Last updated: September 2025 For those who are interested in volunteering whilst on the JET Program, here are some opportunities for you! The organisations or initiatives currently listed are friendly for English speaking people, so don’t be afraid to participate! If you would like to feature a particular volunteer initiative in Hyogo/Kansai – please comment […]
Every year, Japan experiences a total of 16 public holidays. These special days occur at least once every month (except for June). If a public holiday falls on any day apart from Saturday, like many countries in the world, it becomes a day off for most workers. Sunday is a special case, where the Monday […]
Another document that you might need to get is a Certificate of Participation. Essentially, this is a bilingual document that certifies that you worked for your contracting organization on the JET Programme for your contract period. If you need one, contact your Contracting Organization and ask them for a Zaishoku Shoumeisho (在職証明書) If you want […]
Last updated: August 2025 With burdens like language barriers and “key money”, finding an apartment in Japan is not a pleasant business. One of the blessings of the JET Program is the Contracting Organizations (CO) usually arrange housing for participants. Of course, that means we get plenty of questions about housing. My friend’s apartment is […]
Last updated: July 2025 With numerous different train companies in Japan, hundreds of train lines and heaps of people all trying to cram on the same train, public transit can be a little overwhelming at times. The following information should hopefully help make traveling on trains a little easier. Travel between Himeji and Osaka There […]
Last updated: July 2025. Credit to Jason Yang for the information. There are two main options for home internet when you arrive; wired (fiber) internet or wireless home internet. They each have their pros and cons, so you’ll have to look at each and decide what best fits your needs. In general, wireless home internet […]
Last updated: July 2025. Credit to Jason Yang for most of the information. As in much of the world, having a smartphone with data access allows you to keep up with friends locally and back home, keep track of your finances, stream videos and music, pay for public transit, and with the introduction of the […]
Last updated: July 2025. Credits to Jason Yang. If you’ve never had a credit card before coming to Japan, you may be asking yourself why you would want or need one, especially given that debit cards also exist here. It is definitely an optional thing and not everyone would require one. One of the main […]
Last updated: June 2025 Landing in Japan Apart from the Early Departures (arriving in April), you will arrive in Japan around late July or early August. You will land at either Haneda or Narita International Airport, where after immigration and customs, you’ll board a bus that will take you to Keio Plaza Hotel. Although you […]
Last updated: June 2025. Credits to Jason Yang for providing most of the information. Once you have your Residence Card (在留カード) and a Japanese phone number, you are ready to set up your bank account. Some banks require a hanko as well, but others like Prestia, Sony, and Shinsei Bank don’t – you can just […]