Honestly, I am excited to the core, however, having an unfurnished apartment was both horrifying and daunting! Thankfully though, my Kocho-sensei and his family decided to host me for a couple of days so I could get all my things ready in my apartment. As I began to look at all the costs of…
Sarah Leck, Fourth Year Kobe Jet Having wandered far and wide, scoured the furthest reaches of the Earth, Japan gives one very compelling reason for one to stay. The country teems with beautiful creatures, and it’s a privilege to simply breathe the same air as them. (Should I try to be more politically correct? I’m…
Everyone is different in their reasoning for what might benefit their careers, fuel their interests, or what will be either more or less a vacation or an occupational burden. My time in Japan has luckily been a combination of many experiences, which I feel helped contribute to my decision to stay in Japan yet another…
It’s that time of year to say our goodbyes. Below, you can read about five of our departees and their reflections on their time on JET. Luis Alvarez, Ono, 5th year Advice: Change is exciting and new, which can also be frightening. My biggest piece of advice is not to stress about…
 Where and When I was lucky to have been placed in Ono, about an hour away by bus from Sannomiya, in Kobe. I had originally planned on staying in JET for about 2 years, but almost immediately after arriving, I knew I wanted to stay for five! Ono is considered rural for sure,…
Where it went down If you’re like me, when you applied to JET you put Tokyo as you preferred placement city, but ended up on an island called Awaji, in a town called Sumoto. I gave that town two years of my life (2013-2015) and would gladly give it 20. Good fishing there. Precious…
Where and When I spent 3 years (2012-2015) in Minamiawaji-shi, Awajishima, Hyogo-ken. It was actually the sister city of my (since disowned) hometown of Celina, OH, so it was nice to get to live in the same town I visited 12 years earlier as a middle schooler. Favorite JET memory Runners up are exploring…
Hello fellow JETs, this is Gina reporting to you for duty. I’m a JET Alumnus who was stationed on beautiful Okinawa from 2012-2015. Some of you may believe I sold my soul for my awesome placement, but it was actually third on my list! Being based in Okinawa, I had an experience completely different from…
Herzlichen Glückwunsch aus Österreich (or Austria)! I am writing you from what I’ve dubbed the Beverly Hills of Austria– a community far too wealthy for me to be living in, as evidenced by students riding to school in BMWs and Hummers. I am still effectively an ALT, just entirely self-sufficient this time as…