DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER APR 17, 2008: NEW TOUR SCHEDULES

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HANDBOOKsemifinalcover.jpgwelcomesticker.jpgFranca-color.jpg
DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER APRIL 17, 2008
Table of Contents:

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1) ADVANCE NOTICE OF POTENTIAL TOURS: WANT ME TO COME SPEAK?
CALIFORNIA AUG 17-28, JAPAN SEPT 1-16, 2008

2) REVIEW OF HANDBOOK BY DONALD RICHIE, IN JAPAN TIMES APR 20
3) MY LATEST JAPAN TIMES COMMUNITY PAGE ARTICLE, ON WASTEFUL G8 SUMMIT, APR 22

4) HIBA SPEECH IN SAPPORO NEXT TUES APRIL 22
5) MIYAZAKI SPEECH NEXT THURS APRIL 24

…and finally…
6) HANDBOOK ADVERTISED IN ASAHI APR 13, SALES LEAP ON AMAZON JAPAN
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By Arudou Debito, Sapporo, Japan
debito@debito.org, https://www.debito.org

NB: Apologies for devoting so much Newsletter these days to promoting our Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants, and Immigrants recently. Time is the element, however, when a book first goes on sale. Meanwhile, the Debito.org Blog is carrying on as usual, currently continuing threads on the problems of the Japanese judiciary, and the legal treatment of NJ as non-residents. When those threads reach a saturation point, I’ll devote special Newsletters to them. Meanwhile, please check out non-Handbook stuff on the Blog at:
https://www.debito.org/index.php
Updated daily.

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1) ADVANCE NOTICE OF POTENTIAL TOURS: WANT ME TO COME SPEAK?
CALIFORNIA AUG 17-28, JAPAN SEPT 1-16, 2008

Announcement well in advance: I will be on the road for about six weeks in August and September, working at UC Santa Cruz proctoring my university students. But I have the latter half of August off, so I intend to rent a car, do some road tripping, and if possible do some speeches.

On what? You decide. The Handbook? Racial discrimination in Japan? Something else? Topics (and media) for all my speeches over the past fifteen years are at
https://www.debito.org/publications.html#SPEECHES

Anyone Stateside interested? Let me know at debito@debito.org. I’ll be in the area anyway, so travel expenses will be minimized. I’m currently negotiating with Berkeley, San Diego, and Monterey, so drop me a line.

Similarly, I will be returning to Japan at the end of the month, with two weeks fallow before school starts. Tentative schedule to fill:

September 1-5 Western Japan (Sat Sept 6 near-definite FRANCA speech in Osaka, negotiating Hamamatsu)
Sept 7-10, teaching intensive course on Japanese media at Nagoya University (definite)
Sept 11-16 Eastern Japan, negotiating dates in Sendai (Sept 14 definite), Morioka, and Hirosaki

So be in touch if you want me to come speak! debito@debito.org

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2) HANDBOOK REVIEW BY DONALD RICHIE, JAPAN TIMES SUNDAY APRIL 20

That’s right! I’m proud to announce that Donald Richie, longstanding author and respected commentator on Japan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Richie), will be reviewing HANDBOOK FOR NEWCOMERS in the book reviews section of the Japan Times this weekend. Get a copy.

Donald gave a very positive review to my second book, JAPANESE ONLY.
https://www.debito.org/japaneseonly.html#english

I hope he likes HANDBOOK as well…

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3) MY LATEST JAPAN TIMES COMMUNITY PAGE ARTICLE ON G8 SUMMIT, APR 22

In addition to my new monthly JUST BE CAUSE columns (https://www.debito.org/publications.html#JOURNALISTIC) (which are more breezy affairs of fewer words and references), I have another 1700-word multi-referenced article coming out in next week’s Japan Times Zeit Gist Community page.

I’ll be talking about the G8 Summit in Toyako, and how it’s not only a waste of resources, but also brings out bad habits in Japan–giving our “control-freak” mandarins cause to expand their mandate, and convert Japan into a police state.

Out Tuesday, April 22 in the Tokyo area, or Weds April 23 in the provinces. Get a copy!

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4) HIBA SPEECH IN SAPPORO APRIL 22

HIBA stands for Hokkaido International Business Association, founded nearly twenty years ago (I joined in year two). More on the organization at http://www.hiba-hokkaido.org/

More on the speech (my third for them; in fact, it was at a HIBA meeting two years ago when I saw Akira give a speech, which inspired us to co-author HANDBOOK) as follows:

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Arudou Debito will be presenting details on the publication of his book co written with HIBA member Akira Higuchi.
Date 22nd of April (Tuesday)
Time 19:00
Location L Plaza (Level 4)

An RSVP would be greatly appreciated as space is limited.
info AT kurrutti DOT com

Thanks and regards,
Craig Parkhill
HIBA membership Chair
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5) MIYAZAKI SPEECH THURS APRIL 24 5PM

will take place at Miyazaki International College, Miyazaki, Kyushu.
Speech in English on
“Treatment of Japan’s International Residents, Problems and Solutions for the 21st Century”
Free and open to the public, attend if you’re in the area.

I’m not sure where the venue is, but it’s on campus. Enquiries to
bmulvey AT miyazaki-mic DOT ac DOT jp

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…and finally…
6) HANDBOOK ADVERTISED IN ASAHI, SALES LEAP ON AMAZON JAPAN

For the first time over four books I’ve published with them, Akashi Shoten included one in its ad campaigns. Featured in last Saturday’s Asahi morning newspaper (in the book review section, page 15). See the advertisement scanned on my blog at
https://www.debito.org/?p=1559

Those ads at the bottom of newspaper pages cost a lot of money! But when used effectively, sales jump.

They certainly did on Amazon Japan (HANDBOOK is a Japanese book, unavailable on Amazon in any other country). HANDBOOK soared to a sales ranking of #1029! (okay, for the better part of a day; it’s now back down to unsurprising levels). See for yourself by following this shortened link to the Amazon.co.jp page at:
http://tiny.cc/UdGNZ
(you can order it there now too; Amazon has finally restocked the books)

Just heard word from Akashi–the first press run is pretty close to being sold out a mere month after going on sale. Thanks to everyone for their promotion and patronage!

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All for now. Will be on the road for a couple of weeks on my bicycle during Golden Week. Not sure if I’ll get another Newsletter out before then. Keep an eye on the Blog if you’re getting lonely for Debito.org updates. 🙂

Thanks for reading!
Arudou Debito, Sapporo, Japan
debito@debito.org
https://www.debito.org, Blog at https://www.debito.org/index.html
DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER APRIL 17, 2008 ENDS

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