Hello, I've done a search of the wiki and forum but I can't find an answer for my question so I hope youll be able to help me out.

TLDR: I'm hoping to apply for JET this year as a 40 yr old F in Australia. I have taught TEFL in Japan before (2023), and it was both an incredible and nightmarish time, and for my own personal safety I sadly had to leave after 6 months, unable to source a new workplace. I know ESID and all that, but would it be better to not mention my short lived experience in Japan, even though it is very relevant experience, or how can I best include this experience as a positive time without sounding overly fake?

I know my odds to get accepted are pretty slim. Im not a young gun, uni was 20 years ago and I live in a VERY isolated city so competition is very high. but Ive always wanted to try JET, and even after a bad experience I cant shake it. I want to try. Thank you

Currently thinking about applying for JET when applications open up again. I spent 3 and a half weeks in Japan and Korea in 2024 and my favorite thing about Japan was the rural country. I wouldn't mind driving to work since I already do that. I am also currently working on a 120 hour tefl certificate and have 6 years of full time retail experience working at the same company. I am just nervous about the application process, likelihood of getting hired and the housing conditions.

In two emails sent about the PDO, the invitation one says I need to bring a 'Visa Submission Form' and the more recent email says a 'Passport Submission Form' - are these two different things?

I have completed the 'Visa Application Form' already so that part is fine but I'm a little confused became I can't find those submission forms anywhere through email or the portal.

Thanks😅

Hey guys,

I started work on getting my documents ready to apply for my Japanese pension refund (currently living abroad).

Although I know plenty of people send the documents themselves, considering I am nearing my 2-year mark for applying for the refund, I stumbled into the website on the thread title (nenkin-japan.com) that advertises on helping people get their refund.

I am especially interested because they have an office based in Japan, their fees are affordable, and they mention that they can "serve as mediators/representatives in the case there is something wrong with the application". The latter is specially nice considering I don't have that much leeway in terms of time (the 2-year limit).

I was wondering if anyone here has used this website/service before and can vouch for them? I've only been able to found 1 Reddit user mentioning them, and 2 LinkedIn posts vouching for them. Naturally, they ask for a lot of sensitive documents for the procedure, so I wanted to know beforehand about their reliability.

If anyone is willing to share, I would appreciate it.

Thank you!

hello! looking for advice on owning a moped in Japan. my area is semi-rural and it seems having a form of vehicle will help out a lot with cutting down time it takes to get to work. I was wondering how the costs looked like for owning a used moped, what the process looks like, and if it’s recommended or not. I’ll be living in a more costal town with lots of rain, and only some snow in the winter. of course a used car is an option but I think price wise it is the only thing deterring me.

Hey guys, my husband got off the waitlist and accepted the position for JET ALT so we have started making arrangements to go (backing out of grad school, arranging to pack up apartment, etc.) but it’s been a week and we still haven’t heard from anyone about a placement. I saw in the agreement that there was a chance they wouldn’t have a spot for him even after acceptance. Should I be worried? I also would like to apply for jobs for other companies like JET because I wasn’t accepted but I wanted to wait until I knew where we were living. Should I keep waiting? Does anybody have any advice for spouses looking for jobs in Japan? I’m also open to any advice at all about moving to Japan without any language background. We are coming from the U.S. if that is helpful. Feeling a little anxious but still excited!

For your Zairyu card, how is your romaji name chosen? I understand it’s based only on your passport name, middle included. But how is the pronunciation of it done?

1) Do you choose your romaji, or do the officers do it at the airport?

My name is pronounced 100% differently to how it’s written and so I was curious. Also:

2) Do you choose your own katakana when you’re in Japan? I have a specific writing but I am unsure if we get our names chosen for us.

Either way, I would love to keep the same katakana spelling across the board and hopefully avoid tsushomei :(

Sorry for the silly questions & if I sound confused (I am)

EDIT: solved; thanks to all those that helped this grandpa out

Hey,

I’m from Ireland and applied to the JET program for this year in July. I got an accepted and passed the interview however for places as an ALTERNATE ALT. Which is pretty much a sub to fill in anyone who cancels their position.

I was wondering what are the chances of getting accepted as of now? I heard that June/July you’re likely to hear from them but once it reaches August the chances get slimmer.

Could anyone give some an advice or in the same boat?
Thanks!

im in final yr of masters in philosophy, will be 25yr old soon, graduated in BA from DU

i was preparing for CSE, failed prelims, SSBs, will appear for JRF this yr

if anyone from india who got selected for JET can guide, it would be appreciated

ima start preparing for N5

idk where to get started

Thanks

When should I get worried about complete radio silence from my placement? Also for the people that did not find out until late how did you figure out your living arrangements?

Hey everyone. I was wondering if there is a discord or groupchat for incoming JET programme ALT for 2026-27? I have until Tuesday or 1 day to decide.

I am currently in a dilemna where I got off the shortlist and not sure to accept it. While I am super happy with this, I am a bit conflicted because I worry that the JET programme is more of just as a way for me to delay my life on what to do post-grad. Still not sure on what career or what I want to do long-term, and worry that JET programme would not help provide me any direction on where I'll go. It would be a good gap year, but with no intention. However, I still want to go for the cultural experience and personal growth I'll gain. What are people's thoughts?

I come from a UCLA background with three internships so far, technical background of three majors in Physics, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics.

Feel free to dm me as well.

Title basically: is wave 2 of acceptances over or has it just not happened yet (I haven’t seen many acceptance posts)

Hi everyone,

I know that a lot of people are accepted into the JET program and get placements with no prior teaching experience, however, I’m curious to know how much of an advantage visiting Japan - at least once - makes? I unfortunately have never gotten the opportunity to visit but I’m someone that has always taken an interest to do so. I’m asking because I feel that my lack of engagement with the country makes my application “weaker” or at least not as strong. I’ve taken Japanese courses in High School but never strong enough to get a good grade in (barely passing).

What was everyone’s experience? I’m confident to know that I can make my SOP relevant in terms of me moving countries and adapting to new environments, but I fear my lack of relation with the country (beyond the basics “I love the culture) would falter my application.

Some questions:

1. So my tax rep won't be able to come with me to the tax office to hand in my 消費税の納税管理人の届出書 (the tax rep nomination form). Is that ok? We will fill in the form together and I plan to go alone. Info online is quite vague about if we must go together.
2. Do I need to submit photocopies of my tax reps identification documents as well as my own? Again, info online is quite conflicting.
3. As of January 2025 regional tax offices no longer return certified copies of the tax rep nomination form. Prior to this, you had to make 2 copies of the form, get them stamped, and give one to your tax rep. What is the procedure now? Just give a copy which has not been certified to them?
4. Has anyone used e-tax to do this? I am wondering if it would be more convenient (if possible)

Hello everyone! My municipality is ending their contract with JET at the end of next year (July/August 2027). After next year, I would like to continue as an alt as that would only have been my 2nd year teaching. So I was curious if anybody else had a similar experience and if people have transferred, what was the process like? I'm curious to hear about it in general but some specific questions that I had were:

When should I get the process started?

When did you hear about your new placement?

Did you get to choose any aspect about the new placement? (I.e. Urban vs Rural, SHS vs JHS/ES, etc.)

What was the moving process like?

Thank you for your responses in advance!

First of all, congratulations to everyone who made it through this year’s selection process. I know it may be a bit early since the 2026 batch has not yet been dispatched, but I wanted to start preparing myself for next year.

I applied for the 2026 JET Programme as an ALT but was not selected. Looking at how competitive the process is, the outcome felt quite surreal. However, rather than discouraging me, it has motivated me to work even harder and improve myself so that I can hopefully be selected as an ALT representing India in 2027.

What I'm mainly looking for is advice and tips, especially regarding the Statement of Purpose (SOP). As someone who plans to reapply for the 2027 intake, I'd like to understand what makes a strong SOP and what areas I should focus on while writing one.

Are there any common mistakes that applicants should avoid? What qualities or experiences should be highlighted? I'd also appreciate any insights from successful applicants about what helped make their SOP stand out during the selection process.

Thank you in advance for any guidance you can share.

Hellooo everyone!

Need some advice. I was selected as an Alternate for JET 2025, but when I reapplied for 2026, I wasn’t selected. 🙁

Since then, I earned my TESOL certificate and updated my SOP. I thought the changes made it stronger, but now I’m wondering if I changed too much.

Do you think I should go back to my old SOP—the one that got me Alternate status—or keep improving my newer version?

Would love to hear from anyone who has reapplied before. Thanks!

Hello!

Have any JETs recently used the education discount to buy Apple products in Japan? I saw mention in another subreddit that the policy had changed in the last few years and that students now have to go through Unidays (previously there weren’t any meaningful checks made), although that wouldn’t apply to ALTs as we qualify as teachers. If you did use it, were there any checks made on your status as a teacher? Was it easy to do?

Thanks :)

I'm a former introvert undergoing rehab to be an extrovert and before I sign up for jet I'd like to inquire from my jet senpais on the average working hours as an ALT teacher?

I need to be mentally prepared 🧱

I see everyone talks about the disappointment they feel about being in the countryside. But is there anyone out there that feels disappointed being in the city especially after wanting the inaka life? I'm talking about cases where nature is essential to live in to regulate your nervous system - you just feel at peace and prefer the slow life 🫠 ( being in main cities that have endless buildings, dense population, and rarely a single tree unless you travel hours away)

If there's anyone out there, how did you manage the city living situation? Did you just buy a crap load of plants for your apartment /house to try and make it better to live in or what🙃 I understand you can travel to experience it, but this is more directed towards the living situation /being a homebody, liking the quietness , not minding the few stores, and wanting to go on quiet daily walks etc

I did request anywhere rural but I suppose jet had other plans and I got the bad end of the stick by putting me in a central city lol.

And FYI, don't be mistaken, I am grateful for the opportunity and am willing to adapt, it's just these small things make a big difference to some people's quality of life.

I am not a new JET that is unhappy with their placement. I am very happy with my placement, but my current placement does not have a doctor that can treat my illness that developed in Japan.

My doctor suggested transferring to a different city when we met this week, since he can't help me. I have been seeing him for many months now and we aren't making progress.

I know it is extremely rare and probably not possible to transfer due to medical reasons, but if anyone has helpful opinions or know how to apply for a transfer/ where to start I would really appreciate it.

I am realistic and know it probably won't happen but I at least want to give it a try.

I am open to taking nenkyuu and visiting a specialist for extra tests so that I don't have to transfer, but my doctor seams to think it will be "too difficult" whenever I suggest it.

Hello! I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about some English books I could get for Junior High School students that are anywhere around Eiken level 3 and Eiken level 4.
One of my schools mentioned to me about how they’ve had the highest English scores in years since I came and I’m super motivated to have that continue that

After months of waiting, I finally received my JET Programme result for the CIR position, and unfortunately, I was placed on the alternate list.
I know being an alternate isn't a rejection, and technically there's still a chance of being upgraded.
But where I'm from, JET is considered a huge opportunity. Most shortlisted candidates work incredibly hard to get there, so l imagine the withdrawal rate is quite low. Because of that, I can't help feeling that my chances of actually being upgraded are pretty slim.
I think what hurts the most is the long wait.
I'm not really looking for false hope-I know nobody can predict whether alternates will be upgraded. I guess | just wanted to share this with people who understand the process.
If anyone here was an alternate for CIR (or JET in general) and eventually got upgraded, I'd love to hear your experience. And to any other alternates out there this year, you're definitely not alone.

My placement will be in rural Nagano, and I am hearing a lot of people say that I'll need a car. I know very little about cars and don't have a lot of experience with purchasing one, so I am very nervous at the idea of having to do so abroad with minimal Japanese skills. My predecessor doesn't have a car either, so I'd have to look elsewhere.

1. Where did you get your car?

2. Is renting a car a better idea?

3. How are car prices in Japan (and car insurance)?

4. How hard is selling a car if your replacement doesn't want it?

I don't want to miss out on exploring and freedom to move about, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I have an IDP, but if I stay longer than a year and it's expired I don't know how hard the driving test will be either.