ISSUE #78

MARCH 2014

JLGC NEWSLETTER
Japan Local Government Center ( CLAIR, New York )Issue no.78 March 20142014 JETAA REGIONALCONFERENCEISSUE NO.78 MARCH 2014
The 2014 JETAA Regional
Conference in Boston(Pages 1-3)
New York Times TravelShow 2014
(Page 4)
CLAIR Fellowship Exchange
Program 2013

As many people were creating personal goals and resolutions to start the new year, thirty-four JETAA delegates from fifteen chapters across the U.S. and Canada
gathered for the 2014 JETAA Regional Conference.
This year’s Conference was sponsored by the Japan Local Government Center (CLAIR NY), the ConsulateGeneral of Japan in Boston, the U.S.-Japan Conference
on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON),
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan (MOFA), and the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies(RIJS). The New England JETAA Chapter (US 03)
played host to this year’s conference and organized aseries of discussions, workshops, and seminars under
the theme of “Membership Management.” The conference took place from January 10th to 12th.

(Page 5-6)
Japan Week 2014
(Pages7)

JAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER(CLAIR, NY)
3 Park Avenue, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10016-5902
212.246.5542 office • 212.246.5617 fax
www.jlgc.org

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The conference began on Friday night with a Welcome Reception graciously hosted by the Consul
General of Japan in Boston, Akira Muto. Kind remarks of the honored guests emphasized the importance of membership in JETAA, as well as thepresence of Japanese culture and art in America,and set an ambitious tone for the rest of the weekend.
With this year’s conference being a working conference, the atmosphere of the seminars reflected a colJETAANC Chapter presentation on a memlaborative and active atmosphere. Several sessions
bership pipelinefocused on strengthening organizational structure.
Featured topics included overcoming geographicalchallenges, by JETwit founder Steven Horowitz (Aichi ‘92-’94), the establishment of subchapters, the use of social media tools, and the JETAA Initiative- the creation of a national JETAA
USA umbrella organization, led by founding JETAA member Paige Cottingham-Streater (Mie‘88-’89) from CULCON and Laurel Lukaszewski (Kagoshima ‘92-’94) from USJBF.
The JETAA Initiative, a continuing focal point of discussion, could potentially facilitate greater collaboration and ease communication among chapters. It would also provide several advantages to JET alumni who relocate to another area, aid in informational exchanges such as
announcements for employment opportunities, and could potentially benefit the fundraisingefforts of individual chapters.
Delegates also reviewed how other alumni groups approach these same topics during a panel
discussion featuring representatives from Teach forAmerica, AmeriCorps, and the University of Michigan Club of Greater Boston. Solutions found to somecommon problems currently facing alumni groups included organizing local events away from chapter
hubs, using subchapters, and engaging people before
they join, during their experiences, and after they
complete their time in their respective programs. Thesecond evening was highlighted by a delicious dinnersponsored by CLAIR at the local O Sushi Restaurant
A breakout discussion about creating sub& Bar in Cambridge.
chapters2

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The seminars on the final day began with two breakout sessions, with one group learning
about supporting professional development opportunities for their membership, led byJETAANY Vice President, Pamela Kavalam (Shiga ’07-’09). The other group had a discussion on effective use of Mailchimp, a tool used to organize and monitor mailings to members, led by NEJETAA Treasurer and conference organizer Patricia Frisoli (Hyogo ’05-’08).
The final two workshops outlined a strategic plan for increasing membership through amembership pipeline model and brainstormed transnational initiatives between the USand Canada.
The weekend yielded interesting and productive discussions on tips and tools for providing
value to current members and reaching potential members. As is often a highlight ofJETAA conferences, delegates also enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with old friends
and had ample opportunity to socialize, reminisce, and rediscover many natsukashii moments of their time in Japan. The conference ended with delegates energized
to bring back these new ideas to improve their membership managementin 2014. JETAA members should continue to look forward to some excitingchanges to come in the future of theirchapters.
New England JETAA (Boston)*This story was originally written byTim Ogino for the Jan. 19, 2014, editionof JQ magazine, a publication of theJET Alumni Association of New York"The delegates to the 2014 JETAA Regional ConferenceJAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER (CLAIR, NY)

Published by Japan Local Government Center
3 Park Avenue, 20th floor, New York, NY 10016 / Tel: 212-246-5542 / Fax:212-246-5617 / E:mail: jlgc@jlgc.org / http://www.jlgc.org

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This year’s New York Times Travel Show washeld from February 28 to March 2, at the Jacob
Javits Convention Center. Over 500 exhibitorsfrom around the world took part in this bigevent, directly pitching travel information totravel agents or future- travelers. We, CLAIRNY, also took part in it as the exhibitor of theJapan Booth. Our staff introduced Japanese
travel information along with sightseeing mapand brochures, to a lot of people who are interested in Japan.
I attended the Travel Show on Sunday, March 2nd. As
soon as the event started, a lot of people who love Japan came to our booth. They were interested in not
only popular sites for visitors, such as Tokyo, Kyoto
and Hiroshima, but also Nagano, Matsue, Wakayama,and so on. They also wanted to get information about
Japanese gardens, hot springs and the season whencherry blossoms are in bloom. I was impressed thatthe idea of travel to Japan was attracting so manypeople.
Shinichiro Sakai, Assistant Director
It was the first time for me to join the New York Times
Travel Show. Many people came to our booth andpicked up our brochures. Some of them plan to go to Japan in the near future, and some of them have alreadyvisited Japan. They asked me about specific issues suchas how to buy a Skytree ticket and what is the mostconvenient transportation from Narita to Tokyo. Meanwhile, there were also people who had been to Japanand missed Japanese foods. I talked to many visitors toour booth who love Japan, and I believe many places
and foods in Japan can attract travelers from the US.
Rie Imazeki, Director4

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CLAIR Fellowship Exchange Program 2013 was heldfrom October 27 to November 5 in 2013This program has been affording senior state and local government officials an opportunity to experience Japanese government administration first hand. This year the program was held in Tokyo andTokushima Prefecture.
We are very happy to be able to present further reflections on this year’s exchange by each participant,following the those in our previous issue.

Mr. Cahl POMINVILLE, President, Association of Municipal Managers,
Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario
On behalf of the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks & Treasurers ofOntario (AMCTO), I want to thank CLAIR for the opportunity to participate inyour Local Government Exchange and Cooperation Seminar 2013. This was myfirst opportunity to visit Japan and what a positive experience it was! I also wish
to thank the Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications and the Tourism & International Affairs
Bureau of Tokushima Prefecture for hosting the opinion exchanges at which time we were able to discuss opportunities and challenges that face local governments on both sides of the ocean.
One of the highlights for me was the homestay with my family. Masa and Takayo & children So-Ichiro(4) and Kana (2) were wonderful hosts. We became instant friends and were eager to learn from eachother.
Japan is a beautiful country with a long history and numerous natural attractions. The CLAIR staff
put together an amazing tour schedule to ensure that we were able to fully experience life in Japan. Iwish CLAIR continued success in your promotion and exchange of ideas as it relates to local government administration and management.

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Mr. Jason MOSELEY, General Counsel, Council of State Governments
Taking part in the 2013 CLAIR Fellowship Exchange Program was an outstanding
experience and increased my understanding of Japan’s governance both at thenational and prefecture level. The opportunity to discuss both historical and current
governing issues with national and prefecture officials provided great insight into
the similarities between the U.S. and Japan as well as the differences. Our travelsthrough both Tokyo and Tokushima Prefecture gave us a glimpse of Japan’s magnificent metropolitan
areas as well as the natural beauty of one of Japan’s southern prefectures. From the history present
in the architecture of the towns, the arts celebrated by all its residents, and the amazing diversity of
the agricultural operations, there was something to be discovered in each area we visited.
At each stop, we were greeted with impeccable hospitality by both officials and residents. The assistance provided by the CLAIR staff was exemplary, beginning with the New York staff as we prepared
for the trip and extending through the Tokyo staff that assisted us through our last day of the program. The homestay portion of the trip provided an opportunity to step into the life of a family livingin Tokushima and experience the many great aspects of their community in a more personal way. My
host family was very gracious and opened their home to me, allowing me to take part in their activities
as well as show me around their favorite places in Tokushima.
Since returning from the trip, I have had the opportunity to speak with several groups about theCLAIR program and my experience traveling throughout Japan. From the great tourist destinations
to the ways in which local history and resources have been used to create business opportunities andpositive economic impact for the area, there is much to be learned and experienced. I cannot thank
CLAIR enough for the opportunity to take part in the program.

Mr. Victor CARDENAS, Assistant City Manager, City of Novi
I am so very appreciative and grateful to have been a part of the CLAIR exchange toJapan. The experiences shared with CLAIR staff, representatives from Tokushima
and travel colleagues are unequaled. Japan is a country with amazing history, culture
and landmarks of which I feel fortunate to have learned about.
The homestay experience is one I’ll cherish forever. Tokushima is a beautiful
prefecture and I’ve been eager to share my amazing experience and many lessons with my work colleagues. The City of Novi is home to the largest Japanese population in Michigan and includes numerous restaurants, businesses and retailers. Due to the abundant number of Japanese businesses inNovi it is easier, for me, to continue to enjoy the Japanese culture here in the United States. I lookforward to sharing my Japan travel experience throughout the Novi Community.

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Japan Week 2014 took place at Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall from March 6 to 8. Thisevent promoted Japanese culture, cuisine andtourism, and was organized by the Japan Tourism
Agency and Japan National Tourism Organization.
There were many exhibit and performance, and a
lot of people who are interested in Japan came andenjoyed it.
I had an opportunity to be a member of the “Visit Japan” booth at
the Japan Week event. At the booth, I was in charge of the Japanese brochure counter and helped visitors to collect information
about Japan, and I was able to explain many things about Japanto them. Through this role, I could also introduce them to myhometown, “Matsue City” in Shimane Prefecture. I guess probably
this is the first time for Matsue to promote itself at a world-classfamous venue like “Grand Central Station”, even though Matsue
has a long history of more than 400 years. I really hope some ofthose visitors who received our city’s brochure will visit Matsue
one day.
Yukio Yoshikawa, Assistant Director

In short, Japan Week was a really great event as an introductory gateway to Japan. For example, you could
enjoy many kinds of Japanese style box lunches, or “Eki-ben”, there. “Eki” means station and “ben” is short for“bento”, meaning a box lunch, so “Eki-ben” means a box lunch sold at a
railway station. In Japan, it is a tradition to buy and eat “Eki-ben” whenpeople take a long journey by train. So, if you go to Japan and take a bullet train (“Shinkansen”), you’ll see a variety of box lunches sold at stations. Also, there were many other wonderful things, including sake andgreen tea ice-cream, all of which you could enjoy during Japan Week
without actually visiting Japan yourself. However, now that you have
had a taste of Japan at Grand Central, and most especially if you missed
that chance, it is time for you to go to JFK and fly to Japan to experience
all of these great things at their source – along with our famous “onsen”,
or hot springs, which make food, sake, and green tea ice cream even better, but which we, unfortunately, could not bring to Grand Central for
Japan Week.
Atsushi Inumaru, Deputy Executive Director

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