The skills you develop are entirely up to you However, JETs usually have ample opportunity to improve:. The cost of living in Japan is comparable to that of many western countries, in fact sometimes cheaper. Your actual cost of living depends, of course, on where you are placed In general, rural areas have a lower cost of living than urban areas Regardless of where you are placed, however, the JET remuneration is more than sufficient to cover the cost of living.
For cost of living in Tokyo, click here. In the JET Alumni Association Directory , former program participants reported current occupations as diverse as:. However, because the JET Programme is a youth exchange program, applicants over age 39 are less likely to be accepted into the program than younger applicants.
You must have graduated by June 30 of the departure year in order to qualify for the JET Programme However, we encourage students to investigate the JET Programme early so that they can prepare for their time in Japan, thereby improving their chances of being accepted by the JET Programme when they do apply For example, taking classes in Japanese language and culture or teaching children are good ways to improve your chances of being accepted.
However, because the JET Programme is a youth exchange program not a job opportunity , it is rare for applicants 40 or over to be accepted into the program. For some reason the average age of the New Zealanders and Australians tends to be a bit higher though.
Married couples may apply as separate individuals. Although there is no guarantee that married couples will be placed in the same area of Japan or live in the same apartment, married couples are given priority in placement Be sure that you both request the same placement on the application! This means that the non-JET partner would have to visit Japan as a tourist American tourists may visit Japan for up to 90 days without a visa Contact the Visa Section of the Embassy or Consulate General of Japan for more details on the options of non-dependent companions.
Does having children disqualify me from applying to the JET Programme? However, considerations of schooling, childcare, and other matters may limit placement options JETs with children are advised to arrange in advance for another caregiver e.
However, some knowledge of Japanese does enhance your application because it helps demonstrate a real interest in Japan and enhances your suitability for life in Japan CIRs must be proficient in Japanese.
However, any teaching experience — especially with children — will enhance your application Experienced professional teachers please see below belw. I have a medical or other condition such that I must live close to a hospital or other facility. Will this affect my chances of being accepted? Such a condition depending on the nature of the condition, e. Although every effort is made to find a suitable placement in Japan, your condition may limit your options to such an extent that no placement is possible.
In the JET Programme, there were 29 participants from 13 countries. Because a large part of the job involves translation and interpretation, CIRs should have an advanced level of Japanese However, native proficiency is not required to apply see below. The rate depends on how many positions open up in Japan and how many apply for the CIR position. ALT and CIR working hours vary widely with each contracting institution, but 35 hours per week, — , Monday — Friday is normal Your contracting institution may request occasional overtime work for festivals, etc.
Most CIRs do some English teaching, but usually only once a week often to their colleagues in their office In some cases, however, a CIR may do much more. The Consulate General of Japan at Chicago, among other consulates, sometimes conducts a teaching workshop prior to departure for Japan Contact your nearest consulate for more information. JETs will also attend some training seminars at the Tokyo Orientation and at the Mid-Year Block Conference after their arrival in Japan However, these seminars are not full courses in teaching — most learning is done on the job Resource handbooks are also given to JETs at the Tokyo Orientation to assist in their teaching.
I do not speak any Japanese. Successful JET applicants are provided a Japanese language book and tapes prior to departure for Japan While in Japan, JETs may enroll in a free correspondence course that includes beginning, intermediate and advanced levels There is also a translation course for CIRs Of course, most JETs study Japanese on their own or in local language study groups.
The minimum contract is one full year, beginning in early August. This contract may be renewed up to four times for a total of five years. ALTs contract with a local educational institution, usually a public school or local Board of Education; CIRs generally contract with a local government office, such as the Office of International Affairs or similar organization.
However, you may withdraw and reapply the following year provided you have not already been placed with a contracting institution. With good reason, you may withdraw without penalty prior to finding out where you will be placed in Japan After learning of your placement in Japan, you may still withdraw, but will be disqualified from applying to the JET Programme again except in certain unavoidable circumstances, such as serious personal injury, illness, or a death in the family.
However, JETs who have been enrolled in the pension system for a minimum of 6 months are eligible to receive a partial refund of their premiums after they leave the JET Programme and return to their home country. No In principle, all living costs must be borne by the JET participant However, in almost all cases On the other hand, many JETs live in very inexpensive subsidized housing Fortunately, your remuneration is quite sufficient to cover whatever your housing costs might be.
The quality of housing for JETs varies widely You may live in a small apartment or you may live in a house Most JETs live in an apartment building with two or so rooms and a kitchen Some are new and completely furnished, while others come completely unfurnished bare bulbs and all Most fall somewhere in between Generally speaking, rural JETs live in larger places than do urban JETs.
If you do not like your housing, you are free to move However, all moving costs must be borne by the JET participant, and can be very expensive as much as six months rent in advance.
Generally speaking, for the written application you will need 1 a completed official application form; 2 a self-assessment medical form; 3 a statement of purpose; 4 two letters of reference; 5 official transcripts of all college courses; 6 a certification of graduation or enrollment from a college or university; and 7 a confirmation card You may download and print these forms or contact your local Consulate General of Japan.
When are new applications available, and how can I get one? New online applications are usually available around the end of August You may download one from the Embassy of Japan website If you are unable to download and print the online application, please request a hardcopy application from the Consulate General of Japan in your area.
Hardcopy applications are usually available in late September. The Embassy of Japan must receive complete applications including ALL required documents by early December usually around the 4th or 5th — check the official application of the application year for the exact date New applications become available in August or September see above , so start early to avoid missing the deadline.
Late applications will not be considered! If you have already graduated from college or university , you may submit three copies of your diploma as proof of graduation If you have not yet graduated but expect to graduate by June of the following year , please have your Registrar provide an official document certifying your current enrollment and the date you are expected to graduate Note: If accepted into the JET Programme, those who graduate after the application due date will need to provide proof of graduation after they actually graduate — see below.
The statement of purpose and references are of prime importance, so concentrate your efforts on these On your essay, be concrete and specific to show your motivation and readiness to teach and live in Japan for one year, your skills, what you bring to the program and what you expect to get out of it, etc Of course, make sure your essay is coherent and proofread.
Every little bit helps! In fact this is true of many city placements in general; whereas the private conversation schools such as Nova and GEOS tend to be in more densely-populated areas, public schools are everywhere and so the majority of JETs end up in relatively rural locations. If you do ask for Kyoto, and get it, then you may well find yourself in northern Kyoto-fu prefecture; for some reason Osaka and Kyoto are -fu and everywhere else, except Hokkaido, is -ken , three hours away from Kyoto-shi city.
A better bet would be to ask for a lesser-known place in the vicinity of where you want to go, for example staying in the Kyoto area Shiga-ken, Nara-ken or Mie-ken. If possible, give a convincing reason to illustrate why you want to go there — for example relatives, friends, a previous visit or a sister city relationship. Does having teaching credentials help my application? Generally speaking, yes. Teaching experience and a proven desire to teach children is always helpful in applying to the JET Programme However, experienced professional teachers are sometimes frustrated on the JET Programme because, as Assistant Language Teachers ALTs , they are not in complete charge of their class in terms of curriculum, content, discipline, methods of teaching, etc Because of this, there is some worry that professional teachers would not complete their contract If you are a professional teacher, please be sure you fully understand the working conditions of the ALT before applying for the JET Programme.
My Japanese skills are okay, but not great. It happens, but only rarely There must be a CIR position open in your prefecture and agreement on the part of both contracting institutions. However, there are no guarantees. All interviews are usually held at the Embassy of Japan or at Consulates General of Japan that yoiu applied to. You must specify at which consulate you would like to interview on the written application.
Do this carefully, because your interview consulate is usually the same as your departure consulate see below. You will be notified by early April of your applicant status not accepted, alternate, or short-list. Successful applicants will be asked to submit certain documents to their interview consulate See below.
If I am selected as an alternate, what are my chances of being upgraded to short-list status JET? Your chances of being upgraded from alternate status to full-status JET depend on your position on the alternate list and how many full-status JETs withdraw before or shortly after the departure date In the past, many or most JETs on the alternate list have eventually been upgraded to full-status JETs However, be warned that some alternates have had to wait until the week before departure or even later before learning of their new status.
If you are not upgraded private alternatives are discussed here. If I am selected as a short-list status JET participant, are there any other documents that I will have to prepare? What additional costs should I expect to incur? If I am selected as an alternate status JET participant, are there any other documents that I will have to prepare?
I do not have a passport Since the Reply Form asks for a passport number, what should I do? If you do not yet have a passport, leave the form blank Include with your Reply Form a note explaining when you expect to be issued a passport We strongly recommend that you apply for one immediately at your nearest passport agency, as the process can take over a month.
Further, be sure that the name on your Reply Form is identical to the one you wish to have on your passport. May I send in digital photos with the Reply Form? Yes, if they are clear high resolution and on photo paper The photographs must be head and shoulder face-shots, similar to photographs for passports.
What is involved in getting the Certificate of Health? The Certificate of Health must be completed by a licensed physician who knows your health history Along with the usual physical tests height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, eyesight and hearing , you will need a urinalysis, medical history checklist of disorders , and lung examination An X-ray is requested for the lung examination, but is NOT required if your doctor does not recommend one AND writes a comment e.
What constitutes Proof of Graduation? Proof of Graduation can be shown in one of three ways: By submitting 1 a copy of your college diploma, 2 an official transcript that has the degree, major and date of completion written on it, and 3 an official letter from your school Registrar that states the degree, major and date of completion of your requirements for graduation the letter should have an official seal or signature.
I will not receive my diploma until after the deadline for Proof of Graduation What should I do? Please submit either an official transcript OR an official letter from your school Registrar Either one must state the degree received, the major granted, and the date you completed requirements for graduation. You should submit your Proof of Graduation only AFTER you graduate Thus, even if you sent in, say, your transcripts with the written application, you still need to submit Proof of Graduation later after you actually graduate The only time you need not send in Proof of Graduation later in the process is if you had sent 3 copies of your diploma with your written application.
Do NOT apply for a visa until you receive a visa application and further information directly from the Consulate General of Japan or Embassy where you interviewed You will send your visa application with valid passport directly to the Visa Section of your DEPARTURE consulate Please send the application at least ten days prior to your departure date If you will be abroad during the summer, please plan to return in time to send in your passport and visa application ten days prior to departure If this is impossible, please contact your departure consulate.
Do I have a choice about my departure consulate? Does it have to be the same as my interview consulate? In principle, your departure consulate should be the same as your interview consulate. However, if necessary, you may depart from a different consulate provided the departure consulate is part of the same group as the interview consulate Because of the large numbers of JETs going to Japan each year, Japanese consulates are divided into Groups A and B If your interview consulate is in Group A e.
Chicago , then your departure consulate must be in Group A also e. New York There are no exceptions to this, so think carefully before you specify your interview consulate on your reply form See here for a list of Group A and B consulates.
Refer to the back of the current official application for the official list of group A and B consulates. On the written application, you may specify up to three placement preferences if any The program does its best to place participants close to their preferred location, but does not make any guarantees For example, you may request the city of Osaka and end up on an island off Okinawa Remember, all placements are final, so be prepared to go anywhere in Japan.
If you do not like your placement, you may withdraw from the program However, if you withdraw after you learn of your placement with a contracting institution your school or government office , you are disqualified from applying to the JET Programme again [Note: Most JETs express satisfaction with their placement, even if they were not placed in one of their requested areas.
The list is many and varied. Just be sure to bring things from your hometown and state to show students and colleagues For example, photographs or videos of everyday items and events e. Thus, common drugs such as Actifed, Sudafed and Vicks inhalers can be illegal to bring into Japan. Please check with Japanese customs before bringing medications into Japan. Organized events prior to departure vary from consulate to consulate. It varies from year to year, but departure is usually in mid to late July or early August see the official application for specific dates, or check with your nearest Consulate General of Japan The Group A consulate departure date is about one week earlier than the Group B consulate departure date See here for a list of Group A and B consulates.
Remember, most consulates hold a mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation the day before departure day, so you must plan to be at the departure site on that day Do not plan to attend any weddings, etc. Baggage allowance is standard for any international flight. Generally, airlines allow one carry-on bag and two checked pieces. This can be either 20kg or 40kg depending on your point of departure. Please check with your designated airline JAL, ANA, Northwest or other major airline for specific details as to size and weight Any baggage over the limit will incur significant charges; we recommend shipping everything you can ahead of your departure.
I will be living in Japan during the summer of departure. Do I still have to depart from my home country location? I heard that foreign residents of Japan need not return home for departure.
Is this true? What resources are available for me? The JET Programme offers a full range of support services for most problems that may occur These services range from your immediate Japanese supervisor to prefecture advisors to trained counselors working in the central government.
Yes, provided you complete your contract If you withdraw from the JET Programme before completion of your contract, your contracting institution reserves the right to refuse provision of return airfare. Before you leave Japan, you should contact your successor if any and apprise him or her of what to expect. Please advise us contacts at bottom of the page if you know more to add or discuss these at our Virtual JET Workshop Forum. Skip to content. So grab a big mug of coffee and get reading!
Ganbatte and good luck! If you find the information on this page useful please consider making a small donation to keep us up and running. Why Join JET? Who should apply for JET? Those interested in foreign cultures, particularly Japan Those who are adventurous and like to try new things Those interested in teaching or working with children Those who want to learn Japanese as a hobby or for career development Those who want to work in an office environment different from their home country.
What kind of person are they looking for? What are some of the biggest problems faced by JET participants? The skills you develop are entirely up to you However, JETs usually have ample opportunity to improve: Public speaking, teaching and organization skills Japanese language skills Intercultural management skills Personal interests photography, web design, etc.
I hear the cost of living in Japan is high. Will I be able to get by on the JET remuneration? Who is eligible to apply for the JET Programme? But the pay is usually much less, and some of them can be sketchy. My advice is to try JET first and have those other companies as back-ups.
I often prepared for classes at home because I could only talk to my teachers at the very end of the day, literally 5 minutes before the end of my working hours. Also, having a full day of classes at an elementary school can be pretty exhausting. If you were to work at an eikaiwa English conversation school , the classes might be shorter, but you could have 10 classes a day, making significantly less money than JET. Most of the ALTs I know live very comfortably.
They have enough money to go on trips and eat out regularly while still sending money back home to save. The amount you pay will depend on where you live. Even if you spend a lot on rent, you should still have more than enough to live comfortably. This is obvious, but it is by far the best part of the program. If you have never been to Japan before, you will be in for a treat.
The huge buildings, neon lights, and bustling sounds of people are a huge trip. Of course, this is only in big cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, etc. But even if you are placed in the countryside with no neon lights, your experience will be completely unique. In fact, living in the countryside of Japan is probably more memorable than living in the city.
But Japan will challenge and reward you in ways that staying in your home country will not. This kid in class always called me Brad Pitt! All of these physical, mental, and even spiritual challenges can help you to grow. I never liked giving speeches or even talking in front of people. The experiences mentioned above can help build your resume as well. If you decide to continue teaching in Japan, the experiences you gain in JET will help you.
However, they got other jobs related to their experiences in Japan. You can also make connections when you are in Japan. The connections you make can lead to some wonderful opportunities. Being exposed to Japanese all the time provides you with the opportunity to learn quickly. The teachers you work with might just want you to be a human tape recorder. You may even feel useless. It might be that student who never says a word in class. Or it might be that student who is too shy to say hello back to you.
Some students choose to study more English. Some study abroad. Some even decide to live in another country or to become a teacher. From my personal experience, this happens more often than you think. I met former students who told me how much of an impact I made in their lives. The thing that surprised me is that I never even had a conversation with some of them.
I just would greet them when they came to school and when they left, and maybe helped them out in class.
Sometimes, these small gestures can mean a lot. So go and connect with the kids inside and outside of the classroom. This is a valid and genuine concern. The chances of being placed in a rural area were very high. I still believe that this is true today. However, this is not as bad as you may think. I know you have probably read stories of people placed on small islands or villages with no public transportation connecting them to a city.
I would say that most of the rural areas have access to public transportation, with a bigger city within an hour or two away. When I got there, I was surprised to see many restaurants and even a small shopping mall. They had no access to public transportation, no other JETs in the area, and not even a convenience store nearby. Most of the JETs I knew in those rural areas hated it. But unless this is your goal, living in the inaka countryside can take a toll on your mental wellbeing.
Even if you do get placed in a rural area, why not try it out? This is another real situation that happens to most, if not all ALTs. I would say the overwhelming majority of ALTs have amazing experiences with their school. Some even become close friends with the teachers or staff. When I first came to Japan, I thought students were super studious and listened to every word the teacher says. This is NOT true at all. I have taught at over 17 different schools in different areas in Japan.
There are always a few students who cause trouble in and out of class. You may run into problems with other teachers as well. Sometimes the teachers are just dicks. But know that there are ALTs who have had some problems with the teachers they work with. A common complaint that ALTs have is that they have a lot of downtime. Some high schools also will have a lot of free periods. ALTs get bored sitting at their desk with nothing to do. In either case, you now have nothing to do except twiddle your thumbs and stare at the clock.
But now, this is not a problem at all for me. I love it when I have free time at my schools.
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