JLGC NEWSLETTER
Japan Local Government Center (CLAIR, New York )Issue No. 98 / November
2019

1. Career Forum & Welcome
Back Reception for JETParticipants (Page 1-2)
2.Introduction of New JLGC
Staff (Page 2-8)
3. The 2019 International
City/County Management
Association’s Annual
Conference (ICMA)(Page 8-9)

1. Career Forum and Welcome Back
Reception for JET Participants
CLAIR New York (Japan Local Government Center), theConsulate General of Japan in New York, and the JET
Alumni Association of New York, co-organize the Career
Forum and Welcome Back Reception for JET returnees
every year. This year it was held on October 26th at theNippon Club. Seven JET returnees, including people whoreturned to New Yorkthe previous year,
attended the Career
Forum and learned
basic job search
information from their“Sempai” JET alumni,
such as how to write
resumes and handle
interviews.
After that, panelists
from various fields, likepublishing, graduate
education, interpretingor translation, andinternational relations
talked about theircareers and gave some

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advice. Following that, attendees and companies in fields like manufacturing, food, media,and research, as well as temporary employment agencies and foundations gave brief“elevator pitches” to each other. It was a first step for the JET returnees to live again in theUS, so we hope this forum was helpful for them to find a job in the near future.
After the Career Forum, we had the Welcome Back
Reception with Japanese organizations, companies,and Kenjin-kai people, at the same venue. At thebeginning of the reception, Ambassador Kanji
Yamanouchi gave some welcome remarks for JET
returnees. Then, Mr. Yoshihiro Akagi, Executive
Director of CLAIR New York, made a speech andtalked to everyone about the importance of JET
participants’ activities for grassroots exchange.
After that, Mr. Andy Shartzer, who is the presidentof the JET Alumni Association of New York, told returnees that they might face reverse
culture shock, which he called “JET lag”, because they are not the same person they were
before JET. If so, Sempai JET alumni’s experience can be helpful. In addition, all returnees
introduced themselves and talked about some of their memories of Japan.
During the reception, all participants enjoyed talking about Japan and their new life inNew York, while enjoying Japanese foods. At this reception, we could talk with some JET
returnees and felt that they love Japan very much even after coming back to the US. We
believe these returnees will also take a part in building the relationship between Japanand the US through their work and activities in JETAA.

2. Introduction of New JLGC Staff

My name is Kokoro Arimafrom Kobe City. It lies in theAssistant Director, / Representative western part of Japan called
Kansai and has the sixth-largestof Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecturepopulation. It has flourished as aport town throughout the ages.

Kokoro Arima

Since joining Kobe City government, I first worked in the Welfare Department, PublicAssistance Division. There, I was like a “case worker”. I had about 100 “clients”, who2

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included families with and without children, single people, thosewith jobs and no jobs, and homes and no homes. Generally, myclients had insufficient income to pay for food, housing , clothingor other necessary expenditures. I visited them to help them withjob opportunities, advise them on finances, and assist them withgovernment forms, especially applying for assistance. My second
job was in the Human Resources Department.
Today, I’d like to introduce some of Kobe’s attractions to you.
About Kobe
The name Kobe, literally “God’s Door”, was derived from theoriginal name “Kanbe”, the family protecting the god of Ikuta
Shrine, in the heart of the city. Kobe began to thrive as a citywhen the port opened up to the Western world back in 1868
and a foreign settlement was located there up until 1899. Ever since the opening of its port
in 1868, Kobe has blossomed into a thriving cosmopolitan city, incorporating Westerncustoms, cultures and industries.

Arima Onsen
With a history of over one thousand years, Arima Onsen isconsidered one of the three oldest hot spring resorts in Japanand has often been listed near the top of onsen rankings forWestern Japan. It has two types of hot spring waters: TheKinsen (“gold water”) is colored brown with iron deposits andis said to be good for skin ailments and muscle pain, while
the Ginsen (“silver water”) is clear, with radium andcarbonate, and is said to cure various muscle and joint ailments.

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Night View
Kobe has one of the most beautiful night views in Japan.
The night view from Kobe’s two most famous mountains,Mt. Rokko and Mt. Maya, especially charms viewers withbeautiful, overflowing lights. It holds the title of “10million dollar night view”

Sake
The Nada area, in the west of Kobe, is a sake-producing
area boasting the largest amount of sake produced inJapan. This area has many sake breweries that people canvisit and taste their products, and everyone can enjoy
knowing the splendor of sake and its history. There arethree reasons why this area’s sake tastes so good. First,
the rice which is best suited for brewing, called
Yamadanishiki, is rich in quality. Second, good quality mineral water is abundant. Andlast, the combination of the cold winds known as “Rokko Oroshi”, and the influence of theInland Sea make for ideal weather conditions for brewing sake.
Kobe Beef
As you know, Kobe beef is Wagyu beef. But to becertified as Kobe beef, it needs to meet very strict
standards for how the cows are raised, their pedigree,
and their meat quality.
Because of high standards and careful cultivation
methods, only about 5,500 head of cattle comprise 0.16%
of total beef consumption in Japan.
You can also try “shabu-shabu” or “sukiyaki”, but it isrecommended to eat “steak” so that you can fully enjoy the deliciousness of the meat itself.
There are many steakhouses in Kobe where the chef cooks in front of you.
For more information about Kobe, please look at our official site:
http://plus.feel-kobe.jp/en/

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Hello, everyone. My name is
Tomoko Fujiwara. I come from
Nagano Prefecture. Nagano is
Assistant Director, / Representative
famous for holding the Winterof Nagano Prefecture
Olympic and Paralympic Gamesin 1998, and for having many ski

Tomoko Fujiwara

resorts. It also is the home of what we call the onsen-loving snow monkeys. As I’m sure you
know, onsen are hot spring spas.
Before joining Nagano Prefecture government, I pursued a graduate education in Forestry
Science in Kyoto. Even before my graduate study I was interested in the natural habitat andspent some time at Purdue University in Indiana.
I joined Nagano Prefecture government in 2016, where I worked in the Department of theNext Generation, or “jisedai” in Japanese. There is no easy translation of the name, but themission of the department is to help prevent further population loss in the prefecture. So, thedepartment supports families with children and those expecting children by reducing thefinancial burden on them in order to encourage population growth.
Now, let me introduce Nagano Prefecture to you in detail.

Specific Features of Nagano Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture is a mountainhighland sightseeing destination
surrounded by 9800 ft highmountains. Especially in winter,
Nagano is the most accessible ski
resort area in Japan. It takes only
approximately 1 hour by Shinkansen(bullet train) from Tokyo.
Access to Nagano

The industrial strength of Nagano is evident in its manufacturingsector. It has a wide range of companies that contribute to innovative research and advanced
human resource development.

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Thanks to its diverse natural environment and conditions,
there are also a great variety of agriculture businesses in
Nagano. The prefecture boasts one of the highest levels of
production of fruits and vegetables in Japan. Countless
locals and tourists alike enjoy the experience of fruit
picking, such as strawberries, peaches, grapes and apples,in their different seasons.
Nagano Prefecture is among the healthiest and longest living societies in the world, where
many people remain active well into their twilight years. The prefecture has long beenchosen as an ideal place to settle by many Japanese people with the dream of a fulfilled
and relaxed life, nestled in a beautiful and rich natural environment.

Zenkoji Temple
Zenkoji Temple dates back to 642 A.D. It has long been an
important destination for Buddhist pilgrims, and is claimed tohouse the first statue of Buddha ever brought to Japan. It isconsidered unique due to the fact that it is not affiliated with aspecific religious sect.

Matsumoto Castle
Matsumoto Castle, also known as “Crow Castle” due to itsblack exterior, is now a designated national treasure.
Built in 1504, the keep (called “tenshu” in Japanese) still
maintains its original wooden interior and externalstonework, and it is the oldest original tenshu among
Japanese castles.
Wild Snow Monkey Park
The wild Japanese monkeys of the Jigokudani Wild
Monkey Park were made famous by the international
media during the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games.
The monkeys live in a mountainous valley, which iscalled Jigokudani or “Hell’s Valley”, where about 200
monkeys bathe and relax in open-air hot springs,6november 2019

issue #98especially during winter as they escape the harsh cold.

Ski Resort
Winter is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year.
Nagano’s mountains are home to fabulous ski resorts with awide variety of courses, plentiful powder, and beautiful
views. Nagano’s ski season begins in mid-December andcontinues through April, with some resorts remaining open
during Golden Week (the first week of May).

Winter Festivals
Don’t get stuck hibernating indoors during the long winterevenings. Instead, experience traditional Japanese festivals and other lively events!
Nozawa Fire Festival (Dosojin Matsuri)
On January 15th of every year, the villages ofNozawa Onsen celebrate the Dosojin Matsuri, a fire
festival of epic proportions. Male villagers battlewith fiery bundles of straw to burn down a mockshrine built for the festival. 25-year-olds defend theshrine while 42-year-olds sit atop it. The cleansing
flames are said to rid them of their bad luck, andthey pray for the health and success of first-bornsons as well as for the harvests in the coming year.
Iiyama Snow FestivalIiyama City is a part of Japan’s “Snow Country”,
where heavy snowfall completely covers thelandscape. While the snow has been a burden for along time, residents of Iiyama have taken it andturned it into something enjoyable once again. Now,for two days in February, you can see magnificent
snow sculptures in a range of Japanese motifs, from
popular anime characters to bullet trains.

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Food and Drink
Soba
A trip to Nagano could never be complete without trying some of
the local specialities. In Nagano, “soba noodles” are the mostpopular signature dish. Nagano’s soba is called “Shinshu Soba”
in Japan. Most Japanese tourists have it at the top of their“What To Eat List” when visiting Nagano.
The origin of soba is unclear, but it is said that soba was analternative source of food when the rice harvest was poor. Soba
noodles are noodles made from buckwheat flour and are as thickas spaghetti.
SakeDelicious rice, pure water, and a cool climate are key toproducing good sake and all are plentiful in Nagano. Nagano
is home to 80 sake breweries, the second most in Japanfollowing Niigata Prefecture.

*These are quoted from the website “Go NAGANO”. You can see more detail on this website.
I also quoted from here.

3. The 2019 International City/County
Management Association’s Annual Conference
We attended the 2019 International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Annual
Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, which was held from
October 20th to 23rd. ICMA is the world’s leading
association for professional city and county managers andother employees who serve local governments. ICMA has
more than 11,000 members, and more than 5,000 local
government management professionals from across theglobe participated in this year’s ICMA conference. ICMA has
been a significant partner with us ever since our office was8November 2019

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established in 1988.
At this conference, four keynote speakers discussed
leadership from their respective positions. Apart from
that, education sessions, workshops and fielddemonstrations were held on various topics. For
example, at a field demonstration of “Waste toFertilizer”, we could learn an environmentallyfriendly solution for solid waste disposal and abiosolid process that converts waste, producing highgrade fertilizer pellets.
On October 21st, we held a reception (which we call“Japan Night”) to strengthen our relationship withcity managers from all over the country andinternationally. We were especially pleased that
more than 100 senior level local government officials,
including the leadership of the ICMA organization,
attended our reception. Nearly every official at thereception had a connection with Japan in some formor another. Also, it was very satisfying to see thenumber of CLAIR Fellows who came to show theirloyal attachment to our office’s work here in theUnited States and Canada, and some of the staff of the City of Novi and the City ofPearland, who hosted our first year staff’s study tour.
New this year was the beginning of what we hope to be a firm relationship with theInternational Network of Asian Pacific Administrators (I-NAPA). This is a good
opportunity to connect with an ever-growing group of senior administrators of Asian
heritage in local government in the United States.
As always, our reception creates a bond between the United States and Japan and will leadto the promotion and strengthening of mutual understanding between U.S. and Japanese
local governments.

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