Meet the Authors: A Book Launch Party at the FCCJ

Media Tectonics cordially invites you to a “Meet the Authors” cocktail party and dinner at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet, open bar, interesting stories, and a chance to win one or more books for 6,500 yen (prepaid-see below), or 7,000 yen at the door.

Authors Ted Furumoto and Doug Jackson (More Than a Baseball Team: The Saga of the Vancouver Asahi), Andrew Silberman (Get a G.R.I.P.: Andrew’s Ax Guide to Global Readiness), and Laura Merz (Bunny Suits of Death: Tales of a CSI) will be on hand to share a behind-the-scenes look at how their books came about. And learn how you, too, can be a published author.

Join us for this memorable evening of stories told with passion and humor—about hardship and racism, death and tragedy, and about lifting your life and career out of the doldrums to renewed energy and enthusiasm.

More Than a Baseball Team: The Saga of the Vancouver Asahi
by Ted Y. Furumoto and Douglas W. Jackson

This book is a translation of a Japanese language non-fiction work about Canada’s first Japanese-Canadian championship baseball team, the Vancouver Asahi, active from 1914 to 1941 (Toho Shobo, 2009).

The history of the Vancouver Asahi is also a history of the Japanese-Canadian immigrant experience. The team was a part of the growth of Little Tokyo in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Asahi dynasty was abruptly brought to a halt when the players, along with the rest of the Japanese community, were relocated to internment camps after Pearl Harbor. Team members, though separated, still played baseball by organizing teams in the camps. Eventually, the Mounties, who were the camp guards, became fans.

After the war, Japanese-Canadians were prevented from returning to their homes on the west coast, and given a choice of living on the east coast of Canada or being deported to Japan. Though the team never revived, they were honored belatedly by induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

The story of the Asahi is one of hope and perseverance in the face of adversity and racial prejudice. It is a story about young men playing for the love of the game, instilling pride not just in their community, but in all of Canada as well.

About the Authors

Ted Y. Furumoto is the son of one of the Vancouver Asahi’s original pitchers. He grew up listening to his father’s stories and was enthralled with the game of baseball. Now a long-time business consultant in Tokyo, his mission for the past several years has been to share the team’s triumphs and tragedies with as wide an audience as possible. Find out more here.

Douglas W. Jackson has been a writer and editor for over three decades. In addition to editing Japan Airlines’ in-flight magazine Winds and several other Japan-based periodicals over the years, he has edited over a dozen books. Doug was the communications director at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan prior to launching Fresh Eyes Communications in 2005. In 2008, he ghostwrote the manga adaptation of Patrick Lencioni’s New York Times bestseller The Five Dysfunctions of a Team for John Wiley & Sons.

Get a G.R.I.P. – Andrew’s Ax Guide to Global Readiness
(G.R.I.P. = Global Readiness Improvement Plan™)
by Andrew Silberman

Andrew Silberman and his AMT Group have been “Developing Global Thinkers” since 1992. With so much rapid change all around, across a wide spectrum of industries, and the globe seeming to shrink by the minute, being “globally ready” has taken on even greater importance today.

Based on the author’s popular newsletter, Andrew’s Ax, with its tagline, “The Cutting Edge for Global Thinkers,” Get a G.R.I.P. walks the reader through a series of exercises that cut through the BS out there and help everyone—from top-level CEOs to full- or part-time staff—develop their own strengths as a leader, as a manager, and as a “globally thinking communicator.” The result is a win-win for both the company as well as for the personal development of the individual employee.

One reason for the book’s wide appeal is the condensed nature of the content—you get a whole lot out of a page or two. Each topic stands alone, and each one can and should inspire you to lead more effectively.

This may be the only leadership guide you’ll ever need. It’s not the only leadership guide that’s any good—true enough. But by reading and doing these 15-minute exercises to improve your Global Readiness, Get a G.R.I.P.—Andrew’s Ax Guide to Global Readiness will take you and your team to the next level, no matter where you are today. How is your own Global Readiness Profile shaping up?

About the Author

Andrew Silberman has been inspiring improvement in individuals and organizations since 1989. At AMT Group, which he co-founded in Tokyo in 1992, he leads a multi-national team of facilitators and administrative staff whose mission is Developing Global Thinkers. As a learning facilitator and collaborative consultant, he works with managers and executives in Asia, the U.S. and Europe, helping them polish their management communication skills and increasing their Global Readiness™.

In addition to his work inside AMT Group, Andrew writes for local journals and magazines and is the author of the popular monthly E-newsletter Andrew’s Ax, and the video blog The Chops. He also plays rhythm guitar and sings lead vocal as the front man for the feel-good roots rock band Moonshots. Find out more here.

Bunny Suits of Death: Tales of a CSI
by Laura A. Merz

Step into the bunny suit of a real crime scene investigator as she deals with local citizens on the worst day of their life … or the first day of their death.

As the newest Crime Scene Investigator for the Wichita Police Department, East Coast transplant Laura Merz finds herself out of her comfort zone and completely unprepared for the human dramas and comedies she encounters with each shift she works. She quickly learns that real life CSI work is nothing like what they show on television or what she studied in graduate school.

She dusts for fingerprints, photographs bloody Klingon weapons, and desperately tries not to fall off the chair in her first court appearance. Merz also grows to understand the dangers of empathy and why police officers often have a tough exterior. Along the way, she cobbles together a quirky group of friends to help her cope with the daily dose of human failings she witnesses each time she puts on her uniform.

From her first crime scene where she is forced to confront the death of a young gang member to scenes where burglars are reported to leave sex toys behind as parting gifts, Merz discovers hilarity and heartbreak are often intertwined. Bunny Suits of Death provides a much needed bridge between dramatic crime novels and purely scientific texts.

About the Author

Laura Merz spent 19 months as a Crime Scene Investigator in Wichita Kansas before becoming a Special Agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). She jokes that she didn’t even have to change networks – just TV shows. She is continually awed by the courage, compassion, and character of the men and women in law enforcement. And yes, she still has the doofus of a cat named Pyewacket. Find out more here.

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Date: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Time: 7 p.m. – dinner and cocktails; 7:30-9:00 author presentations
Location: Foreign Correspondence Club of Japan (map to FCCJ)
Cost: 6,500 yen (if prepaid by May 28. See below.); 7,000 yen at the door

Be sure to take advantage of the prepayment discount, and let us know you’re coming so we can make an accurate food order!

RSVP by sending an email here.

Bank Transfer:

Resona Bank
Shibuya Branch: 473
Account Type: Futsu
Account Number: 1804222
Account Name: 4M Associates

Or pay via Paypal:

How Not to Get Blown Away by the Media Blamestorm

Date/Time: Monday, February 28, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
Place: 2F Wesley Center, 6-10-11 Minami Aoyama; a map is here, or on their website.

Put your thinking cap on for our next seminar as we discuss modern-day corporate leadership and what it means in the age of social media. We’ll even take a stab at handling our own mini-crisis scenario. What can and should you do to avoid a media blamestorm? How do you divert attention and energy away from a crisis and stay “on message”?

Imagine, for example, that you’re the CEO of a popular airline. A crewmember and an elderly passenger get into an altercation on one of your flights, and the passenger has a heart attack and dies in mid-flight. You learn that shocked and distraught passengers on the plane have already taken to the social networks with YouTube videos and hot Twitter feeds, pointing the finger at your crew for initiating and escalating the altercation. Moreover, every cranky, unsatisfied customer who’s ever had a bad holiday is blaming your company.

In today’s world, where the public demands vision, accountability and social responsibility from major corporate brands, it’s no longer possible for CEOs to merely make pro forma apologies at press sessions. Join us for an enlightening look at how today’s CEOs and companies must deal with customers who are watching their every move.

Combination Plates #1 & #2

“How Not to Get Blown Away by the Media Blamestorm”

The line separating traditional media and social media is blurred at best. How organizations should manage the line, combined with how to control “netizen” journalists, makes media management a challenge. The rules are still being written. But the reality is clear: Many firms are not adequately prepared or taking advantage of the changes.

David Wagner and Shoji Nozomu will discuss these issues as well as challenge the audience to manage a mini-crisis. David will give us a brief look at the TRUST study Edelman has just released, focusing on how trust is viewed from the CEO level. We’ll learn how “public engagement” is being used and how technologies (particularly social networking and social media) are changing traditional ways of corporate communications. Shoji will tell us how various companies are dealing with the realities of an interconnected and vocal customer base. Come prepared to work on your own crisis scenario, as we break into small groups and then come together to discuss what we need to keep in mind as we try to maneuver the new media blamestorm.

Speaker Bios:

David Wagner, who first came to Japan in 1982, is director of the Communications Training Group at Edelman Japan. Prior to that, he headed up the training team at financial PR firm Kreab Gavin Anderson. David has conducted over 4,000 communications skills sessions in Japan, the Asia Pacific, North America and the Middle East for 340 organizations. David is also a writer, having published 19 books for the Japanese market.

Shoji Nozomu is a digital communications consultant at Edelman Japan, where he drives the development and localization of new digital solutions for various clients, leveraging his experience in product marketing and general marketing communications using social media. Before joining Edelman, Shoji worked at Fleishman-Hillard Japan, where he launched the company’s Digital Integration team and developed integrated digital solutions such as corporate/campaign website development, online focus group interviews, community development, SEO/SEM and risk management. Prior to Fleishman, Shoji worked at MySpace Japan where he was responsible for product marketing and overall marketing communications and research for localization and the launch of the mobile version of MySpace.

Be sure to RSVP soon, and plan to arrive early to enjoy the always-delicious culinary creations of To the Moon and Back.

Give us a call if you have trouble finding the venue: 090-2451-0697.

The Media Tectonics Team

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Date: Monday, February 28, 2011
Time: 6:30 p.m. – dinner and networking (catered by To the Moon & Back); 7 p.m. – seminar begins
Location: Wesley Center, 2F, 6-10-11 Minami-Aoyama
Cost: 3,500 yen (prepaid, by February 23); 4,500 yen at the door

Be sure to take advantage of the prepayment discount, and let us know you’re coming so we can make an accurate food order!

RSVP by sending an email here, and transferring funds (by Feb. 23) to:

Resona Bank
Shibuya Branch: 473
Account Type: Futsu
Account Number: 1804222
Account Name: 4M Associates

Or pay via Paypal:

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Community News & Updates

We have some incredibly talented members in our Media Tectonics community, so we’ve set aside this space for you to let us know what you’re up to or to keep you informed about what’s going on in Tokyo or other cities in Japan. Send submissions well in advance of your event, and we’ll do our best to promote it for you here. Contact info@mediatectonics.com.

Upcoming Media Tectonics Seminar

Moved to April 18 – Independent Business Roundtable – The Entrepreneurial Wordsmith

A recent prediction of trends to watch for in 2011 by a major ad agency said, “Journalists [and writers] will need to be more entrepreneurial.” What do you mean, entrepreneurial? We’re creatives, for heaven’s sake. But it’s now clearer than ever that writers, designers, producers, and consultants of all sorts need the tools to grow their businesses exponentially and create long-term passive income with the words they use.

Have you ever thought about quitting your day job? Starting your own business? But you don’t know where to start and have too many questions with which to pummel your friends? We’re putting together a panel of professionals who have “been there, done that” and are more than happy to answer any questions you throw their way. We’re even requiring them to share some secrets that are guaranteed to save you time, money, gray hairs, and hair pulling. Send in your questions early to info@mediatectonics.com and we’ll do our best to have them answered. Surprise us!

The “Right Stuff” for Media Entrepreneurs

Date: Monday, December 13, 2010
Place: 2F Wesley Center, 6-10-11 Minami Aoyama; a map is here.

Our December seminar should give you that extra boost of creativity and inspiration you need before the busy holiday season. We present two irrepressible forces in the media and publishing realms whose work has impressive reach and purpose. If you’ve got lofty goals for changing the world or just wondering how you can make the most of your talents, come hear what they’ve got to say.

Combination Plate #1

“Innovate, Create and Thrive: Music to the Ears of a Media Entrepreneur”

With 30 years’ experience in the radio and entertainment industry (20 of those in Japan), Guy Perryman has witnessed the highs and lows of media mergers, technology shifts and the easily reversed fortunes of one on-air talent after another. How do you keep your bearings in the midst of rapid change and fickle entertainment fads? Guy has some unique insights to share about the need to continually evolve as a creative entrepreneur in order to survive in this ever-changing media world. Through his broadcasts, he has interviewed a galaxy of stars over the years, so he might even share a few of his best (and worst) moments, too.

More About Guy: In 1990 Guy Perryman came to Japan with a three-month DJ contract for the launch of the first Virgin Megastore in Tokyo. Twenty years later he has become a prominent personality in Japanese media and entertainment.

While DJ and program manager for over 30 Virgin Megastores across Japan, he started a satellite radio network for the Virgin Group and has worked closely with Virgin Atlantic Airways, producing in-flight programs and events. Guy’s voice is recognized from many years of hosting prime time programs on Tokyo’s international language music radio station Inter FM and the Japan-wide Mega Net FM network. His celebrity interviews have included Sting, Sir Paul Smith, Richard Branson, Gwen Stefani and many more. His voice has been heard on numerous TV commercials for major brands like Suzuki and Calvin Klein, as well as on animations and games. Guy has also become well known as an event DJ, MC and producer, working with clients like the British Embassy, Park Hyatt Hotel and Moet & Chandon. He created radio:on, a DJ team who launched a nation-wide cable radio station with a studio/bar event space in Tokyo’s swank Aoyama.

Guy is English, was born in Scotland and raised in Singapore and Australia. He continues to explore new media and entertainment with programs and blog reports on his website, www.guyperryman.com.

Combination Plate #2

“Sharing the Ways and Means of Green”

Can you make a difference and a living and have fun doing it? Reina Otsuka certainly does in her role as the founder and editor-in-chief of Eco+waza, a bilingual magazine that shares green trends, knowledge and products from Japan. Eco+waza welds together two ideas—“eco” for ecology and the environment, and “waza” (meaning skill, art or technique in Japanese). Reina and her staff also produce a lively website (www.greenjapan.com) that broadens eco+waza’s audience and markets selected green products. The online newsletter they launched earlier this fall adds another “touch point” with their followers. That’s vital, because according to Reina the green concept is all about sharing and networking.

Reina will tell us how she expresses her vision through the magazine, website and newsletter, how to build a network by mixing analog and digital tools, and how to solve environmental issues by sharing ideas and networking. She’ll also walk us through the eco+waza website and some examples of green innovations from Japan. She mentions, by the way, that eco+waza is looking for freelance writers interested in the ways and means of green. Reina and her team are happy to post eco-related articles and network with writers willing to share inspirations!

More About Reina: Reina is a Japanese national who spent her childhood in the United States and has traveled to around thirty countries. Her goal is to build a bridge between the hidden knowledge Japan holds and the rest of the world. And just before going to press, we watched as Reina accepted the U.S. Ambassador’s Entrepreneur Award at the Entrepreneurship Mentor Initiative (EMI) Roundtable and First Annual “The Entrepreneurs Awards Japan” (TEAJ) on Monday, November 22, at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so. Congratulations, Reina! Read all about it at Impact Japan.

We look forward to seeing you on December 13. Be sure to RSVP soon. To the Moon and Back Caterers have some special treats lined up.

And please give us a call if you have trouble finding the venue: 090-2451-0697.

The Media Tectonics Team

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Date: Monday, December 13, 2010
Time: 6:30 p.m. – dinner and networking (catered by To the Moon & Back); 7 p.m. – seminar begins
Location: Wesley Center, 2F, 6-10-11 Minami-Aoyama
Cost: 3,500 yen (prepaid, by December 10); 4,500 yen at the door

Be sure to take advantage of the prepayment discount, and let us know you’re coming so we can be kind to the environment with an accurate food order!

RSVP by sending an email here, and transferring funds to:

Resona Bank
Shibuya Branch: 473
Account Type: Futsu
Account Number: 1804222
Account Name: 4M Associates

Or pay via Paypal:

========================================================

Community News & Updates

We have some incredibly talented members in our Media Tectonics community, so we’ve set aside this space for you to let us know what you’re up to or to keep you informed about what’s going on in Tokyo or other cities in Japan. Send submissions well in advance of your event, and we’ll do our best to promote it for you here. Contact info@mediatectonics.com.

Recent Launch of Impact Japan

We’re pleased to introduce the new “IMPACT Japan, Impact the World” website, an Innovators Movement with Passion, Action & Collaboration for Tomorrow. The organization is sponsored by the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), 21Foundation, TEDxTokyo, IdeaSpaceGlobal, and the Kauffman Foundation.

The strategic objectives are to:

* Develop an Impact Platform for Entrepreneurs & Innovators
* Activate Untapped People & Passion
* Create Impact Research to Support National Policy & Initiatives, and
* Connect the Dots

There are a number of ways to get involved. And we encourage everyone in our Media Tectonics community to stay informed about events and initiatives and to find ways to unleash your own potential to impact the world around you. Impact Japan was one of the sponsors for the very first Entrepreneurship Mentor Initiative (EMI) Roundtable and “The Entrepreneurs Awards Japan” (TEAJ) on Monday, November 22, at the Four Seasons Hotel at Chinzan-so. Business plans for next year’s Entrepreneurship Mentor Initiative will be accepted in the spring. It’s a great opportunity to get professional advice and networks for your own startup or business venture, if less than 10 years old.

Masters of Manga and Open Journalism in Japan

Date: Monday, October 18, 2010
Place: 2F Wesley Center, 6-10-11 Minami Aoyama; a map is here.

Some travel and logistical details delayed our announcement, but our program for the 18th promises to be well worth the wait — and the distance — since our first speaker for the evening has just arrived from sunny Barcelona, Spain. And our second speaker drew such a large crowd and positive response last year that we’ve asked him to come back for a 2.0 encore.

So come to our new venue, the almost brand-new Wesley Center, meet some incredibly talented people who will undoubtedly inspire you, and enjoy the mouth-watering treats and libations from To the Moon and Back Catering! It’s always a fun night of networking with some amazingly creative people. It is our hope that you’ll find that extra bit of “oomph” you need to make your long-held creative dreams and visions a reality. You never know who you’ll meet sitting next to you, or who you will inspire in some way just by showing up!

Combination Plate #1

“Masters of Manga and Learning How to Draw a Crowd”

Lots of us have long-term projects that seem to have no end. For some, that may be a trial and a burden. But writer, translator and videographer Marc Bernabe is perfectly content, because his magnum opus involves interviewing scores of creative titans in the art of drawing manga and conveying their skills, inspirations and fantastic visions. His growing list includes Takao Saito (Golgo 13), Tetsuya Chiba (Ashita no Joe) and Gosho Aoyama (Detective Conan).

Marc will describe how he’s going about this multi-year book project, including how he chronicles and promotes his interviews along the way through his website www.mastersofmanga.com. His campaign includes the “big canvas” vehicles of social media like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Vimeo. Anyone involved in the creative process that wants a mass audience for their work should be here to follow Marc’s storyline. A recent article in The Japan Times says the Japanese government is hoping pop culture will become a key export. Come find out why anime, manga, fashion, food and other “Cool Japan” items are driving profits from “soft power.”

And in the interest of full transparency, we should mention that Media Tectonics’ own Cindy Mullins is Marc’s literary agent for worldwide rights, and is looking for publishers who can handle the cool, total integration of print, ebook, video, and webisode, and give these masters of their craft a fitting platform to share the joy of their art.

About Marc: A translator and interpreter of Japanese from Spain who’s in love with the comic form, Marc Bernabe focuses on manga and anime translation and has worked on hundreds of manga volumes and anime episodes. After earning a master’s degree in Japanese language teaching from the Osaka University of Foreign Studies, he went on to become the author of the bestselling “Japanese in Mangaland” series, among other books. Marc is also the founder and head of Daruma Serveis Lingüístics SL, a Barcelona-based translation and interpreting company from which he coordinates his own translations and those of a sizable team of fellow scribes.

Combination Plate #2

“Open Journalism / Freelancing in Japan (2.0)”

Freelance writer and blogger Rick Martin will discuss his strategies for finding work in Tokyo and how to adapt to the current media climate. Rick will also talk about the importance of collaboration, gaining competence with different tools and platforms, and touch upon the recent revolution in data journalism. For a primer, see his last Media Tectonics presentation here.

Update: As an added bonus, journalist Richard Smart will discuss some of his experiences, working as a writer and reporter in Japan, as well as his own thoughts on new journalism.

About Rick: A technology (and sometimes sports) writer who contributes to Gizmag.com, The Japan Times, and various other publications, Rick occasionally makes websites and is also a wannabe programmer, currently facilitating the course Open Journalism & the Open Web, which examines the intersection of programming and journalism.

About Richard: A freelance journalist who has been based in Japan for more than eight years, Richard Smart writes for both print media and online publications in Japan and abroad. His interests include politics, society and music. In his free time he tries to master Japanese and overcome his technophobia.

We look forward to seeing everyone on October 18, and hope you will find some new ways to increase your own income online!

Feel free to give us a call if you have trouble finding the new space: 090-2451-0697

The Media Tectonics Team

========================================================

Date: Monday, October 18, 2010
Time: 6:30 p.m. – dinner and networking (catered by To the Moon & Back); 7 p.m. – seminar begins
Location: Wesley Center, 2F, 6-10-11 Minami-Aoyama
Cost: 3,500 yen (prepaid, by October 15); 4,500 yen at the door

Be sure to take advantage of the prepayment discount, and let us know you’re coming so we can be kind to the environment with an accurate food order!

RSVP by sending an email here, and transferring funds to:

Resona Bank
Shibuya Branch: 473
Account Type: Futsu
Account Number: 1804222
Account Name: 4M Associates

Or pay via Paypal:

========================================================

Community News & Updates

We have some incredibly talented members in our Media Tectonics community, so we’ve set aside this space for you to let us know what you’re up to or to keep you informed about what’s going on around our exciting city of Tokyo. Send submissions well in advance of your event, and we’ll do our best to promote it for you here. Contact megumi@mediatectonics.com.

Learn More About How You Can Improve Your Business Skills in Japan

The Japan Market Expansion Competition information sessions give potential participants the opportunity to find out more about the JMEC program, to ask questions and to speak with program alumni. We highly recommend those interested in JMEC to attend one of these sessions. There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. The following are the upcoming information sessions for JMEC 17 (2010-2011):

* Thursday, October 14th, 8:00 – 9:00am*, Temple University Japan Campus, Mita Hall, Room 503 (map)

* Tuesday, October 19th, 19:30 – 21:00, Temple University Japan Campus, Mita Hall, Room 503 (map)

* Please note, this is a morning session.

All sessions are free but registration is required. To register for a session, please fill out the form on the JMEC website.