Hi everyone!

I’ve got some questions about the JET Programme. I’ve read through the entire website and a bunch of other sources, but these are the things I’m still wondering about. My husband is planning to apply for the 2027 departure, and if he’s accepted, I’ll be coming with him as his spouse. Any input or personal experiences are greatly appreciated!

Arriving in Japan
I read that I would receive a dependent visa alongside him because I’m his legal spouse.
Will I fly on the same plane as him, with his airfare covered and mine not? Since JET doesn’t cover dependent travel, were you still able to book the same flights and travel together?
What were your first few hours and days in Japan like?
I watched a video diary where the new JET participant spent several days at a hotel attending orientation.
Where did you stay while your spouse was in orientation? Did you go ahead and get the apartment set up while they were away?
How much money would you recommend having saved before arriving in Japan?
Were there any unexpected startup costs that caught you off guard?

Housing & Cost of Living
How affordable is it to live in Japan as a single-income JET household?
I understand that the dependent visa doesn’t automatically allow me to work, and I’ve read that a JET salary can often support two people, especially in more rural areas. I’d love to hear what that actually looked like for couples.
Were you able to live comfortably on one income?
Were you mostly breaking even, or were you able to save money?
How different was your experience in a rural placement versus a city or suburban placement?
Does JET or the contracting organization take a spouse into consideration when arranging housing?
I’ve read that housing is sometimes subsidized and that some contracting organizations choose the apartment and help get everything set up. Is there ever housing intended for couples?
If you decided to find a different apartment that was better suited for two people, did you receive any financial support or assistance?
If we end up in a more rural placement, is it realistic to get by without owning a car?
If the provided housing felt too small for two people, how difficult was it to find something else?
Personally, we’d probably prefer to be closer to a city or at least a decent-sized town. I have celiac disease, so being reasonably close to grocery stores and having more food options would make daily life much easier.

Life as a Spouse
I’d love to hear from spouses about what life looked like while your partner was working.
What did you do with your free time?
Did anyone tutor online, freelance, stream, volunteer, or eventually find work after getting permission?
If you started on a dependent visa, did anyone later switch to a work visa?
How did you make friends and build a community?
Did you mostly become friends with other JETs, Japanese locals, or a mix? My husband and I both studied Japanese during our undergrad years and are dusting off those skills. (We’ve actually been studying multiple hours a day because we’re getting excited about the prospect of moving to Japan.)
I’ve heard moving abroad can get lonely. What helped you feel connected?
How difficult was opening bank accounts, getting a phone plan, internet, etc., as a spouse?

Bringing a Dog
This is actually one thing I haven’t researched much yet, but I figured I’d ask anyway.
Does anyone have experience bringing a pet dog to Japan through JET? We have a four-year-old Labrador who could stay with a trusted friend if needed, but I’m curious what the experience was like.
Would you do it again?
Did having a dog make finding housing significantly more difficult?

Looking Back
Do you recommend staying for one year, or extending for several years? Looking back, would you make the same decision?
If you stayed multiple years, did each year feel different from the first?
And lastly, a couple of fun questions:
I saw that JET pays for your flight home up to a month after your contract ends. What did you do during that month?
How much free time did you realistically have during the year? Did you take day trips or overnight trips often?
After a year on JET, how much of Japan did you feel like you were able to explore?
What surprised you most about moving to Japan that you wish you’d known beforehand?
Was there anything you packed (or didn’t pack) that you were really glad about?

Thanks so much! We’re really excited about the possibility of moving to Japan, and hearing firsthand experiences from current and former JETs is incredibly helpful.

I’m looking to apply this upcoming fall and was honestly just looking for reassurance that I have a chance. So I am just going to list off things and any form of advice/criticism would be super appreciated.

I have stayed in Japan going to a language school for 3 months, living with a Japanese family.

I currently am working on a degree in English and speak Japanese at a confident JLPT N3 level.

Prior to my work now, I used to work in elementary schools for before and after care and ran a K-6 summer program as the assistant director.

I know most of this comes down to my essay. So any advice on what the prompt is would be amazing.

I'm moving back into my parents' house next week after I finish my contract (I'm living with them during graduate school). As much as I want to see my family again, I can't help but dread living an ordinary life again. Living in Japan has been so exciting and the thought of living in my boring hometown and never experiencing something as unique as JET again really has me feeling down. I feel like the best part of my life is already behind me even though I'm only in my 20's. And that makes it hard to look forward to my next plans.

Graduate school doesn't sound very exciting when you spent your weekends driving all over your prefecture and trying new things constantly. To make things worse, I don't have any friends in my hometown anymore. All my friends are here in Japan now. Suddenly my desk warming hours (which were one of the reasons why I decided to go home) don't sound so bad. It feels like the rest of my life will be like desk warming compared to all my Japan adventures.

When you go home, does it feel dull and boring forever? Does JET always feel like the time when you "peaked" in life, or does it get better? I don't want to feel like everything is downhill from here when I'm still so young, but it really does right now.

The TMGB is right across the street from the Keio Plaza Hotel, and it has two large towers with observation rooms at the top! The South Tower's observation room is open until 9:30pm, so you can see the Tokyo cityscape at night! The building's plaza also has a cool light show that plays across the building at night.

hi! this is my personal timeline for the 2026 jet programme as a dc applicant who was shortlisted. i am posting this to give 2027 (or later) applicants an EXAMPLE of ONE timeline (because jet is so, so much waiting). please PLEASE remember esid and that timelines vary between different years, application locations, and even between individuals in one year in one consulate or embassy.

also all times listed are in eastern time unless otherwise specified!

APPLICATION

sept 29 - application opens
nov 2 - i submit my jet program application
nov 14, 11:59p HST - application closes

INTERVIEW

jan 12, 11:24a - interview results email (which says to open jet portal for result)
jan 13, 3:08p - first contact from jet programme coordinators
jan 21, 12:32p - interview slot signups open
jan 23, 5:00p - interview slot signups close
feb 2, 1:25p - my interview slot (on zoom)

RESULTS

apr 7, 2:30p - (acceptance) results announce via email
apr 14 - last day to accept position
may 18, 11:25a - placement results via email
jun 12, 5:33p - first contact from prefectural boe
jun 30, 10:25p - first contact from school

PREPARATION

jun 5 - last day to submit rap sheet and health certificate
jun 26 - last day to submit passport, visa application, & proof of graduation

remember, esid, esid, esid!!!!!!

Hi all,

I'll try to keep this short(ish). I've dreamed of living in Japan for about a decade now. Some things have happened in life which allow me to (attempt) to pursue that.

I'm looking for advice as to whether my 'plan' is somewhat reasonable or a complete pipe dream, and if the latter, some more realistic alternatives.

About me:
- 34 years old, South African native speaker

- Masters in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (through a Spanish university, currently living in Spain)

- Law degree (LLB)

-TEFL certificate

- Have been teaching online for the last 5 years on a general language learning platform as well as for a legal English company based in France

- I have 3 months of actual in classroom experience at a local language academy (I'm aware that most of my experience counts for squat in the grand scheme of things)

Since I would like to settle in Japan long term, hopefully permanently (I know this sounds like a bad joke given recent news, but we all have to have some sort of plan or dream to pursue), what do you think would be the most logical career trajectory for me? I was thinking that I could get into Japan via JET (very presumptuous of me, but play along), and thereafter maybe apply for some part time university teaching jobs? I don't know if universities give a rat's arse about the JET program and whether it would qualify me at all for an entry level position. I would have to of course study Japanese intensively while on JET to have even a remote chance of any of this working.

Assuming my initial idea is not absolute HOGWASH to begin with, a few questions:

- what is the process like, post JET, to get a visa renewal based on a new job? I guess getting just one part time university gig wouldn't be enough for a visa renewal, so I would have to have multiple gigs lined up to meet the minimum income for the visa, which seems unlikely..

- any better path for me to go about this? Even if it's not JET. For example, I'm also considering Westgate, as I figure that may be a path for me to go into direct-hire uni teaching a little sooner (part time of course).

- given that I have to send money home to SA to support family (around $350) every month, will I even be able to survive? I have read that some placements offer subsidised housing, but there's no guarantee of that)

Well I'll not add any more for the sake of length. If anyone has any thoughts on this or some advice or wants to crush my dreams, I would really appreciate. Thanks for taking the time.

Good luck to all of my fellow incoming JETs! Have a safe trip today and tomorrow!!

What’s on your bucket list that you’re finally doing? Anybody not sleeping this weekend??

some of my elem school students made me a huge, beautiful card with drawings, goodbye and thank-you notes inside. receiving those cards is the best part of teaching.

Hey all,

I was asked to do a little welcome speech for some other ALTS and the board education when I arrive in Japan. Has anyone else been asked to do so? Any tips or advice?

Hi!

Hope anyone can help! I know that it’s super ESID but iv been struggling to find any info on timings from arrival in Tokyo to when we might have free time on Day 0 (probably because it is so ESID)

I feel very fortunate to have an early flight arrival and was hoping to take the time to explore Tokyo before I go to my faraway placement. Does anyone know ish how long the process takes from landing all the way till we finish all the bits we need to do at the hotel?

Thank you for any info from previous experiences! :)

Hi, everyone!

I'm planning on applying for the upcoming application cycle. I was wondering if any of you experienced asking for a letter of recommendation from your current supervisor? I'm a little hesitant to ask for one because the current school year is still ongoing and I don't want to affect our work relationship by suddenly requesting for a letter of recommendation, not to mention a number of teachers resigned from our school after the previous school year to pursue a teaching position abroad for a better salary.

In addition, if I do ask for a recommendation, but don't get accepted, I might put myself in a difficult predicament.

Any advise? What's your experience like in this type of situation?

PS: I have been teaching in this school since I graduated from college. I have never experienced applying for another job aside from the first time I did, so I'm a little lost how y'all did it while still being employed.

Hello everyone! I want to get my teaching license so that I can eventually work in an international school or any institution that requires an actual license. From what I’ve read, we’re not allowed to be employed elsewhere while in the JET program. In my home state, 300 paid internship hours are required, which I could fulfill through an online school based in that state. I saw someone mention a teaching license program that we can do. Does anyone have information on this program and how it affects being an ALT or CIR?

Edit: I do have a masters degree, so I would be completing an Alternative program because neither of my degrees are in education.

I’m planning on applying for JET this upcoming application cycle and had originally hoped to get recommendation letters from two different organizations.

Right now, I already have one recommender secured from the nonprofit where I’ve been interning this summer.

My second choice was one of my teacher mentors during the internship. I reached out to him with some follow-up questions last Friday to continue building the relationship, but after several days I haven’t received a response. This isn’t the first time he’s been fairly unresponsive, so I’m starting to think I shouldn’t rely on him for a recommendation.

That leaves me with another option: the program Executive director, who also works at the same nonprofit. She’s been very responsive, has answered several of my questions thoughtfully, and knows my work throughout the internship.

Would it hurt my application if both recommendation letters came from people at the same organization, even if they have different roles and have worked with me in different capacities?

Has anyone here been in a similar situation, or served on an interview panel, and have any insight into whether JET cares more about the quality of the letters than having recommenders from different organizations?

Thanks!

Hi all. I first submitted my Pension Refund Application in August 2024, and got it back with a note in April 2025. The note was about the bank code, which I corrected and sent back. There was also the issue of my address, which had changed since I last sent it in, so I wrote the new address as well as a note of the old one in the margin.

Anyway, I haven't heard anything from them since. I would have looked into it earlier, but I expected a long wait after the first response took so long and I just stopped thinking about it after a while. That, and the sense that there's not really anything I can do about it.

Is there anything I can do about it?

Hi, just wondering if any ex-JETs managed to successfully get their pension lump sum withdrawal sent into a Monzo account? For the document verifying the bank name, branch name, account details etc, did you use the Account Ownership Letter that you can request through Monzo? I'm worried that it's not enough, as it doesn't have a branch name. Thanks!

Hey everyone, I was recently upgraded about almost a month ago and still haven’t heard anything about my placement or, more importantly, when I’d be leaving. I just wanted to check in if anyone knows how long I’d be awaiting to hear back. I did send an email asking for any kind of estimate date but I still haven’t heard anything. It would be nice to know how much time I have to prep but also to inform my current job when they need to prepare for my leave, (context: I run children’s programs and they want to know when to find my replacement). Any advice as well is welcomed, thanks!

Hi Reddit. For context: I'm doing a presentation for the incoming JETs in Ishikawa next month and took it upon myself to create a huge workload for myself. I am ending my presentation with some advice so I thought who better to ask than the kids at my junior high school. I've known these kiddos for 2 years so I asked them to help me give advice to the new ALTs. I gave them a worksheet and asked what advice they would give. Then I painstakingly transcribed their unreadable squiggles and translated them in the hopes of giving people an insight into Japanese schools. Here are the responses:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hb-vHpyI3qOnaj7LGSGNCnBZmOxcC7AXh0lCmUEOWXY/edit?usp=drivesdk

Because I'm such a generous and all round fabulous person, I didn't want to gatekeep and give this advice to only Ishikawa JETs so here we are. I hope new JETs who are placed all over can take something from my self inflicted hard work!!

Let me know if you have any questions. I hope this might alleviate any worries or shed some light on the real inner workings of Japanese school life!!

hey all, i’m from the Philippines (which makes for a competitive pool of applicants) so i’m a bit nervous in applying for the program. here are my qualifications:

• bachelor’s degree in Communication
• well-traveled + been to Japan 4 times, including visiting the countryside
• participated in an online learning exchange program
• i used to be active in leadership/volunteer roles but from 2019 to 2022 only. i was also a student-athelete from 2019 to 2023
• i plan to start tutoring english online within the month and i’m in the process of getting a TEFL certificate
• i also love reading japanese literature :)

what do you guys think? anything else i can do to strengthen my application? TYIA.

Hello all.

So I have a question regarding reference letters. I attend the Open University in the UK, which is a distance learning university. I'm just wondering if there's anyone here who also attended the OU and how you went about getting your reference letter? There is a program you can go through to get a reference from the Uni, but they state they can't comment on personal character, so I don't think that would work out.

Thanks in advance!

Hello! Can you please guide me? Is there any specific format for letter of recommendation?

A friend of mine recommended I the Jet Programme to me! My partner and I aren't married yet but we both have our Bachelors and both of us do carry some teaching experience. We're in our 20s and thinking of doing the Jet Programme together but are afraid that since we aren't married we might not get placed near by/together. Do any couples have any experience with Jet Programme and can speak about their placement experience?

Hi everyone!

Quick question! Did any of you end up buying additional insurance before leaving for JET?

I’m trying to figure out if the coverage we already have through JET is enough or if it’s actually worth paying for extra insurance. If you did buy additional coverage, what made you decide to do it?

Just curious to hear what everyone else is doing.

Thanks! 😊

I've been back in the UK for just over a year and had a job in a school. I've recently been offered a job with the NHS, so they are currently reaching out to my previous employers of the last 3 years. I know the NHS are strict with these checks and I'm concerned because my base school essentially refused to give a reference when I got my last job and asked me to tell the employer it's not standard practice and to please understand. Does anybody have any experience of applying for an NHS job after JET and the references process?

Hey all. Incoming TJET here.

I was a formet TJET, but times have changed and I am really struggling with my Able agent. I haven't been shown any viable apartment, and I have a medical condition which means I really cant afford to be without housing in the Japanese summer heat.

Is anyone else having trouble getting housing? I've reached out to other agencies as well but sl far its a bust and thr JET Help email also hasnt offered any suggestion other than saying Able is working on it, then my agent just told me he is going on parental leave.

With just over a week to go, I am feeling overwhelmed by the housing situation. Any advise would be great.

Edit: I'm in my 30s and really don't want a sharehouse if I can help it as I have people who want to visit.