Who are you? Where are from originally? What year are you on JET? Where do you teach? What level? My name is Nicole Finch, and I’m from the hockey loving, maple syrup drinking country of Canada. I’m a 3rd year JET in Okayama City, Okayama, where I teach at two academic high schools, one academic…
On Sunday, April 5, the HAJET Book Club met to discuss Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. In hopes of enjoying the cherry blossoms, we met near Akashi Koen (Akashi JR station), rather than the usual Sannomiya/Motomachi area of Kobe. Alas, rain foiled our plans for hanami, so instead we found ourselves in a small café near…
 Naha            The capital (actually the prefectural seat, but that’s beside the point) of Okinawa has been an important center for the island from the time it was still the Ryukyu Kingdom. This kingdom had strong ties to both China and Japan until it was annexed by the latter in 1879. During World War…
It’s been hard to miss the growing attention given to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) over the past few months, but like so many things out there in the news related world, we may come to recognize the name without really having a clear idea of what it is or its purpose. Below are…
 “ ～aeâ€ï¼ˆï½ž å’Œãˆï¼‰is a popular type of vegetable dish in Japan that consists of blanched vegetables with a slightly sweet and nutty savoury dressing. The most popular version of this dish is probably　白和㈠(shiroae) which is a tofu and sesame dressing, usually mixed with blanched spinach. Other common combinations include green beans with sesame, and…
5 books you should read this month  Find a perfect place outside during the great weather, grab a book, and start reading.  Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith It’s not always tempting to read a novel before its film release, but when Tom Hardy plays the leading role it’s another matter. Hardy, like…
Katie’s violent swearing ripped her traveling companions from their slumber. “Rakowsky’s gone and cut himself a new one!†Frustration cut through her voice. “We can’t infiltrate the guilds by ourselves, Orsin.†The large man rose gracefully and padded over to his comrade’s corpse. The sword was still pinning it to the earth. He glanced…
 On Saturday the 18th of April, thirty or so intrepid travelers and a handful of tenacious volunteers attempted to complete the first ever AJET Block 6 Car Rally. Months of careful planning and organization accumulated in one mammoth adventure all over Hyogo Prefecture. Dear reader let it be known that your author is not,…
Although Golden Week is over, there are still many chances for after-school adventures and weekend getaways this month. There are dozens of upcoming events to keep even the most active of ALTs busy – fill up your schedules and enjoy the gorgeous Spring weather before the infamous Hyogo rainy season hits! It might…