Job Discussion Forums

[dog8food]

Hi, I'm obviously new here.

I'm going to go through the big 'ol JET application process, but I'm trying to figure out where I want to be in japan. Maybe you can help me.

I like the warmer regions and I don't mind the humidity. Another thing is that I don't care to drink much, at all... could this be a problem? I've heard that drinking can be a very social activity in Japan (though I guess you could say the same for many places)... Therefore, I'd prefer somewhere that doesn't have such a bustling nightlife.

There are some places that I have in mind, but I would appreciate if you can just throw some names out there so I can have a good list of alternates.

Thanks for your help in advance.

[Glenski]

Don't like the cold? That should rule out Hokkaido and some places north of Tokyo. Sort of depends on your specific tolerance to cold temps and snow that will determine any further limitations. Warm and/or humid places may be all right for you, but you should also consider that the further south you go, the stronger the typhoons hit.

Drinking. Forget it. Many here (including me) don't drink or don't drink much. Order tea, juice, or Coke. If anyone has a problem/question with that, brush it off. Feign a liver ailment or a weak stomach. Tell them you have a wheat allergy. Whatever. People who don't accept you (and there aren't many in that category here that I've found) aren't worth having as friends. You may even get special treatment. (I got a free case of Coke from my university's vendor when they found out I wanted it installed in the vending machines!) The only issue is how much you'd have to pay when you go out with friends; some people blindly accept the fact that no matter how much you eat or drink, everyone pays the same, while other more sensible people give us non-drinkers a break.

Companies and schools have their year-end and year-start functions, plus perhaps others. In some cases you are practically required to attend, but this is "case by case" as we say here. There is no hardcore demand for you to drink alcohol, though. Many Japanese don't at these functions when they have to drive home; Japan has a zero-tolerance on blood levels of alcohol.

So, aside from a geographical restriction north of Tokyo, what sort of teaching are you shooting for, and how much do you want to learn Japanese? Those answers might help pin things down.

[maya.the.bee]

[sallycat]

sounds like kyushu or okinawa would be good choices for you. maybe southern kyushu eg. miyazaki...

[dog8food]

Thanks for the responses. I was going to post this on bigdaikon.com, but I could kinda foresee the kind of answers I might get...

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

The more Japanese you know before you arrive, the better. Most JETs are in rural locations so picture you see of Shinjuku (very common whenever therre are piuctures of "Japan") are very, very far removed from their actual experience. And people who understand English are much more rare than they are in the big cities. And people are generally more conservative as well and that translates into less 'wild and crazy' (read 'willing to say a sentence that hasn't been drilled into them a billion times during their rote memorization English classes').

Not only that, but the chance of being accepted into JET increases dramatically for each level of Japanese that you have, because they know that this is the situation you will likely be in.

As others have mentioned, 'warm' is not an exact word. If you are from the Deep South then 'warm' means approximately what 'Oh my god, I think I'm going to die" means to a Canadian, just as 'cool' to a Canadian might mean 'Am I going to get frostbite?' to someone from the south.

[Lyrajean]

If you are applying for JET, by all means fill in those slots for "placement request".

Do do some research and figure out where you might like to be, also be reasonable in your request and put some places down where there seem to be lots of placements. Don't put down Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto... like everybody else.

Do keep in mind that the vast majority of accepted new ALTs do not get their choice placement.

Don't like cold, -you might well end up in Hokkaido anyways. I hate hot weather and I am here in Okinawa (I asked for Tohoku and Kyuushu). I ran into 3 people at Tokyo orientation that got one of their placement requests.

Also it may be more important to you what type of school you are placed in. Do you want to teach HS or junior-high/elementary? Would you prefer an urban, or rural placement?

I did not get to go where I wanted, in fact I went to the only place I did not want to go, but they were spot on in terms of giving me a urban placement at 3 highschools.

[Glenski]

[dog8food]

It almost sounds like requesting a specific area is hit-or-miss. What about the item that asks weather you want to be placed in an urban, suburban, or rural setting? Could an area be so rural that it might be impossible to have internet access in your apartment?

[dog8food]

...Also, is there any way I can increase my chances of being placed in a certain region. After doing some research and talking to some friends, Okinawa would seem to be a good placement for me.

Are there any reasons I can give that might give me the nod? Should I mention it in my essay as well as my interview? Or would this not be received well?

[AndyH]

Other issues are rural vs. urban, and being exposed to traditional/historical attractions, as well as being around other foreigners.
One of my favorite places in Japan is Takayama, in Gifu Prefecture. It's in a mountainous area, so it may be too cold for you in the winter, but Nagoya isn't too far away, and it's a nice town.

For convenience, you might want to be someplace where you'll have easy access to Tokyo or Osaka, in case you want to buy gaijin-sized clothes or be close to a major airport.

The two places I lived, eastern Hokkaido and the Tokyo suburbs, were practically opposites, and I felt like I had a great overall experiece because of it.

Good luck.

[Glenski]

Big cities, Hokkaido, and Okinawa are among the most popular requested areas. Look at the JET pamphlet to see just how many JET ALTs are in Tokyo. Practically none, which means competition is fierce among the thousands of applicants.

Rather than us telling you some valid reasons why could be placed there (other than a family member, spouse, or girlfriend, I can't think of any, and even those are not guarantees), how about you telling us what you would like to write on the application? There is no guarantee at all, but at least you would get peers telling you whether it is a weak or strong reason. That's about the best we could do. Some people have had pretty strong reasons for requesting areas, then got placed in totally different ones. It's not just about the request from the ALT; schools also make requests for certain nantionalities.

As for Internet access, you can be in such a remote place that you don't get high speed (ADSL) lines. I know of some places just outside the city where I live now that have such a circumstance.

You said you wanted to be able to "absorb the beauty" of Japan. Like what? In rural areas you are likely to have lots of mountains or farms or other country settings. In urban areas, you could have access to museums, skylines, and parks. Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. What do you want to behold?

[fatimablush]

Definitely do some research and make a decision on which 3 less popular prefectures you might like to go to that are closer to some bigger cities that you might like to visit when you want to get out of the countryside. Please consider that train and bus travel is pricey in Japan, as well as the Shinkansen. If you want to do international travelling, being close to Osaka or Chiba would be a bonus. I live in Tohoku, and no matter how good a price I get on a flight out of the country, I still have to pay about $250 CAD return to get to Narita Aiport from where I live. Sapporo, Sendai, Fukuoka, Hanamaki (Iwate) and Osaka also have smaller airports but many only do domestic flights and some only a limited number of international flights (I know Sendai flies to Seoul, 3 cities in China, and I believe Guam).

I have heard that Sapporo, Kyoto and Osaka are the most requested places.