Hello everyone, I am Justin Parker Pool I, another in a long line of Shiga JETs gracing the pages of this illustrious publication’s pixelated pages. I spent my formative Japanese years in beautiful Omihachiman just east of the Mother Lake, Biwako. My base school was Hachiman Technical High School for the duration of…
“I Like Basketball and Tomatoes. See You!†I was an ALT in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan (Lansing’s sister city) through the JET Program from 2006 – 2009. I taught in public junior high and elementary schools. JET It’s hard to pinpoint a favorite memory. I have many. I’ll begin with a…
 Placement + years on JET I was placed in Shiga Prefecture(requested from a prior JET’s recommendation) as an ALT at Kawase Junior and Senior High School. Initially thinking I’d be a short-term JET, my position there as a fully utilised teacher saw me stay the full 5 years. Favorite JET memory Of…
First years: Want to know why your fellows also chose to join JET? Returners: Lost touch with your roots and want a reminder of why you packed up your life to come to Japan? Below are the responses of six first year JETs. Justin Chao, Boston, MA, Ono Why Japan: I love…
 Returning this month is our “Where Are They Now?†section. In it, we share the words of wisdom of those who have gone before us back into the real world. Placement + years on JET  I was a prefectural high school ALT in Kusatsu-shi, Shiga-ken for 5 years. Favorite JET…
Why I Chose Japan I honestly, genuinely didn’t expect to be accepted onto this programme: I applied mainly because my mum was pressuring me, and she was mainly pressuring me because her friend’s daughter was applying, and her friend’s daughter was mainly applying because…well, that’s her business. Maybe she’ll write one of these herself. Obviously,…
 Below you will find the answers to such pressing questions as “What is your favorite Japanese food?†and “What advice do you have for me, sempai?†These nine JETs have courageously risen to the challenge of satisfying our curiosity. Caution: Some reading between the lines is necessary. New JETs, we’d love to have…
It’s that time again (as you have surely figured out by now from all the other articles in this month’s issue) to say goodbye to those who have called Japan home for the past few years. Find out what’s in store for some JETs leaving and make sure to make a list of the memories…
Dylan Joseph Walsh/New York City, USA/Kato City/Yashiro SHS and Ono Kougyo  Why are you here? I’ve always dreamed of moving abroad and had a lifelong interest in Japanese culture, food, and language. When I heard about the JET program, it sounded perfect.  Why JET? I was looking at many options to make…