Date: September 16, 2010 (Thursday)
Time: 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Fee: 1,000 yen SWET, JAT, and SCBWI members; 2,000 yen non-members
Place: Tokyo Women’s Plaza, Omote Sando subway B2 Exit, Tokyo

Writing about Japan raises real challenges. How do you present what’s different without exoticising? How much should you explain? Can you translate quotes accurately, retaining the original tone, while keeping your article readable? How much Japanese can you use? And is it possible to convey your sense of wonder without making a total fool of yourself?

Journalist Alice Gordenker will address these and other issues while providing a behind-the-scenes account of how she crafts her popular “So, What the Heck Is That?” column for the Japan Times. In this monthly column, now in its fifth year, Gordenker has achieved a balance of humor and respect in meticulously researched yet decidedly off-beat reports on everything from traditional culture to industrial safety. She’ll also touch on her writing for television in Japan.

6:00–7:00 p.m. will be time to have a bite, if desired, and visit/network; the talk begins at 7:00.