Job Discussion Forums

kratos · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 2 Location: NEW ZEALAND

I'm a 30 year old male New Zealander and am looking at working in Japan next year through the Jet programme as an ALT. Obviously, though, before I do that I have an incredible amount of questions to ask and information to learn. Hopefully, I'll also make some contacts in Japan, so that I'm not totally overwhelmed by the sheer other-ness, and, I'm presuming at times, the loneliness and isolation of the situation.
Please tolerate my questions, if someone else has asked the same ones I have, and know that I am very appreciative of anyone out there that can, and is willing, to help. Thank you, in advance.

I've read that some people have their accommodation paid for them by their employers: is this an across-the-board definite, because the New Zealand Jet website does not make any mention of this?

Do you have accommodation already established for you, when you first arrive in Japan, or are you left to get that yourself? And, for that matter, how much should I expect rent to be, on average, if I have to pay it?

Is 3.6 million yen per year really enough to live on (I'm not going to Japan to save money but to see, firsthand, a culture totally different than my own, so I just want to survive, and do things like go out, movies, Internet, gym, train travel, etc.)?

How much clothing etc. will I need to take with me? I'm 6 feet three inches tall, and am wondering how easy/difficult it is to buy clothes and shoes for my above-average size.

Are there any New Zealanders out there that can give a purely Kiwi perspective on the whole situation?

Thank you, again, to anyone that responds.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Hi Kratos, Im a Kiwi long term resident in Japan (almost as long in Japan as i was in New Zealand and thats saying a long time)

van-island · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 6:16 am Post subject:

go check out big daikon for the real deal on JET

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

stretch · Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 59

Kratos,
I'm with PaulH on this one. Big Daikon is full of the bad experiences of JET. I'm one of the very happy JET folk.
My story in a nutshell...
I was on JET in rural Japan with my wife (she was not working, but just hanging out for a year ie. she lived off my salary.)
We were able to save a tonne of money each month and still do whatever we wanted for fun/dinners and trips. We toured all of Japan by car on a 2 week drive. I flew to Thailand for 3 weeks. However, one thing you'll find on JET is that every situation is different. My situation was that I had paid accomodations and a free car (fully loaded subaru legacy! -bought new for me because they were worried that I was too big for the previous car) I'm 6'5"/195 cm so I'll answer your clothes questions later. I was also given extra conversation classes to teach one night a week by the board for which they paid me cash. So in all I got paid about 350,000 a month with only my pension deducted. I definetly lived the high life while in Japan. Bummer, now you made remember what it was like to have a disposable income. As well, I forgot to mention that my apartment was also fully equiped. Fridge, stove, washer, spinner, tv, vcr, futons, sheets, tatami that I didn't have to replace, kotatsu etc etc...
As well, in my prefecture it was rare for a JET to NOT have their accomodations paid for. I'd say about 80% of us did if not higher. On that note one of my friends whom I travelled with from Toronto to Japan on JET ended up in downtown Osaka and she ended up paying thru the nose for her apartment.
As for the clothing issue, you must bring everything. At your height you might be kinda s.o.l. especially if you have feet above size 10-11. I'm size 13 and had to have my shoes sent from Canada if I needed a new pair. Clothing was similar, if I needed a long sleeve shirt, forget about it. Same with pants, I'm a 36" inseam and that just isn't available in Japan. Perhaps there are some custom shops for taller folk but they are not everywhere and certainly not in rural Japan where most JETs are located. My second day in Japan I had to try to go to a department store in Tokyo near the hotels that we stayed at to buy a dress shirt because I packed mine in the wrong bag. I was taken care of by about 3 ladies in each store I went to who fussed over me tremendously but couldn't get a shirt that fit, not even short sleeve. (shoulders too wide) Anyways, so for me the clothing thing was a big issue as was hitting my head a lot on low ceiling and other stuff dangling from above.
From my perspective and many many others in my prefecture we had an awesome experience. The JETs in that area are very tight if you want to become part of that group. BTW I was in Yamanashi-ken.
Hope that helps.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Look on here as well

Survey completed by over 300 JETs. Negative in tone but has some nuggets of truth if you dig deep enough.

Most JETs enjoy their experience on the program and I have heard a few horror stories (one girl I talked to in a rural location was serially sexually harassed by her boss) and 50% of JETs do not renew contracts after one year.

http://www.zen13795.zen.co.uk/jetsurvey/

kratos · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 2 Location: NEW ZEALAND

Thanks for all the info guys. Much appreciated.

Stretch: I'm already buying xtra-large clothes over here, because either clothes sizes are getting smaller or I'm getting bigger! lol. I'm 6'3'' and 105 kg/230 pounds and I'm finding my shoulders are almost too wide for xtra-large! Shoe size, in N.Z. of 10 or 11 so 13 - 15 in U.S./Canada size I guess. Us big guys must stick out pretty well, over there! lol. A serious question: how do Japanese approach you/treat you, being so much bigger, I'm presumng, than the average Japanese? Is there any reluctance/hesitation/trepidation/etc. on their part?

Just a thought: how realistic/expensive is it to purchase custom-made clothes?

I hope no one minds if I regularly post questions I cannot find answers to. I guess I'm just a bit concerned about the simple little things I take for granted here, like buying clothes/shoes, watching movies, etc. Thanks again

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

stretch · Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 59

Ok you get stared at enough for being gaijin now being 195cm amplifies that quite some. You'll get stared at a lot. Get used to hearing "Se ga takai!" from lots of little kids (and adults too) everywhere you go. However, once you make it out of rural Japan nobody will notice as there are tall foreigners.
I used to also play as the ringer for the local basketball team in my town and it was interesting experience to say the least. The first time I went up to dunk in a game against a competing town, the other team parted like the red sea to let me. Then the other team cheered...
Remember though, I'm talking rural Japan. My town was about 7,000 or so. The "big city" next to us was like 20,000. When I finally ended up playing in Tokyo tournaments the other teams where definetly more interested in stopping me from dunking than watching and cheering me like a side show act.
As for the custom clothes I never bought any in Japan but did buy a lot on a trip to Thailand while I was there. Now that place is cheap!