato, Soybean (uncooked), Ice Cube (not the artist), Mayonnaise: Cherry Tomato.

10. Are you likely to take horribly drunken photos of others and indiscriminately post them on facebook? Not unless they do it first.

11. Which ninja turtle are you? Leonardo.12. Which super power would you choose? Bending space and time.13. Favorite word? Peanut.14. Coffee or Tea? Latte.

1. Name please: Cody Hatcher2. Where are you from? Where have you lived? Lynchburg,

Virginia but for the last six years Blacksburg, Virginia.3. Where did they place you in the prefecture? Himi.4. When did you get here? October 1st.5. One word to describe your new apartment: Big and cold.6. Can you eat Japanese food? Yes, but natto is disgusting7. Proudest primary (elementary) school memory? Me and my

friends figured out how to do back-flips off the swings.

14. Coffee or Tea? Latte.15. Would you choose to live near mountains or the sea? Why? Mountains – Lynchburg is

near the mountains and Blacksburg is in the mountains so I have always lived with mountains. Any landscape without mountains just looks weird.

16. Before Japan, what is the most ridiculous thing you have seen another human being do? (Remember this a year from now) Run into a door (several doors/screens) in the same evening/hour.

17. What is your stripper name? (take your first pet's name and your mother's maiden name) Silky Slick.

18. Karaoke + Beer = a sore throat in the morning

DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW?

Cody’s given name is actually Ryan. Thank goodness he goes by Cody, we already have 3 other Ryan’s in the prefecture.

Can you name the other 3 Ryans?

*See over the page for answers


�November 2009

1) Name please (nickname is fine): Nicki2) Where are you from? Where have you lived? I’m from

Darien, IL USA. I have lived in Iowa City (on and off for 10 years), Australia, Ghana, and South Africa.

3) Where did they place you in the prefecture? Namerikawa4) When did you get to the prefecture? August 21st5) One word to describe your new apartment: empty6) Can you eat Japanese food? eat, yes. slurp, no.

7) Proudest primary (elementary) school memory? I kept telling my 1st grade teacher I was sick on the last day of school, but she kept shoo-ing me away until I puked all over her desk. And then I cried and told her I told you so!

8) Least proud university memory? There are way too many....9) Please rate your chopstick ability using one of the following items: Chicken Nugget,

Rice, Cherry Tomato, Soybean (uncooked), Ice Cube (notthe artist), Mayonnaise: soybean

10) Are you likely to take horribly drunken photos of others and indiscriminately post them on Facebook? I may take a ton of drunken photos, but usually by the end of the night I`m so drunk, I lose my camera or break it. and I`m not so good with Facebook. It confuses me.

11) Which ninja turtle are you? a cross between donatello and raphael

Nicki

11) Which ninja turtle are you? a cross between donatello and raphael12) Which super power would you choose? flying13) Favourite word? this week it`s bangoo.14) Coffee or Tea? I love both, but coffee is a curse to my body so I try not to torture myself

with it too much.15) Would you choose to live near mountains or the sea? Why? Can`t I have both?!?! 16) Now that you've been to a Japanese mall or supermarket, what is the most

ridiculously unnecessary item you packed? Oh, I didn`t pack anything unnecessary, but my mom packed me microwavable asian noodle dishes. wha?!?! Maybe she forgot where I was moving to.

17) Before Japan, what is the most ridiculous thing you have seen another human being do? (Remember this a year from now) my friend trying to tip the porta-potty over with another friend inside.

18) What is your stripper name? (take your first pet's name and your mother's maiden name) Mika Gheewala

19) Karaoke + Beer = losing your voice

NAME THE RYANS NAME THE RYANS

Answer:

Kim Ryan Harper (Goes by Ryan), Ryan Liverman, Ryan Pruitt (See page 15)


�November 2009

1. Name please: Paul Hala2. Where are you from? Toledo, Iowa, US.3. Where in Japan are you and who are you there with?

My wife, Nicki Baman4. Thoughts on being married and in Japan: Same as being

married in the states, or Panama.5. Best dish you have made for yourself and significant

other? Every dish I make is the best.

6. While in Japan, where do you want to visit and why? Okinawa, it looks tropical and warm.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU (PART 2)By Torry Ha

Since we’re on the topic of getting to know people, there are several people who, although not JETs themselves, are intimately connected to our community – the JET spouses. This year, four of the JETs that came to marvellous land brought their Mr. or Mrs. with them. So we thought why not get to know these fabulous JET+1s. Torry got down to the nitty gritty of

dealing with import issues that we all want to know about such as which is better: a fork or a spoon…

Paul

6. While in Japan, where do you want to visit and why? Okinawa, it looks tropical and warm.Looks beautiful.

7. Would you have liked being a JET? Yes, in fact, I'm applying.8. What is your most embarrassing moment(s) from the past 2 years? There are so

many....can I get back to you on that?9. Anything in Japan you refuse to eat? Nope.10. Would you rather go camping or to a nice hotel? Camping11. Since you've been here, what is one thing you want to tell Japanese people to

stop/start doing? Stop being so good at fresh tennis. I like to win from time to time.12. Got any weird habits? I don't consider them "weird", my wife might...13. If you were trapped in your apartment/house for the rest of your life, what is the one

thing you would you never want to run out of? Hot sauce.14. JETs + Japan = JETpan.15. Which is better, spoon or fork? Fork16. How many times have you seen the peace sign and how many times have you done it

yourself? Countless times.17. Did you ever tried to hold your breath when going through a tunnel? Did you succeed

or did you cheat? Can't say that I have. Isn't it possible to be successful because ofcheating? Let me ponder that...

18. What nickname did your parents have for you when you were a kid? My other brothers'names. I think it was an accident though.

19. Best Engrish you have seen so far? This question is the best.


�November 2009

6. While in Japan, where do you want to visit and why? Monkey Onsen, because monkeys kick ass.

7. Would you have liked being a JET? Yeah... 8. What is your most embarrassing moment(s) from the past 2 years? Backing out of my

garage with the rear driver’s side door open and almost ripping it off. 9. Anything in Japan you refuse to eat? Raw cow stomach (again!).10. Would you rather go camping or to a nice hotel? Depends on where, both can be fun. 11. Since you've been here, what is one thing you want to tell Japanese people to

stop/start doing? Stop talking to themselves, because I can't ever tell if its me they are talking to or not. Start watching the NFL. Go Colts!

12. Got any weird habits? Checking the mail box even if I know it’s empty.

1. Name please: Kyle Albright, Los Kyle Especial2. Where are you from? Logansport, Indiana3. Where in Japan are you and who are you there with? Himi! Jenna

Flory4. Thoughts on being married and in Japan: Rockin’ year long

honeymoon. 5. Best dish you have made for yourself and significant other?

Since moving to Japan, it would have to be burritos with all the fixins or kraft mac and cheese with honey barbecue chicken. It's really a tie.

12. Got any weird habits? Checking the mail box even if I know it’s empty. 13. If you were trapped in your apartment/house for the rest of your life, what is the one

thing you would you never want to run out of? Guitar picks 14. JETs + Japan = A happy, more genki Japan. 15. Which is better, spoon or fork? Forkins16. Have many times have you seen the peace sign and how many times have you done it

yourself? I'm not so good with sign language, but every time I see it there's a bright flash and I kind of space out...

17. Did you ever tried to hold your breath when going through a tunnel? Did you succeed or did you cheat? I have limited lung capacity, so I usually fail. Cheating is for losers, duh.

18. What nickname did your parents have for you when you were a kid? Fred19. Best Engrish you have seen so far? “I met my maker and I kicked his ass.”

DID YOU KNOW?DID YOU KNOW?

Kyle is the first non-JET to write for the newsletter. This year Toyama AJET has opened its membership to anyone who wants to join. So it makes sense that any of our members can write for our monthly publication too. To read Kyle’s article, turn to page…


�November 2009

6. While in Japan, where do you want to visit and why? Any place in Japan when it snows, because I have never experienced snow and especially would like to try out snowball fights and snowboarding!

7. Would you have liked being a JET? Hell yes, they get to have all the fun, while experiencing a whole new country and language.

8. What is your most embarrassing moment(s) from the past 2 years? Getting woken up by your husband, (just been married for a few days) telling you “could you please tone down your machine gun snoring.” Oopssss

9. Anything in Japan you refuse to eat? NATTO, Johans version of athlete’s foot.....10. Would you rather go camping or to a nice hotel? Up for anything as long as I have a place

to sleep.

1. Name please: Penny (Southward Mells)2. Where are you from? Cape Town, South Africa3. Where in Japan are you and who are you there with? Tonami and

with my Afrikaans husband (Johan) : )4. Thoughts on being married and in Japan: I love been married and

this is like our lonnnggg 2nd honeymoon YEAH!!!5. Best dish you have made for yourself and significant other?

Succulent, browned roast chicken, cheesy carrots, green beans and onions and roast potatoes!!!! Real "Boere Kos."

to sleep.11. Since you've been here, what is one thing you want to tell Japanese

people to stop/start doing? Stop gagging!! And start wearing the mask over your mouth and nose, not half way??????

12. Got any weird habits? STRESSSSSSSSSSSS argg.....13. If you were trapped in your apartment/house for the rest of your life, what is the one

thing you would you never want to run out of? Mmmm INTERNET - can communicate and order food!!!

14. JETs + Japan = JACKASS FUN.15. Which is better, spoon or fork? Fork then spoon :>16. Have many times have you seen the peace sign and how many times have

you done it yourself? Too many times, I'm thinking of starting a war just so that it would mean something again...

17. Did you ever tried to hold your breath when going through a tunnel? Did you succeed or did you cheat? It was a school thing we practiced on the bus going to sports. There was no way you could cheat with your mouth shut tight by one friend and the other blocking your nose, you didn't wanna be the chicken.....

18. What nickname did your parents have for you when you were a kid? Old Blue, because I didn't always get my way : <

19. Best Engrish you have seen so far? “You wan french flies wis hanbaga?”

FORK OR SPOON? FORK OR SPOON? Find out over the page…


�November 2009

6. While in Japan, where do you want to visit and why? Nagano to bathe with monkeys.7. Would you have liked being a JET? Depending on the day it seems like I would according

to Nicole's stories.8. What is your most embarrassing moment(s) from the past 2 years? Sitting down at

a nice cafe and realizing I can't read the menu.9. Anything in Japan you refuse to eat? N-n-n-natto!10. Would you rather go camping or to a nice hotel? Hotel, I like animals but I don't like

living like one.11. Since you've been here, what is one thing you want to tell Japanese people to

stop/start doing? Stop with the noise vans, I can't vote so I don't want to listen to your spew.

12. Got any weird habits? I hold conversations in my sleep.

1. Name please: Ryan Pruitt2. Where are you from? Atlanta, Georgia, USA3. Where in Japan are you and who are you there with?

Takaoka, here with my wife Nicole Meanor.4. Thoughts on being married and in Japan: Glad to have

someone to be with and someone who can talk to the natives.5. Best dish you have made for yourself and significant

other? Chicken curry.

12. Got any weird habits? I hold conversations in my sleep.13. If you were trapped in your apartment/house for the rest of your life, what is the

one thing you would never want to run out of? Internets.14. JETs + Japan = JETpan? 15. Which is better, spoon or fork? Fork16. Have many times have you seen the peace sign and how many times have you

done it yourself? Too many, and not enough to blend in.17. Have you ever tried to hold your breath when going through a tunnel? Did you

succeed or did you cheat? Yes. Cheated just a little, but in the end I'm a winner.18. What nickname did your parents have for you when you were a kid? Peanut,

because I possess a lumpy head.19. Best Engrish you have seen so far? "I was late. Because I sliaped on banana." - via one

of Nicole's students.

********************************************************************************

FORK OR SPOON?FORK OR SPOON?

With an outright majority, the fork is the cutlery of choice!

A big thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out our A big thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out our A big thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out our A big thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out our questionnaires.questionnaires.questionnaires.questionnaires.


�November 2009

gadWhatWhatWhatWhat isisisis thethethethe oneoneoneone

topictopictopictopic thatthatthatthat allallallall ALTsALTsALTsALTshatehatehatehate totototo discussdiscussdiscussdiscuss whenwhenwhenwhenonononon thethethethe job?job?job?job? The atomicattacks on Hiroshima andNagasaki. Nothing creates anawkward situation faster thanthis subject, no matter if youare in front of students oradults. It’s difficult to placewhy the tension leveldramatically rises whenbroached with these questions.Whether it’s lack of historical

Japanese author would be rifewith guilt trips, accusations,and generalanimosity. However, by theend of the book Ibuse hadproved me quite wrong. Hiswriting style contained verylittle sentimentality and he didnot weigh the reading downwith subjective statements or

experiences. This enabled himto use the experiences ofmultiple characters; fromthose deeply affected to thosewho were unaware anythinghad happened. It also helpedto break up the somberrealism of his writing.

As I read this novel, myempathy for the maincharacters continued to grow.My perceived connection wasthe result of being able to seewhat type of people they werebefore, during, and after theattacks. It was not based

REVIEW: Masuji Ibuse’s Black RainREVIEW: Masuji Ibuse’s Black RainREVIEW: Masuji Ibuse’s Black RainREVIEW: Masuji Ibuse’s Black RainBy Kyle Albright

Whether it’s lack of historicalknowledge, a twinge of guilt,or a loss of words, who wantsto be genki while talking aboutthe instant death of thousandsof people anyway? In BlackRain, Ibuse didn’t necess-arilyhelp me find the right wordsfor this situation, but he didchange my perspective quitedrastically. Keep in mind this isthe first fiction book I’ve readin many years.

Although this book istechnically a work of fiction,Ibuse created the story basedon interviews and the accountsof people actually involved insome way. This increased hiscredibility and helped lower myskepticism. I had thepreconception that any bookon the bombings by a

loads of details with the intentof adding tension and gravityto the accounts.Ibuse clearly under-stood thatthe stories themselves weredistressing enough in theirown right. He thereforecreated a story with characterslooking back on their own

attacks. It was not basedwholly on reactive sympathyafter reading the deeppersonal loss they all suffered.Although this book is wildlydepressing and graphic atpoints, I felt like I had gainedsomething out of the readingsbeyond being entertained.ThisThisThisThis novelnovelnovelnovel isisisis impeccablyimpeccablyimpeccablyimpeccablywrittenwrittenwrittenwritten andandandand inininin aaaa simplesimplesimplesimplevoicevoicevoicevoice. Ibuse was able tobalance the story on a tightrope of detachment andvibrant displays of humanity.This book is not for the faint-hearted or easily emotional.

My suggestion would beto read it on a sunny dayaround lots of people so thatwhen you put it down youdon’t forget the Earth is reallya happy place.

A Tale of Two SystemsA Tale of Two SystemsA Tale of Two SystemsA Tale of Two SystemsBy Kieran Murphy


�November 2009

gad

At 4pm on the Thursday

Novel H1N1 has been with ussince April this year. Initialfears about the virus causedsome interesting precautionsto be taken, includingquarantining for days wholeairplanes, hotels and even acruise ship. The responseshad some effect in slowing thespread of the virus, but theHoly Grail was a vaccine. Thusalmost every country with virallaboratories, or apharmaceutical industry,including Japan and Australia,began to work on creating a

produce a vaccine and the firstto trial it; beginning in August.Japan’s private pharmaceuticalindustry continued to workindependently of each other inproducing a vaccine – the firstcompany to do so bought therefined virus from CSL.

The Australian Govern-ment ordered 21 millionvaccinations for its 21 millionpeople and in the last week ofSeptember the first publicvaccination began. It isestimated that by the end ofOctober everyone who wantsAt 4pm on the Thursday

before silver week my eldestson, Darcy, was fine though hehad a mild cold. By 11:30 thatnight Lisa had rung anAmbulance to rush him tohospital with a severe Viralinduced Asthma attack. Hespent four days in hospital.Viral Asthma is caused byupper respiratory infections.

Darcy’s attack broughtinto sharp focus the issue of‘novel H1N1 influenza’ (alsoknown as swine flu and ��

� influenza) and its dangers.Lisa and I very much want toget the boys vaccinatedagainst it. Therefore I havebeen keenly observing whathas been happening in Japanand at home in Australia inregard to vaccines for novelH1N1. I am, to say the least,amazed at the contrast.

began to work on creating avaccine.

How each countryworked to create a vaccinewas the first contrast.Australia used theCommonwealth SerumLaboratories, or CSL toproduce the vaccine – it is aprivate/public collaborationwhich is used to produce mostvaccines in Australia. Vaccineproduction for one off virusesis not profitable, particularly inmarkets with a number ofcompetitors and a finitenumber of patients�thus thecollaboration. The Japanesegovernment did not assist theprivate pharmaceuticalcompanies in refining the virusand each company took on thework as a private venture.

CSL was the secondcompany in the world to

October everyone who wantsto be vaccinated will havereceived a dose.

Japan’s three companiesthat are able to produce theserum domestically have verysmall facilities; with a totalcapacity of approximately 15million single doses able to beproduced by the end of 2009.With a population of 127million this number is wellshort of what is required.Thus, vaccines will have to bepurchased from overseas. Thepurchase of the productsbrings up another significantvariance between the twocountries; the indemnityoffered to makers of thevaccine.

Australia’s vaccinationprogram is insured through theCommonwealth Government.The Japanese

I’m going to hijack thissection’s topic and talk aboutmusic from our neighbors acrossthe pond (the ones withoutnukes). In a blow to Japan’snational J-pop cultural pride, thegroup whose picture on myPowerPoint met with the mostexcited response (including BumpOf Chicken and L’Arc~en~Ciel)turned out to be Tohoshinki (��

�), a popular boyband fromKorea. Though Yon-sama hassucceeded in capturing the hearts


�November 2009

gad

government provides noindemnity for the makers ofthe vaccine in Japan. Thus,any insurance must be carriedby the companies.

For this reason nooutside company will providevaccinations directly to themarket in Japan. Allvaccinations bought by theprivate companies in Japanmust be first trialled again tomeet the insurers’ require-ments. This means that whenthe first batch of vaccinesarrives from CSL in Novemberit will need to be trialed beforeit can be made available to thepublic, this is despite the factnearly all vaccines produced in

countries, however, can beseen when you look at thetimetable each country has inregard to vaccinations. InAustralia everyone vaccinatedby the end of October. Japanhas determined that the mostvulnerable people in thecountry will be able to receiveit in early to mid November,school aged children fromDecember and the elderly fromJanuary. This is despite theWHO estimating that Octoberand November will be themost dangerous months fornovel H1N1 influenza in theNorthern Hemisphere.

A final point, the cost ofgetting a shot. In Australia it

Korean Is The Korean Is The Korean Is The Korean Is The New JapaneseNew JapaneseNew JapaneseNew Japanese

By Christine Peng

succeeded in capturing the heartsof middle-aged Japanese womeneverywhere, it seems Korea’snext target is the teen population,a.k.a. your students! So keep aneye out for some of thesefollowing pseudo-Japanese artistsand be ahead of the curve.

Tohoshinki (or Dong Bang Shin Ki, or DBSK, or TVXQ,)

If you’re notinto boy-bands, theyprobablywon’t be yourthing. However, if

you are willing to give boybands ashot but just can’t get into thegroups manufactured by theJohnny’s Entertainment-IdolFactory, these five guys offer amore Western-influenced,mature

nearly all vaccines produced inJapan come from CSL’s refinedvirus and by the end ofOctober over 20 million peopleworldwide will have receivedCSL made vaccinations.

In September theJapanese government tooknote of the massive differencebetween supply and demand.The government decided tobuy 47 million doses fromoverseas to assist the privateoperators in Japan. However,foreign suppliers refused tosupply directly to thegovernment until they wereguaranteed indemnity againstissues arising from side effectsof the vaccine. This was onlyprovided in early October. Intotal only 70 million doses willbe available by the end ofMarch 2010. The greatestcontrast between the two

getting a shot. In Australia itwill be free, all costs will becovered by the federalgovernment, in Japan it isestimated that the cost perdose will be over 10,000 yen.The exact figure is not knownat this time as the vaccine isnot available to the public yet.


�November 2009

style and sound. The GuinnessWorld Record holder for havingthe biggest official fan club in theworld due to their popularityacross all of East Asia, these guyswere the first Korean group toperform at the Tokyo Dome andthe first foreign male group totop the Oricon charts!Recommended:“Mirotic” (Kor/Jap), “O” (Kor/Jap)

BoA

apparently they are! I have asoft spot for these guys, buttotally for the wrong reasons.Their (attempted) style isAmerican hip-hop, like withgangsta lingo, bling-bling, etc.Except, y’know, they’re 20-year-old Korean boys from the ‘burbs.Nevertheless, their incorporationof rap into their songs actuallyends up being rather catchy withsome nice beats. They won’tgive you street cred, but youmight find yourself putting theirsongs on repeat.Recommended:

“Lies” (Kor),“This Love” (Kor/Eng), “Gara GaraGo” (Jap), “My

Immigration can’t figure out howto fit them all into the country!They’re charismatic and they trydifferent styles of music.Recommended:“U” (Kor/Jap/Chi), “Sorry Sorry”(Kor/Jap), “Rokkugo/RockNGo”(Kor/Jap)

Shinee

Not personally a fan, but they’restarting promotional work in Japan

To be perfectly honest, if youdon’t know BoA, you’reprobably not even reading thissection because you have nointerest in Asian music. She’sbeen big in Korea and Japan foryears, and apparently you cancatch her U.S. debut on the radioin the States these days. Skippingthe details.Recommended:“Mamoritai” (Jap) is her newsong for the Tales of Graces videogame.

Big BangI wasn’t even aware they werewell-known in Japan, but

Go” (Jap), “MyHeaven” (Jap)

Super JuniorOfficially the largest boyband inthe world with13 members and2 more Chinese addendums fortheir Mandarin subgroup, they’reprobably not famous in Japan yetbecause

starting promotional work in Japanand seeing as how they’re tacky,dress flamboyantly, act cute, andare possibly underage, I can seethem being popular with Japaneseteeny-bopper girls and/or married

women.Recommended:“Noona, You’re So Pretty” (Kor,very R&B wannabe)

“We are too poor to afford education. But until we have education, we will always be poor.” Nepalese headmaster

When?18:30 on Saturday, November 7th at the Peace Street Kitchen, Toyama City. See map at http://toyamajets.net/map/

How much? 2,000� (1,500� for a delicious Peace Street vegetarian buffet! + 500� for Room to Read) plus something to auction.

The Autumn Charity Buffet and AuctionThe Autumn Charity Buffet and AuctionThe Autumn Charity Buffet and AuctionThe Autumn Charity Buffet and Auction~ a benefit for ~Room to ReadRoom to ReadRoom to ReadRoom to Read

www.roomtoread.com


�November 2009

“Between the ages of ten and thirteen, 10% of Cambodian children are engaged in primary levels of labor. Between the ages of fourteen and seventeen, the rate climbs to 42%. (3) Half of all young girls and one third of boys work; as a result, for every three boys attending secondary school, only one girl attends.” –Asian Development Bank

What should I do/bring?Please bring or make anything that you think we can auction. All auction money will go to Room to Read. This is a great chance for you to make space in your apartment for your heaters or kotatsu by clearing out some things you don't use. Who knows what kind of amazing item(s) you could get this time? Will anyone top the Hello Kitty toaster of the summer auction?!

Can I invite my friends?Of course! Please invite anyone you want! Just make sure to let us know how many people are RSVPing (see below) before the cut-off date.

Anything else?Please send an e-mail to [email protected] by Tuesday, November 3rd at 17:00. Peace Street can fit 50 people, so it’s first come, first served on the RSVP list! If you RSVP and are later unable to come, but fail to notify us before the above cut-off date, you will be responsible for your portion of Peace Street's food costs. We’ll send the �� round for your 1,500�. If you do not RSVP and decide to show up on the day of the dinner, we will charge you an extra 1,000� for charity.

What will you do with all that money? We will send it to Cambodia. Our chosen charity, Room to Read, will use it to build a library to improve the lives and education of some of Cambodia’s children. We need $19,000 to reach our goal - a library funded entirely by Toyama’s JETs. The last dinner and auction was a huge success - let's build on that and get those kids a library!

Any questions, please send an e-mail to [email protected]

So much fun!

insensitive to the subtleties ofnon-verbal communication, so itwould be a futile effort (��, yakeishi ni mizu, a drop of

water on a burning stone).Instead I`ll just go back to mytiny (��, neko no hitai, thesize of a cat`s forehead)apartment and rage ( ��,hara ga tatsu, one`s stomachstands up) there for a while.Though of course, the best thingwould just be to forget all aboutit ��, mizu ni nagasu, letit flow away in the water �andmove on.

I hope this introduction hasn`t all

relationship between languageand culture. It might besomething of a hoary oldstereotype, but can any sentencemore concisely describe Japanesesociety (and education inparticular) than �� (deru kui ga utareru, the nailthat sticks up will be hammereddown)?

Some emotions and concepts areof course universal, and so wecan find complementaryexpressions in English andJapanese such as thechicken/tanuki example above. Inthe same vein, ��Japanese Idioms

By Jon Perry

Some months ago, I was quaffingbeer contentedly with a grizzledold Japanese man as we watchedhis baseball team, the HanshinTigers, do battle with the lessthreateningly named HiroshimaCarp. As often happens when menand beer are involved, we decidedto have a bet. If the Tigers won, Iwould buy him a bottle of whisky,and vice versa if the Carptriumphed. When the Carp went10-5 up in the 7th, I was prettyconfident that I would soon be theproud recipient of a fine bottle ofsingle malt, and in my intoxicationI may have gloated in a somewhatungentlemanly fashion over thefact. My companion turned to me


�November 2009

I hope this introduction hasn`t allbeen Double Dutch (� ! " !

,chinbun kanbun, ancientChinese) to you! Keep an eye outnext month when we look at fourcharacter compounds (#$%&,yojijukugo), which will pack aneven more educated linguisticpunch. See you then!

the same vein,'(gou ni ireba gou ni shitagae,

follow the customs of a villagewhen you enter it) is easilyequated with `When in Rome…`,and perhaps good advice for allof us trying to find our feet inJapan! I often have to remindmyself that silence is golden (()*�+ iwanu ga hana, lit. notsaying is the flower) when anunreconstructed male colleagueairs his view on the place ofwomen in the workplace. After all,trying to get him to change hisviews would be like talking to abrick wall (,�-�./ uma nomimi ni nenbutsu, saying aBuddhist sutra to a horse), andeven if I shoot a cold look in hisdirection (01234�, shiroime de miru, look at somethingwith white eyes) it`s commonknowledge to everyone and hismother (5675, neko moshakushi mo, even to cats andladles) that he`s entirely

fact. My companion turned to meand said sagely 89:*;�<=> ?

(toranu tanuki no kawazanyou, lit. you`re counting theskins of tanuki (raccoon dog) youhaven`t caught). If he had beenEnglish, he would likely have said`Don`t count your chickens beforethey hatch`. And of course, hewas right. The Tigers snatchedvictory from the jaws of defeat (@ABCDEFGB�"H, kyuuchiwo dasshite shouri wo tsuukamu),winning 11-10, and I looked like afool. A poor, whisky-less fool. Youreap what you sew, I suppose (IJ IK , jigou jitoku, lit. selfenterprise, self profit).

Idioms like this, though, are theperfect way to liven up a Japaneseconversation. Japaneseacquaintances will be impressed,your range of expressions willexpand, and you gain aninteresting window into the

news that my parents had put herdown, and when it finally came Iwas in the middle of my home-stay. I was very upset, and I wasuncertain how my host familywould react. I was familiar withthe concept of tatemae, thepublic non-emotional face, and I

when people ask me thatquestion, I keep the real answerunder wraps – the rise inpopularity of anime and mangarecently in the States has,unfortunately, brought with it aslew of stereotypes about the sortof people who enjoy it – but herein Japan I tell the truth. At first Iworried that they would think mean insufferable otaku, but thatwas not the case at all. Onewoman I told in turn told me thatshe started learning Englishbecause as a high school studentshe loved Aerosmith, and thoughtSteven Tyler was très sexy! Shesaid she rarely told people

Over the past few weeks, I havebeen asked at some of myschools to write essays/blurbs forvarious conferences, PTAbulletins, and school newsletters.They usually give me a few topicsto choose from, but inevitablythey boil down to the followingthree topics:-How does Japanese culture differfrom American culture?-How do Japanese students differfrom American students?-As a foreigner, what are myimpressions of Japan? Whatsurprised me most?

You may notice a themeamong these prompts: they’re all


�November 2009

The kitty in question, on right.

Similarly Different, or Differently Similar?By Nicole Meanor

public non-emotional face, and Iassumed that was how theywould act towards me. Instead,the complete opposite happened.My host mother and sisterbrought me tissues, and thenthey sat on the bed and criedwith me, mourning the passing ofa cat that belonged to someonethey really barely knew.

So when someone asks meto talk about the differencesbetween Japan and The West, Ican’t help but feel a little sad. Iknow the Japanese often want toemphasize how unique they are –Wiki or Google nihonjinron if youwant to see some of the moreinteresting theories of Japaneseuniqueness – but I just wish theywould instead look at oursimilarities. We speak differentlanguages and have differentcustoms, but we all love, laugh,and grieve, and these thingsconnect us as human beings.

said she rarely told peoplebecause she was embarrassed,and thought that as an AmericanI would think it was silly. On thecontrary, I was happy to find thateven someone living half a worldaway from me also feltembarrassed about being a popculture nerd!

among these prompts: they’re allabout differences. Upon firstglance, the culture gap betweenJapan and the West seems vast.They take their shoes off inside,we don’t necessarily. They bow,we shake hands. But these thingsare customs. They are whatJapanese people do, but notnecessarily who they are. This isnot to say that customs don’tcontribute to a person’s conceptof self-identity – far from it! Ionly suggest that when we stripaway our differing customs, weare left with many similarities.

A question I often get fromJapanese people is how I got intoJapanese culture and why Idecided to start learningJapanese. The true answer is thatI watched Sailor Moon as anelementary schooler and fell inlove with the story so much that Itaught myself hiragana andkatakana just so I could start toread the manga. In America,

Steven Tyler: Worth learning English for?Some sources say Yes!

A more somber example comesfrom an experience I had lastsummer during a home-stay I didin Kanagawa-ken. A week beforeleaving for Japan, my favorite catfell incredibly ill due to a braintumor, and was barely hangingon. I knew that once I left thecountry, it would be my last timeseeing her alive. I waited for the

CasseRoleCasseRoleCasseRoleCasseRoleBy Matthew Dowd

In the States, I spent a goodamount of my time trying to huntdown decent and authentic, oreven semi-authentic, Japanesefood. As a result, I spent a lot of

seems to be a fairly internationalplace considering its inaka status,and I have had some excellentgaishoku. One restaurant doespull ahead of the others,

through the twin giant fluorescentgate posts of FamilyMart andLawsons, and walk straight downthat road for about ten minutes. Itis located on the north side of the

�� !�"�!#�$�%�&�'(��%'&#�$��)�%�%��%�(& �%�*�&�+ ( %�&�!,��-%��'(��%� �!�. �#�! ��&�.�.-$/


�November 2009

food. As a result, I spent a lot oftime broke or disappointed. Sincehaving arrived, I have been like akid in a candy shop, a strangeone with raw fish and tofu. But, ina classic case of the rice paddy isalways greener on the other sideof the fence, now that I have beensupplied with excellent Japanesefood on a daily basis, I haveimmediately begun seeking outinternational food, like some sortof culinary version of the gameRisk. Thankfully, Toyama-ken

pull ahead of the others,however. The best of whatI have sampled thus far iscertainly CasseRole. Whileit seems to have beenvisited, even frequented, by agood amount of the JETcommunity, especially Takaokans,it would be criminal not to restate,underscore, italicize and, dare I,embolden the glory that is Frenchfood in Toyama.

While I imaginedEuropean food would berepresented solely by Italian, withfew other successes past pasta,CasseRole is a testament to theJapanese ability to kick a seriousamount of ass in the kitchen.Having never written a properreview of anything before, I'll justspend the next few paragraphsnerding out over food, and if myovertures are at all convincing, I'llsee you there.

From the south side ofTakaoka station, walk to the firstintersection and go left. Pass

is located on the north side of theroad. (If you pass a place thatsays Boulangerie CasseRole butis quite clearly closed, worry not,that would be the sister store.You are only a minute walk fromthe actual restaurant.)

Like any good lush, themeal began with the drinks. BeingFrench, there is a wine menu witha small variety of choices,including a rosé and a mimosa.Available in a glass, a carafe, or abottle, it isn't terribly expensive tohave wine with your meal. Myglass put me back a mere 420yen, and my dining partner had apint of Asahi for 380, ascandalously low price for a beerin these parts.

For appetizers there areabout 12 different choices,featuring some soups and salads.Most importantly though, there isan onion gratin soup. Seriously, Ibelieve my love for the oniongratin soup may have sparked

feelings of jealousy, and in a rage,I may have destroyed any mentionof other starters I had jotted downon my napkin, lest they interruptmy special time with the soup.Why? The cheese in the oniongratin soup is actual cheese. Asthe restaurant also has a bakerycounterpart several blocks closerto the train station, the bread in thesoup was also outstanding. What Iam trying to express here is eatsoup everyday.

Which brings me around tothe bread. Bread here, incidentally,is not a starter. It is an essentialitem.

proper was presented, stillsteaming gently. The entréeitself was duck breast in a savorypeppered pan sauce. The duckwas as it ought to be: pan-friedsuper hot with a perfect sear andstill juicy on the inside, with astrip of tender fat, sliced on thebias, and a liberal amount of theaforementioned sauce. Whilebeing a straightforward sauce, itwas delicious, with a full-bodiedflavor, a light, peppery tang anda seriously high umami factor. Itclashed with the wine choice, butI believe

I was somewhere between 'pleased' and

'deliriously over-

helped to caramelize the cassis,giving it a bit deeper of a flavor.This may sound like the sort ofthing you do when you have ahot date and want to look slick.Well, yeah, it is. But! It is alsocheap. The abovementionedmeal cost me a reasonable 2930yen, especially considering I wasfull after this (no small feat). Myc o - c on sp i r a t o r o r de r e d ahamburger, which while probablya heretical item to offer (on theentrée page, no less), was one ofthe best burgers he has hadwhile in Japan. It was roughly thesize of a Kei-car with a fried eggand thickly cut bacon on top.

The menu itself isn't

CasseRole, continued…CasseRole, continued…CasseRole, continued…CasseRole, continued…


�November 2009

You have the option to not order it,of course, but where is the fun inthat? After all, there is a set optionwith any of the entrées, scoring youa soup (although I believe it is thesoup of the day, not the oniongratin), the bread and a cup ofcoffee or tea afterwards. The breadbowl had three different types ofpain, a generous slice of abaguette, a less crusty but morebuttery piece of white bread, and adarker bread with tiny slivers ofbacon.

Several minutes later, dinner

'deliriously over-joyed‘

so I didn't mind at all.On the side there was a

small portion of creamy roastedpotatoes, with just enough of itsown light cream sauce to keep itfrom being overly starchy, butnot fatty enough to be redundant.A tiny clump of green with oil andvinegar rounded out the color ofthe plate, and made me feel likesome portion of the meal washealthy. Hey, I ride my bikeevery day. I can afford this. Youcan too.

Dessert was literally calledSurprise Jubilee Cassis.Ordering it was pretty muchmandatory. It turned out to bea flambé -- vanilla ice creamdrowning in a cassis sauce thatjust so happened to be on fire.The burning liquor (no idea whatit was) that was added to theplate as it was presented to me

The menu itself isn'textensive. The owners decidedthat there should be exactly oneof everything. There is onechicken dish, one duck, one beef,one fish, etc. The most expensiveitem on the menu is the beef,which makes sense. There aresome pastas that seemed to bemore vegetarian friendly, andcuriously, there is borscht on themenu too. There is the rathermystifying pizza and curry sectionas well, but I sincerely doubt thatit would disappoint. The homecountries of those dishes notbeing French, or even Japanese,but merely foreign, should notbear on the quality. After all, thehamburger was stellar.

So next time you arecraving something that is almostdiametrically opposed to standardJapanese fare, I highlyrecommend this charming, filling,satisfying, cheap, and delightfulrestaurant.


�November 2009

How to make TekitounaGyoza (�� )

I was taught to make these by a friend of mine who learned how to cook Japanese food as part of his training to become a kodo drummer in Japan.

Tekitou means makeshift or thrown together. Basically these are gyoza that will turn out well no matter what.

IngredientsIngredient amounts are rough if they exist, and intended only

1.5 packages worth. A good rule of thumb is that 1 pound of meat is about 1 package of

This is much easier than it sounds.You can now cook them or if they exist, and intended only

to give you a ballpark idea. You can't go that wrong if you follow your preferences.

Filling:•1.5 pounds ground pork •1 whole head garlic, diced (I like garlicky gyoza, you may, of course, use less) •A small or medium knob of ginger, grated •Cabbage or nappa cabbage, shredded (I use quite a bit, it gives the filling a lighter texture). •Nira chives (garlic chives), most of a bunch, finely chopped•~2/3T Mirin •~1 T Soy sauce •~1 T Sesame oil •1 Egg •Salt •Pepper•Gyoza skins (this made about

of meat is about 1 package of gyoza.)

Instructions:Just mix all the filling ingred-ients in a large bowl. Most of the work is in the chopping. I like to knead it together with my hands until the texture is smooth.

To form gyoza:Brush off excess flour from the gyoza skin you're using.Form a small amount of filling into a ball or (American) football shape in the center of a gyoza skin.Wet a finger with water and run across half the circum-ference. Close the gyoza into a half-circle and make 4-5 pleats in the closed wrapper. Put on wax paper and bend sothat the bottom looks like a crescent shape.

You can now cook them or freeze for later.

To freeze:Place gyoza on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet so that they're not touching and freeze. Once frozen, you can put them in ziploc and put into the freezer again for long-term storage. This is so the gyoza don't freeze together.To cook:Heat oil in a frying pan. Put gyoza in, making sure to keep the pan moving so they don't stick to the bottom. After they brown, dump in a little bit of water and cover until cooked thoroughly. Serve with a mixture of soy, vinegar, sesame oil and garlic or ginger.

For more of Revan’s recipes check out: http://www.nibbledish.com/people/muttoneer


�November 2009

When: November 14, 3-5Where: Rebekah O’Brien’s Apartment

Sunstage Himi Apt#703, Jizo Machi 8-8, Himi, JapanMap: http://tinyurl.com/l2jzoyRSVP: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=142157389004

Voted by popular demand, this month's book will be "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close“ by Jonathan Safran

Foer.About the Book:According to goodreads.com,"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" has been one of the most discussed, acclaimed, and debated novels in recent memory. And with good reason as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted, "Jonathan Safran Foer has done something both masterful and absolutely necessary: he has written the first great novel about September 11." Foer confronts a subject few writers have dared approach, and what he discovers is solace in that most human quality, imagination. Nine-year-old

Toyama Book ClubToyama Book Club

approach, and what he discovers is solace in that most human quality, imagination. Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is on a mission to find the lock that matches a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. An inspired innocent, Oskar is alternately endearing, exasperating, and hilarious as he careens from Central Park to Coney Island to Harlem on his search. As he roams the five boroughs, Oskar encounters a motley assortment of people who are all survivors in their own way. His journey concludes in an emotional climax of truth, beauty, and heartbreak. In "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," Foer once again demonstrates his ability to evoke and unravel the most personal and complex matters of the heart.”

Directions to Rebekah’s apartment:Once you exit the station, go right, go through the covered bike area on your right and take a right on the street you come out on. I'm in the tall gray building about 1/2 a block up the road from there, and I'm number 703. It should take you about 5 minutes to get there!

Also, if you're coming, please let me know if you're vegetarian/have dietary restrictions etc. so I can better plan what I'll make for all of you. Once I get a better idea of that, I'll let you all know what's coming. Oh and also....I live really, really close to the beach, if the weather's good we could have ourselves a little picnic!Toyama AJET Quick Contacts

President: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]

Toyama Times Staff

Editors:Paula Kerrigan & Jon Perry

Assistant EditorsKellie Petruzzelli & Nicole Meanor

Staff Writers:Jon Perry

Kieran Murphy

Toyama Times

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