JET Programme
I applied for the August 2018 JET departure
Pre-Departure
Application Deadline: 2017-11-17
Documents to submit (2017-11-17 to 2018-07-13)
Notes and tips before leaving
- It is required to register for participation to all events
- The placements were disclosed around 2018-04-25. For promoted Alternated Candidates, it took 4 weeks longer to receive the placement
- Note that you cannot arrive, in any circumstance, in Japan at a different date than the other candidates
- Practice as much Japanese as you can before leaving
- Make a group with all the incoming JETs of your area to facilitate communication before, during and after JET
- Cancel your insurance in your country (e.g.: Quebec = RAMQ)
- Bring around ¥300,000 for the first month
- Get omiyage for most people you will meet
- Make a will
- If applicable, get internationnal driver's licence as close to departure date as possible
- Ask your predecessor and supervisor if you need a car. If it is recommended, you can buy it directly from your predecessor if they had one.
JET Orientation Events (2018-05-26 to 2018-08-04)
Note that some events differ from one city JET Desk to another. It is important to inform the JET Desk if you attend events in different cities.
- TESOL Training
- Ottawa only
- Attendance is RECOMMENDED
- Dress code: business casual / casual
- First Nations First Workshop
- Montreal only
- Attendance is RECOMMENDED
- Dress code: casual
- JETAA Hanami Picnic
- Japanese Cooking Class
- Attendance is RECOMMENDED
- Dress code: casual/closed-toe shoes required to work in the kitchen
- Weekly Japanese Language Lessons
- Ottawa: Beginner level only
- Montreal: Beginner or advanced level
- Attendance is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
- Dress code: casual
- JET 2-Day Orientation (Weekend Orientation)
- Bring a list of questions you may have
- Attendance is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
- Dress code: business attire
- JETAA Q/A "Senpai-Kouhai" Karaoke
- Attendance is OPTIONAL
- Dress code: casual
- Possible Interview as a promotion for JET
- Ottawa only
- Only for future JETs who wish to participate
- Second JET 2-Day Orientation (Weekend Orientation)
- Attendance is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
- Dress code: business attire
- JETAA Natsu Matsuri (Summer Festival)
- Ottawa only
- Dress code: casual
- Pre-Departure Orientation
- Final training session
- Passports/visas, air tickets etc. are returned/provided to participants
- Attendance is MANDATORY
- Dress code: business attire
- Farewell Cocktail Reception
- The Consulate General of Japan in Montreal's formal send-off party for new JET Participants
- Attendance is MANDATORY
- Dress code: business attire
- Departure for Japan
- Dress code: comfort first for the long flight ahead
Tokyo Orientation
There were many different conferences at the Tokyo Orientation.
- Information on Elementary Schools, Junior High Schools and Senior High Schools
- Team Teaching
- Disaster Preparedness
- Structure of the JET Programme
- Cross-Cultural Adaptation
- JET Programme's Services
- Counselling
- Japanese Course
- AJET Connect
In countryside Japan
- Shopping
- Everything necessary, daily life objects and clothing is easy to find, but if you're searching for something specific, or cheaper or high quality, it is harder to find.
- Bank Account
- In my case, I have one bank account with automatic payments for rent, car insurance and my salary, but not for the water nor the gas bills. In those cases, you can bring the receipts and pay at a convenience store. To retreive money, you can go to an ATM or bank branch during opening hours (ATM: 9:00-18:00) or else there is a fee of ¥100 for every transaction.
- I do not have access to any online services, so I keep track of my expenses with an excel sheet using my receipts and a bank book which is automatically filled in at the ATM.
- WiFi
- I haven't had any problems with WiFi at my apartment. It was installed and operational on the second day of my arrival. I pay about ¥4,500 per month for WiFi and TV.
- Cellphone
- I'm currently using the Mobal for JET service which is ¥4,500 per month with 4GB of data. It is a bit expensive since you have to pay for every call you make, but all the incoming calls are free of charge. LINE App is very useful in Japan, but you need a phone number to have access to it.
- Climate
There are 4 seasons, but it can get pretty rough.
- Typhoon seasons: September to October and June to July
- Rainy season: June to July
- Very humid summer: July to August
- Humid winter: December to March
- Natural disasters
No matter where you are in Japan, they will follow you.
- Typhoons
- Earthquakes
- Tsunami
- Volcanic erruptions
- Heavy rainfalls
- Landslides
- Travelling
- Airplane: cheaper than the train for bigger distances in the country
- Bullet Train: from one big city to the next
- Subway: in a big city
- Bus: cheap way to go from a city to the next
- Car: in the countryside, and from one small city to the next
- Bike: on islands, and for short distances in cities
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Copyright/Droit d'auteur © 1995-2019 by/par Évelyne Sunatori
- All rights reserved.
- Produced in Canada.
ISBN 978-0-929105-08-6
2019-04-23T09:45:47,0Z