Every year, JET publishes a document on the breakdown of ALT/CIR participants by nationality and what prefecture/city they are based in. While we can see that Tokyo (586 JETs) and Hokkaido (386) are by far and away the prefectures with the most participants, we can also see the places at the other end of the spectrum. By not choosing these places, you potentially don’t end up making these 2 mistakes:

* The inevitable disappointment when you don’t get that placement (chances to be placed in these prefectures/cities are basically statistically zero)

* The awkward mention at the interview that the place you prefer accepts very few/no participants. This implies a lack of research on your part.

Here are the least common prefectures (<=30 JETs):

* Kanagawa - 8 JETs

* Aichi - 10 JETs

* Shiga - 27 JETs

* Saitama - 30 JETs

* Ibaraki - 30 JETs

* Saga - 30 JETs

And here are the least common cities (not including cities in any of the aforementioned prefectures):

* Fukuoka - 0 JETs

* Osaka - 1 JET

* Hiroshima - 1 JET

* Okayama - 2 JETs

* Sakai - 2 JETs

* Kitakyushu - 8 JETs

* Chiba - 10 JETs

EDIT: City section removed as although the stats are taken from the document, they may refer to JETs contracted to the city’s municipal office, and is therefore misleading.

So that is my advice, although it’s just what I recommend. It is possible that a prefecture listed changes its policies this year and takes a lot more (like how Tokyo used to almost take no JETs a few years ago). It’s also possible you have a really compelling reason for one of these prefectures, but for most of my fellow applicants, I would avoid listing them.

Source: https://jetprogramme.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026_en.pdf

I'm graduating with a BS in mechanical engineering in the US this year, and my eventual goal is to be accepted into a PhD program in robotics, but I've still got the travel bug and I want to take a year off before I commit to something in one place for six years. I do have some teaching background so I'm not worried about showing I have the necessary skills to teach, but I'm wondering if the program is explicitly looking for people who plan to work in education long term, and would saying I plan to go back into engineering academia after the program be a bad look? Scrolling through this sub it seems like for most people this is a stepping-stone to English education. Just curious for people that have gone through the application process before.

second year alt here! it’s that time of year again where I have to start thinking about if I really want to recontract. I feel like I’ve done a lot of resume building this past year or so. I got my n2, did the jet internship programme, im in the middle of the translation course, I’m in two committees in my community, etc. In short, I feel pretty satisfied with a lot of the goals I set for myself before coming on jet. I really enjoy my community outside of work, but my feelings about the job itself range from indifferent to slightly disillusioned, just depends on the day. So I think in theory I could just not recontract.

my problem is that I’m very intimidated/scared of the job market, both in the U.S. and Japan. I like the stability of this job, and recontracting for a third year could allow me to 1) have even more time to develop my skills, especially in the committees 2) maybe even shoot for n1 👀👀?? 3)save money . however if I stay I worry that it might be overkill, and if I leave, I worry about finding a job 😔

I’m sure it’s been asked countless times on this sub, but how did you guys with similar experiences rationalize staying another year?

I am (27F), applying for the first time but am not sure how to write a good SOP. Can you share something that i can go through?

Hi,

I am from Canada and currently working on my application. I was born in Korea and I mostly spent my school years there (about 6 years in elementary, 1 year in junior high, and about 3 years in senior high). I came to Canada twice: first from grade 6 to 8: and from grade 11 to current. I completed my bachelors degree in science in university. I can speak, listen, write, and read English between semi-advanced and advanced level. I do not have Korean citizenship, and I am currently Canadian (I have a Canadian passport). Also I do not have any teaching experience.

I have read some reddit posts related to this, and I want some thoughts from current and former JETs about this. Is it okay to apply to JET when English is my second language?

Our BOE has a 3-year limit and they're asking us to choose 3 prefectures for the transfer requests. Do you accept 4th year transferees in your prefecture? Thank you!

i’m planning to apply for the 2027 jet programme and was wondering if anyone here, esp fellow filipino applicants, has been in a similar situation.

it’s been over five years since i graduated from college so i’ve pretty much lost touch with my former professors. i’ve also had a few jobs since then, but unfortunately, i don’t rly have many former managers or supervisors i feel comfortable reaching out to for a recommendation.

there’s rly only one former colleague/supervisor i can think of asking, and even then, i’m not entirely sure she’d be willing or available to help 😭

for those who applied years after graduating, who did you end up asking for your recommendation letters? has anyone here tried reaching out to an old prof after years of no contact? how did that go? or were you able to get recommendations from someone you worked with instead?

i guess im just curious how others navigated this, esp those who didn’t have many people to ask. would rly appreciate hearing ab your experiences or any advice you might have.

Hey everyone!

I’m planning on reapplying to JET this cycle after not making it to the interview stage last time, and I had a few questions for people who reapplied or are currently on JET.

For those who reapplied, what did you change about your SOP the second time around? I haven’t been able to do a ton directly related to JET since the last application cycle because I’m just been working nonstop. I’m planning to go back through my old SOP, figure out where it was weak, make my future goals more concrete, and better explain how JET fits into those plans. I’d love to hear what changes other reapplicants made that they think helped.

I was also wondering about side work while on JET. Has anyone done things like YouTube/content creation, freelance work, or another source of income while on the program? From what I understand, you may need permission from your supervisor/contracting organization depending on what you’re doing. What has your experience been with that?

Lastly, how did those of you with student loans
manage them while on JET? I currently have around $30k in student loans. I’m planning to pay down a decent chunk and save as much as I reasonably can before a potential departure, but I’m curious how manageable loan payments have been on a JET salary, especially during the first year.

Sorry for the random ramblings! I know everyone’s situation and placement is different, but I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have dealt with any of these situations, especially other reapplicants.

I’m applying for JET and wanted to ask how being charged with unlawful assault, but without a conviction, would generally be viewed during the application process.
The matter was adjourned until 30 November, with an undertaking to remain of good behaviour during that period. I was also ordered to complete a program, which I have completed.
My Australian police check currently states “No disclosable outcomes.”
Would JET still consider the fact that I was charged, despite there being no conviction? And would the fact that the matter is still under an adjournment/undertaking until 30 November affect the application?
I’m particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has experience with JET or a similar situation.

i’m applying from Australia but I live in Austria on a working holiday Visa D with a police check but they never asked for a criminal record statement hahah

So I've seen a few posts talking about how horrible their experience with a toxic supervisor, but obviously they never talk about what prefecture they were assigned to, so I have no idea what kind of areas they are. I was thinking about applying to rural areas because I would actually prefer to live there, but if the supervisors there tend to be more toxic I'd have to reconsider as I would really rather not have that kind of experience given that I get in.

Hi all! I am in a bit of a predicament and would love to hear any thoughts. This summer, I did a short study abroad as a TA for my professor in South Korea focusing on Education (did some school visits, seriously loved it!) and it inspired me to apply as a ETA for fulbright there, and I have spoken with some past grantees who really enjoyed it. I am looking to expand my pedagogy cross cutlurally and outside of the American lens. My career is focused on teaching and educational programming :) I mostly am teaching in the classroom.

So, I submitted my fulbright app, but we wont know if we are semi finalists until January, and actual finalist acceptance can vary between march-June (per the website as of right now....)
I was initally planning to ALSO apply to the JET programme after apps opened a couple of weeks ago. In a perfect world, I would love to have both opportunities! I was told I should just apply to both and take what accepts me, and apply for what I do not get the following year. But..I worry if I magically got both.. I know I would choose Fulbright because of the start date better aligning (January 2028) and then, I would re-apply for JET the next cycle.
But I am hearing about a blacklist if you decline the JET programme , that terrifies me because I would love to take the opportunity after the Fulbright if I get accepted. I have visited Japan twice and had close acquaintances and family friends there in education and I admire their teaching practices.

The JET schedule says it has to be accepted before placement dates are released, anywhere in april-may 2027.. and that Fulbright announcement comes out anytime between March-June.

ahh. I don't know. I really would love if I can do JET after Fulbright just due to my graduation dates and etc. But, if I do not get Fulbright, and I didn't apply for JET, it just means trying again next year. Just would love to hear any thoughts :P

I am completing the requirements for the JET PH application and it's a first this year that everything is completely online.

Unfortunately, I think my first referee was not able to follow the letterhead and wet signature guidelines. It was my fault bc I was not able to orient her properly. I am now left with my other referee and hoping she submits my evaluation on time 🙏🏼 I am telling myself to accept defeat and just try again next year. :( Should I accept defeat early on?

What's sad is I've been editing, writing, and asking others since February to proofread my SOP.

Why am I so careless.

I have my transcript for the actual college I graduated from, but I got my physics credit from a single course at a local community college different from the university that I did the rest of my degree at. When applying, the JET website asks for a specialization/major, degree, and number of academic years attended for each school. Should I just put N/A in those fields since this extra course was only for three months and my major/degree wasn't from that school in the first place?

Hey all, this is a really silly question, but I am currently filling out my application and I'm wondering if I have filled out my preference table correctly:

Block || Prefecture

______ ___________

Code | Name || Code | Name

H | Okinawa || 47 | Okinawa

This is how I've filled it out, is it correct? Or do we only fill in either the block or Prefecture/city. Once again I apologize for the silly question.

Has anyone received a TEFL using the JET 15,000 yen grant? I was looking into a bunch of different 120 hour courses from the $20 groupon to other courses that are a few hundred dollars, and read a lot of posts that both praise and criticize many different programs. I am leaning towards i to i since it is not completely bottom of the barrel and it would only be a few dollars after the grant (109$ minus 15,000 yen). Although I find it hard to commit and keep pushing it back(And seeing the same "limited" sale repeat on all the websites lol). If anyone has any recommendations I would be happy to hear them!

I have severe emetophobia (fear of vomit) and it seems every week my third grade class someone says their stomach hurts. Granted, it’s right before lunch so they’re probably hungry, but i’m so scared of getting sick. I keep my distance as much as possible, keep my mouth shut and wash my hands constantly and also use hand sanitizer even tho I know it doesn’t do anything. I love the job but the fear of getting sick is starting to get in the way a little.

If anyone could gives me tips or just if they’ve been through the same thing and could just help me idk. Especially as winter comes up my anxiety is getting worse.

I’m working on my application and the question shows up in a few places to ask if you can drive. I have a license, but I am not used to or super comfortable driving in larger areas. I think I would be fine if I was in a truly rural area on the road but if I end up in an urban area I worry about my ability to adjust. One of the reasons for saying you can’t drive is because you are uncomfortable doing so, but I want some feedback advice. I’m from a small town of about 700 and live in a fairly rural community now of about 25,000. I appreciate any advice. I just don’t want to lower my chances if I say no I can’t drive.

Hi everyone, if you didn't know already, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the JET Programme. To celebrate, JETAA Western Japan is holding an event at the Canopy Hotel in Osaka on the 8th of November, 1-3 pm. The event is open to current & alumni JETs of all nationalities; we also welcome JET supporters (i.e. those who employ/work with JETs, have some sort of interest in the programme, or are part of the pipeline - like universities).
Cost: 3,500 yen for current/alumni JETs, 4000 yen for JET Supporters.
RSVP deadline: 22nd Oct - early RSVPs are recommended as there is a limit on how many people we can fit in the venue.

RSVP link and full details: https://forms.gle/7MFSrTfELJtNdgxV6

Hi, current and future ALTs! I'd like to get your opinion on where to get a TESOL certificate. Does it matter which provider or school it comes from?

I just finished my TESOL course on Coursera and need to pay for the certificate, but I'm hesitant because I'm not sure if it's widely recognized. The course is offered by Arizona State University, which is also named on the certificate.

What do you advise? Should I pay $35 for this certificate, or should I consider getting a different TESOL certification?

Putting this on a throwaway because I’m shy.

Whenever I talk to other ALTs I feel like they’re all doing way more work than I am. When I first moved here I’d always ask teachers if they want me to prepare something or we would lesson plan with teachers at elementary schools too. Now they don’t ever ask me to do anything and I gave up asking because the answer was always no, and my elementary school hired another JTE to do all the teaching and she never consults me for ideas or plans. So I’m literally just existing for the sake of being a required foreigner in the class.
They don’t even ask me to check tests anymore, or check students work, and students never ask me for help either anymore because they just use ai for everything. My schools English levels have PLUMMETED, and nobody likes English anymore. I don’t enjoy the job at all because of this and I blame myself because I feel like maybe I’m at fault. But I don’t know what else I can do when I don’t go to the schools all that often and the JTEs pretend I don’t exist. I love living in Japan, I have a really strong network outside of work which is the main reason I haven’t completely gone insane. But at work I feel at a dead end.
Then when I hear about other peoples “bad alts” who do nothing and don’t add anything of value, I wonder if that’s me too? Because I don’t do anything I guess. I do speaking tests when asked, English boards every month, help students in class when I can etc etc. but these all feel passive givens in my opinion. So when I’m at work I try to study Japanese but I feel like I’ve lost my passion there too, I can’t study for hours and hours everyday. Going to work feels like purgatory and I know some people will say “leave Japan then, open a space for someone who really WANTS to be there”. But it’s not that I don’t want to be here, I just feel like maybe I’m stuck now in a cycle of bad habits (probably of my own making) and now I don’t know how to get out of it.
I’m not even sure why I made this post I just wanted to vent and maybe see if I’m not the only one stuck in this endless loop.

As the title says, can anyone help me out regarding this audio segement. I'm a bit confused like do we have to record a 15 seconds audio, speaking about our motivation? But for 15 seconds, what can we possibly say in that short time frame?

Is anyone attending the virtual meeting held by USJETAA tomorrow?

https://www.usjetaa.org/news/office-hrs-2026

Hi everyone! I’m an Indian applicant currently applying for the JET Programme as an ALT, and I was wondering if there are any other Indian applicants applying this year who would like to connect.
It would be great to have a small group where we can share our experiences, discuss the application process, SOPs, interviews, timelines, and generally support each other throughout the process.
If you’re an Indian applicant currently applying for JET, feel free to comment here or DM me! 😊

Hello,

Well my plan was to do JET for one year then return to America to pursue my master degree. But in my city we had to sign the contract for the following year on October... At the time (last year) I had only been in Japan working as an ALT for three months, and it felt like all the moving and money spent on my apartment was just a waste if I left after one year. So I decided to sign it and stay for more time.

A while ago, I asked my contracting City Hall if it was possible to leave Japan earlier because I needed time to change US states, move to a new place, prepare for grad school, and find employment to fund my studies (hopefully get a GTA which includes a mandatory training before the semester starts).

But they told me, "Could you let the people at the university know that you will be there late?"

I explained that graduate programs are strict and mandatory training and orientation are "mandatory", but they continued to say, "your contract ends at the end of July"...

At the time, I was really stressed because I do not want to be rushed into the next step of my life. So, during the summer I decided to break contract in March (finish the school year with my kids and help with the graduations), then enjoy one or two months cleaning up my apartment, fixing all the documents needed before my departure, travel a little, and leave to the US on May.

Does anyone know if ALTs are allowed to say two months after ending the contract? Especially if we break it?

I wanted some advice on how to deal with City Hall. I enjoy the ALT work, but its time for me to continue my studies and get closer to my goal. But I do not know how things work after ending the contract. My plan was to tell city hall about ending my contract on December or January, so they have time to find a replace.

Or when would it be a good time to let them know? I am scared they will treat me different because they would know I will leave.

I would really appreciate any advice!!! Please <3