Visa Renewal and Status of Residence

What is your Period of Stay? Your period of stay should be written on your alien registration card or residence card. It is the period of time that you are legally allowed to live and work in Japan. Most JETs receive a three-year period of stay. Who needs to extend? If you are staying on […]

Temporary Visitor Visa

Note: The Alien Registration system was abolished in summer 2012 and has been replaced by a new Residency system. Please view the following Ministry of Justice pamphlet for more details: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_1/pdf/NewResidencyManagementSystem-%28EN%29.pdf For most third year JETs, the last day on your visa is also your last day of work. That means that, unless you leave […]

Getting Married

This page provides a general overview and advice about getting married in Japan. The information is from a single JET’s experience. Your circumstances and situation may vary so be sure to check with the appropriate authorities to confirm all the documents/information you will need and what the procedures and rules are. Registering your Marriage To […]

English Speaking Lawyers

AKAGI, Fumio Phone: 078-321-5558 Fax: 078-392-1424 Address: Shinko Bldg., 2F 8 Kaigan-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0024 Specialty: maritime law and banking law Education: Ritsumeikan University, 1954, LL.B Memberships: Hyogo Bar Association NISHI, Masaru Phone: 078-994-3497 Fax: 078-994-3497 Address: Nishi Law Office 1-10-21 Akibadai Nishi-ku, Kobe 651-2224 Specialty: private international law and international transaction Education: Kyoto University, […]

Arrested in Japan

Arrested in Japan While nobody plans on getting arrested while they’re over here, it does occasionally happen. The British embassy provides a very thorough Guide for British Nationals Arrested in Japan, which is applicable to nationals of other countries as well. Also check the section titled “Drunk Driving and Drug Use” in your General Information […]

School Evaluations

At the same time as the Recontracting Decision rolls around for us, our schools are also asked if they want to keep us. What will you be evaluated on? Though different schools do things differently, most likely your principal will fill out a report that looks something like this: Work Details (Attendance) 1. Tardiness: Never […]

Paid Leave

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 […]

Special Leave

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 […]

Study Leave

CLAIR (who set the guidelines for contracting organizations like your BOE) has no official policy on Study Leave. AJET is pushing them to establish guidelines, rules such as “JETs should be allowed to apply for study leave under these conditions…” but nothing has been made yet. This means that it is completely up to your […]