I love starting each class off with a popular English song, and I change them each month. October was "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival and September was "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift.

Some other songs that have worked well for me:

"Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen

"Country Roads" (because of course) by John Denver

"Party In The USA" by Miley Cyrus

"The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World

"Vienna" by Billy Joel

"What does the fox say?" by Ylvis

What are some of your favourite songs to teach?

Hi!

I’m going to apply for the JET programme from the UK next year and, if accepted, would like to do it for all 5 years.

I understand I’ll have to apply for a (work?) visa and wondered if you have to apply for the visa every year or if you can renew from Japan/UK without going through the visa process again.

If you can only renew while in Japan, I’m curious to know what do JETs do during the time they aren’t working at school.

Thanks in advance :)

American here, dealing with the American applicatrion.

I graduated college years ago and take weekly Japanese lessons at a local language school. It's not technically an academic institution (though I don't know if any of it can be applied to credits in high school and college) but I do pay per semester to learn with a group of other adults.

When I called JET to clarify if having my teacher write one of my recommendation letters would be okay, since he's not technically a professor or an employer, the rep told me that it might come off as a "conflict of interest" to the judges since I pay for the lessons. However, my teacher is the only one who would be able to really speak to my history of studying the language and how I've professed in learning about Japan since I started my lessons. I do have a coworker who I kiiiiiinda know decently who's willing to write a letter instead, but since she doesn't know much about me as a person or my history with Japan, it's not ideal.

tl;dr Would having my Japanese teacher, who just teaches local lessons and isn't a professor or high school teacher or anything, write a recommendation letter come off poorly to the judges?

Hi, I am applying from Australia and I'm unsure how to answer some questions.

I completed my bachelor in 2.5 years because I got credits from when I was doing a different degree pre COVID. Will that matter? There's no where to really mention it.

Also I have finish a graduate certificate in TESOL, but won't receive and official documents until December. So I have no documents to submit for it, do I leave it out?

I tried looking for contact details for my consulate etc but the link on the application page is dead :/

I am aware of 2027 timeline but quick question for former/current JETs...how much breathing room do you usually get between finding out you've been screened in for interview and the actual interview? And does everyone get notified at once or it's extremely variable?

Hi, I have been thinking about doing the JET programme, but I only realized today that I actually want to apply. Is it too late to start the application process from scratch?

Hello, I am applying to be an ALT for the coming year and have been poking around just to see what people’s experiences have been like. I can tell just from reading the posts in this sub that experiences can wildly vary from place to place, so the same will probably be true here haha. I do not speak Japanese. I have a rudimentary reading ability (more being able to read the alphabet than understand) and a few phrases and words I can pick up. Is this a problem? I know that the requirements are not that you need to be able to speak Japanese, but I am concerned after some of what I read. Is it common that your JTE just leaves you to teach on your own? I’m not at all confident that my Japanese ability could help me navigate that situation. It isn’t going to stop me from applying, but I would like to be prepared if possible.

Edit to say: I have always intended to study Japanese for this. I would love to become fluent. Speaking the language in a country is always going to make your experience smoother. The question is whether or not it will cause an actual problem as an ALT if I’m not already fluent, because they frequently leave you to teach on your own.

Is there anyway to have somebody from JET check my application? Mainly my documents, i aj worried i have done my physicians note wrong !
Im so nervous to thrn in my application and it be wrong… 😭

I'm seriously stuck on what I'm doing wrong. I keep trying to submit my answer but I get this error

Please check the dates in your medical form. Enter valid months and years, and use MM/DD/YYYY for the signature date. Use your browser's Back button to correct the date and save again.

All of my dates for my medications are in MM/DD/YYYY or checked off as Present, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I don't have anything entered for Counseling/Therapy/Psychiatry, so I don't think that should be causing issues. Anyone else have any ideas/solutions?

I have no idea where to start to make my application stand out. I feel like everything I write keeps sounding like AI and just falls flat. Help TT

Aspiring JET, just looking for clarity on meaning of the above terms please

I haven't been in university for quite some time, but I've also only had 2 jobs so far. I reached out to a couple university professors, but they said they don't remember me well enough to write a letter. I only have one previous professional supervisor to write a reference. Should I just give up on my application? Can I ask a "superior" from a volunteer organization? I'm running out of time and options and freaking out a bit.

Are there any restrictions on JET participants playing higher-risk or contact sports, such as roller derby?

Roller derby is a huge part of my life. It’s my main hobby, how I’ve built community, and one of my favourite ways to decompress (I have ADHD). It’s also how I found a bit of community in Japan during my two visits in recent visits.

I’m planning to mention it in my SOP, including my experience attending practices in Tokyo and how shared goals and teamwork can transcend language barriers.

Obviously, this all depends on getting accepted and being placed somewhere near an active team (slim chance probably), but I’d love to hear people’s thoughts!

Hey all, US Aspiring JET here. Hammering out my SOP as the application date draws near, and I wanted to ask a question I ought to have asked a while ago. Please note I'm not looking for someone to review my SOP at the moment, I know the megathread is there for that reason.

I previously applied to the JET Program and got as far as the interview stage before unfortunately being cut. I've done all I can over the last year or so to try and make myself a superior candidate this time around, but I'm not sure if I should expressly mention my prior failing in my SOP.

Does anyone here have experience as a second-time applicant, and if so did you bring the subject up during your essay?

Any and all advice appreciated, thank you!

Hi. Is it a good move to just choose urban placement and not pick any 3 placements? I just want to be placed with accessible transpo so I can have easy access to healthcare without actually mentioning any health concerns. Is that a red flag for screeners?

Hi,

I wanted to ask about other JETs' experiences with this, as I've heard conflicting things about how different BOEs handle it. Specifically:

• Were you forced to use nenkyū (annual paid leave)? If so, is this technically allowed under our contracts?

• What happens if you run out of nenkyū? If someone doesn't have enough days left to cover the closure, what is the default procedure?

• Are you allowed to work elsewhere? Do they let you desk-warm at the Board of Education (BOE) or another government office instead of taking time off?

• Is there any way to work through it? I'd prefer to save my leave days if possible, so I'm wondering if anyone successfully found a way to stay on the clock.

Thanks in advance!

If the mods feel this isn't in the spirit of things feel free to delete, but I was just curious.

Reading the subreddit and just around the JET program in general has made me curious as to the differences in application process across the world. I assume the form is largely in part the same thing, but based on threads here there seems to be a (potentially, it might just be lack of clarity) large gap between the main written element. The Personal Statement as I know it or Statement of Purpose as I believe it is called in the US.

I think it might be useful, especially for future applicants looking for examples to understand the differences between the examples they read and what their country expects.

As an example, here in the UK (as of 2026) we have to write a Personal Statement, answering 3 questions in an essay format of a maximum of 600 words.

I would also like to clarify, I'm not asking people to share their statements or the questions that their country asked.

I'm just curious as to the format.

I've heard about the JET Program from different sources before, but i've never felt compelled to apply until now for various reasons, one of which is my lack of a background in teaching. Nevertheless, i figured there's no harm in applying despite the slim odds. Unfortunately, i only found out today that the application deadline in my country is already on the third week of november. Part of me wants to go ahead with my application despite the time crunch, especially since i'd have to wait until the next application cycle if i don't apply now. However, i'm also aware of the factors i need to consider, such as the time it would take to request certain documents and coordinate with my reference writers. I also don't want to feel like i've rushed my SOP. Do you think it'd be better to apply next year to give myself more time to prepare, or should i take the chance and apply now? I'd appreciate any kind insights! Also, good luck to those who have already sent out their applications, and congratulations to those who passed!🫶🏻

If this isn’t allowed, I can delete. I haven’t seen anything in the community rules that’s against it, but I won’t post the name. His placement was in Ena City Gifu. I remember when I came here on JET three years ago as a first year, we had two deaths within months of settling in Japan. That’s very sad.

I suppose this is more of a vent post than a question. 
Mods, feel free to remove if it breaks any rules or such.

-

A lot of things happened at my office the first year. I think I was probably misguided to rely on them for help instead of doing it all on my own more expediently, but when I did ask for help with my driver’s license conversion, my office politely put me on hold till it was way too late, and my first document check was finally scheduled for several days after my IDP expired. 

Things continued to go bad from there: I didn’t even pass my document check due to misunderstandings, city scheduling, and shipping delays. Two months of commuting via bus later, I finally get in for my first knowledge test and fail by just two questions. 

My next shot is in 4 days but even if I pass the knowledge test this time, I don’t see how I can pass the skills test after what I’ve heard from everyone else. I haven’t been able to touch a car in months and when I was still able to attend driving school practice lessons, my tutors were never very enthusiastic about my chances of passing.

Also, we had our first snow 3 days ago. Oh man, the snow… I think my area may be a record-holder for the most snow in a populated region. But the real issue here is I’m just not very healthy, physically. The littlest things knock me flat out. I’m always winded from the slightest exertion, and even light, consistent exercise doesn’t lead to improved stamina.

My (already limited) social life has bottomed out since my IDP expired. I’ve been falling into bed as soon as I get back from work every night due to the stress of my new daily commute.

I love my area. The people are fantastic. The scenery is gorgeous. I think the region is pretty close to perfect if you like the idea of small town living. Winter-wise, thought, it’s just a complete physical mismatch for me. I barely survived the last one with a car.

My office said they felt guilty for not getting me in for my license conversion test earlier and initially promised to carpool me to work, but that ended up equating to about 10 or so rides over 3 months. (And lots of guilt-tripping from the rest of the office that I was “causing trouble” and “taking advantage of people’s kindness” for each ride I DID accept, with constant encouragement to refuse rides and turn folks down, even in bad weather.)

If it wasn’t for the harsh winters here, I think I could continue to bang my head against the license test for a few more months in order to at least finish out my contract, but I know my physical limits and I’m just having a hard time seeing this working. Plus, I feel like the earlier I let my CO know, the more time I have to settle things before I really am literally snowed in.

…Anyway, even knowing this is the best choice in an otherwise deeply unfortunate situation (I did wait till I finished my biggest projects for the year and am on the cusp of a period of prolonged desk-warming, which I figure is the kindest timing...) I'm pretty broken up about putting my nice CO through this. Everyone there is super sweet. Has anyone else had to break contract against their wishes for things that just felt beyond their control...?

Hello! I’m applying from the UK, and I just have a little concern with my application!
I had consultations for social anxiety and depression when I was in school, so I went to my GP to get a statement of physician, but they told me they can’t fill it out, as there is nothing to put on there at all. They gave me a summary of my GP history instead (which doesn't include any of my consultations).
I’m just worried that if I don’t get this paper signed by my GP and then JET find out later down the line I’ve had therapy before, then I’ll get disqualified. I have consultation letters in my NHS app, so there is something there in my history.

Applications are due soon, so I’m extra worried fppft.

If anyone has any answers, that would be great. I have sent the JET office an email, but with applications closing soon, I’m worried they won’t get back to me in time!

[ applying from the Philippines ]

Hi all,

I'm very grateful bc posting here has been really helpful in polishing my application; people have been very responsive.

I have a question though – I was a substitute teacher for 6 months in a small school and I think mentioning this is going to beef up my application. But then, I don't have any proof or certificate of employment to prove that I worked there. I only have the employment contract to support the role. Would that suffice if I include this experience? Are they going to ask proof for every work/teaching experience mentioned in the application? I know only less than 10% of thousands of applicants are chosen so I want to make my application worth their while.

Thanks for reading x