Japanese Summer Festival, Natural Disaster Info, and More
Japanese Summer Festival, Natural Disaster Info, and More
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Japan Now: July/August 2018

Japan Now is the email newsletter of the Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage. 
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Table of Contents:
Prime Minister's Cabinet News
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Receives a Courtesy Call from the Secretary of Defense of the United States James Mattis
On June 29, commencing at 11:10 a.m. for approximately 50 minutes, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call from The Honorable James Mattis, Secretary of Defense of the United States of America on his visit to Japan. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
1. At the beginning, Prime Minister Abe welcomed Secretary Mattis’s visit to Japan for the first time since February last year, expressed his appreciation for efforts undertaken by Secretary Mattis to strengthen the Japan-U.S. Alliance and stated that he intends to continue to further strengthen the bond of the Japan-U.S. Alliance going forward. In response, Secretary Mattis explained that the Japan-U.S. Alliance is a priority and common challenges to the both countries have been fortifying the Japan-U.S. Alliance.
Read More
Japanese Summer Festival
Please join the Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage and the Japan Alaska Association for the 2018 Japanese Summer Festival. This year we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Japan Alaska Association.
Activites include Japanese carnival games, martial arts demonstrations, and taiko drumming. Admission is free. Please bring cash for vendors.
Date: Saturday, August 4th
Time: 12:00-5:00pm
Location: Lucy Cuddy Hall, University of Alaska Anchorage campus
Cultural Notes: Natural Disasters
   On the 18th of June around 7:58 am Japan time, a 5.5 earthquake struck northern Osaka prefecture near the city of Takatsuki. While it was nowhere near the destructive level of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, its location close to population centers resulted in at least three dead and over 400 injuries. The earthquake also damaged northern Osaka’s electrical and gas grid.

  Starting June 28th and extending through mid-July, southwestern Japan received multiple heavy downpours of rain that resulted in widespread flooding and mudslides. Eight prefectures were under heavy rain fall warnings from the Japan Meteorological Agency, the most warnings given at one time in Japanese history. Many areas received record rainfall, including Saga and Nagano prefectures. At least 225 people have been confirmed dead as of mid-July and there have been widespread damage to many areas of western Japan. Train services were also completely stopped for a short while and many train lines still have significant delay. On July 8th Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for an emergency disaster meeting, the first since 2016, to set up a disaster release task force to urgently help those affected by the flooding.

  Starting July 9th, Japan has been experiencing a historic heat wave, with many areas of western and central Japan reaching over 95 degrees (35 C). Kumagaya, in Saitama prefecture in northwestern Tokyo, reached 106 F (41.1 C), the highest ever temperature recorded in Japan. At least 80 people have died from heat related causes and over 20,000 people have gone to local hospitals and clinics with heat stroke. The Japan Meteorological Association has declared the heat a natural disaster.

  To learn more about how you can protect yourself from heat and natural disasters in Japan, please visit the Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage’s website where we have uploaded information about preventing heat exhaustion. You can also see information in Japanese about the natural disasters and travel tips from the Japan Meteorological Agency.
If you are interested in donating to help relief efforts in Japan, the Japanese American Citizens League and the U.S.-Japan Council have set up the Japan Flood Friendship Fund.  
Interview: Ms. Maria Labatos
Maria Labatos was born in the Philippines and raised here in Eagle River, Alaska. She was interested in Japanese culture from a young age, and studied Japanese in both high school and college, eventually graduating with a degree in Japanese from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She has now moved to Motobu, Okinawa, Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) with the JET program.

 
Q: Why did you want to join the JET program?

A: I wanted to improve my Japanese and immerse myself in a culture I have loved since I was young.

 
Q: What would you say to other people who would be interested in the JET program and teaching English in Japan?

A: I would say to not give up on your dream. I applied 4 times to the JET program before getting in so perseverance is key.

 

Q: Do you have any tips on the application process?

A: I would recommend rewriting your statement of purpose for every application. Your goals and dreams might be the same from year to year, but the statement of purpose is how you can stand out during the application process.

 
Q: How was starting later in the school year? (Maria was an alternate who was chosen to go later in the year)

A: I found other ALT’s to be very friendly and helpful even though I missed orientation and the other bonding events you go through as a regular ALT. Also the local teachers at my school were very friendly as well and helped me settle into my classes nicely.

 
Q: Where are the other JETs from?

A: Most of the other JETs I have met in Okinawa are from the United States, but we have some Canadian and New Zealanders. My nickname is ‘Miss Alaska’ with the other JETs.

 
Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: I spend a lot of time going to the beaches, especially having beach BBQ’s. I also love driving to new towns and cities and exploring the islands. I have also begun volunteering at a local eikaiwa, teaching English and practicing my Japanese.

 

Q: What ages do you teach?

A: I teach middle school mostly, and one combined elementary/middle school on the small island of Mina-jima, which I have to take a ferry to.

 
Q: How do students react when you tell them you are from Alaska?

A: Almost all of my students when I tell them I am from Alaska say “the cold place” and then ask if I have seen an Aurora.

 
Q: And how do you like Okinawa?

A: I absolutely love it.
Editor's Note
Dear valued readers,
I will be departing from my position at the Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage at the end of August. I have enjoyed coordinating the newsletter over the past two years, particularly getting to know Alaskans with ties to Japan. I will miss the other Consular Office staff as well as the other wonderful people I've met through this job.
From the next issue forward, my colleague Erik Peterson will take over my position as Chief Editor of the newsletter. As always, please contact us with any comments or suggestions.
Thank you for your continued support of the newsletter!
Sincerely,
Nicole Ringland
Editor
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