Coordinator for International Relations
Encyclopedia
A , or CIR, is a partipant on the JET Programme
residing and working in Japan
. Although responsibilities for a CIR vary according to his or her contracting organization, the majority of a CIR's time is spent organizing and assisting various projects related to adjusting Japanese society to an increasingly multilingual
, multicultural, and international world. Many of these projects include but are not limited to: international exchange programmes, primary and secondary school visits, language classes, cooking
classes, cultural lectures, as well as translating and interpreting
. CIRs are employed throughout Japan at international exchange associations, prefectural offices, city halls, town halls, village halls, and boards of education.
JET is administered by CLAIR
(Council of Local Authorities for International Relations) and funded by MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology).
participants.
JET Programme
or is a Japanese government initiative that brings college graduates—mostly native speakers of English—to Japan as Assistant Language Teachers and Sports Education Advisors in Japanese kindergartens, elementary, junior high and high schools, or as Coordinators for International Relations in...
residing and working in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Although responsibilities for a CIR vary according to his or her contracting organization, the majority of a CIR's time is spent organizing and assisting various projects related to adjusting Japanese society to an increasingly multilingual
English language education in Japan
English language education in Japan began as early as 1600 with the initial contacts between the Japanese and Europeans. The for-profit market has experienced a crisis of confidence in recent years following the bankruptcies of the major Nova and GEOS brands....
, multicultural, and international world. Many of these projects include but are not limited to: international exchange programmes, primary and secondary school visits, language classes, cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
classes, cultural lectures, as well as translating and interpreting
Interpreting
Language interpretation is the facilitating of oral or sign-language communication, either simultaneously or consecutively, between users of different languages...
. CIRs are employed throughout Japan at international exchange associations, prefectural offices, city halls, town halls, village halls, and boards of education.
JET is administered by CLAIR
Council of Local Authorities for International Relations
The Council of Local Authorities for International Relations is a Japanese governmental agency established in 1988 to promote international learning and partnerships, particularly around the revitalization of local and regional areas...
(Council of Local Authorities for International Relations) and funded by MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology).
Statistics
In 2010, there were 354 CIRs, accounting for approximately 8% of the 4,334 JET ProgrammeJET Programme
or is a Japanese government initiative that brings college graduates—mostly native speakers of English—to Japan as Assistant Language Teachers and Sports Education Advisors in Japanese kindergartens, elementary, junior high and high schools, or as Coordinators for International Relations in...
participants.
| Prefecture/Designated City | Number of CIRs (2010) |
|---|---|
| Hokkaido | 9 |
| Aomori | 15 |
| Iwate | 3 |
| Miyagi | 3 |
| Akita | 9 |
| Yamagata | 5 |
| Fukushima | 5 |
| Ibaraki | 4 |
| Tochigi | 3 |
| Gunma | 2 |
| Saitama | 4 |
| Chiba | 3 |
| Tokyo | 0 |
| Kanagawa | 1 |
| Niigata | 6 |
| Toyama | 11 |
| Ishikawa | 18 |
| Fukui | 4 |
| Yamanashi | 4 |
| Nagano | 8 |
| Gifu | 10 |
| Shizuoka | 5 |
| Aichi | 6 |
| Mie | 7 |
| Shiga | 6 |
| Kyoto | 6 |
| Osaka | 1 |
| Hyogo | 6 |
| Nara | 6 |
| Wakayama | 2 |
| Tottori | 14 |
| Shimane | 19 |
| Okayama | 1 |
| Hiroshima | 4 |
| Yamaguchi | 5 |
| Tokushima | 7 |
| Kagawa | 5 |
| Ehime | 6 |
| Kochi | 16 |
| Fukuoka | 6 |
| Saga | 5 |
| Nagasaki | 10 |
| Kumamoto | 5 |
| Oita | 7 |
| Miyazaki | 14 |
| Kagoshima | 14 |
| Okinawa | 6 |
| Sapporo City | 5 |
| Sendai City | 2 |
| Yokohama City | 1 |
| Kawasaki City | 1 |
| Nagoya City | 1 |
| Kyoto City | 0 |
| Osaka City | 4 |
| Kobe City | 2 |
| Hiroshima City | 4 |
| Kitakyushu City | 3 |
| Fukuoka City | 4 |
| Chiba City | 2 |
| Saitama City | 0 |
| Shizuoka City | 0 |
| Sakai City | 1 |
| Niigata City | 5 |
| Hamamatsu City | 2 |
| Okayama City | 0 |
| Sagamihara City | 1 |
Further reading
- David L. McConnell, Importing Diversity: Inside Japan's JET Program (2000)
- Bruce FeilerBruce FeilerBruce Feiler is a popular American writer on faith, family, and finding meaning in everyday life. He is the best-selling author of nine books, including Walking the Bible, Abraham, and America's Prophet, and one of only a handful of writers to have four consecutive New York Times nonfiction...
, Learning to Bow: An American Teacher in a Japanese School (1991), later published as Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan
External links
- CIR Homepage: the official website for CIRs all over Japan
- National AJET: the Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching
- The JET Programme: the official JET Programme website