WATN: Brandon Kramer (Sasayama 2006-2011)
This month the Hyogo Times spoke to Brandon Kramer, a native of Virginia, US who has remained in Japan after spending 2006 – 2011 in Sasayama on JET.
What did you hope to gain doing JET? Did you?
I hoped to see things from a different perspective, try something new, learn a language, and travel. I think I was pretty successful.
What did you do immediately after leaving JET?
Immediately after JET I started working at a private high school in Kobe, at the recommendation of my principal. At the same time I started the Master’s program for a M.S. Ed. TESOL at Temple University Japan. I finished the Master’s after 2 years, and am finishing up at my high school job now, after seven and a half years in Japan.
Staying in Japan, is there anything besides family and friends that you still miss about the US?
Of course I miss my family and friends, but I would miss them even if I went back to the US after finishing. I probably wouldn’t want to live in the area I grew up, and my friends from high school and university have since spread out all over the country, so I realize that going home wouldn’t really bring back the same friend network I once had. My network of friends is tighter and more centrally located here in Kansai. Otherwise, besides friends and family there isn’t much else I particularly miss about life in America that I can’t find here.
Why did you choose to stay in Japan?
Related to the previous answer, I wasn’t very interested in going back and I had a good group of friends here. I also like teaching in Japan and the lifestyle that comes with it.
What are you doing now?
I am now an ALT at a private high school in Kobe, a job not much different than JET. I will be moving to Osaka and teaching at Momoyama Gakuin University from April, though, thanks to the Master’s degree I finished last year.
Has studying a Masters affected your teaching and/or job opportunities?
Absolutely. Almost every university position requires a Master’s degree, and many high schools do as well, especially as they go up in rank.
What is it like to teach in Japan outside the rigid structure of the JET programme?
JET wasn’t really very rigid for me, although maybe I just had a great school. There were always chances at my school to try new class ideas, take on new projects, and grow as a teacher. If anything I’m more limited at my current school, but I knew that when I signed up. Outside of the ALT role, the main difference is that you take care of the small details of life on your own, where JET pretty much does everything for you. The support network is also much looser, and the friends I make now tend to be people who have been here longer as well, which puts a different perspective on things.
How has the experience of living in Japan helped you?
I appreciate that I am constantly living in a mixture of two (or more) worlds, as I talk to and relate to people back home and then move forward with my life here. While it’s not so much of a problem anymore, the differences in culture have also taught me to think on my feet and improvise solutions more effectively, I think.
What is your favourite memory of your time in Japan so far?
I have a ton of great memories with a lot of great people. In particular, Aki Matsuri every year carrying shrines in Sasayama is a blast (still going, 7 years in a row), running around mostly naked at hadaka matsuri out in Okayama was absolutely crazy, hanami in front of Himeji castle with the 100 yen sake cups they serve was dangerously fun, and cycling solo across Kyushu was one of the best spontaneous trips I’ve ever made.
Do you have any advice for ALTs looking to continue working in Japan post-JET?
I can only speak about teaching jobs… but am I allowed to recommend that they quit in April? Otherwise the next best option is to somehow find a small teaching job at a company or school and hang on until the next hiring season comes around. While it’s not impossible to find work in September (I did), it is much easier to make something happen if you go with the rhythm of the work cycle here. Otherwise get involved with JALT, get certifications, and learn Japanese if you want to boost your chances of getting hired.
