Paid leave, or nenkyu, is a precious commodity for most JETs, and therefore many questions/problems seem to revolve around it. Read the following points so that you can avoid some common problems. Nenkyu will vary Yearly paid leave for local government employees is determined by local regulations, and because we have different contracting organizations, the […]
Types Of Special Leave Bereavement Leave Marital Leave Natural Disasters Pre/Post-natal Leave Maternity Leave Menstrual Leave Leave to care for an ill child Commuter Transportation Failure Special Leave includes all forms of leave other than your paid leave. The details will vary from contract to contract, so this list is just for reference. These types […]
Aside from the specific cases provided for in your contract, unpaid leave technically does not exist, and your contracting organization is not able to grant it. Every now and then a JET will use up all of their paid leave, and then when an emergency comes up they are unable to take any more leave. […]
In autumn, your school/BOE should give you a form with the title “JET Programme Re-contracting Procedures.” This is the form that you use to indicate if you want to recontract, apply for a transfer, or apply for a type-change. If you want to apply for a transfer and you haven’t received this form, talk to […]
One of the nice things about Japan is that the company takes care of the taxes. No April 15th, no frantic and confusing filling out of pages of forms. Your company (school, BOE) takes care of everything for you. Unfortunately, the same is not true for most other countries, and even though you’re over here, […]
Depending on your country of origin, when doing your home country tax return, you may have to include a statement from your Contracting Organization in Japan about your annual earnings. This statement is known as your gensenchoshuhyo, and is issued to you in January of each year. It covers the period from January 1st to […]
Japanese Health Care System Appointments Most doctors see their patients on a walk-in basis. Expect some waiting, as it is usual practice here for people to go to the hospital, or clinic, for a common cold or cough (remember that you can’t use sick leave unless you go to the doctor…) If you are very […]
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (酒気帯び運転, shuki obi unten) Driving Under the Influence is the lesser of Japan’s two drunk driving charges. Even if a driver shows no signs of drunkenness, if the amount of alcohol in their body is greater than the set limit, they are guilty of DUI. The level for DUI […]
Most of you have heard by now that drinking and driving is a serious issue in Japan. Still, this is one issue that can not be emphasized enough. We received notices from the Hyogo Board of Education about their policies towards driving after drinking, so before you even think about it, give this a read, […]
Driving Points ALWAYS use mirror and LOOK over your left shoulder when making turns…especially left turns. This is to prevent you hitting a cyclist who might be on your inside, and that you may not have picked up in your mirror. Drive close to the left. If the S-crank is on your left, position the […]