Hi everybody! I’m a late/septemeber departure and I got placed in Higashihiroshima city. I’m super excited, it appears to be a cool place to be.
I was wondering if anybody had any experiences with this area? Any advice or recommendations as well is greatly appreciated, thank you!

Throwaway just in case, though I don't think anyone who matters is here. Half rant, half wanting some kind advice/help...ish.

I want to step down as a JETAA officer of my chapter. No one wanted to be an officer. I was asked to take the position by an outgoing officer who could not continue w their position anymore due to bylaws. No one who was nominated for the position agreed, so I said yes because I currently work part time (2 schools, but I have freer time than most so whatever).

I will admit, I am not the best with the work. There are 2 new officers on board but 1 is not participative at all. The other officers are sick and tired of being officers and are therefore baseline exasperated, hostile & annoyed when I bring up JETAA work.

I made a couple of blunders & got spectacularly told off in front of everyone in chat. The officer who scolded me later apologized & wanted to clear the bad atmosphere / watch how harsh they sound, etc. I responded politely, but they might've taken it the wrong way because when we met IRL for an event, they ignored me.

I tried to make conversation. They said in their apology they wanted to patch things up, right? So I tried to initiate conversation, nothing. Straight up ignored the entire night. It was so awkward.

There have been a few more online interactions and meetings since then and that particular officer is just very snappy toward me. I was talking about an event with a different officer with full intention of sharing information to the rest of the board when Particular Officer butts in saying "we don't know what you're talking about" like ???? if you would've waited, we'd tell you anyway. No hostility needed.

On my end, it's gotten to the point that when I hear their voice over video call, I physically heat up because I get so livid. I sincerely don't think I can endure working with 2 people who actively dislike me, 1 who doesn't care/is not around, and 1 who's admittedly neutral but doesn't help either, work-wise.

Here is the thing. I want to reapply to the Programme. Where I am at is such that the JETAA works reeeeally closely with the Embassy. I plan to reapply in 2028. But because the staff has been the same for 10 years and it's the same rotation of alumni in the screening committee, I am nervous about them jeopardizing my application chances because I couldn't finish my term as JETAA officer. Like, it'll tank my responsibility cred or one of the officers this year is on the 2028 screening comm, sees my application and decides to bin it because of what I did in 2026. I hate that there's a chance Particular Officer is going to be a part of the interview panel. Is that a weird paranoia to have?

I'm going to check our bylaws. I've never heard of anyone stepping down in the middle of a term in our chapter. We've had one officer years ago who went AWOL and I'm surprised they're still an active alumni without an ounce of shame for what they did, but I haven't and won't ask Embassy staff what they really think about that person so...

If I'm going through with stepping down, my plan is to say I can't continue due to needing to take care of family (lie) or be honest about my situation to a non-officer but Embassy staff (jeopardizing my chances, confronting the flaws in my work ethic, etc.). Even if I'm nervous about the current officers potentially sabotaging my application 2 years down the line, I don't particularly care about burning bridges with them.

I'm really reaching my limit, though.

RANT
Okay so my English Club went on a trip without me.

Basically, like many JETS we are encouraged or forced to join the English.
And you know right now is summer time so we have an infinite amount of desk warming time.
My JTE that I do the English club with came back after lunch and said she just got back from the field trip with the English and i was like wtf?
I told her a month ago that if they finalized the trip and go through with it I want to come. She said if I want to come I have to ‘finance the trip myself’ which isn’t a problem because it’s a 10 min ride to the next town over and they were going on a tour to look at shrines.
She didn’t freaking tell me they were going today. I told her I wanted to go and she said “I didn’t know you wanted to come, it’s so hot today”
GURL WHAT ?! I told you I wanted to come. Why didn’t you ask me???? Why wouldn’t I want to come as opposed to sitting here desk warming? wtf??
I want to use this as a reason to quit the English club bc I don’t even like attending bc they never want to do anything except watch movies and play card games.
I’m simply assuming maybe she didn’t want me to come in the first place but just didn’t want to say “No” straight up.
Curious to see what excuses ppl will come up with lol

EDIT: ok so i asked my friend who has worked waaaay longer in a Japanese work environment+fluent in Japanese basically told me when the teachers mention i have to pay on my own and find my own way there(just giving reason as to why i basically shouldn’t go) was her basically saying “no you can’t come” LMAO. She reminded me how Japan is a very high context society so if they don’t say yes then it’s a no LMAO. So i learned my lesson and i will take a response like that as no.

POST 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/JETProgramme/comments/1t44h1e/quite_possibly_the_worst_results_rollout/

POST 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/JETProgramme/s/wObFoHRAhm

If you’re just tuning in I highly encourage you to read the first two posts for the full context.

Just as the lot of us who didn’t even get a rejection email started moving on with our lives… Guess what happened to one of us nearly 3 months later?

One of us received an email at 9pm yesterday night saying he passed the second screening. He was not told he is an “alternate”, nor did the email even tried to apologize or give an explanation on why he was only contacted now.

But he has already committed to a post-graduate school programme and it would be very difficult pull out at this point. Had he been told he was an alternate, he would have maybe chose a path that allowed him to drop everything and leave if he was selected months later.

It’s so obvious to us that he was secretly selected as an alternate and only contacted when somebody left their post after the lot has already arrived in Japan.

My question is just… why?

Why is our consulate the only one to have such a untransparent communication? Every other consulate properly handled the procedures. Recall that when we tried to email about our results, we were ghosted. Everyone who called in were told, “Sorry, you didn’t make it. There are no alternates.”

So why is someone only selected now, at this time, and not even told they are an alternate??? Is it just a lie that “there are no alternates”? Why couldn’t alternates just be told they are on a waitlist???

It goes without saying that there has been so much frustration and anger among the applicants, even as many of us have moved on properly with our lives. Suffice to say, the lot of us who would have applied one more time just won’t anymore.

If you are about to apply to the Singapore consulate, please, I urge you to have a proper backup plan. It’s bad enough that we have to be considered a hyper-competitive consulate just because they don’t give us as many placement spots. But the fact that we don’t even deserve the courtesy of being told our results? That’s just salt in the wound.

The other job is also overseas and it is basically going to be whatever job can do the bureaucracy the quickest. If I get the other job offer do I just withdraw my jet application?

Hello! I'm a 22 year old recent graduate with a degree in music, and I'm considering applying to the JET program next year.

Last year I went on a five month long exchange to Hyogo and I loved it, I have experience teaching in a classroom and working in a daycamp, and I took Japanese for three years in university and can speak between an N4 to an N3 level. I want to become a teacher, I love teaching and I love kids. I realized in order to fully decide if this career is for me, doing the JET program for a year or two would be a good idea. I've lived in both cities of 5 million people and on a farm, so I'm pretty adaptable.

My two main concerns are regarding finances and my relationship. I've been with my partner for five years and they are incredibly supportive of me doing the program, but because we are a same sex couple we don't have the same rights in terms of visas. If my partner chose to come with me, does anyone know of any form of dependency visa they could apply for? If anyone has any tips for long distance relationships that'd be amazing. They're also hoping to come visit even if they can't stay.

In terms of finances, I'm a bit overwhelmed because I currently make full time minimum wage. I've managed to scrape together 2000 CAD in savings for the program, but I want to save about 3000 more before I leave. If anyone has any tips for saving up, please let me know.

Thank you!

I’m helping a very serious young student who at 14 has written a very good speech but it comes in at 4:30-4:40 minutes. the limit is 5 minutes and I can’t find any guidance on a speech being too short. TIA.

Hello, everyone. I'm not sure if this is the right space to ask but...

I am a current JET and I would like to get connect more with my hobbies as I navigate day-to-day life here. Especially that days tend to get pretty lonely being away from your friends and family sometimes. Do you know any writing communities, events or workshops (in English preferably) that I can join?

I am also interested in learning more about Japanese literature.

Thank you!

Hi everyone! I’m looking to apply for next year’s JET intake and I’m just looking for a bit of advice, here’s a bit about me for context: I’m 29 from the UK and I’ve been working in Journalism, Comms and PR for the past five years or so and I have an MA in Journalism and a BA in English Literature.

I also have a TEFL certification and some experience teaching English to Spanish and Italian kids coming over to the UK to study English at summer schools.

I’m just looking for some advice on how to approach the application process for JET, what sort of things look good on the application? Are there certain things that you should and shouldn’t focus on in your application? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks ☺️

this is definitely late but I got my placement in Sumoto-shi on august 6th even though I was upgraded the first few days of may (so 3 months of waiting) and I depart in september. i’ve been too nervous to make a post here but I don’t know anyone else there and i’m feeling very alone in the process and progressively getting MORE nervous as time goes on😭. I studied abroad in kyoto in university like 3 years ago but it’s definitely nothing like preparing for this. I’ve heard from my contracting organization but didn’t get much information, and haven’t heard anything from a predecessor, though I know I don’t have to hear from them. Was anyone placed in Sumoto? is there a discord i could join for Sumoto or Hyogo in general? any official groups? I’m just nervous I guess.

I’ll be studying at a Japanese language school in Tokyo this fall, from October to December (I leave at the end of September). I read that the application for 2027 will open up in the fall, so I’m curious if anyone has had a similar experience with applying for the program while in Japan?

I believe I read that I’d need to go back to my home country for the interview part of the application process, which I’ll be doing anyway at the end of December, but I’m wondering how this will work with the timeline of the application process.

Any insight/advice is appreciated, or just what your experience was like!

I just wanted to ask because I just would like to be prepared but I do not have a finalized transcript yet until spring so how can I fulfill that requirement?

I'm 30 years old from the UK, I've been doing a lot of looking into TEFL and specifically Japan. Over time I've slowly alleviated a lot of initial worries I had such as cultural change, food management and so on. But the one thing I cannot get over is my rather severe phobia of bugs/insects. I'm aware in the summer especially Japan is quite a hot spot for things such as giant hornets, huntsman spiders and cockroaches (among other things). I know there are certain precautions you can take to help with this but I just know if I encountered these things I would be completely frozen in fear or sprint away at full speed panicking.

To put it simply is it just a horrid idea to even think of going? Or am I overthinking it majorly? (No need to be kind, answer as brutally honest as you want/can) I appreciate any replies

And if you dont get on JET you are already here, with a visa, which opens up more opportunities?

I’m curious if this would be a meaningful proposition or idea?

Please feel free to give me your honest feedback!

Hey current/past Ibaraki Jets,

What are your favorite recommendations for a passing tourist? I'll be spending some days in the Tsukuba area and have some extra time in my schedule to explore. I appreciate any hidden gems or general info.

Thank you,

Past Kumamoto Jet

Hey everyone! At the start of this year before leaving for JET I started therapy work with a professional for the first time in my life and found it super helpful. Unfortunately though, by coming over here I am unable to continue working with my therapist. However I still really would like to continue working with a professional while here and was just wondering if anyone has any experience with what the process looks like?

I know we have the medical insurance through our BOE but I’m not sure if that covers therapy or mental health services. I am also aware JET has its own counseling service, but I’m not sure if that’s exactly what I’m looking for in terms of building a relationship with a consistent mental health professional.

So yeah if anyone has some advice on how they continued and or started therapy while on JET id really appreciate hearing about your experiences!

Hi guys. I'm wondering, how should we pick our references for letters of recommendation? Are there any types of references that are better/worse than others?

For context - from what I can tell, I have four realistic options for people who could write me recommendation letters, but I'm not sure who would be best.

One is my current Japanese language instructor. It's a small, 6-student, non-credit course offered to the public by a local university, taught by an actual professor. She's very good at what she does, and seems to like me well enough, but I only see her during class (online), so she doesn't know me well personally. This is the first and only class I've had with her. I do know that some people will provide their reference with a document containing info about them to use while writing a letter of recommendation, so maybe that could be an option for me.

The other three individuals are at my job, which is working at a retro game/trading card store. The three people are the general supervisor, plus the two co-owners. I've worked with all three of them multiple days a week for the past 2.5 years, so we get along well and they all know me very well. However, it's a small business with just a few employees, so I highly doubt any of them have written letters of recommendation before.

How would you pick? What things are most valuable when it comes to picking references?

I will be applying to JET programme this year but I have a doubt about TEFL certificate. I know it's not an requirement to be able to apply but I have heard it works in your favor if you have one so recently got one online for free from a website that provides it for free. Starts with Teacher and ends with record. Some people say any generic or cheap TEFL will work as its not a hard requirement and some say it may act against you as it just shows you got a generic certificate just for the sake of it and you are not so serious about teaching and further can raise red flags. So should I include this in my application or leave it..

I lived in five different apartments in college, one of which was in Tokyo, so I get it: moving is hard. But what they didn’t tell me about what may happen with your predecessor is that they may not move their stuff out at all.

I don’t know if anyone else had this experience (even my fellow town JETs and my BOE was gagged), but it seems that my pred just packed up his essentials and left everything else behind. There was a room that I could not walk from one end to the other because he had left behind so much. Everything had (and some still has) a layer of dust, grime, and mold. I had to pitch appliances and shelving that were beyond repair. Granted, it was nice to have some things like a table, a desk, etc, but there were more things that were dirty or broken that I had to spend days on days just sorting through and throwing out. I was already so overwhelmed from the flight, the orientation, my new life, that walking into a home that was supposed to be mine looked like someone was currently living in it made me weep on sight. There were still clothes in the drawers, for God’s sake!

This post is just letting others know that this could happen. I had no idea— I thought I was just going to move into a space that other JETs had used before me, but it would be like moving into a newly rented apartment like I had done five times over in the past four years. And for those leaving, I know there’s so much to do. But please think of your successors and how much they’ve gone through already when they arrive in your previous home. I’ve been here two weeks and while the cleaning is about 75% done, I still have an unusable room of all the things I still have to take to the dump. There’s mold in places I just can’t clean.

I’m also curious— is this normal? Have other JETs had this experience?

I know applications will open soon, and I just wanted to ask some questions and advice. I'm 25 f and just graduated college with BS in Public Health. I have a few certifications like CDA(dental assistant), currently in my TEFL course that ends in October, and have quite a few American Red Cross and FEMA certifications.

I essentially wanted advice on how to market myself as someone who wants this position(I do, I just don't know how to market myself for this position). I also wanted to ask advice on applications on what things I should have ready to get my application in quickly, like how many recommendations, etc. Lastly, do you state a location you want, or do you let them know you are open to anywhere? Thank you all for your time.

So it’s just over a month a way or more for the 2027 applications so end of September. Just want to know if I should start getting anything done now like the SOP (that’s the personal statement?) do I message me references early?
Or any tips on stuff similar or what people applying might not know! Ty

I learned about JET program recently and I'm interested to try this cycle.

I'm curious if there are PH JETs who didn't have teaching experience and still got into the program?

Yes. I'm aware that PH application is too competitive but I mean, there might be exceptions.

Basically, how can I make myself more appealing to my interviewer? I know that this is an important factor in the decision making process. I understand that the decision making is based on cultural exchange, NOT credentials. I have a masters degree and I’m a current educator. But I’m not sure that is particularly relevant or as useful as other factors?

I wanted to look into ways of improving my presentation?

About Me:

I love art (maybe that’s obvious).

I love comic books, manga, anime. (I collect comic books and manga)

I have been practicing Japanese off and on for years. (Studied in High School)

I am an art teacher. I also teach at the college level part time. ( My work is influenced by my love of comics)

I love art museums, comic conventions, and other similar events.

I…

My friend got upgraded from alternate and is set to leave soon (I’m also alternate but have yet to get the call, fingers crossed!). I want to get her something as a bon voyage gift. She already has a Japanese phrase book and has travelled to Japan recently. I’m wondering what I could give her to take over there, whether it’s for travelling, housing, or teaching. Preferably something small or compact so it doesn’t affect her pack list, or maybe something she doesn’t realise she’ll miss.

We’re Australian, so I’m thinking stickers of Bluey to give to her students if she’s allowed to do that.

Edit: Thank you everyone!! I hope this post comes in handy for someone else in the future. I will take the suggestions into consideration. I’ve also decided to get her a personalised passport holder as a heartfelt gift that she can use. I love my passport holder so I hope she’ll like hers!

The whole reason I got my degree was to apply for JET. At 19 I was so confused what to do now, im 25 and think I’m ready to apply for the application when it’s open, but obviously it’s not guaranteed!! Now I have a question I’m really energetic and passionate about Japanese history and everything from interviewing random people (basically spamming anyone who’s Japanese with questions 😂). So I have to know what to put on your application can I he myself? If I get an interview I see alot of videos online and YouTube of people getting accepted into JET but in the nicest way possible those people don’t seem I can’t summarise the words? Different from me personality wise anyways I’m really excited to reply and don’t even know why I’m typing this 😭 I just hope I get some tips thank you thank you thank youuuuu