Emergency Preparedness

Posted on March 12, 2013 by jodias

The following information from the “Surviving in Japan” blog is being posted here for your convenience. As we look back on the dark, uncertain days on and immediately after 3/11, it is worthwhile to review our emergency preparedness to keep complacency from setting in.

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Important Information and Communication Tools

1. Yurekuru Call is an app available for iPhone and Android that sends you a warning if an earthquake might occur in your registered location, which is part of the nationwide early warning system. Many Japanese telephones have this function already built into the phone, so it’s worth asking your mobile company about this if you decide not to go for a smartphone.

2. The Disaster Emergency Message Dial (171) is a voice message board for communication when a disaster such as an earthquake or volcanic eruption occurs and telephone traffic to the disaster-stricken area increases making it difficult to transmit calls. By entering your landline phone number as a pin code, you can leave a message on the system where other family members who share the same landline number can listen to your message and record theirs as well.

See this link for a helpful animation explaining how the system works. The system prompts are all in Japanese, but if you follow the steps you can still use this valuable tool even if you don’t understand Japanese. You can access the 171 system on the first and 15th of each month to practice.

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3. NHK television (Channel 1) is the best place to get fast, reliable, visual information on the location of an earthquake and whether a tsunami warning is in effect. Under the Broadcast Act, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is obligated to broadcast early warning emergency reporting when natural disasters strike. NHK is able to source information from the Japan Meteorological Agency’s national network of seismometers and deliver information about the quake almost instantly. NHK World broadcasts in 18 different languages, so you can also seek information there, though it will not come through as quickly. You can access NHK World online here.

4. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) website is bilingual and has lots of information about earthquakes, tsunami warnings and typhoons, among other useful information.

5. English-speaking radio broadcast frequencies include Inter FM (76.1FM Tokyo, 76.5FM Yokohama), Eagle (810AM) and the bilingual format of NHK (693AM).

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Upcoming drama “No Exit” by Jean-Paul Sartre

Posted on February 8, 2013 by jodias

“No Exit” is a one-act play written by the French existentialist and playwright Jean-Paul Sartre, who was also a novelist, screenwriter, literary critic and political activist. The play features three characters–Estelle, Garcin and Inez–who find themselves locked in a hotel room without any way to escape. After initially trying to be friendly with each other, they start to get on each others’ nerves. Gradually, they reveal how they came to be sent to the room where they are trapped and they plot their escape. The play is presented by the Tokyo International Players.

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EVENT: Performance of “No Exit”
WHEN: February 7th – 10th
WHERE: Shinjuku Theater Miracle (Click HERE for a map)

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The Tokyo International Players (TIP) was founded in 1896. Its members have mainly been made up of talent from the Tokyo foreign community, but Japanese cast members and supporting staff have also played key roles.

The organization, 100% volunteer-run, provides quality English-language entertainment for international audiences. Over its long history, many active members have appeared in professional theatre in Japan and abroad.

TIP is always looking for new on-stage talent, directors, designers, and backstage crew, as well as people to support their various front-of-house, fundraising, and promotional activities. They consider enthusiasm, energy, and a fun-loving nature to be more important than experience.

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Call for presenters at a language teaching conference

Posted on February 7, 2013 by jodias

JALT (the Japan Association of Language Teaching) is made up of 34 regional chapters and 27 SIGs–special interest groups. There’s a national conference each year (this year it will be held in Kobe) and the other large-scale conference is the JALT PanSIG, featuring all of the special interest groups in the organization. The next PanSIG will take place in Nagoya on May 18 & 19, 2013. The conference theme is “From Many, One: Collaboration, Cooperation, and Community.” Speakers who wish to give presentations at that conference are now being sought, particularly for a forum by three SIGs that are joining up in a partnership: Japanese as a Second Language (JSL), Lifelong Language Learning (LLL) and Other Language Educators (OLE). Please see the attached PDF for more information about how you can be a part of a forum on the topic “Teachers as Lifelong Learners.”

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EVENT: PanSIG 2013 Conference
WHEN: May 18 & 19, 2013
WHERE: Nanzan University, Nagoya (Click HERE for a map of the conference venue)
DEADLINE: For proposals to participate in the forum–February 11th; for proposals to present individually–February 15th

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An Invitation to the Spring 2013 TELL Training

Posted on January 31, 2013 by jodias

Applications are now being accepted for the Spring 2013 Telephone Counseling Training Program. No prior counseling experience is required. It’s a tremendous opportunity to take part in meaningful work that is challenging and rewarding. The training sessions will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM, with an introductory session on Saturday, February 9th and a closing session on Saturday, April 27th. Potential candidates may contact TELL to arrange an interview before the training at 03-4550-1191. Learn more about TELL and its services at their Web site. Not only teachers, but also mature students, who are over 21 years of age and have excellent English skills, are welcome to join the training. ONLINE TRAINING is an option if trainees have a problem with excessive commuting times or inflexible schedules.

EVENT: TELL Training for telephone counselors
WHEN: From February 9th, 2013 – April 27th 2013
WHERE: Wesley Center (Click HERE for a map)

To reserve a spot, or for more information about the training, contact Vickie Skorji at [email protected].

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Migrant Issues in Japan

Posted on January 23, 2013 by jodias

The World Social Forum was held in Manila, the Philippines, in November 2012. For those who wish to know more about the issues that were addressed in that forum, a talk will be held by participants of the forum who represented Kapatrian and Karakasan, two NPOs that provide various sorts of support to migrants in Japan. Karakasan is a DV hotline for foreigners offering services in English and Tagalog. Kapatrian provides emotional and practical support (in English, Filipino, and Japanese) to Filipino immigrants and migrant workers living in Japan.

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EVENT: Talk on Migrant Issues in Japan
WHEN: February 7, 2013; from 10:00 AM
WHERE: Wesley Center, Room 204 (Click HERE for a map)
RSVP: Reservations are required. Write to [email protected] or phone 03-6427-4696.

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Lectures on English Education by Distinguished Speakers

Posted on January 14, 2013 by jodias

Kanda University of International Studies will sponsor the following three keynote lectures on English education by leading scholars as part of their English Education Seminar series.

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EVENT: Open Lectures on English Education / 英語教育公開講座
WHERE: Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages / 神田外語学院

WHEN: January 19th (Sat); 13:00 – 14:15
WHO: John Fanselow, Professor Emeritus, Columbia University, Teachers College
TOPIC: Huh? Oh. Aha! – Beyond Memorization

WHEN: January 26th (Sat); 13:00 – 14:15
WHO: Kensaku Yoshida, Professor, Sophia University
TOPIC: MEXT’s Five Year Plan to Improve English Education in Japan

WHEN: February 9th (Sat); 13:00 – 14:15
WHO: Kathleen Bailey, Professor, Monterey Institute of International Studies
TOPIC: Communication Strategies for EFL Learners

For full details about the entire program, including seminars on the same days by faculty from Kanda University of International Studies, download this PDF.

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TELL (the Tokyo English Life Line) and the Community

Posted on December 20, 2012 by jodias

The speaker, Jason Chare, is the Executive Officer and Director of Life Line Services at the Tokyo English Life Line (TELL). Although next year TELL will celebrate its 40th anniversary, there are many in Japan who have never heard of it, or, for that matter, the organization that served as its inspiration, “Inochi-no-Denwa,” the Japanese-language suicide prevention life line. In this talk, Mr. Chare will put Inochi-no-Denwa and TELL into perspective by talking about the purpose of life lines and the functions they serve.

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EVENT: IE Program Open Lecture Series
WHO: Mr. Jason Chare
TOPIC: Talk on the “Tokyo English Life Line”
WHEN: December 21th; 1:10 PM – 2:40 PM
WHERE: Sagamihara Campus, F-308
LANGUAGE: English

Jason Chare’s talk also will…

  • report a bit on how TELL responded to the mental health demands of the multiple 3/11 disasters and its role coordinating efforts with other Life Lines and NGOs.
  • give some practical advice about what teachers and students can do if they know someone who is under emotional distress.
  • introduce some active listening skills employed by life line volunteers.
  • allow students to practice some role plays and put some of those listening skills into action.
  • inform students about volunteer and employment opportunities at TELL and at other NGOs.

Read this fascinating article about a recent film which suggests steps Japan might take to reduce cases of suicide or suicide attempts: http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201212200011 .

Find out the wide variety of work that TELL is involved in by accessing this interview with Jason Chare, published on the Website of “Tokyo Expats by Tokyorelo.com”: https://tokyorelo.com/wordpress/tag/jason-chare/.

Read about the activities of TELL in this article published in The Magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan: http://bccjacumen.com/issues/2011/04/lending-a-listening-ear/ .

To better prepare for the lecture by getting exposure to some of the words and phrases that may come up, why not take the WB-DAT (Web Based Depression and Anxiety Test), “a clinically validated electronic screening program that asks you a series of questions about depression, anxiety and panic symptoms.”

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Women Joining Hands: An interesting panel discussion

Posted on December 14, 2012 by jodias

On Saturday, December 15, Women’s Action Network and Greenpeace Japan will host a panel session, “From the Day-to-day Confusion to Politics: Women Joining Hands” as a part of the two-day event, Nuclear Free Now!. The panelists include Ueno Chizuko (Women’s Action Network), Miranda Schreurs (German Advisory Council on the Environment), Matsuura Masayo (Association of Women Afraid of Nuclear Power) and more. Please see the English program here for the details.

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Talk by former president of East Timor

Posted on November 28, 2012 by jodias

Dr. José Ramos-Horta, the former president of East Timor (from May 2007 to May 2012), will give a talk on the topic of challenges, risks, and opportunities in Asia.

今年5月20日、東ティモール民主共和国は独立回復から10年の節目の年を迎えました。
ジョゼ・ラモスホルタ前大統領は1975年の独立宣言時より、同国の政治の中心を担ってきた方です。特に独立とそれ以降のインドネシアとの和解に向けた諸活動は国際的に注目を集め、1996年にはノーベル平和賞を受賞されました。これまでの外交経験を踏まえた講演は、国際関係に関心のある大学生にとって大変興味深い内容となります。

EVENT: Special Lecture
WHO:　Dr. José Ramos-Horta 「東ティモール民主共和国　前大統領」
TOPIC:　The Rising Asia: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities
WHEN: November 30th; 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM
WHERE: 6th Floor of Bldg. 17, Room 17-610, AGU Campus (Shibuya)
Language: English with simultaneous Japanese interpretation/ 英語で講演・同時通訳あり
COST: Free and no RSVP necessary/ 無料。事前申込は不要です。

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“Frames of Mind” film series

Posted on November 27, 2012 by jodias

The movie “Good As It Gets” (starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt) will be shown as the last of a series of films, screened by the Tokyo English Life Line (TELL), that deal with the human condition. It will be followed by a discussion with TELL experts on the themes in the film: difficulties with relationships, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bullying and prejudice against minorities, etc.

“Good As It Gets” is an excellent movie about “Melvin,” a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive writer who finds his life turned upside down when his gay neighbor is hospitalized and his dog is entrusted to him. Melvin surprises himself by falling in love with the dog and allows his emotional barriers to come down far enough to let him express his admiration and growing attraction to a waitress at a restaurant he patronizes daily. Gradually, he astonishes the people around him by becoming a kinder and more generous human being…even though it’s a great struggle for him.

EVENT: Screening of “Good As It Gets” followed by discussion
WHEN: Friday, November 30, 2012; 7 PM – 10 PM
WHERE: Wesley Center, 2F (Click HERE for a map)
COST: FREE! No booking is required.

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