Congratulations, you’ve made it through the interview and finally got accepted into the program. When you receive your placement notice, you may notice that alongside the Placement Prefecture (which prefecture you’ll be working in), there is also Placement Contracting Organization. Although JET participants are members of the JET Programme, each JET is actually employed by […]
Category: Moving to Japan
Hanko (Personal Seal)
In Japan, a hanko (判子) is a personal seal in red ink representing your signature on most documents, mainly official ones. You’ll often hear hanko and inkan (印鑑) used interchangeably, but technically speaking, the cylindrical object made of wood, plastic, etc. is your hanko, and the inkan is the red seal that you make on […]
Natural Disasters – Useful Apps
Natural disasters happen all year round right across Japan. Although some areas do have it lucky to not experience tsunami due to it’s inland location, other disasters such as earthquakes and flooding will occur no matter where you are. A notable weather event in Japan is the rainy season (梅雨), which starts around June in […]
Phones
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. It also helps keep track of your finances, stream videos and music, pay for public transit, and with the introduction of the My […]
Moving to Hyogo
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 […]
A Vegetarian’s Guide to Hyogo
Lasted updated: June 2018 by Jacinta Astles So you’ve just received your placement and your vegetarian belly has called out to you “But what am I gonna eat there?” Don’t worry! This guide will show you typical Japanese dishes you can order, useful vocabulary, and a few restaurant recommendations. Helpful Vocabulary 肉にく(niku) This is the […]