Tops Tuesdays: Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before I Came to Japan

My first few months in Japan were a whirlwind. Most new JETs get a few days to recoup from their jet lag, participate in orientation and training, and make some new friends before they begin teaching. I hit the ground running. Straight from the airport, I was shuttled to my new workplace and, bleary-eyed, introduced to my new colleagues. I was expected to start work the next day bright and early. No orientation for me. I could see my jet lag was going to become very drawn out and turn into JET lag so to speak. 

It took a long time to adjust emotionally after that. I took even longer to make friends because I just didn't know where any other ALTs were. Looking back, there are many things I would try to do different. It was a difficult set of circumstances, but there were options to make that period in time more bearable. 2011 turned out to be one of the worst years of my life. But luckily, in 2012 I figured a lot of things out, and 2012 turned into one of the best years of my life. If only I had known in 2011 what I know now, things could have gone much more smoothly...

The Izu Life: 2 Year Anniversary

March 23rd marks the 2nd year anniversary of my arrival in Japan. I have decided to commemorate the occasion in kind with the following video. Enjoy! (You can read about my experiences post-arrival in Japan here and here.)

A Year in Japan in Under 5 mins (2nd Year Anniversary Video) from AussieOnTheIzu on Vimeo.

Only 4 months to go!

The Izu Life: So You're Leaving Japan?

Having attended the After JET Conference in Yokohama last week, I learnt some great tips about preparing to leave Japan and looking for work after a tenure on the JET Programme. I'd like to share some of this information with you...

"The first JETs to leave Japan were closely watched by security to ensure they really left the country"
Image Source

The Izu Life: After JET Conference

This past Tuesday you may have noticed there was no "Top Tuesdays" post. That's because I was attending the After JET Conference in Yokohama Monday ~ Wednesday. The conference was fantastic for preparing JETs for their return to their home country and I learnt a LOT! Stay tuned because over the next few weeks I'm going to share some of the wisdom I acquired for those of you who are interested and/or were unable to attend yourselves.

My Year in Japan in 2 Minutes 23 Seconds

UPDATE#2: This is the last time I post this, I promise! I managed to upload the original to vimeo. Please enjoy the original vimeo version beneath the youtube version!

UPDATE: So EMI disabled my YouTube video because of the music I used (I should have anticipated it but its been years since I have uploaded to YouTube and I guess I didn't realize YouTube had come to suck so bad since then). Uploaded again with some Creative Commons music. Not quite the same effect as the original but good enough. Enjoy!



To celebrate surviving my first year in Japan, I made this... (I hope you like it)

Edited YouTube version:

Original (Vimeo) version:

My Year in Japan in 2:23 Minutes from AussieOnTheIzu on Vimeo.

Diary of a JET #6: One Year Anniversary

I did it! I made it in one piece! It's been one year down the rabbit hole—I mean, in Japan—and it's been one hell of a year. 2011 marked a turning point for me. I realized a lot about myself and what I am doing here/with my life. It was probably one of the worst years on record for me; I lost my grandfather, I missed my sister’s hens night, and there were plenty of emotional melt-downs related to my relocation to Japan. But lets not turn this into a pity-party. I honestly believe that even though it was probably one of my roughest years so far, I probably got more out of it than any other year. Like a proverbial Alice down the rabbit hole, my past year in Japan has been fraught with stress, culture shock and depression. But there have also been some great memories too.

The Izu Life: Enkai Etiquette

I’m really lucky that I work at such a relaxed, laid-back school. They don’t really care what I wear to work, if I’ve still got nail polish on from the weekend, or if they catch me a couple of times sneaking a peek on Facebook. Because everyone is so easy-going, it makes for some enjoyable enkai (“staff party”) experiences with these fellows (mostly because alcohol has been thrown into the mix). When I first arrived in Japan, I was fearful of my first enkai, sure that I would commit cultural faux pas in extreme! Well, enkai season is upon us so I decided to write a post to help guide any noobs through the choppy waters of social niceties and Japanese drinking customs…

March 11: One Year On

Today is the one year anniversary of the Tohoku Earthquake which devastated so many lives on March 11th 2011. The Blogosphere will be buzzing today and many bloggers will be making the obligatory memorial post. When I arrived in Japan, it was one week after the disaster. I have been fortunate enough to experience Japan change during the past year as a result of the earthquake. Today I would like to share my reflections with you. 

Breaking News! I'm published!

Well, sort-of. A local JET Programme publication produced by JETs in Shizuoka prefecture called the Shizuoka Chronicle just published one of my pieces for their 25th anniversary edition. I also served on the editorial committee for the newspaper and it was a lot of fun! At first, I was not asked to contribute a written piece but at the last minute one of our contributors pulled out and they asked me to fill in for them. The newspaper is only produced once a year but it is sent to schools all over Shizuoka Prefecture and new incomming Shizuoka JETs receive a copy in their welcome packs before they even come to Japan (so it is sent all over the world!). It's still pretty exciting for me as this is the first time some of my work has been published on this scale. I have decided to share the contents of my article for the Shizuoka Chronicle with you. Find out what I wrote about after the jump...

Diary of a JET #5: New "Alien Registration" Procedures

I received this in my inbox from my PA and thought "I couldn't have summed it up better myself!" There are going to be some new important changes to the way the Alien Registration Card and Re-Entry Permit works. Also, the way temporary residents return to Japan after a stint overseas is going to be a different procedure at immigration. So rather than lay it all out myself, I have shamelessly copied and pasted his explanation here for your perusal. 

Diary of a JET #4: To Re-Contract? Or not to Re-Contract? That is the Question.

It’s a more difficult question than you think. Maybe you have seen some other ALTs ruminating about this very conundrum on other blogs recently. On the verge of spring time, just when Shizuoka is starting to warm up and look pretty, you begin to think, “Well, yeah. I could do another year of this!” Or is that just the springtime talking? The deadline looms. You start considering your options. To stay or go?

Well, the deadline has passed now, but have you made the right decision? This post contains some important tips when making a big decision such as this. Much of this information is specific to my situation and is designed to function merely as advice. Please consider your options thoroughly before making your own decision.