@ A P I E x c l u s I v E w I t h

KAy MAKIshIc h A I r o f t h E A J E t N A t I o N A l c o u N c I l

Page 10

Racism and the Role of the A.P.I. JETPage 6

All Mixed UpPage 8

The Hidden LifePage 9

What Makes a Good Cafe?Page 16

Lessons Learned:A Journey of Self-Identity

Page 18

Thank you to all of the new JET Programme participants who came by the API AJET booth during the AJET Fair at Tokyo

Orientation sessions A & B. We hope you all have a wonderful year on the JET Programme. Thank you as well to all of the Block Representatives and everyone else who helped represent API AJET, as well as National AJET for helping put everything together. ◆

Thank you!

Q: Was the map of Japan intentionally placed upside down?

A: Yes, the map was intention-ally placed upside-down. It was visually appealing, and it repre-sents looking at Japan from a different perspective with the idea that we may have been looking at it from the wrong direction all along, while simultaneously saying that we’re aiming to turn things around. The red and blue creates a false 3D effect, which symbol-izes having multiple dimensions. And the yellow is to take over the stereotypical skin color associated with Asians in the west. ◆

API AJET Trivia

What is“A . P . I . ”?“Asian Pacific Islander”, or “API”, is a term that encompasses all people who identify with the “Asian” and/or “Pacific Islander” demographics, where “Asian” refers to all cultures and nationalities from regions spanning the entirety of the Asian continent, and “Pacific Islander” refers to all cultures and nationalities from regions spanning the entirety of Oceania. In practice, the term “Asian-Pacific Islander” is sometimes used in the United States to include both Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans, typically used by the Census Bureau. It was a result of the establishment by the U.S. Congress of an Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week in 1978 for the first ten days of May, later expanded to a monthlong observance in 1992. The designation was to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the U.S. on 7 May 1843 and the contribution of Chinese workers to the construction of the transcontinental railroad, completed on 10 May 1869. Because of a 1997 directive by the Office of Management and Budget, the “Asian or Pacific Islander” racial category was further separated into two categories: “Asian” and “Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander”. ◆

Some information gathered from the United States Census Bureau, CB11-FF.06 (29 April 2011).

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Did you know that elephants live in a matriarchal society, where the head cow, along with her sisters, will teach the children everything they need to know to survive, including “elephant manners”? As a consequence of poaching and culling practices, however, if the head cow of a herd is killed, there will no longer be a role model to teach the youth how to behave. Orphaned adolescent elephants have been seen “pushing around [other animals like] rhinos and hippos,” even to the point of killing them simply because they no longer had a mother to show them “how to live in a diverse, multicultural society.”* We could learn a thing or two from elephant society. One thing is to be able to respect peoples of other cultures and backgrounds. One way to be able to do so is through education. ThatwasexactlyoneofourgoalswhenwefirstfoundedtheAsianPacificIslanderAJET(APIAJET)specialinterestgroup.Weare now exploring different avenues to achieve that goal, such as organizing events, facilitating discussions, and creating publications like“@API”inordertoeducateourselvesandeachotheraboutthediversity and multiculturalism we all contribute to. Inthis2013-2014JETyear,wehopetobringmorecontent,more substance, and more support for everyone as a whole, so please lookforwardtomoreAPIAJETactivitybroughttoyoubytheNationalRepresentatives and newly appointed Block Representatives here to serve you. Let’s learn and grow together. We are all part of the same herd, after all.

Albert David R. Valderrama APIAJETCo-Founder APIAJETNationalCo-Representative @APIChiefEditor

Greetings!

* Elephant research based on information from Elephants Forever (www.elephants forever.co.za)

and Tom Silva, curator and elephant trainer at the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico,

USA via The Straight Dope (www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1462/can-elephants-jump).

@APIAll Things

Asian Pacific Islander

ContributingWriters

Aimee Wenyue ChenErika Ehren

Akiyo HoriguchiLee Hanae UngMelody Wong

Front Cover PhotoKodomari, Aomori

by Charmaine Estacio

Layout & DesignAlbert David R.

Valderrama

Staff EditorErika Ehren

Chief EditorAlbert David R.

Valderrama

Special Thanks toKay Makishi

AJET National Council

Additional Thanks toMariko Cook

Christopher De BorjaYolanda Espiritu

Asuka NagaseJaime Ota

Arjan TulsiGeoff Wen

Rochelle Zheng

Write for us!

Or draw. Or take pictures. Or whathaveyou.

@API is always looking for contributions. Share your story

today! Email api@ajet.net.

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Yolanda Espiritu (Aomori, B1)Hi guys, my name is Yolanda. My nickname is “Yoyo.” I am your Block 1 API AJET Representative! This means I rep. API-AJET members in the Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, and Akita regions! (What up northern-ers!) I come from Southern Califor-nia, and now live in a small town at the tip of Aomori’s Tsugaru penin-sula--its kind of the complete oppo-site of where I come from in terms of weather, and town population/demographics! So it’s been quite an experience! This will be my 2nd year on JET. I look forward to serv-ing and supporting you as the Block 1 Rep, and hanging out with you all sometime soon! Lets make the most of this JET experience! :)

Erika Ehren (Fukushima, B2)Hey everyone! My name is Erika Eh-ren, and I’m your Block 2 API AJET Rep. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu! I’m going into my 3rd year as a JET liv-ing in Aizumisato, Fukushima, but I originally hail from the great state of Wisconsin, USA. I grew up just outside of Green Bay, and I even brought my Packer cheesehead with me. I take great enjoyment in mak-ing my students wear my cheesy hat during English class. I’m looking for-ward to serving you as your Block 2 Rep, and hopefully we’ll be able to work together to expand API AJET in the upcoming year!

Jaime Ota (Gunma, B3)Hello, everyone! My name is Jaime Ota, and I’m one of your Block 3 Reps. I’m originally from sunny Cali-fornia, USA, but now live in Gunma, which is at the heart of Japan. This will be my 5th year on JET, and I’ve worked both as an ALT and CIR. I’m a giant geek at heart, so don’t be afraid to come talk to me! I look for-ward to getting to know everyone and helping you out the best I can.

Christopher De Borja (Gunma, B3)Hello all! My name is Christopher David De Borja, but please feel free to call me Chris. I will be serving as one of your Block 3 API AJET Reps and I hail from the crane-shaped cabbage-country prefecture Gunma. I will be going into my fourth year on JET and I am originally from the San Francisco City area in California in the USA. When I’m not snowboard-ing down the mountains during the winter time, I can be found going on adventures around Japan. In my downtime, I play video games, watch movies at the movie theater, and go karaoke. So if you need a buddy for any of those things, just give me a call! I look forward to sup-porting you on your JET experience!

Rochelle Zheng (Chiba, B4)Hi everybody! My name is Rochelle Zheng, and starting this year I’ll be a 2nd-year CIR and your new API AJET Block 4 Rep! Originally from Georgia in the US, I now live in Chi-ba City, Chiba Prefecture. My hob-bies include swing dance, ultimate frisbee, and watching ridiculous but wonderfully entertaining variety shows on Japanese TV. I look for-ward to spending the next year with you all! :D

Akiyo Horiguchi (Toyama, B5)I’m a 3rd-year CIR in Toyama, and one of those few married JETs. (Starting my 4th year according to “JET years,” but I was a late upgrade when I started.) I first started getting involved in API organizations when I was at the University of Southern California, and then I went on to immerse myself in the Japanese-American community in Portland, Oregon, where I lived after graduating from college. I am excited to be part of API AJET! I enjoy running, movies, taiko, and watching college football (Go Trojans!).

Faces of API AJET

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Geoff Wen (Shiga, B6)Hey everyone! My name is Geoff and I currently reside in Shiga-ken where I work at two elementary schools and two kindergartens. I originally am from beautiful sunny California and will be entering my third year on the JET Programme in August. In my free time I like to go to the gym and explore the kansai area and have been known to get down on the dance floor in Kyoto sometimes. I (along with Arjan, your co-block leader) am very excited to be your Block 6 Representative for the upcoming year. I hope to bring fun and engaging events so that we can create a stronger API commu-nity in Block 6 and across Japan. If you have any ideas for events please let Arjan or I know and we’ll do our best to make it happen!

Arjan Tulsi (Hyogo, B6)Hi! My name is Arjan and I’ll be your Block 6 Rep this year, along with the super handsome Geoff Wen. I live in Akashi City and teach at the High School level. I hope you all have a productive and enjoyable year on JET and if you have a chance please attend one of our Block 6 events!

Asuka Nagase (Osaka, B7)Hi, my name is Asuka Anne Nagase, and I’m an ALT of Kishiwada-shi (famous for the Danjiri Festival), Osaka-fu, entering my 5th year on JET. I’m a 2nd generation bilingual Japanese American born and raised in San Francisco, California. I grad-uated from the University of Cali-fornia, Davis back in 2009, with a double-major in International Re-lations and Japanese, and a minor in Asian American Studies. I was very active in the student club Japa-nese American Student Society for all 4 years, 3 of which I served as an officer. I represented the lo-cal Japanese American commu-nity as a 2008 Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival Princess as well. My first dream of teaching English in Japan via JET came true soon after that. That said, I’m sure we can somehow relate. I look for-ward to meeting and working with you all. As the Block Rep of Osaka, I hope to make the most out of my final year on JET, while helping to make things easier for us and to get more people to know/understand who we are. Yoroshiku onegaishi-masu :)

Mariko Cook (Okinawa, B11)A big “haitai” from your Block 11 Representative, kicking it all the way down south in Okinawa! My name is Mariko and I’ll be representing Ku-mamoto, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Okinawa in API AJET for the year. I hail from the cornfields of Indiana and this is my 2nd year on the JET Programme. I’m excited to see what this year holds for all of us and I can’t wait to meet you all someday. Let’s make this year awesome!

Block Representatives

Which Block are You in?

Block 1: Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, AkitaBlock 2: Miyagi, Yamagata, Fukushima, NiigataBlock 3: Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, NaganoBlock 4: Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, ShizuokaBlock 5: Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Gifu, AichiBlock 6: Shiga, Kyoto, HyogoBlock 7: Mie, Osaka, Nara, WakayamaBlock 8: Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, KochiBlock 9: Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, YamaguchiBlock 10: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, OitaBlock 11: Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Okinawa

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Earlier this year, a Y o u T u b e

video called “Racism in Japan” by ALT Miki Dezaki made its way around the community. When Japanese nationalists began issuing death threats, and the board of education felt pressured enough to ask Dezaki to pull down the video, my Face-book feed lit up with outrage and solidarity. That’s when I noticed that some of my API friends seemed to feel particularly strongly about these events. While that may be a co-incidence, I began to wonder if APIs from Western countries are more inclined to be sensitive to issues of racism and discrimina-tion in Japan. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The good news is, the kind of aggressive racism that the “Racism in Japan” video elic-ited is not the common type of racism in Japan. More often, it is the more deceptively “friendly” type of racism that is so wide-spread in Japan. At first, we might feel

annoyed and left out when our more foreign-looking

peers are treated like celebri-ties in Japan. But many get tired of this constant attention, and the longer they live here, the more they do not appreci-ate persistently being treated as an outsider. While the API experience is different, we are

actually in a unique posi-tion to understand. I

often think, what if this happened to me back home, in the U.S.? I’ve felt the rage of hav-ing “Konnichiwa!!”

yelled at me while out on a run back

home, and then I think of all the random calls of “HELLO!” that my non-Asian friends get in Japan. I can easily imagine how I would feel if I were constantly complimented on my English every time I said “Thank you” in the U.S., when my non-Asian friends speak of the frustration of being complimented for sim-ple Japanese phrases no matter how long they’ve studied Japa-nese. I think of how I would be in shock and disbelief if someone asked my white husband about me with “Where is she from?” in the U.S. But in Japan, I have been asked many times, “Where is he from?” as he stands right beside me.

Back in the U.S., it seems African Americans and Hispanic Americans experience overtly negative racism all the time, such as the perception of crime, or of lack of education. Mean-while, Asian Americans are seen as the “model minority.” But we understand that “positive” rac-ism is still racism. (I once felt rather uncomfortable at a job interview when the interviewer cheerfully said, “You Asians! You’re so hard-working!”) Like-wise, I think non-Asian JETs start to feel a little uncomfortable with all of the “positive” atten-tion. And we can sympathize, we really do. Of course, the situ-ations aren’t exactly the same, but I think the basic principle at work is similar. But there’s something else, too. Asians from Western countriesoftenfindwehavetodefend our right to call ourselves American, Canadian, Australian, or whatever we are. I have found this to be the case for APIs of a variety of backgrounds. Time and again, I experience myself as well as hear of other APIs questioned about where we were born, where our parents are from (or grandparents, or great-grandparents, as the case may be), where we’ve lived, what languages we speak, and

Writer’s Note: I tried my best, but I struggled with some of the terminology. I attempted to be inclusive of all APIs rather than only those from my own country (U.S.A.), but where I decided I only have sufficient knowledge of Americans specifically, I made it clear as much as possible that I am speaking of the U.S. or of Americans. Also, this is from a Western API perspective. APIs from non-Western countries will feel that some of this does not apply to you.

Racism and the Role of the A.P.I. JETwritten by Akiyo Horiguchi (富山県)

...we have to

defend our right to call ourselves

American, Canadian, Australian, or whatever we

are.

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whether we are haafu (“half” i.e. mixed race) because we told someone that we are American or Canadian or something else that we “don’t look like.” How-ever, my Euro-pean American JET friend is not generally asked these ques-tions, though she is from an im-migrant family and was not born in the U.S. While those of us who are of East Asian descent may enjoy the ability to blend in the crowd, and in that sense we are part of the majority, we are not really part of the majority. We are more like other people from our respective countries, and it can be painful and frustrating to be put in a position of having to explain ourselves. While it might seem to other JETs that we can’t encounter racism because we’re the same “race” as the locals, we do, in fact, constantly re-ceive very different treatmentfrom other JETs because of the waywelook.Isn’tthatthedefi-nition of racism? Being treated differently or assumptions aremade about you because of the way you look?

You might be thinking that this is getting re-

ally depressing. Is Japan a racist country? Yes – but every country is! It is human nature to think of people in our own “group” as different from others, howeverwe perceive that group to be. To quote the brilliant musical Avenue Q, “Everyone’s a little bit racist.” We are here in Japan, as ALTs and CIRs, to promote cul-

tural exchange and internation-alunderstanding.Ifirmlybelievethat API JETs have a special role

to play in combating racism in Japan. Consider:

1. As described above, Asian JETs are able to offerunique perspec-tives on race is-sues in Japan. We directly see

how foreigners who stand out are

treated differentlythan those who do not, but

at the same time we can sym-pathize with our non-Asian JET friends. 2. Just by being in Japan and sharing about ourselves, we are sending the message that gaikokujin does not mean looking obviously different. Ifthe occasion is right, we can even point out that the major-ity of foreigners in Japan are not people whose appearance stand out: Brazilians of Japanese de-scent, Chinese people, Koreans, etc. 3. We are walking ex-amples of multiculturalism in our home countries. You might have begun to hear the word tabunka-kyosei (literally “mul-ticultural harmonious living”). While the overall number of foreign nationals in Japan is de-clining, a growing percentage of people are here as perma-nent residents. While the idea of multiculturalism may be second nature to many of us, this is a relatively new concept for Ja-pan. We have a lifetime of expe-rience to share! 4. We are often (though not always) taken more seri-ously than non-Asian JETs, be-cause many Japanese people will instinctively feel closer and

more comfortable with us. You can use this to your advantage to open up dialogue!

I have found Japanese people on the

whole (it would be racist of me to say “everyone,” right?) to not be very defensive or cynical when new ideas are presented to them. While many people will not readily accept a new idea right away, or they may be con-fused, most will at least be will-ing to listen to you. If you are working with children, you will have even more opportunities for success! “Racism” has become a bit of a taboo word. To call someone a “racist” or a “bigot” has become a terrible slur itself, so much that talking about rac-ism makes people feel uncom-fortable or angry. I try not to talk about “racists” or “bigots” be-cause I don’t think that’s helpful to anybody. (Again, we’re “all a little bit racist.”) Those are com-bative and pluralizing terms that put labels on people. But I think we can and should talk about racism, with or without actually using the word “racism.” As JETs, most of us are only in Japan temporarily, and we go back to our home coun-triesafteronetofiveyears.Butthere are many foreign nationals who are here permanently, and many of them experience the not-so-friendly kind of racism. Meanwhile, the word kokusaika (internationalization) has been thrown around a lot as Japan tries to figure out how to haveits citizens think more globally. We can each help in our small way. Whetherthisisyourfirstyear or last year in Japan, make the most of it! ◆

To call someone a “racist” or a

“bigot” has become a terrible slur itself, so

much that talking about racism makes people feel uncomfortable

or angry.

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I’m all mixed upabout my mixed up race.I’m all mixed upabout my multicultural face.I don’t know what to dowhen someone asks meabout my race.Do I say America?Because after allI’m American.Or do I explainabout my mixed up skinabout my mixed up upbringingof American burgersand Filipino pancit?

Does the asker really knowwhat they’re getting into?They’re getting into questions ofrace, identity, familyracial profiling and vanityself-esteem issues andquestioning looks athi-nice-to-meet-youschecked boxes on surveysboxing me inbut all the whileI just don’t understand.

What does it matter?Aren’t we all mixed up?If only a little.

I bet your great-grandmotherhad a dash ofChinese or JapaneseSpanish or German.Maybe you’re two-thirds RussianMaybe you’re one-seventh FrenchMaybe you’re a quarter Icelandicor just a drop Haitian.

Maybe you’re from a countrythat’s no longer a country.Maybe you’re from a placeno one knows.Maybe you were born over therebut you grew up herethen moved away someplace else.

Don’t you see?Don’t you see?We’re all a little mixed up inside.It doesn’t matter.

What matters to me iswhere you are nowthe person you arethe things that you knowor even the things you don’t knowthe person you aren’t.It’s youjust youjust the essence of you.And it’s mejust mejust as you plainly can see.

So let’s start now.Let’s start here.Let’s throw out allthose checked boxesand questions of birth.Let’s define ourselves by ourmerit and worth.Let’s take that status quoand mix it right up.Let’s mixand stirand shakethe foundationsof conventional thinking.

Let’s stop with defining.Let’s start with being. ◆

All Mixed Upwritten by Erika Ehren (福島県)

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The supermarket I usually go to near my workplace is expensive, clean, beautiful,

has individually wrapped vegetables and fruits, and plays inoffensive (or rudely offensive, in other people’s opinions) pop music. It is overall quite sterile, like many places in Japan. Today, I leave work early (in other words, on time) and go to my favorite bread shop that has a huge wall painting of a cheerfully rotund guy in a chef’s hat and a Lars-the-Viking mustache. Got me some bread—its name in incorrect French makes it all the more delicious—and randomly decided to go to the meat shop and vegetable store that I heard was near my apartment. I first arrive at the vegetable/fruit store and it is tiny, crowded, dis-organized, and dirty with flies and more dirt. The vegetables are lumpy and misshapen and some are mysteriously discolored. It’s also dirt cheap. It’s like the antithesis of all supermarkets in Japan. I ask where the baskets are, hear a response in unintel-ligible old-man Japanese, and get ignored when I ask again. I finally—aha!—find the baskets hid-den in a grimy corner, grab me tons of mushrooms, skip the peppers (which, when poked, simply gur-gled and let my finger sink in), bean sprouts, cherry tomatoes, and garlic (which, in nice supermarkets, are usually one dollar for a head!). I arrive at the counter and the total is 425 yen—about 4 dollars—for an entire bag’s worth

of food. (Granted, it might be expired, but it’s still food.) The old lady, whose Japanese is only slightly less unintelligible than the old man’s, grabs my money, dumps all of the mushrooms in a bag, and then stacks the rest of the vegetables on top of it. She then proceeds to forget what the operating hours of the store are when I ask her. This is the part of Japan that I love, and strangely miss the most, even though I’m living right here. I miss the coarse, perhaps rude (or just well-meaning but comes off as rude), intimate, and hidden part of Japanese life. Little alleyways with cigarette butts and who-knows-what-else on the ground, tiny restaurants that only fit one, max two, customers; old obaachan and ojiichan who barely understand standard Japanese and thus don’t care whether I’m a foreigner or not; graffitied walls and rusty bikes; ramshackle houses. (Don’t forget the squatting toilets.) Japan is not only about the glitz and glamour of skyscrapers and neon lights, tea ceremonies, and Shinto shrines. There’s the dirty, dark parts of it. So much of it. And no one speaks of it, at least not publicly. But there’s this side too, this coarse but in-timate part of Japan. She bears her face to me not with a shy coyness, but with a cigarette hanging off her lips and a belch ready to erupt, as if saying, “Take it, or leave it.” ◆

The Hidden Life

written and photographed by Aimee Wenyue Chen (山梨県)

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@ A P I E x c l u s I v E w I t h

KAy MAKIshIc h A I r o f t h E A J E t N A t I o N A l c o u N c I lKay Makishi

transcribed and edited by Albert David R. Valderrama (茨城県)

Makishi in Peru.

Third-year JET Programme Fukuoka CIR, Kay Makishi, talks to @API about her special relationship with Japan, her

journey of self-discovery in Okinawa and Peru, and her goals as Chair of the AJET National Council.

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Study Abroad in Toyko

I think the first time it hit me was when I studied abroad in Tokyo. When I came to

Tokyo, I could understand Japanese, but I couldn’t really speak it. You know, people look at me, I’m Asian, and they expect me to speak fluent Japanese. One time I couldn’t get my Suica card to go through, and the train attendant came over, and he just [started] yelling at me. I don’t know what he was saying because at that time, I didn’t really understand Japanese that well. I was just so frustrated because I just wanted to be like, “I don’t understand you. I’m sorry. I know I look Japanese, but I don’t understand Japanese.” Because both my parents were from Japan, the way [people] reacted and just their surprise reaction [to] me not knowing Japanese kind of made me feel ashamed and just really embarrassed. My first week, I was just in tears. But, for the first time, I felt like I started to understand. I developed a sense of appreciation for my parents for the very first time. I think [about] all the struggles that they went through immigrating, moving from Japan to America, not knowing the language, having to find a job, having to raise kids, just daily tasks, you know, with not knowing the language.

Okinawa and Peru

While I was working, I got a full scholarship to study in Okinawa for a year, where

both my parents are from. I really got in touch with my roots, met my relatives for the first time. I met eighty to ninety of them. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I felt overwhelmed with the sense of,

Makishi with cousin, aunt, and uncle while studying abroad in Tokyo.

Makishi with relatives while studying abroad in Okinawa.11

API AJET @API

“Wow, I’m in the right place at the right time, right now. And I’m so meant to be here.” It was just really powerful to just know where I came from. I went and visited my “butsudan” (Buddhist altar). It had this huge family tree. Literally, it’s a huge document. And there’s a published book of my family’s heritage. In this, I saw that a lot of my relatives...there was a section that was “Overseas Immigrants,” and South America and America, and then Peru, Bolivia, Brazil. That inspired me to search a little bit deeper [about] my cultural heritage. So after Okinawa, I actually backpacked South America for 3 and a half months. And I went to Peru with the aim of finding my distant relatives that immigrated there before WWII. And I put in an article in the Japanese Peruvian newsletter. And I also searched the Lima public phone book. There [were] about 15 Makishis, and so with my Peruvian friend, we called every single one, and we asked them, sort of a really quick self introduction: “My name is Kay. My parents are originally from Okinawa. We’re

from Okinawa City, where my parents are from, blah, blah, blah.”

I told them that I’m searching for my distant relatives, “Do you...Are you my relative? Do you think you might be my relative?” And then we found somebody that kind of matched the description, and I was like, “Great. Would you be willing to meet me?” And they’re like, “Sure.”

So I actually went to their house and just heard their story. I was crying.

I was in tears afterwards. It was really great. I recorded all the information. I took pictures of all the documents. And then, when I went back to Okinawa, my aim was to kind of figure out

where in the family tree they fit in. This was 2011.

Since then, I’ve been to Okinawa many times. And I visited the family tree stuff, and I was able to piece together where they fit. So it was really, really, really cool. It was probably one of the best experiences in my life. After Okinawa, I just felt like a complete person fundamentally. There’s always room to grow and stuff, but I mean the fundamentals of me, I just felt like, “Oh wow, I am a hundred percent confident of who I am and my life.” There was the missing link in my life.

Makishi at a traditional tea ceremony while studying in Okinawa.

“Wow, I’m in the

right place at the right time, right now. And I’m so

meant to be here.”

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API AJET@API

I mean, my life is very short. I’m twenty-four years old. I’m talking like I’m ninety, but I know even when I’m ninety, that’s definitely going to be one of the milestones in my life.

On the JET Programme

It’s really great, honestly, and I don’t mean great as in flowers and la-la music. Every

single day is a great experience because I feel like I’m really experiencing Japan full-on in different ways. I experienced it as a student, and now I’m experiencing it as a “shakaijin (full-fledged member of society),” and working as a public employee, and going through a lot of difficulties and challenges and struggles. I’m honestly very grateful for going through all the struggles that I’ve been going through, and seeing how people around me react to that, and how I react to it. I think it’s just amazing because I’m learning more about myself and I’m learning more about Japan. The first time I heard about [AJET] was through Connect Magazine, and then actually my first year, I called the Peer Support Group hotline because I just went through a

drastic culture shock, because I...was in South American mode. And then I went to America, back to the U.S. in Pennsylvania for a week before coming to JET. And even within that week, I just felt reverse culture shock, from South America to America. And then going from America to Japan, it was like even more of a reverse culture shock. And South America to Japan is just totally, very, very different.... A lot of the struggles I was going through, a lot of the micro-aggression stuff that just goes in the beginning, I think got more dramatic for me because of that. I was coming from this curious venture to Japan, with people saying, “Oh, wow, you’re great at chopsticks,” or “Nihongo jouzu desu ne.” And trying to teach me things about Japan that I already experienced and I already knew was a little bit frustrating. And I got stressed out; there were no other foreigners in the area. In the beginning, I didn’t have any money, so I couldn’t go out, so I didn’t attend any of the block events. I didn’t go to the city because I was like a poor college student, basically.

So I called the PSG hotline. The person I talked to was really, really great. And after that, reading the Connect Magazine, reading the articles, especially the “Winter Blues” article. Seriously, everyday, I was like, “Oh my gosh. I have to quit. I can’t do this anymore.” That helped. And through the Connect Magazine again, and attending my prefecture’s Fukuoka AJET events. I didn’t really understand that AJET was the JET community, and so I just kind of started getting involved in that.

Becomingthe AJET Chair

I kind of came into JET thinking, “All right, I don’t

want any foreign friends. I want all Japanese friends. I really want to improve my Japanese. I want to Life on the JET Programme with Makishi and friends.

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contribute to Japanese society.” I came with that mindset. But then, after everything I went through in the winter, I was like, “No. I think that’s great, but there needs to be a balance, and you’re definitely going to have days when you’re like, ‘screw Japan’. If you don’t, then you’re doing something wrong, I think, and you’re not getting the full experience.” And I realized how important that support structure and the JET community really is to just your health, your “seishin (mind or spirit).” Seriously and mentally, working and supporting each other. I think that’s part of being in Japan and the JET experience. It’s not just about you and your country and Japan. It’s about you making connections and all these other people. Because AJET and the JET community--well, AJET is the JET community--helped me so much, I really wanted to help make it better, even if a little bit, or wanted to do something to contribute to that. I had three goals when I ran for chair. One was to increase more grass roots opportunities between JETs and Japanese people. It’s not so much about going through a formal process of creating an event like I do as a CIR. Through AJET events, I think more “kokusai kouryuu (international exchange)” can happen through those avenues, especially for ALTs who don’t

have the opportunity to create events. Another goal of mine was to increase personal and professional development opportunities for JETs. Again, that was fueled by my feeling of not having any professional development in my workspace. Especially in

the first couple months, not having any work and then not having that

support structure in work, I was like, “Oh, man. There are so many talented JETs out there, and it’s such a shame that it’s not being put to use, or that they’re not developing themselves.” So

even just a little bit. Even if it was just introducing opportunities

post-JET, or different conferences, or different speakers, or whatever.

Being able to increase that for everybody on the JET Programme, ideally. My third goal was to make more volunteer opportunities. If that wasn’t my original goal, it is now. Again, that could be collaborated through JETs and Japanese people organizing more events with each other together.

Things to Look Forward to

What am I looking forward to the most? There are so many things. We have

Tokyo Orientation coming up. The Opinion Exchanges and the Opinion Surveys because people need to understand that they may be disappointed in their current situation in Japan. Great! That’s awesome! I’m glad that they’re disappointed. That means that there’s always room for improvement, and there’s always going to be room for improvement. But they need to understand that complaining about it and having a negative attitude about it isn’t going to change it. What’s going to change it is being able to collectively have these opinions sorted out in a scientific way. We’re in Japan, we got to do it the Japanese way. And what they want is they want to see papers, they want to see statistics. Any policy-oriented thing, they always want to see research and statistics. And so, one of the biggest goals for AJET National Council is to provide the Japanese government with these numbers and with these statistics to back up all those feelings and all those thoughts

Makishi with AJET Treasurer, Alan Inkster (left), and Vice Chair, Martin Barry (right).

“...I really wanted to help

make [AJET] bet-ter, even if a little

bit...”

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and ideas that we see all these JETs write on Facebook, frustrations or joy or whatever.... That’s what I’m most looking forward to. I probably won’t be able to see it this year or my time in Japan, but making those changes in Japan. That’s my biggest motivation and what I’m looking forward to the most is just seeing things get better within Japan, Japanese people, and the JETs. And just everyone to be happy.

Advice for JETs

I have three pieces of advice. One would be to live in the

moment, and don’t worry. I think when I first came to JET, I was worried about what I was going to do after JET. Like, “Oh, gosh. JET is a finite time. I need to find a job after JET.” Especially in the winter time, I was like, “Oh, man. I hate Japan. I’m going to quit Japan, so I need to find a job now.” Just live in the moment and live every voice. So when you’re going and you have a great day, have a great day. When you’re having a crappy day, have a crappy day, but realize that that’s part of the experience. And realize

that if you decided to join the JET Programme, you decided to come to Japan, obviously you wanted something different. So when you’re having a bad day, remembering that this is what you wanted. You’re not going to grow if you’re not struggling, which is something I always tell myself every time I have a hard day. Just keeping that mindset. Just living in the

moment. Always, always, always keep

an open mind. Always, always, always keep an open mind. I hear a lot of stories of people saying, “Oh my gosh. These people are so closed-minded,” but I’m thinking that, “Well, if

you’re saying that, that means that you’re sort of closed-minded

as well if you can’t accept that about their culture.”

And just to have no regrets is my third advice. No regrets. If there’s something you want to join, join it. Don’t be shy, and just be yourself and don’t have any regrets. ◆

Makishi with nephew back in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.

“Always, always, always keep an

open mind.”

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My parents started their first business in their mid-twenties. As two poor kids growing up in Los Angeles, they had nothing to lose, and their entrepreneurial adventures paid off. By the time I

was in high school, they were running the largest minority-owned graphic design agency in LA. Early semi-retirement hasn’t taken the edge off my parents’ eccentricities either. My father has rigged an entire room in his house with flat screens that he uses to predict stock market trends by tracking minute visual patterns, and sometimes I still find the ceiling in my mother’s house temporarily streaked with black ink from a particularly impassioned session of Japanese calligraphy. My childhood, as one might imagine, was atypical, and it could be (and has been) argued that I am somewhat unusual. But where am I going with this? Since arriving in Japan, I have found myself drawn, almost compulsively, to the independent coffee shop culture here to the point where I’ve started getting questions, such as: What is it about cafes that you find so interesting? What makes a good cafe?

These are simple questions with compli-cated answers, but, for the sake of anyone who might benefit from this, I will try to answer. In a country like Japan, where cultural norms make intimacy and forming relationships difficult, especially with foreigners, baristas are more will-ing than most to warm up to strangers. But why? 1. Coffee is inherently an internationalized product. Beans exported from major tropical cen-ters around the world, including Indonesia, Africa, Hawaii, and South and Central America, are roasted in a number of regional styles and served to patrons all over the world. Coffee promotes in-terest in world cultures simply by existing. 2. Baristas and world travelers are both risk-takers. A cafe is a window into the mind of its creator--everything from the brewing equipment to the interior design chosen is an extension of the owner’s personality and philosophy. This requires a willingness to be open and vulnerable that many would shy away from.

In her first year as an ALT in Okayama Prefecture, Lee Hanae Ung has become a budding cafe connoisseur. Between organizing cafe nights with ALTs and locals and writing reviews for the Okayama AJET lifestyle blog, coffee has become her second job of sorts. Now, on the eve of the release of her current blog project profiling competitive Japanese baristas from around the

country, she tries to put her love of the Japanese cafe experience into words.

written and photographed by Lee Hanae Ung (岡山県)What Makes a Good Cafe?

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What makes a good cafe is the relationship you want to have with it. Whether you want to sit in a corner and people watch or experience life like a local, cafes provide a myriad of possibilities for any traveler or foreign transplant--you just have to go out and look. To me, a good cafe makes Japan feel like home, despite the language and cultural barriers. The baristas and coffee shop owners that I have bonded with in Japan are kindred spirits. In a country of rigid expectations, the new generation of Japanese baristas are people who have rejected traditional social roles and shot themselves into the abyss. It’s a beautiful thing. In the same way that my parents experimented and evolved to perfect their craft, these men and women spend their days challenging their skills at coffee making. Their eccentricities comfort me in my times of homesickness, and being a part of their growing movement is an inspiring and enlightening experience. In the next two months, I will be launching a site of my very own, The Naked Portafilter (www.thenakedportafilter.com) where I will showcase talented baristas from around the country in hopes of building a better connection between English-speaking coffee enthusiasts and this new generation of coffee makers. Have a look if you feel so inclined. I know my friends would be happy to meet you. ◆

Tokyo-based The Theatre Coffee’s Junichi Yamaguchi with his signature pour, “The Ballerina” (close-up).

Left: Me and Kyoto-based Kiyomizu Kyoani’s Kazunori Matsubara. Right: Matsubara’s rosetta. Opposite: Free pour is a style of latte art where the design is formed by pouring only, without any etching.

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It’s over. Two years of a journey of a lifetime and it’s finally coming to an end. It’s hard to believe

that time has passed by so quickly, but I have definitely learned so much about Japan and myself. It has been a fascinating and life-changing journey, to say the least. Some of my greatest joys and greatest woes were faced here, especially being a female of Asian/Pacific Island-er (API) descent. Two years ago, I embarked on my Far East movement to Japan and now I am packing away my lessons learned in my memory suitcase. So, what have I learned? Let me count the ways…

Expect the unexpected. As a foreigner, we are constantly told that we will stand out and often times will get treated like a celebrity. Though I knew that they weren’t necessarily referring to a foreigner that looks Japanese, I did ex-pect to be treated like I was someone different. I really didn’t mind so much that I blended in with the locals while I was on my own, but I really didn’t expect to be hyper-invisible when I was around other foreigners who, well, looked foreign. I didn’t expect to be ignored, yet at the same time be treated like I was the Japanese tour guide for the group of gaijin. I was especially sur-prised and hurt when some of the locals would laugh and make fun of me when they found out that I needed a Caucasian person to translate Japanese to me. Instead of distancing myself and holing up in my introverted cave to avoid these situations, I decid-ed to accept and seek the positives of it all. I had to realize that Japan is very different from where I come from and there really isn’t much exposure to people like myself here. Learning to accept the situations as they come and having a close network of friends and a support group has helped me embrace my unexpected encounters.

Remember who you are and be yourself. There will be times when you’re expected to be “Japanese.” By that, I mean you’ll have to obey the cultural rules that are not necessarily written down and learned through any kind of class. These are things you pick up through social interactions and witnessing oth-er Japanese people’s behavior. I found it to be especial-

ly crucial for someone who looked Japanese like me to be “Japanese” since it would be particularly

difficult for me to pull out a “gaijin card” if I ended up breaking some cultural rule. Perhaps this was some ad-ditional standard I placed upon myself, but I didn’t feel very happy with this pressure. Eventually I learned to do my best to integrate into the Japanese culture, but I also knew I had to remain true to myself. It was quite a balancing act! Remember that just because you may or may not have a good grasp of the Japanese language or cul-ture, it doesn’t determine your self-worth. Be who you are and don’t compromise yourself. If you do your best and do what you think is right, you should be alright.

Be patient. It takes time. My friends and family have told me that I come off as a rather charming person. Given the language and cultural barrier, it was often hard for my charm to come through with folks in my Japanese community. I wasn’t able to chat up a storm by the water cooler at work, nor was I able to really be myself around neigh-bors because they didn’t understand me (nor would they open up to me). Slowly, but surely, my Japanese language ability improved and coupled with my con-stant exposure to the same people over and over again, a little bit of myself was able to shine through. It didn’t come right away, and, regrettably, my charm is only now making its way through to my colleagues and neighbors, but it made it. From my experience, some people are just paralyzingly shy or just adverse to new faces. Change is hard, but you’ll make your impression on people.

As I am going through my list of thank-you notes to send to people and saying my last good-byes to my col-leagues, students, and friends in Japan, I am realizing that it really didn’t matter in the end what I looked like to them. Beyond my skin color, physical appearance, and language ability, it was me who they saw; as an ALT, a coworker, and a friend. People will treat you how they know how to treat people and what it boils down to is whether it really matters to you and how you respond to it. I have learned so much from my experiences in Japan, particularly to be strong, to be positive, and to be true to myself. I’ll surely miss this amazing country, and I am thankful for every single second of it. ◆

Lessons Learned:A Journey of Self-Identity

written by Melody Wong (岡山県)

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@API is a publication compiled in partnership with the Asian Pacific Islander Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching (API AJET). The views expressed by @API contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the API AJET Special Interest Group.

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