Great thanks,
What I meant by "favourable" was more like "generous." I heard from someone that one person that participated in the program got a far higher salary (he was apparently placed in a private school) which surprised me because I thought that the 3.6 million Yen salary was standardized for all JET participants.
The reason I'm wondering about preferences is because I'm not sure how many people would actually choose Hokkaido. I can't imagine that as many people are interested in going somewhere there as Tokyo, Kyoto, etc. so if I select it, I may be much more likely to be placed there than others.
By the way, did you have any TEFL/formal ESL training before you went?
And lastly, in your experience, how likely is it for someone's contract to be renewed if they want it to be and did a decent job.
Thanks for the great and valuable insights so far
!