The Membership Officer is the first point of call for the Society’s membership of some 700 individual and 200 corporate members and is responsible for keeping our records up to date and coordinating recruitment efforts. The post provides support to the Membership and Development committees and plays an active role in the management of the programme of business events.

He/she will report to the Chief Executive, though may work directly with other members of the Society’s small team on particular areas of activity.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Handling membership enquiries and playing an active role in recruitment
• Processing membership applications and renewals, managing payments
• Maintaining the membership databases and producing regular updates, collating statistics. Helping the education team manage its database of schools and teachers.
• Drafting materials for print and website and preparing information packs for members and donors
• Sending regular postal information and events updates to members
• Assisting with the planning and organization of business and donor events, both daytime and evening
• Supporting the work of the Membership and Development committees, producing minutes and related documents

Skills required:

• Excellent English language skills with experience of business communication (ability to write business letters, draft information packs, handle telephone calls, participate in meetings, respond to email communications)
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, ability to spot errors and self-correct
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc)
• Experience of databases (SQL and Access) is a great advantage but not essential. Training will be provided if necessary, but evidence of strong general IT skills is important.

• Flexibility and a willingness to get involved, when necessary, in any aspect of the Society’s activity with others in our small team.

• Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 31 May 2013

Please send a CV and covering letter by email to Heidi Potter at heidi.potter@japansociety.org.uk.

Interviews will take place in the first week of June.

Full details at original posting on the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation.

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The Triangle Center for Japanese Studies is pleased to offer travel grants to scholars outside the Durham/Raleigh/Chapel Hill/Greensboro area to conduct Japan-related research at Triangle institutions using Japanese materials in the

Duke’s East Asian Collection consists of about 80,000 volumes in Japanese. The Japanese collection is focused on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and is especially strong in art history, Buddhism, history, labor, literature, popular culture (film, advertising and manga), women’s studies and the Japanese colonial experience. We have a fairly comprehensive collection of Japanese databases, http://databases.library.duke.edu/content.php?pid=345478.

The collection at the Ackland Art museum was built by Sherman Lee and is notable for Japanese paintings and sculpture.

NCSU’s Gregg Museum of Art and Design holds textiles and ceramics while the NCSU libraries have strong collections in design, landscape architecture and textiles.

GRANT AMOUNT: $750 to cover travel, hotel and photocopy expenses

PRIORITY GIVEN TO APPLICANTS:

* who document how their research will benefit from access to Japan-related materials in the Triangle and whose research will take advantage of our strengths

* who are located in the Southeast or at institutions which do not have easy access to comparable resources.

DEADLINES:

* Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. A total of ten awards will be made.

* Awards must be used and receipts submitted by August 15, 2013.

* Each recipient is required to submit a short summary of the research accomplished with the grant by August 15,2013.

TO APPLY:

Submit (email applications preferred) a brief description of your research topic, sources in the collection you plan to use, a brief curriculum vitae, an estimated budget, and any questions you may have to:

Dr. Kristina Troost

Head, East Asian Collection

Dept. of International and Area Studies

Duke University

kktroost@duke.edu

919-660-5844

The Japan Society is the leading independent body in the United Kingdom dedicated to the enhancement of the British-Japanese relationship in all its facets. It is a membership organization and UK charity with a strong educational remit. Its core programmes include approximately 80 academic, business and cultural events each year, support for schools teaching about Japan, provision of small grants, publication of periodicals and books, and maintenance of a small historic library.

The Information and Education Assistant has a central role supporting all areas of the Society’s activity. He/she is the first point of contact for general enquiries and will have a general overview of current projects. This post also provides administrative support for management of the Japan Society office, the Small Grants scheme and for aspects of the Schools Education programme.

He/she will report to the Head of Education, though will work directly with other members of the Society’s management team on particular areas of activity.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Dealing with enquiries from callers, by phone, email and in person, and directing them to the relevant member of staff when appropriate
• Managing applications for Japan Society Small Grants, communicating with applicants and the Grants committee, keeping accurate records and administering payments
• Providing administrative support to the education team, for example with management of loan resources and education events, and the maintenance of schools database information
• Managing the office environment, including equipment and supplies, handling incoming and outgoing post
• Occasionally assisting with events, which may require evening work

Skills required:

• Excellent English language skills (ability to handle telephone calls, write letters/emails, participate in meetings)
• Knowledge of Japanese language and culture is useful.
• Excellent organizational abilities and attention to detail
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc) is essential. Experience of databases is useful.
• Flexibility and a willingness to get involved, when necessary, in any aspect of the Society’s activity as part of a small team.
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the UK.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 31 May 2013

Interviews will take place in the first week of June.

Please send a CV and covering letter by email to Heidi Potter at heidi.potter@japansociety.org.uk.

Full details at original posting on the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation.

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Job description
The Publications and Public Relations Coordinator is responsible for overall communications and public relations for the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University. The incumbent reports to the Director and Executive Director of the Institute. The Publications Coordinator oversees publication of the Annual Report, Institute Reports, and other written content. S/he will work with staff and faculty to increase the Institute’s academic and research profiles, and will manage production and workflow of all marketing communications and its related aspects. He/she will work with the Institute’s Senior Coordinator on the Institute’s major research publications.

The Publications Coordinator oversees data collection, write-up, editing, photography, publication and circulation of the Annual Report and related publications; corresponds with authors, reads manuscripts, contacts editors and reviewers for distribution of manuscripts, circulates reviews, works with production personnel and promotes and markets the series; acts as liaison with faculty, authors, and the editors at Columbia University Press to produce The Asia Perspectives and the Weatherhead Books on Asia, editing, producing, and overseeing circulation of the series; allocates and oversees the East Asian Institute publications annual budget; and selects, trains and supervises graduate student assistants.

Working with the Director and Executive Director, s/he will manage and monitor the Institute’s annual PR budget, design and implement an annual strategic plan for public relations, and provide guidance to staff and faculty to meet the Institute’s public relations objectives, in conformity with the University’s PR policies. S/he will serve as the Institute’s main contact for press, donors, and members of the public, and maintain a cooperative working relationship with related University offices. S/he will have editorial oversight and be responsible for the content and design of the Institute’s website and other public interfaces. S/he will be responsible for production/writing and distribution of press releases, news articles and publicity materials relating to all aspects of the Institute’s programming, and will participate in planning and implementation with faculty and staff to ensure that programs and projects are appropriately represented in the public domain;

The incumbent will be responsible for developing and maintaining a strong network of press, media and publishing contacts; manage the Institute mailing lists, including updates to the Institute database; S/he will organize, develop and maintain the Institute’s historical archives, including the editing and appropriate storage of documents, images, photographs, articles and materials of historical value pertaining to the Institute and its work. Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

B.A. or equivalent required; M.A. in public affairs/East Asian studies highly preferred. Must have at least two years experience in related work in publishing/marketing and in administration. Must have superior writing, analytical, and copyediting skills, as well as excellent organizational skills and ability to work under changing priorities on multiple deadlines. Some editorial experience required.

Prior professional experience in the use of social media tools preferred. Experience with desktop publishing programs, database management, and a good understanding of web and html architecture highly desirable. Background in communications and/or knowledge or East Asian regional/public affairs is helpful. Serious candidates must submit a writing sample of 5 pages (preferably an annual report, policy memo, grant application or publicity materials).

For full details and to apply, see original posting on Idealist.org.

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An Edo Anthology: Literature from Japan’s Mega-City, 1750-1850
Editor: Jones, Sumie; Watanabe, Kenji;
528pp. February 2013
Paper – Price: $30.00 ISBN: 978-0-8248-3740-2
Cloth – Price: $70.00 ISBN: 978-0-8248-3629-0

During the eighteenth century, Edo (today’s Tokyo) became the world’s largest city, quickly surpassing London and Paris. Its rapidly expanding population and flourishing economy encouraged the development of a thriving popular culture. Innovative and ambitious young authors and artists soon began to look beyond the established categories of poetry, drama, and prose, banding together to invent completely new literary forms that focused on the fun and charm of Edo. Their writings were sometimes witty, wild, and bawdy, and other times sensitive, wise, and polished. Now some of these high spirited works, celebrating the rapid changes, extraordinary events, and scandalous news of the day, have been collected in an accessible volume highlighting the city life of Edo.

Edo’s urban consumers demanded visual presentations and performances in all genres. Novelties such as books with text and art on the same page were highly sought after, as were kabuki plays and the polychrome prints that often shared the same themes, characters, and even jokes. Popular interest in sex and entertainment focused attention on the theatre district and “pleasure quarters,” which became the chief backdrops for the literature and arts of the period. Gesaku, or “playful writing,” invented in the mid-eighteenth century, satirized the government and samurai behavior while parodying the classics. These entertaining new styles bred genres that appealed to the masses. Among the bestsellers were lengthy serialized heroic epics, revenge dramas, ghost and monster stories, romantic melodramas, and comedies that featured common folk.

An Edo Anthology offers distinctive and engaging examples of this broad range of genres and media. It includes both well-known masterpieces and unusual examples from the city’s counterculture, some popular with intellectuals, others with wider appeal. Some of the translations presented here are the first available in English and many are based on first editions. In bringing together these important and expertly translated Edo texts in a single volume, this collection will be warmly welcomed by students and interested readers of Japanese literature and popular culture.

104 illus., 5 in color

Description:

The Consular Section at the Consulate General of Japan in Miami has an opening for a Visa Clerk/Consular Assistant. This is a full-time contract position.
Tentative Start Date: Monday, July 22nd, 2013
Work Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 A.M.-5:30 P.M.
Lunch Hour: 12:30P.M.-1:30 P.M.

You will not be required to work weekends unless a special event is taking place. In such cases, you will be given advance notice.

Benefits: This is a full-time salary position. Over-time is available when approved. Health benefits are included.

Duties:
-Answer phone calls and e-mails regarding Japanese visas, re-entry permits, Japanese textbooks, and request for investigation of lost articles.
-Collect and revise all visa application packages at the Consulate.
-When necessary, interview the applicants to verify information they have provided for their visa application.
-Process all Japanese textbook orders from Japan for the two Japanese schools in Florida, and for all individual home schooled children.
- Assist the Consul with Japanese nationals in the State of Florida who are in need of Consular services.

-Assist in Consular events in the community

Minimum Qualifications
-High School Degree or equivalent
-Fluent English and Japanese (reading and writing)
-Moderate computer skills (excel, word)

Preferred Qualifications
-Conversational Spanish
-Experience working with Adobe Dreamweaver

Application Procedure:
Please submit a cover letter(400 character max), and resume by no later than May 27th, 2013. Please send all information to:
info@mi.mofa.go.jp
If you are chosen for an interview, you will be notified by June 3rd, 2013. We will call and schedule an interview sometime in early June. The person who is chosen for this position will be notified by telephone.

Original posting on Florida JETAA.

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I’m particularly interested in receiving papers on how Japanese cinema has portrayed the effects of the bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in its films, such as Godzilla and Children of Hiroshima.

I’m looking for critical essays that discuss individual films, directors or topics relating to the atomic bombings, whether dealt with directly or hidden as a subtext within the film.

Please send a 300-400 word proposal or abstract to the above email address.

If interested, I recommend that you first send a 300-400 word proposal (or a simple email, in order to check the papers suitability). Submissions and proposals should be sent toMatthew6.Edwards@live.uwe.ac.uk

All texts should be in Times New Roman, font size 12 and justified. Please use endnotes, though please refrain from using the endnotes facility on your computer. For notes, please use superscript and number all notes numerically.

Closing date for submissions will be 15th June. This deadline will be rigorously enforced as I am aiming for a 2013 publication.

Matthew Edwards is the editor of the anthology Film out of Bounds, which was published in the US by Mcfarland and Co in 2007.

Matthew Edwards
University West of England
Bristol
United Kingdom

J. F. Oberlin University

The College of Arts and Sciences at J. F. Oberlin University, Tokyo, invites applications for a tenure-track/tenured position in the field of Premodern Japanese Literature. Appointment will be at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, depending upon qualifications and experience. The successful candidate will be expected to teach courses in both Japanese and English. Minimum qualifications include a Ph.D. or equivalent record of accomplishment and the ability to perform in a bilingual work environment.

Applications will be accepted from April 26, 2013 to May 27, 2013 (Japan time), to be followed immediately by initial screening of applications. Teaching duties will commence on April 1, 2014. For further details regarding the position and application procedures, please consult the posting on our Japanese-language website:

http://www.obirin.jp/gakuen/jobinfo/0077.html.

(Turns out that Fujimi City, Saitama, also uses 「恋はみずいろ」.)

Anyone who has lived in Japan has heard the town-wide morning or evening chimes. Recently, Alice Gordenker wrote about 5 pm bells in both her So What the Heck Is That? column for The Japan Times and in her blog. She explains the history of the bells–turns out it’s not just to tell the schoolchildren and farmers to go home–in “The 5 p.m. bell”  and links to some popular songs for chimes in “The 5 o’clock bell, explained.”

What does/did your town chime play?

Also, an aside: I was shocked to read her mention of the town where I was a CIR on the JET Program! I don’t know who the blogger complaining about the Anamizu town bells is, but the town really did have 4-5 bells/announcements per day when I lived there from 2009-11.

The Program Committee welcomes proposals for panels, roundtables or individual paper presentations that address the history, societies, political and economic systems, languages and literary/visual cultures of Asia in different regional and global contexts. Panels and roundtables that take an innovative approach to format (interdisciplinary, pedagogical, creative, mixed media) are welcome, as are traditionally organized academic panels. We also encourage roundtables that address the state of the field.

Submissions of proposals are now being accepted on the conference website.
http://asia.isp.msu.edu/MCAA/conference_2013/conf_home.htm

The deadline for applications is June 15, 2013.

For questions regarding proposals, please contact
Prof. Ethan Segal, Program Chair, at mcaa2013@msu.edu

We look forward to welcoming you to East Lansing this October!