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kita
Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 34
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Appletreesrtall wrote: |
Lastly, I have -no- ideas about the BOEs. Can someone please explain them a little more? Is there any way to make finding a pet-friendly apartment easier for them? For example, the willingness to move anywhere in Japan (Im not just saying Honshuu, I mean all the islands) so they have more chances of finding a pet-friendly home?
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This isn't as flexible as you seem to think it is. Essentially a BOE 'picks' you as their employee (you get no say in this). They then contact you with which prefecture you're in, your supervisor's info, and the contract. They might also provide you with other information, but it isn't required. You can't switch BOEs or get some other placement. You can request that they provide a pet-friendly apartment, but they don't have to get you one. They might not even respond to or understand your request. |
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Appletreesrtall
Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 56
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| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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| kita wrote: |
Man I'm slow at posting. By the time I type up my response there are another 4 or 5 posts! Ha!
Anyway.....
First, the JET program has a fairly strict timeline as to what happens and when you go to Japan. Everyone arrives sometime in late June or early July (though some alternates arrive in later groups). If that doesn't work with your timeline, you'll have to go to Japan via some other method. And if you do, know that its difficult to get a job around Oct-Dec. Not much hiring happens during this time.
Also, one of the biggest things that sucks about trying to bring an animal is that it will be almost impossible to prepare for completely. There are quite a few unknowns when dealing with JET. For instance, I didn't know where I was staying or even what type of school I was working at until I showed up in Tokyo. It's not like this for everyone, but it is for some. Also, what do you do with the cats when you get off the plane? Cause I doubt they'd let you keep them in the hotel where the orientation conference is held. And they also might not be allowed on the bus/train/whatever method of transport you'd have to take to get to your prefecture. They might not even let them on the bus you have to take from the airport to Tokyo.
As for placement, the BOE that hires you decides where you go. Think of JET more as a recruitment service than an employer. Yes you are a JET, but you are an employee of the BOE that hires you, not JET. I think all BOEs are required to send you a copy of your contract and the contact information for your supervisor before you leave for visa purposes. But in my case, my supervisor didn't speak English, so even though I email him, I didn't hear back. All I got was an intro letter telling me his work address, email, and number and my contract. It's the BOE who decides where you stay and most people usually just move into where the JET they're replacing lived. It is possible to change apartments with a lot of complaining and what not, but it could take time to find a new place and where would your cats stay during that time?
Also, while its good to hear you aren't worried about the expense, don't forget that it will make a poor first impression if you inconvenience your BOE right off the bat. They may not say anything to you directly, but everyone will know and talk about 'that ALT that caused us so many problems'. Markle brought this up, but its really important, especially if you want to stay for 5 years. Because the BOE won't renew your contract if they don't like you.
Regarding the cats, beyond just a new environment, you need to consider whether they can handled the 12 hour minimum flight (unless you're in Hawaii). I asked before, but have your cats ever traveled? Most don't travel very well and some have problems breathing while on planes and may need sedation. Have you spoken with your vet about your plans? Also, if you have to switch planes, they could get lost in the transfer. Once there, beyond food, what will you do if they get sick (which given all the changes they'd go through, could be quite likely)? Could you contact and communicate with a vet? |
Thank you for all the insight! The only traveling experience my pets have are a 4 hr car drive. They handle it pretty well (thank god!). But yeah, car travel and plane travel are two completely different things. I understand that JETS usually stay in hotels their first day or two and go through orientation, so I was hoping I could come first, and then the cats could follow. So yeah, it's gonna be a pain in the @ss to pay for their own plane rides, but like you said, who knows exactly where I will be and when I will move into my place. I -was not- familiar with how I would get the cats from point A (airport in Japan) to point B (my home). I have some friends in Japan with cars, so maybe I could work something out there, but that will just have to come with time. I have been working closely with my local vet about sedating them if they become too stressed, and filling out all my paperwork/updating shots/specific microchipping. With plane rides, I am planning on it being a one-way shot (I am researching companies that take care of transporting pets).
As for the BOEs, the last thing I want to do is piss them off. I would figure being upfront and trying to prepare for anything would be good! I'll definetely just have to keep that into consideration, as to not piss off anyone so I can stay longer.
Lastly, with the timeline, I will definetely be prepared by June-July. I don't need to be there as soon as I graduate, cause I would definetely like to save up some money for the trip ahead.
Really, thanks for all the info, it gave me more things to think about that I didnt consider before. ^_^ |
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Appletreesrtall
Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 56
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| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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| kita wrote: |
| Appletreesrtall wrote: |
Lastly, I have -no- ideas about the BOEs. Can someone please explain them a little more? Is there any way to make finding a pet-friendly apartment easier for them? For example, the willingness to move anywhere in Japan (Im not just saying Honshuu, I mean all the islands) so they have more chances of finding a pet-friendly home?
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This isn't as flexible as you seem to think it is. Essentially a BOE 'picks' you as their employee (you get no say in this). They then contact you with which prefecture you're in, your supervisor's info, and the contract. They might also provide you with other information, but it isn't required. You can't switch BOEs or get some other placement. You can request that they provide a pet-friendly apartment, but they don't have to get you one. They might not even respond to or understand your request. |
I'm a little confused about this, because my friend who applied for JET last year said she was able to choose 3 prefectures, and then JET (or maybe it was the BOE now that I think of it) specified of those 3 places where she would go. Did JET just inform the BOEs of those prefectures that an applicant was available, and then the BOE decided if they wanted her or not? |
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kita
Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 34
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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Glad I could help. There is a lot to consider in this situation. Probably even more than I can think of. I didn't even realize you could essentially ship your cats to you. Figured you'd have to be with them on the plane.
As for the application. Yes, you list 3 places that you'd prefer to go. The key word is prefer. JET tries to find a BOE in one of your preferred areas that will take you, but if not, you go to whichever BOE wants you. If that BOE happens to be located as far away from where you requested as you can get, so be it.
This is one of the biggest downsides of JET. Placement is often quite random and more rural than going with another program or company. |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 1316
Location: Out of Japan
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| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:39 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not suggesting that you are cruel, I was just being brutally direct.
Start looking at options beyond JET also. |
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maya.the.bee
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 118
Location: Stgo
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:15 am Post subject: |
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| not that it really matters...new JETs arrive late July/early Aug. |
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Quibby84
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 643
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:05 am Post subject: |
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If you can get your cats sent to you after you arrive in Japan then I think it is possibe especially if you dont mind paying extra money.
I think that there are leo palaces everywhere. If you go to Leo Palaces website (the one in Japanese) and translate it, at the very bottom you can see all of the prefectures and then all of the cities that there are leo palaces...there are lots. I dont think that there are lots of the "pet" kind but you will have to look into that.
About the long flight, if we decide to take our cats back to the states then we are going to drug them I think...I know that sounds crazy, but I dont see how letting them sleep a little extra will hurt them in the long run....I am going to ask my vet about that. (hey, people (including me if I had kids) give their children drugs all the time on flights..lol)
Oh, one good thing about having animals in Japan is that the vet is totally affortable...
So if I were you I would come and then let the cats follow you a month of so after you have settled into your apartment, you will know once you get there if you could get by with a cat at your apartment, and that is enough time to find your own place if you needed to.
I understand you wanting to bring your cats....I almost died of saddness when I had to hand my cat over to a cat adoption agency not knowing how long she would have to sit in a cage until she was adopted (but thank God, she was adopted in one day...)
So, Good Luck! |
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maya.the.bee
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 118
Location: Stgo
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:36 am Post subject: |
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because it's lunch & i have free time....
i checked for leo palace in my prefecture, of the 15 listed towns & cities only 4 had LP apartments. and in my old prefecture, 31 towns & cities listed with only 11 having LP apartments. didn't bother to check for pet friendly ones...
shipping your cats after a month is reasonable advice, for you to get used to Japan and for those poor cats. i'm not sure how they would travel to & around Japan but it is HOT here in the summer, not a good time to be shipped around in a plastic box. i am curious though, for transpacific flights, would the cats be in the cabin or in the cargo hold? |
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wabisabi365
Joined: 04 Feb 2007
Posts: 111
Location: japan
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:40 am Post subject: |
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Wasn't going to touch this one, but, I have had experience with what you're up against, and do feel strongly about it now that I put my poor cat through a really trying and traumatic journey.
The time and effort you are investing right now (which could, in the long run, be more detrimental to not only your cats but to your job prospects as well) could be better spent finding a loving home for them in the city you live in now. You're spending hours on-line, making enquiries to immigration, to the quarantines in airports, to your future employers, to strangers on an Internet forum... Why not scout a great place for them to live without putting them through the hell of overseas travel? That would be the kindest and most loving thing to do.
Difficult? Of course! You love them like they're family. And, as such, do what's best for them. The trip over is HORRIBLE for pets. I brought my cat to Canada with every intention of bringing her back here to Japan when my Canadian contract finished. After the journey, I knew I would have to let her stay put in Canada. Do I miss her? Of course. Do I regret not putting her back on that bloody plane? Not one bit. I found her a good and loving place to live. She's there now, and has been for 6 years.
You may think I didn't love my cat as much as you do. That's not the case. I have the advantage of hindsight, which you don't. I hope I don't come off as condescending or know-it-all. I wasn't going to bother as it appears you have decided that you think this is the best thing to do. I can only offer you my experience.
Good luck with your journey whatever you decide to do.
ws365 |
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Brooks
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1369
Location: Sagamihara
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:05 am Post subject: |
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the quarantine in Japan takes two weeks. In Korea there is no quarantine, I think.
My wife bought a dog at a shelter in Arkansas. She was in an intensive English program at the university there.
She went back to Japan and the dog took the same route as her.
She flew to Chicago, San Francisco, then to Osaka.
I think she was on United. The United people did a good job of looking after the dog at the airports (water, feeding, etc.)
I am thinking of moving in the future (back to the US) so I wonder what it would be like for my two dogs on the plane. Some dogs die because they have troubles breathing. I forget what kind of dog has breathing problems on planes. |
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madeira
Joined: 13 Jun 2004
Posts: 182
Location: Oppama
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 10:54 am Post subject: |
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Just guessing, but probably pugs. They often have problems anyhow.
I just checked the AQS website again, they still have 12 hour quarantine if you have all the papers in order. I've heard that they'll sometimes shorten it, as well.
I think the JET programme may not be the best choice if you want to bring your pets. Go with an eikaiwa that has no problems with you getting your own place. (Unless JET doesn't mind? I'm no authority there..) I left my cat behind for the first year, until I had enough money to rent on my own.
More info/support at the Yahoo group angelswithfur. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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| madeira wrote: |
| Go with an eikaiwa that has no problems with you getting your own place. |
In which case you will likely have to pay extra rent, but on top of that you will also have to pay the key money (2-5 times a month's rent) just to move in, and there will be no furniture, curtains, appliances of any kind, etc., so that means shelling out even more money. Even with secondhand shops, 100-yen shops, and dumpster diving, it's going to cost a lot. |
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RingofFire
Joined: 22 Jul 2007
Posts: 43
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| In which case you will likely have to pay extra rent, but on top of that you will also have to pay the key money (2-5 times a month's rent) just to move in, and there will be no furniture, curtains, appliances of any kind, etc., so that means shelling out even more money. Even with secondhand shops, 100-yen shops, and dumpster diving, it's going to cost a lot. |
Agree with everything except the extra rent. It's possible you may have to pay more and that really does depend on your tastes, but when I moved out of company-arranged housing I got a better deal somewhere else. For a lot of teachers the move isn't worth it because of all the moving in costs, but given that eikaiwas must house their teachers at any cost, they generally don't get the best deal when contracting with landlords IMO. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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Agree with everything except the extra rent. It's possible you may have to pay more and that really does depend on your tastes[/quote]I'm talking about paying more rent for a place if you are allowed to have pets there. I've seen places that require 20,000-50,000 yen/month more just to have that pet.
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| , but when I moved out of company-arranged housing I got a better deal somewhere else. |
Well, of course there can be cheaper places than company housing. NOVA asks for about 70,000 (including utilities, though). Depending on where you live, you can find an apartment for less. I don't dispute that. I'm just saying on top of whatever regular rent is charged, you will usually see an additional amount tacked on for a pet in the rare case that you are allowed to have one.
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| For a lot of teachers the move isn't worth it because of all the moving in costs, |
Yes, this is what I wrote above.
| Quote: |
| but given that eikaiwas must house their teachers at any cost, they generally don't get the best deal when contracting with landlords IMO. |
Now it I who will differ with you on this.
Many companies and eikaiwas will try to get housing in low-rent low-tax areas.
Also, however, where did you learn that eikaiwas must house their teachers. I have never heard this and don't think it is true. |
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RingofFire
Joined: 22 Jul 2007
Posts: 43
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 12:35 am Post subject: |
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| Also, however, where did you learn that eikaiwas must house their teachers. I have never heard this and don't think it is true. |
Not "must" as in some law dictates it, but "must" as in foreign staff do need a place to live and, at the very least, the major eikaiwas have accommodation written into their employment offers unless incoming staff find housing on their own.
I hope that's not an unreasonable assumption.
Never mind, I've drawn the conversation away from the thread topic. |
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