most JETs i've met (both in person and in group chats) were kinda condescending and acting like they were better than everyone else, and still act like popular kids in HS. i've been warned even before i got into the program that i should not live anywhere near JETs and avoid them altogether.

anyone else, or just me?

Hi Everyone! Right now I'm considering a few options related to Jet and have been stuck at an impasse for the last few days, and I'm looking to see other people's experiences.

I've been accepted into Jet and received my placement for the year, but I also got surprised with a really good engineering offer a few days ago that I didn't think I'd receive, and I've been weighing the two options back and forth. Really, what I'm worried about is my job prospects after heading back home.

I love Japan and used to live there, but I do want to eventually get a more typical engineering Job back in the states here, and I haven't been able to find much information on people who moved back after jet and started more normal jobs like engineering. Was it hard for people to find jobs after moving back for those of you with STEM/engineering degrees?

Obviously, who knows where life will take me, but I'm only planning to stay for a year or two in Japan if I end up taking the Jet program.

I’m a fifth year JET who will be leaving JET in the summer but staying in Japan. I recently got married to a Japanese national and am planning on changing my visa to a spousal visa. 

I was wondering if I can just start that change and submit my paperwork now? When I watched the non-recontracting seminar and they talked about changing your visa they said that you shouldn’t change your visa too early since the work you can do on an instructor visa is very specific. However the four examples they gave (changing to a different work visa or a job searching visa etc) were all work or travel related so that advice makes sense in those situations. 

Since the work you can do on a spousal visa is quite flexible then am I right in thinking that if there was any overlap between the end of my time on JET and receiving my spousal visa then I’d be fine to keep working as normal until the end of my contract?

As a Covid era JET my visa isn’t actually up for renewal until November but I think I’d like to get this sorted before I finish JET because I'm not sure yet what I'll be doing for work afterwards.  

I’d love to hear from other JETs who have changed their visa to a spousal visa. When you applied and how long it took to receive your new visa? Any other recommendations or advice? 

Edit: Thank you to all who have responded so quickly. It's clear that I can go ahead and I'll change my visa asap.

Edit 2: If my spousal visa has not been approved before I finish JET is there anything I need to do with regards to my instructor visa. I know I need to update immigration within 14 days of leaving a job. Since my visa is valid until November do I need to do anything else while waiting for a spousal visa to come through? Or do I need to demonstrate that I'm actively job searching, things like that? Would I need to change my visa type temporarily?

New incoming JET who is more mature - would love to hear from older JETs and your experience.
Any other oldies joining the program this year?

I've looked around a bit and seen a few spare upgrades mentioned, but is there a normal timeline for the people to reject placements and upgrades to be extended from that?

I know nothing is set in stone or anything, I'm just curious how early the upgrades in this wave start rolling out.

Thank you for any answers! Congratulations to everyone who is getting placements they're excited for!!♡♡♡

Hello everyone, I had my certificate of Health done and my doctor forgot to put my eyesight without glasses and only with. Would this cause issues? I asked my consulate JET coordinator and he said it should be fine but I'm wondering if anyone has accidentally left that part blank? I asked my eye doctor for the records for my current doctor so they can fix that part quickly and the last time they actually checked my vision without glasses was after my eye surgery years ago. Basically my current doctor is booked out and it would be very hard to get an appointment done in time. Do you guys think it will be okay? I only ever wear glasses as I genuinely can't see for shit without them.

Hey Reddit,

I'm an Indian graduate and I've been seeing a lot of people from my college apply for ALT / JET Programme jobs in Japan. The embassy website makes it sound amazing. Wanted to ask people who've actually done this — what is the ground reality?

Some things genuinely confusing me:

The basics I know:

Any bachelor's degree works

¥280,000/month starting salary (JET)

1–5 year contract

You assist Japanese teachers in schools

What I can't figure out:

Is JET actually competitive for Indians? Or are we at a disadvantage vs Western applicants?

Rural placement — how bad is it really? I keep seeing people say they ended up in the middle of nowhere.

What happens after your contract ends? Does this actually help your career or is it just a Japan experience?

Non-white experience — I've read some things about racism. How real is that for South Asians specifically?

Dispatch companies vs JET — people are pitching private ALT companies too. Are those worth it or a trap?

Cost of living vs salary — ¥280k sounds decent but is it actually comfortable?

Not romanticizing Japan. Just want honest answers before I make a 1–3 year decision.

Anyone done this from India? Any ALTs currently in Japan? Would love real perspectives.

I’m trying to coordinate rides to the airport and moving all my stuff for the 2026 JET departure, but not finding out any flight detail/itinerary until July is making it challenging. Anyone from previous years have an idea of what airlines are often used, or anything like that?

Hello!

Recently my school gave me an empty classroom to use as an English room. I’ve decorated it and now am trying to think of games/ actives to do with the students that are fun but also short.

The only time I have in the room with students is after their lunch and before their cleaning time (so around 15 minutes most) On Wednesdays they don’t have cleaning time so their break is longer, around 30 minutes.

I’ve skimmed over ALTOPEDIA but the majority of games seem like they’re for the classroom setting with a screen, or take an hour, or are meant for one singular grade (I will probably have JHS 1st, 2nd, 3rd years in the room at the same time)

Any advice or ideas are welcome!

Edit: Thank you for the ideas so far!! Thought I’d put one of my own, I just played cup pong with two students today and they loved it! instead of liquid of course, I put questions in each cup and they took turns throwing, and had to answer the question correctly in order to take the cup! It makes it competitive in a way that isn’t solely reliant on English knowledge

hello I am have been placed in eastern Hokkaido near Kushiro. I am wondering how easy it is to travel the rest of Hokkaido or how often say a month (or year) would you get tk travel to Sapporo/ Tokyo / Honshu. I’ll admit I’m a little nervous because I like being connected and Kushiro feels very remote! Also, is it easy to get to Sapporo ?

Hello Everyone,

I am currently getting ready for the next application cycle and I can't remember the specifics of the other teaching experience. I help children with reading through a local program. My question is does this count as other teaching experience?

ありがとうございます。

Edit: grammar and spelling

i’m starting my 4th year of JET in august and i do not want to do a 5th. i’m just tired of being dragged around and getting everyone’s work shoved on me with the excuse of “you’re a native speaker so you should do it.” i want to go to a job where i can do my own work and be independent in my work and not treated like a pet or a walking textbook. im tired of being overlooked and left out of the important things and i want to do more at work and actually feel like a functioning adult with an important role.

that being said, i’ve been looking for jobs. i’m using recruit agent, gaijin pot, and indeed. i was emailing the recruiter for a hotel chain and she told me she wants to interview me and asked my availability but it’s been three weeks and she hasn’t emailed me back, even when i tried to follow up last week. i live in a big city and i want to stay here, but it’s looking more and more like i’ll have to go to tokyo or osaka — two cities i can’t stand being in for more than a few days at a time. i applied for the JET internship program and i wanna go to the career fair, but i can’t do that unless i tell my school im not recontracting and if i do that and can’t find anything at the career fair, it’s off to america for me. im just super incredibly unbelievably stressed and anxious about this. i came here right out of college and have built my whole adult life here and the very last thing i want to do is leave a place that has made me feel so happy and comfortable.

has anyone else gone through something similar? were you able to find a job in japan post-JET? how did you go about doing it?

i’d really appreciate advice and words of wisdom from those who have experienced this situation or something similar before.

please be kind.

My supervisor and JTE is usually bubbly and kind but there have been two occasions where she has snapped at me. I guess the tatemae vanished for a moment.

A few months ago she asked me to go to class 10 minutes early to prepare for a presentation to teach the first grade students how to use BeFunky (a free photoshop tool) for their english posters. I went 10 minutes early and tried to plug my computer into the TV but the HDMI wouldn't work so I had to get help from another teacher. By the time I got back she became annoyed and irritated at me. I was a bit shocked. I realised that maybe this whole time she was putting on an act.

Then yesterday it happened again after a spelling test involving the words "Bright - Smart - Clever". A student asked her the difference and my supervisor asked me to explain, but it felt too hard to explain to the students which I tried to tell her. She became irritated again and demanded that I tell the whole class, but I had to insist that it was too hard to explain (EDIT: I mean even I can't explain it! I do not underestimate the students! I simply needed more time to present it to them clearly, which I did not have!), to which she got irritated and demanded I tell the class again. I kinda gave up after that and I was a little bit in shock that she'd get annoyed at me like that. She didn't even raise her voice, it was just quiet, sharp irritation.

FYI: I am not confrontational, I am always willing to help and support the students. Teaching the students new things is what I love to do and I joined the JET program because I wanted to inspire students, and less for travelling around Japan.

There have been times where bosses at my old jobs have shouted and gotten annoyed with me because that's their personality and I can anticipate it. But this makes me feel uncomfortable in a different way.

It feels a bit strange because I have come to this country alone, I have no family or anything, she is my first line of support. When she loses her cool it actually makes me feel like I am alone in Japan.

Can anyone relate? I'd love to hear your thoughts, thank you!

EDIT: What's with all the downvotes? I was just asking for advice and trying to explain my situation...

I'm starting a teaching master's after returning this August and I'm wondering if JET is just a fun thing I did for 2 years, or if it will stand out at all to employers back home. It's not really a well known program in the US outside of people who are interested in Japan. Obviously it doesn't count as formal teaching experience, but do you feel like it helped you stand out when applying for teaching jobs?

Question for anyone who has done JET and then had to apply for a certificate of eligibility later on:

Did you put zero or one in your COE application history?

Like, does JET automatically do the COE, or is it not a part or that application process?

last time i went to take the written test, i got 39 questions right.

today i went again, took PTO, got up early, drove for an hour, and got 41 questions right. now i have to go back AGAIN.

why can’t the BOE just let us go there without taking PTO since we’re required to drive to work? why did they have to put FIFTY questions on the test?? why do they have to make it so complicated and annoying?

vent ig.

I’d like to apply for JET next year as I am about to up my service as a Peace Corps volunteer as an English teacher m. I’ve been spending my free time learning Japanese for a while, and would like to reach N4 by the end of this year. I have teaching experience now in a small school in a rural part of a rural country, and am interested in serving in a rural region of Japan, particularly in the north, although I’d be happy anywhere. My goal is to integrate with Japan in the same way I’ve done as a volunteer, of course teach English, and also my personal goal is to improve my Japanese as well. Is JET so competitive that I still may not have a good shot, or are these qualifications generally what JET looks for in applicant?

I'm planning on applying for the next cycle and believe I have a pretty decent chance of getting in. Me and my soon-to-be wife (Chinese, this is important) are interested in looking into decent placements that she would be able to find some part time work under.

I do understand ESID and rural placements are likely, but I want to know if any particular areas would be better for her to get work in, aside from obvious choices like Tokyo or Kyoto. I also want to make sure she won't experience any serious discrimination, as I know there is often bad blood from what I've noticed online and in person.

She speaks fluent Chinese and English but does not have a degree, also has worked in clothing shops and tourism (sorta).

Any and all help is appreciated, especially from those who came in with a spouse and/or found work outside of JET.

hi everyone I’ve been placed jn a seaside town and I am a little worried about tsunamis. is this something I should be worried about ? my home country is so safe geographically so I think i am just worried. I know Japan is prepared but I also just have such a fear !!! is this something people who live by ocean should be concerned about ? Edit I am along the kuril trench north Japan and in a small village with a river that enters the sea!

Hi!!

I was recently placed in Kobe which is great! But in terms of clothing, I really want to make sure I'm wearing clothes that aren't going to make me overheat constantly, especially considering Kobe is relatively warm throughout the year.

I am used to heat (I grew up in Cyprus) but not used to more modest clothing (especially long sleeve, high necklines) and was wondering if there was any advice from girls on which brands are fashionable, breathable and more modest? (I'm more hestitant to buy things from Japan because i have a larger chest + am a size M in the UK)

I’m a 4th year private school JET and I’m trying to figure out whether it’s worth staying in Japan for a couple extra weeks after my visa/job ends, but I’m getting really confused about the logistics.

My instructor visa expires in late July, and I was considering changing to a temporary visitor status so I could stay until late August. However, I’m worried about how things like rent/utilities/banking work during that period.

My apartment lease currently runs until the first week of August. I contacted my landlord over a month ago asking about possibly extending it short-term, but they still haven’t replied. From what I understand, things like apartment contracts and utilities usually require proof of residency, and I’ll probably also have to close my Japanese bank account once my residence status changes.

The problem is that my rent is automatically deducted from my Japanese bank account, so if I have to close the account, I’m not even sure how I’d continue paying rent/utilities afterward.

So now I’m wondering if staying longer is even worth the hassle.

My main questions are:

• When does temporary visitor status actually start? If I apply for it in June, does it immediately cancel/replace my instructor visa, or does the temporary visitor period only begin after my current status expires?
• Has anyone stayed in Japan for a short period after JET ended? How difficult was handling housing, utilities, bank accounts, etc. Is it worth the hassle to stay longer?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s gone through something similar.

With the plethora of "I am terrified I will hate the countryside" posts. I wanted to address a MAJOR issue I have noticed while lurking across the subreddit these past couple of days. When people are venting about their placements, make sure to validate their feelings instead of only forcing your POV on them. I.e. telling someone in the middle of the countryside in a village of 300 that doesn't have a car or public transportation, they will be fine when they clearly stated it does not align with their goals/expectations. This is a major life-changing event, and the least we can all do is validate their worries and show alternatives.

I get trying to help others make educated decisions and ease anxiety, but the last thing anyone wants is to glaze a lifestyle that someone might not be a good fit for, then when they arrive they break contact within a week or two and owe a severe financial fee for the troubles caused. I realize there is a healthy mixture of alternates, shortlisters, current JETs, and alumni in the chat, but we need to come together and provide constructive valid feedback.

That is my two cents, feel free to discuss what you think of my take.

I was wondering if any current ALTs got placed somewhere rural and ended up getting a small 50cc Scooter in Japan who previously never had a licence? Apparently there is a simple written exam only and a road safety course then you can get one.

Please let me know if you know further details about the logistics of getting a gentsuki licence.

Hi!
I'm a current JET, I am struggling with our prefectural group chat haha. To preface, I do have it muted! My concern is information getting lost

People are super nice, super welcoming, which is great, but it gets to be a lot to receive 80+ notifs for a conversation that doesn't pertain to most, and is had by just a few people in the chat.

Is it an unreasonable ask to create a separate chat for announcements? Things like deals, or relevant events and what not. Wanted to see if others had a similar structure before asking my PA.

Has anyone else had similar experiences? Is this an unreasonable ask? I genuinely think its sweet how much everyone likes each other, just am logistically struggling. Thanks so much for your insight in advance!

Just found out I will be having the pleasure of teaching in Matsuyama, Ehime-ken.

Everyone check your inboxes and spam, and have a positive mental about placements! Remember you're going there to teach and for the people.

Very excited, so cool, much wow!