jetaa portland newsletter 0905

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Hanamikai! Perfect timing and perfect weather for cherry blossoms

JETAA PORTLANDJapan Exchange and Teaching Alumni Association

VISIT JETAA PORTLANDONLINE:

WWW.JETAAPORTLAND.COM

Inside This Issue:

Ed itor’s N ote. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Letter from th e Kaich ou . . . . .

Meet the New O fficers . . . . . .

New s from the W eb. . . . . . . . .Meet the New

Com mittee Ch airs. . . . . . .

2008 Recap & Letter from

the previou s Kaichou . . . . . .

Sh innenk ai Spon sors. . . . . . .

Dear A biko. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

New s from the Con sulate. . . .

W hat the Bunka ?!. . . . . . . . . .

Announ cmen ts. . . . . . . . . . . .

Up coming Even ts. . . . . . . . . .

After years of hanamikais that were too early, too late, too weor too much indoors, JETAA Portland finally experienced flower viewing party as itshould be experienced: sprawled

out on tarps and blankets underfully blooming trees, wearingshort sleeves and enjoying foodand drinks with family andfriends. Since the U.S. nightlynews lacks the ubiquitous andhighly accurate Sakura bloom-ing forecasts of Japan, JETAAPortland had to rely on its own team of botanists and meteorolgists to guarantee that our party planning would finally aligwith the season. Following intensive scientific research, organi

ers of this year’s Hanamikai decided that on April 4thPortland’s cherry blossoms atWaterfront Park would be inpeak blooming condition. Theresulting day could not havebeen more perfect.

A general sense of flower-induced euphoria settled overthe crowd of sun-deprived JETalums,… Continued on p. 11…

JETAA N ewsletter MAY 200

Join us for the7th Annual

Iron Chef

Saturday, May 9thBob & Beth Schnyder’s House

5:00PM

Prizes for:Best Appetizer, Entrée, Dessert

Email Beth by May 6th with what you plan to bring

2

2

3

3

4

5

6/7

8

8

9 10

12

By Caitlin Hanse



As the newly electedPresident I want tointroduce myself.Some of you may befamiliar with me, butknow me by a differ-ent name. I’m nowKim Miyake, for-merly Kim Bartsch.I’ve been involved

with JETAA in many facets since I re-turned from Japan and was previouslyPresident in the ‘06-’07 year. I’mreally looking forward to being moreinvolved again this year!

I was an ALT from 2000-2003 in Oka-yama-ken, famous for being the homeof Momotaro. Every place in Japan is“famous” for something and I hopethat JETAA Portland can be famous(without the quotes) too. I hope thatwe can be known as the most activeJETAA chapter in the US. We alreadyhave a lot of involvement, but I think there is room for improvement. In or-der to achieve this, we need your help.

If you haven’t been involved rcently, we want to hear from yoWhat could we be doing better? Dwe send too few or too manemails? Current events don’t inteest you? Please feel free to senany comments or suggestions to

[email protected] .

JETAA is a way to reconnect withat part of your life that others judon’t understand. Whether yowant to reminisce about kyushokonsen, or, “I’m fine thank you, anyou?”, you’ll find someone to shayour stories with. It’s a great o portunity to network and meet pe ple in the community. We also aito get more involved in communiand cultural activities this year anhope you will too.

I look forward to meeting many you in the coming year.Yoroshiku!

KimJETAA Portland President

JETAA Portland Newsletter May 2009

Letter from the KaichouKimberly Miyake

Officers:President [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] ittee Chairs:Cultural [email protected]

Community [email protected] [email protected] VickiBridges,[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] DanielMicknewsletter@@jetaaportland.com

JETAA Portland Contacts

The JETAA Portland Newsletter is published by the Portland Chapter of the JET Alumni Association. Information presented and views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the JET Programme, the government of Japan, or any of its entities. For comments and questions please contact the JETAA Portland President. Please direnewsletter comments and submissions to the JETAA Portland Newsletter Editor. Keep up on all current JETAAPortland activities and events by visiting the official website at www.jetaaportland.com

Editor’s NoteDaniel Mick

お久しぶりね!

The JETAA Portland Newsletter has returned! I have taken a vowto produce a bimonthly newsletter filled with pictures and reviews of

events; entertaining articles, inter-views, and reviews of Japaneserelated topics; and announcementsabout upcoming JETAA and Japa-nese community events. Failure touphold this vow results in a centu-ries old ritual punishment involv-ing razor sharp Seki cutlery, bamboo splints, and trained battling beetles. There may have beenmore but I was too focused on plotting ideas for the newsletter to pay too close attention.

Last August I moved sight unseendirectly from Gifu, Japan to Port-land. JETAA gave me a warmwelcome and I got involved inevents right away. Now I’m giv-ing back! I’ve been here less thana year so haven’t met everyJETAA member, so I hope thenewsletter informs you, entertains

you, and encourages you to be in-volved with JETAA and the Japa-nese community in your own way.

I’d love to hear your feedback about the newsletter, and wouldlove any content or suggestionsfor future issues. We’ll alwaysmake space for member ideas.

[email protected]

See you at the next event!



Beth Schnyder, Treasurer Nagasaki-ken, 1993-1996

Blood Type: A

Konbini snack

you miss most:

Salmon onigiri,Tomato Pretz, andthe winter hot

honey lemon drink

Best thing about

being back:

Not hearing how I'm so great at using

chopsticks nearly every time I eat.

Hardest thing about being back: Missing my students and friends and the

celebration of the seasons in Japan

What you're doing now: Since the JET program I've worked for

several Japanese companies. Currently,

I'm staying home to raise my 2 daugh-ters, Claire (4) and Madeline (1).

What you hope to contribute to

JETAA this year:

I enjoy preparing the new JETs for their

adventure in Japan and being involved inthe local Japanese community in PDX.

Todd Van Horne, Vice President Wakayama-ken, 2004-2008

Blood Type:Don’t know

Konbini snack

you miss most: Natto-maki

Best thing about

being back:Microbrews and

Mexican food

Hardest thing about being back: No onsens or relaxing on the floor

What you're doing now: Playing spring league Ultimate, usingrestaurant gift certificates, watching lots

of Netflix


JETAA this year:Expand our social circle and organ-izational sphere of influence to pro-vide more opportunities for our members.

Kimberly Miyake, President Okayama-ken, 2000-2003

Blood Type: O+

Konbini snack

you miss most: Onigiri

Best thing about

being back:People don't follow

me around the su-

permarket asking

me what gaijin eat.

Hardest thing about being back: Lack of onsen

What you're doing now: Product & Project Manager for a transla-

tion company


JETAA this year:Get more people involved!


Meet the New Officers! April election means new dedicated officers to serve JETAA!

Lynette Yasuda, SecretaryOkayama-ken, 1998-1999

Blood Type: A

Konbini snack

you miss most: Ume onigiri

Best thing about

being back:College football

Hardest thing

about being back: Not having a real train system

What you're doing now: Program manager for a K-3 literacy pro-

gramWhat you hope to contribute to

JETAA this year:I'd like to support JETAA events and

New Website www.jetaaportland.com With a new logo comes a new, udated, more user-friendly websitThanks for everyone’s feedbacfrom our online survey. We hopthat with this new Website we caencourage more interaction wi

our members.

What’s New and Different?

· New Look & Feel – easi

navigation that is visual

appealing

· Calendar of Events – quick

glance to find what’s com

ing up to mark on yo

calendar

· Site Search – quickly fi

what interests you

· Shop - We have partnere

with Zazzle.com to pr

vide customized JETA

Portland merchandise.

· Share & Enjoy – easily sha

with others using your fvorite social media sites

We want your feedbacThe Website is only as useful the JETAA members that providthe content. Help make this th best website possible by sendiyour comments and feedback t

[email protected]



Daniel Mick , Newsletter Editor Gifu-ken, 2005-2008

Blood Type: Red

Konbini snack you miss

most: Tamago-boru, Col-lon, Chelsea, Morinaga,

HiChew…candy!

Best thing about beingback: Being capable todo anything myself

Hardest thing about being back: Lack onsen to relax in!

What you're doing now: Waiting to stfirefighting academy

What you hope to contribute to JETA

this year: I hope JETAAs are informeentertained, and energized to participa

more because of the newsletter. And sam

for suggesting content they want to see!

Britt Sexton, Sports Chair Hyogo-ken, 1994-1997

Blood Type: Yummy


most: Brittwiches

Best thing about being

back: Eating whatever I

want whenever I wantHardest thing about be-

ing back: No post-snack onsen

What you're doing now: Devouring miss-ing JETAA Committee Chairs

What you hope to contribute to JETAA

this year: —It appears Britt Sexton wasmissing at time of publication, folks! Get to

know a little about him in the next issue. If

you happen to see him or his remains, let

us know!—

Darren Heiber, Social Chair Fukui-ken, 1999-2001

Blood Type: B+

Konbini snack you

miss most: Nikuman breakfast!


back: Almost no oneasks me about the size

of my chinpo

Hardest thing about being back: Relat-ing my experiences to others who haven't

been out of the country

What you're doing now: Librarian, en-trepeneur and all around good guy


this year: I'd like to help create a greater sense of community and acceptance


Meet the New Committee Chairs! April election means new dedicated chairs to serve JETAA! Give them your feedback!

Stephanie Smith, Community Chair Aomori-ken, 2003-2006

Blood Type: O+

Konbini snack you

miss most: Doritos (Iknow they are Ameri-

can!)


back: No smoky rooms

Hardest thing about

being back: No onsen

What you're doing now: Married, house

shopping, teaching nihongoWhat you hope to contribute to JETAA

this year: To further spread the wordabout Japanese cultural events in the area

Scott Klein, J-Kaiwa Co-Chair Tokyo, 1989-1992 (Friend of JET)

Blood Type: O+


most: Shiichikin/Tsunaonigiri


back: The freedom of driving!

Hardest thing about be-

ing back: Missing friends in Japan

What you're doing now: IT business ana-

lyst for UPSWhat you hope to contribute to JETAA

this year: Broaden participation at JETAAevents, and find a new nijikai spot!

Ideas…?

Bob Schnyder, Webmaster Nagasaki-ken, 1993-1996

Blood Type: ABKonbini snack you miss

most: Late night shiichikinonigiri and CC Lemon


back: Mexican food (therewas none where I lived)

Hardest thing about being back: No coand mayonnaise pizza or picking up Hok

Hokka Chicken Nan-Ban bentos

What you're doing now: I own a strategmarketing consulting firm focusing on Int

net marketing

What you hope to contribute to JETAthis year: 1) To make the JETAA Portlawebsite a resource for all members, 2)

make the Obon party a big success so w

have a large Summer JETAA event.

Jeff Horn, Career Chair Hiroshima-ken, 1996-1997

Blood Type: B-


most: Custard


back: Playing with mydog Xander

Hardest thing about be-

ing back: I miss theSpring time in Japan

What you're doing now: Sales Representive

What you hope to contribute to JETA

this year: To find and convey lots of intesting job opportunities for alumni!

Vicki Bridges, J-Kaiwa Co-Chair Aichi-ken

Blood Type: O+

Konbini snack you

miss most: Hiyashichuka

Best thing about beingback: Being near family

Hardest thing about

being back: Missingfriends in Japan, no ONSEN like there!

What you're doing now: Helping Japa-nese high school students make it through

a year of school here in Oregon


this year: Through J-Kaiwa, I want tomaintain chances to use Japanese so wedon't forget it and continue making Japa-

nese friends and networking.

Amanda Gray, Cultural Chair Fukui-ken, 2003-2006

Blood Type: ??

Konbini snack you

miss most: Konbinisomen, or saba onigiri

with lemon!Best thing about being

back: More space, nokanji, closer to family

Hardest thing about being back: Morestress, less vacation/travel to reconnect

with Japanese friends

What you're doing now: Marketing Ana-lyst. (My main role is tradeshow logistics).


this year: More community involvementwith Japan affilated organizations in Port-

land and memorable cultural activities!



vo lun t ee r s

and dele-

gates joined

over 50chapter dele-

gates from

around theUS to shareideas, im-

prove our

o r g a n i z a -

tions, andlearn about what’s happening with

JETAA on the national and international

scales.

Other chapter highlights include our an-nual Shinnenkai, hosted once again by

our friends at the Tawon House who

provided us the unique opportunity to

experience nomihoudai (and utahoudaikaraoke!) outside Japan. Our Hanamikai

was also a huge hit as the first in recent

memory that we actually timed perfectly

with the weather and cherry blossoms.There is nothing like marking the start of

spring with a beautiful hanamikai.

While I have no official JETAA position

this year, I’m thrilled to be back helpingout with the newsletter as our new en-

thusiastic editor Daniel Mick takes thelead in bringing this effort back. We

have some great ideas so keep your eyeout for upcoming issues. I encourage all

members to get more involved in

JETAA by submitting ideas, sitting in on

a monthly meeting, or volunteering for an event. Most importantly, please show

your appreciation to the many folks who

dedicate their time and effort to chapter

responsibilities. Thanks again everyonefor a great year!

Otsukare sama deshita! —Jarod Bishop

This has been an ex-

citing year for

JETAA Portland! As

the 2008-2009 lead-ership passed the

torch to both new and

familiar faces lastmonth, the essentialwork of keeping our great Portland

chapter running continues. I’ve en-

joyed serving as President for the last

year, and I wish Kim the best as shetakes on the challenging role of orga-

nizing volunteers and events, conduct-

ing monthly meetings, and coordinat-ing with our local Consulate. Thank

you all for your support, especially the

team of officers and committee chairs

who volunteered time and energythroughout the year. My sincere

thanks go to Amanda Gray (VP) and

Caitlin Hansen (Secretary) who are

stepping down after two years in their positions. We returned to Portland at

the same time and through JETAA

have become great friends, supporting

each other through that difficult transi-tion from JET, and learning the ropes

of JETAA as we went along. Every-

one has done a great job increasing in-

volvement, improving our events, andcreating new initiatives to serve our

members. We’ve all done our best,

worked well together and have created

some real momentum for the chapter that I hope continues on.

Some highlights of the year included

the annual JETAA USA National Con-

ference in August, hosted this year byour neighboring “Pacific Northwest

Chapter” in Seattle. We worked with

then President Ryan Hart (now a Coun-

try Representative) as JETAA Portland


President’s Farewell & Year-in-Review 2008-2009 President Jarod Bishop signs off, and some pics of last year’s events



Dear Abiko,

Why do construction workers we

such baggy pants?

—Hamma Pantsu

Bukabuka zubon (baggy pants) are

common site amongst young

‘tougher’ construction workers athroughout Japan. And much liDickies and Carhartts have moved in

mainstream fashion in the US, so habukabuka zubon.

The bagginess of the pants is helpf

for Japanese construction workers wh

clamber around scaffolding and costruction sites much more than the

US equivalents. (Their dexterity is al

enhanced by their thin-soled, split-to

flexible jikatabi shoes. In fact, suconstruction workers are called ta

shokunin, literally ‘ split-toe shoe co

struction worker’).

After the war, traditional Japane

clothing was hard to come by. But fo

eign surplus military ‘knickerbocker

often alsosizes too

l a r g e ,

were plen-

tiful. Theyw e r e

a d o p t e d

and the

style be-c a m e

common.

S l i g h t l yr o o m y

workpants

are still

called nikka zubon from this origi

But the super baggy style are callchouchou zubon, chou coming fro

“ultra”.

Some workers claim the pants he

them on scaffolding through

“whiskers” effect, and the pants ha

gained further popularity because myths about their lucky protection

the worksite.

Dear Abiko,

Why is ‘CHUHI ’ pronounced

‘CHUHAI ’? Shouldn’t it have a ‘hee’

sound?

—Juan Moore

Chuhi is a Japanese colloquial contrac-

tion, much like pasokon is a smooshedand chopped contraction of ‘pasonaru

konpyuta.’ But chuhi is one deviation

further in phonetic vs. spelling use.

Shochu now is atrendy premium prod-

uct. It didn’t use to be

that way though.Whiskey was in short

supply post-war. So

people turned to the

cheap but foul shochu.It was mixed with

juices to taste better and thus the

“ shochu highball” was born. In Romaji

usage, the English pronunciation andspelling of “hi” was left in the new word

despite “hi” in Japanese having an “ee”

sound. Chuhi in kana is spelled phoneti-

cally correct though. Learn your kana;stop relying on Romaji.

Dear Abiko,

In Japan I noticed that people had lit-tle buzzers on their restaurant tables

to request help, or just yelled loudly

and someone came running. Why

don’t we have that in the US?

—Sue Mimasen Excellent question Sue. I don’t know.

How is it that customers in the ‘politest’country in the world are so loud when

demanding service, and the customers of

the ‘rudest’

country in the

world cower in their seats

waiting for

the bustlingserver to ever

notice them,

berated if they even raise a hand or look

around. Hopefully buzzers can start thereas a novelty and spread to become com-

mon. Try yelling sometime; it works like

a charm here. Good luck!

Page 8 JETAA Portland Newsletter May 2009

Dear Abiko,Dear Abby’s Long Lost Japanese Twin

Dear Abiko,

I’ve never seen a Japanese clown.

Why do all the kids ride unicycles?!

—Petey Bar Num

Japanese physical education is much

more involved than in the US. And

while the classroom teachers are incharge of taiiku unlike dedicated PEteachers in the US, they have very spe-

cific guidelines of development from

the Education Ministry. The main goal

is to develop a lifelong interest and participation in physical activity to

produce healthy, active adults.

Unicycle riding is a ubiquitous taiiku

activity across Japan at age 8-10. Even

the blind schools teach it. It seems to be a favorite activity to meet goals of

balance and coordination set out in the

guidelines. Most children give it up

after grade school, but “Pro” unicy-cling is highly developed in Japan be-

cause of the sheer number of partici-

pants exposed to the sport at such an

early age.

Dear Abiko,

Is green tea really good for you?

—Ma Cha

Many studies indicate so! Not only is

green tea packed with antioxidants, but

the mental, spiritual, and social bene-

fits of drinking can also be huge.But be warned: green tea is NOT caf-

feine free. In fact, it has almost as

much as a 12oz Coke! You can adjustthe caffeine content by shortening the

b r e w i n g

time, and

b r e w i n gm u l t i p l e

times with

used leaves.

By Daniel Mic



Like books? Like tea?Us too. Even more so together.

JETAA Book Club

On Wednesday, May 6th wewill end our two-year sojournin Portland and return to Kita-kata City in Fukushima Pre-fecture.

Our time here has beenmarked by many experiencesand accomplishments. The In-formation & Cultural Sectionof the Consulate had an activeand productive year and therelationship between JETAAand the Consulate remainsstrong. We particularly en-

joyed taking part in the Ha-

nami, Iron Chef and Shin-nenkai celebrations as well asthe JET Sayonara BBQ and re-turnee receptions, and wethank you for all of yourfriendliness and hospitality.

While here we also spent a lotof time exploring the fulllength of the west coast. Wetoured all of Oregon by car,

from Astoria to the John Dayfossil beds, and even took acruise from Seattle to Alaska.


News From the Consulate A Letter from Mr. and Mrs. Sato: Thank You and Farewell

We hope we truly took advan-tage of our time here to meet asmany people and see as much of the Northwest as possible.

Of course, our greatest joy dur-ing the past two years was thebirth of our daughter. Itsuki

Ameri Sato entered the world onFebruary 2nd, 2008; the sameday as her father (and a certainJET coordinator.) We were ex-tremely happy that Itsuki wasborn in the U.S. andable to obtain citi-zenship in America

and Japan. She mayeven want to partici-pate on the JET Pro-gram, meaning shewill face a difficultdecision in about 20years. In any case,we will be back to seethe brick that youwere so kind to havemade and placed in

Pioneer CourthouseSquare for her.Thanks to all of the

JETAA officers who made thapossible.

And thank you all for all of your hard work and kindnessover the last two years. With-

out your support life in Port-land would have been muchless meaningful and enjoyableWe absolutely invite you tovisit us in Kitakata. We will bwaiting with a nice, big, steaming-hot bowl of ramen readyfor you!

Sun 6/14, 1300@ Tao of Tea

Stubborn TwigLauren Kessler

えと。。。あの。。。ええ。。。

Japanese Getting Rusty…?

Join us at the next

J-Kaiwa!

The first Friday of every month

@Hawthorne Lucky Lab915 SE Hawthorne St.

1900-2100

June 5th, July 10th, August 7th

Come eat, drink, and brush up on that‘ol Nihongo you used to be so good at.

Bring a friend!

**Ideas for a new nijikai location?Contact Vicki or Scott (Email Pg 2)**

Contact Lynette for details (Email Pg2)

Save the date!

Sayonara BBQ

Saturday, July 18

Details TBD

Come forge connections with fu-ture JETAA alumni before they

leave for the Land of J.

Enjoy a picnic with other alumnand reminisce about the adven-

tures ahead for the nOObs.

Sun 5/17, 1300@ Tea Zone

Blue BambooOsamu Dazai



Congratulations toJoe Mochnick!

Joe was our JETAA online survey winner. He has received a$50 gift card toUwajimaya.

We value your feedback. Every-one be sure to participate in fu-ture surveys!

It’s the time of year

when flags like the

one on the left flutter

in the hot breeze onsultry summer days

all across Japan. It’s

clever hiraganamorphing clearly ad-vertises that the shop

within specializes in

unagi : f i l l e ted ,

basted, grilled, soft-fleshed and crispy-

skinned, fatty and

sweet delectableunagi!!

Unagi Basics

Unagi is a freshwater

eel served as a deli-cacy across Japan. It

is most often simply served grilled and

basted on a bed of rice. Having such

simple preparation, individual unagishops are chosen because of their unique

kabayaki sauce and basting method and

resulting glaze. There’s surprising vari-

ety considering the sauce is traditionallyonly three ingredients!

Diners often garnish their unagi with a

special spice called sanshou, a dried andground mountain berry that has a pun-

gent and distinctive pepper and citrustype flavor. The Hida mountains pro-

duce the most ‘famous’ brands.

Nagoya is famous for a unique unagi

presentation and eating style called hit-

sumabushi. It has three steps:

First, transfer rice and eel from the large bowl to the smaller bowl to enjoy plain.

Second, transfer a portion again and en-

joy with the provided toppings (leek,wasabi, and minced nori).

T h i r d , p o u r d a s h i

soup over

the last

p o r t i o nand add

remaining

toppings.

It is tradition especially to eat unagi

“Midsummer Day of the Ox”. The da

changes every year on a different su

calendar, sometimes twice a year, busually falls the third week in Jul

2009 dates are July 19th and 31st.

The Bad News

First, if you didn’t know, fishing stoc

around the world are in peril. The e ploding world popularity of sushi on

exacerbates it. Sustainable fish a

fishing methods must be employ NOW to save our fishing future.

Unagi breed in the ocean but swim

fresh water to live. No one knows ho

to breed unagi. They are either wil

caught in streams as adults (uncomm

now and expensive) or caught as younand farm-raised. Unagi is rated Avo

and Eco-Worst Choice by respect

groups pushing for sustainable fishing

Second, even if you decide to eat unain the US, 99%+ is raised, kille

grilled, and frozen in China before b

ing shipped here. That sweet browmush served as “unagi” makes m

weep bitter tears. It’s like orderin

fresh snapper fillet and getting a File

o-Fish. ** If anyone knows of any plato get market fresh unagi, I’d pa

[email protected]**

I LOVE unagi. I believe it’s the be

food of Japan! Another JET and I b

came mini-experts our last year, vising 35+ different restaurants (my f

vorite: http://tamuro-gr.com/) I’happy to answer any of your question

(Fourth), enjoy any of the steps, al-ways transferring to the smaller bowl.

(Also, unagi sushi seems to be a West-

ern bastardization. The sublimity of the

grilled eel on plain rice is lost with thevinegared rice used in sushi).

Unagi Preparation Any real unagi shop serves the eels to

order. Tanks of live eels often greetvisitors when they enter a restaurant.

Being strong and slippery, unagi are

handled with three offset fingers to

crick their muscles. They’re killed bysuffocation in air, then minutes later

have a stake driven through their skull,

are pulled taught, and filleted. Spe-cially shaped knifes are used. Filleting

the length of an unagi across their jag-ged spines without sacrificing meat ap-

parently takes years to master.

As always, there are some East/Westdifferences in preparation:

Kansai: fillets from the belly andleaves the fins, head, and tail on. It is

only grilled, no steaming. Steel skewer. Kanto: fillets from the spine and re-

moves the ‘extras’. It is grilled,

steamed, then grilled again. Bamboo.

The spines aren’t wasted: they makeamazingly crisp and delicious senbei!

The liver is also saved and served in a

subtle soup that accompanies the meal,

a source of extra ‘stamina’.

土用の丑の日 Doyou no ushi no hi

The preponderance of unagi in summer is not because it’s in season. It is be-

cause unagi is believed to bestow pow-

ers of stamina upon the eater, much

needed during the wearying Japanesesummer (and no doubt a belief based

partly on unagi’s phallic nature since

sexual stamina and virility is also a re-

puted benefit!).


“What the Bunka?!” Japanese Culture in DetailThe Wonderful, Mysterious, and Oh-so Delicious Unagi!

By Daniel Mic



The latest issue of Japan Now (Vol. 5, No. 7), the official newsletter the Consulate-General of Japan in Portland, OR, contains a great litle article about the details of how the famous cherry trees came tWashingon, DC through the work of dedicated individuals both iWashington and Tokyo almost 100 years ago. Check it out here:http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/JapanNow/EJN_vol5_no7.html#Article5

Of course, you’re already a subscriber Japan Now, right? No…? Well head on over to the Consulate-General of Japan in Portland websiand sign up for their bimonthly e-newsletter through the link in the lowright hand corner! It’s an easy way to stay up to date on Japanese news!http://www.portland.us.emb-japan.go.jp/

Hanamikai, from page 1 …family, and friends whogathered under the 100 cherrytrees near the Japanese

American Historical plaza.Guests brought an impressivearray of high quality dishesand desserts and many envious

glances were cast by the hun-dreds of people passing alongthe waterfront who had alsocome out to marvel at thetrees. Attendees came andwent throughout the day, andthose most drowsy from foodand sunshine stayed until thesun began to dip behind theMade in Oregon sign.

Cherry blossom viewing is theultimate symbol of springtimefor anyone who has lived in Ja-pan, and offers a chance togather simply for the sake of appreciating this brief andbeautiful burst of nature.Many thanks to all those whowere willing to be flexible and

join us with such wonderfulfood and company at amoment’s notice, helping usimport this favorite Japanesetradition to Portland. See younext year!


Want More Hanami Action? A Tale of Two Cities and Three Thousand Cherry Trees



Upcoming Events: Visit www.jetaaportland.com for event details

Sat 5/9 7th Annual Iron Chef, 1700 @ Schnyder’s

Awards for Best Appetizer, Entrée, Dessert

Sun 5/17 Book Club, 1300 @ Tea Zone Blue Bamboo, Osamu Dazai

Fri 6/5 J-Kaiwa, 1900 @ Hawthorne Lucky Lab

Nijikai location TBD

Sun 6/14 Book Club, 1300 @ Tao of Tea

Stubborn Twig , Lauren Kessler

Sat 6/27 JET Pre-departure Orientation, details TBD

Contact Kimberly if you’d like to help!

Mon 7/20 七夕 Tanabata/ 星祭り Hoshi Matsuri, Star Festiv

7/7, 8/7, or 8/26 depending on custom/calendar



Mon 7/13-15 お盆 Obon, Ancestor’s Day

8/13-15 depending on custom/calendar

Sat 7/18 Sayonara BBQ, 1200, details TBD

S,F 7/19,31 土用の丑の日 Doyou no ushi no hi, Midsumm

Day of the Ox, Unagi Day!!

Mon 7/20 海の日Umi no hi, Marine Day

Sat 7/25 5th Annual Masters Golf Tournament, det TB

Sat 8/1 Obon Party, details TBD



Announcements

Pre-departure Orientation:Interested in helping new JETs in their transtionto Japan? Got lots of J-wisdom to impart? Con-tact Kim. (Email Page 2)

Paper or Plastic:JETAA Portland Newsletter now comes in twoflavors: print by post, or pdf by email. Or both!Tell Daniel your preferences. (Email Page 2)

Film Chair & Food Chair:Love watching Japanese cinema? Love tryingdifferent Japanese restaurants? Maybe you

should be a new Committee Chair! If either of these are something you’d be interested in head-ing, contact Kim. (Email Page 2)

Content Ideas:Film reviews, essays, poetry, pictures, inter views, tips-n-tricks, etc. Your content and/orcontent suggestions make the newsletter better.Let us know! Contact Daniel. (Email Page 2)


JETAA Portland

P.O. Box 8772

Portland, OR 97207

jetaa portland newsletter 0905

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