Types Of Special Leave Special Leave includes all forms of leave other than your paid leave. The details will vary from contract to contract, so this list is just for reference. These types of leave may be paid or unpaid, and are usually only allowed to be taken for a specific time period. For example, […]
Aside from the specific cases provided for in your contract, unpaid leave technically does not exist, and your contracting organization is not able to grant it. Every now and then a JET will use up all of their paid leave, and then when an emergency comes up they are unable to take any more leave. […]
Paid leave, or nenkyu, is a precious commodity for most JETs, and therefore many questions/problems seem to revolve around it. Read the following points so that you can avoid some common problems. Summer Leave Many public offices/schools give their employees a few days of special/summer leave (夏休み natsu-yasumi). At some point you might even see […]
When people in Japan travel, they often bring back omiyage (お土産) to share with their coworkers, friends, and families. Omiyage is often translated as souvenirs, though the connotation is slightly different, as while a souvenir is usually a small present you get for one person (a keychain, those snowglobes), omiyage is usually something that you will share […]
At some point after you arrive, and every time you re-contract, your contracting organization will present you with a small certificate that officially recognizes you as one of their employees. It should have your name, details about what you will do, the date when your contract begins, and the date when your contract ends. This […]
In Japan, personal appearance is often taken as a reflection of one’s attitude toward work. Dressing professionally will go a long way toward being taken seriously by your Japanese colleagues. You don’t have to erase any signs of personal style or imitate the way your Japanese coworkers dress, but try observing your work environment for […]
Sad as it may be, every now and then a JET member decides that they cannot continue their job mid-contract. Many circumstances lead to this decision and this would result with the breaking of contract and leaving the JET Programme. As such, it’s important to consider the effect that your choice will have on your […]
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 […]
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 […]
We have another guest post from Chi, a senior high school ALT who lived in Ikuno (2014), up in northern Hyogo. She does something a little sneaky with her boards! Check it out! Chi says… I’ve been doing posters about the school clubs. I basically infiltrate clubs and experience training/activity with them for a few […]