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Doing JET, need suggestions of where to live - 08-18-2010, 11:20 PM

I plan on applying for JET's 2011 program and I have no idea what to put as my preferences. So I have a few questions. First, is there anywhere in Japan that neither gets absolutely freezing or hot as balls? I have heard about their summers and/or winters being pretty extreme, depending on where you live and I wondered if there was any middle ground. I live in the southern part of the USA so I'm used to heat more than cold but I would love to be somewhere mild if it exists. If not, it doesn't matter but I was just curious. Also, I'm looking for a more suburban lifestyle. Not too urban or rural. Perhaps on the fringes of a city? Am I more or less likely to get my choices if I ask for rural or urban placement? Also, is it possible to live comfortably while still being able to pay of student loans back home? Lastly, and this is just for the sake of curiosity, which city would you say has the best food? ^_^ I would love any insight from former JET participants or anyone who has lived in Japan for a little while. Thanks.
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steven (Offline)
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08-19-2010, 12:59 AM

Not to be a debby downer, but you might not get any of your preferences! That might work out for the better though... you never know.

To answer your questions:

I think that Japan is a country that really gets affected by the seasons. Some places get it more than others. There are extremes and places that are more mild, but you're not gonna get California type weather. Hokkaido has great summers, apparently, but their winters are really cold, or so I've heard. Okinawa doesn't really have bad winters, but I'm sure it's hotter than usual there. If you're used to the hot more than the cold, you might consider Kyushu maybe?

Unfortunately, my friends who live in Kyushu have told me some stories about some of the food from there! Don't get me wrong, though, they have a lot of good food there too. It's just that I've heard of things like eating bees and stuff like that. They do have a lot of fish there and a lot of food that is different from the rest of Japan (variations of miso soup and different kinds of noodles). Personally speaking, my favorite food in Japan seems to come from my general area. It could be that I've become acustomed to it, but I just really like it. All the local food is great. The down side is (if you don't like the cold) the winters are long. The Sea of Japan side of Japan has a lot of food that I like. It's very rural though in most areas (besides Kanazawa or Nagaoka).

If you're looking for suburban places to live, just put prefectures with big cities in them. People don't often get placed in those big cities for JET, from what I've heard. You're more likely to get a rural area though. The more rural the area, the probability of you needing a car will rise. That might prove to be a fun experience though! Tokyo has a lot of suburbs... there are a lot in the Kansai region as well. I'm not too familiar with that so hopefully someone else could help you.

As far as student loans go. I've heard of a lot of JETs who do the same. Usually the pay is quite good so you won't have to worry about much. The closer you are to a big city, the more you'll probably have to pay for rent though.

Just for some advice:
I wouldn't worry too much about where you are placed. As long as you're not placed on like some remote island or some SUPER rural area, I think you'll be ok. I think it helps to go into something like this with an open mind and not too many expectations. With that kind of outlook, being placed in a more urban or rural place than you were expecting to be might prove to be a great experience for you. As far as food goes, you're gonna get what you get most of the time. It's important to at least try something once or twice before you pass it off. No matter what, you'll probably have other JETs who live nearby who will help you find good places to eat and fun things to do, but don't let that limit you. It's important to get out on your own and just let the wind take ou where it takes you.
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08-19-2010, 01:07 AM

I don't think there is anywhere that is just "mild". I would say maybe north of Tokyo on the main island of Honshu might work.
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Ungarmax (Offline)
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08-20-2010, 01:09 AM

From what I have read of the Osaka area it isnt too hot or cold, but there is some of both. Wikipedia puts the lows during the coldest part around 30F and the highs around the high 90's. The whole country is near large bodies of water though, which should help to regulate the temperatures and give some nice breezes. Don't take my word for it though, I'll be finding out for myself for the first time in a few weeks.
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steven (Offline)
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08-20-2010, 01:32 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ungarmax View Post
From what I have read of the Osaka area it isnt too hot or cold, but there is some of both. Wikipedia puts the lows during the coldest part around 30F and the highs around the high 90's. The whole country is near large bodies of water though, which should help to regulate the temperatures and give some nice breezes. Don't take my word for it though, I'll be finding out for myself for the first time in a few weeks.
I'm sorry but the whole breeze thing isn't true. I don't live in Osaka or Kyoto or in that area, but I don't recall a single cool breeze (except literally next to the water in Osaka). This makes for particularly humid and wet summers (especially in Kyoto). I think that mountains as well as other factors play a big part in that. 30F is cold enough to snow, but I haven't heard of it really snowing much in those areas. I think that when it does snow it melts really quickly.

Unfortunately Japan has apparently been getting hotter in recent history. I know that at least for the area where I live, looking at older pictures of the winter and hearing peoples' stories, I can see that things have changed. This last winter was particularly bad for us (in that we got a lot of snow) but that would've been an average winter 10-15 years ago. Additionally, the summers have been getting hotter supposedly. I can't really tell about that from pictures and stuff so I'm just going by what people've told me. So while the mild times in my area are absolutely wonderful, they get a little bit trunkated. We naturally have long winters, but now the summers are getting a little bit logner as well thus causing shorter falls and springs.

Which is something else to consider, I don't know if all of this side of Japan (the left side when you look at a map) gets it, but we get sand that comes from the gobi desert in the spring which causes the sky to turn red/yellow (even in the morning) and it will dirty up windows/cars/and clothes.

I think what we're all trying to point out is that Japan doesn't really have a mild climate. You might have some areas that are more mild than others during the summer, but you pay for it in the winter. Likewise if you have an area with easier winters, you're probably gonna pay for that in the summer.

I think hunerofpeace said he or she is more comfortable with hotter weather than colder weather (or at least that's what they've been used to), so speaking stirctly about weather, I thought maybe Kyushu or the southern part of Honshu might be a good idea for that. However, considering the type of area in which they wanna live, I'm inclined to believe that MMM is on the right track by suggesting somewhere just north of Tokyo.

Sorry to be blunt, but I'm sure that a lot of JET applicants are gonna write down all the places close to Tokio and Kiyoto, so even if you put those down as your top choices there's a big chance they might just throw you in the middle of nowhere anyways. It is my opinion that while there are fewer people in those "middle of nowhere" type towns, you may have a very good time interacting with those folks, who I'm sure will be glad to have you.
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08-20-2010, 02:10 AM

Thanks to everyone for their insights. I pretty much figured that there was nowhere particularly mild in Japan (or that I would even get my preference if there was). Heck, after reading a lot of comments on here and the JET forum, I am beginning to wonder if I will get accepted into the program at all. I have little teaching experience besides substitute teaching and I feel like the little Japanese that I do know is slowly draining away the longer I am out of school. If I could get accepted just by desire alone I'd have no problem, but my lack of experience makes me nervous. I've heard of people getting a masters just to get into this program. Yikes!

As to the climate concern, I guess the better question would have been "Where are some of the best vacation spots?" Even if I do get stuck up on a mountain somewhere, every now and again I can take a few days break. I really love the thought of "old Japan" and I want to see lots of gardens, quaint inns, and temples. I know I sound like a tourist to the extreme, but a lot of those things are what first piqued my interest in Japan. Is that stuff basically all over or are there certain places that are more renowned for it? Thanks once again,

Katie
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08-20-2010, 02:35 AM

I was on JET for 2 years, and I enjoyed it. I was in Wakayama-ken, which was hot and humid in summer and fairly cold in winter, but with very little snow. I think the Kansai area would be a good choice for you. You'll be fairly close to larger cities like Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, and Nagoya. It's in the middle of Japan which means a pretty even balance of temperatures. You are close to lots of historical places in Kyoto, Nara, etc. And since you are centrally located, you can travel west toward Hiroshima, Shikoku, and Kyushu, or east toward Tokyo.

Experience isn't the biggest key to getting into JET, personality and attitude are, IMO. I myself had a little experience teaching art at a community center, but zero knowledge of Japanese. Good luck!


JET Program, 1996-98, Wakayama-ken, Hashimoto-shi

Link to pictures from my time in Japan
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steven (Offline)
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08-20-2010, 04:42 AM

I think teaching experience, even if you just have a little, gives you a huge advantage. I had absolutely no teaching experience and I got in. I mean I did a little tutoring in high school and took a class geared at teaching Japanese (not that that's what I wanted to do), but that's nowhere near what real life teaching is, which it sounds like you have a closer experience to.

If you're into that "old style" Japan, then the Kansai region might suit you well. There are a lot of historical areas there and most of it has been really well preserved.

Samurai007 is spot on though... I think that what they're looking for is people with good attitudes who are good communicators, because when you get down to the job, that's mostly what it's about.

Knowledge of Japanese is questionable... they act like no Japanese is needed, and a lot of people get in who are like that, but then at certain times they really appreciate it when you know Japanese. (I've heard stories where coworkers get a little miffed when you use Japanese though... but I believe that it won't affect your ability to get into JET.)

Just for a little tip in case you do get accepted... a lot of your coworkers might look down on you for going to other asian countries, which I find a little bit strange. I'm not sure if it's jealousy, racism, or a mixture of both... but I think that depends on the person. A lot of teachers wont care, but I've met a lot who are vocal about that for some reason. Travelling around Japan on your time off will definitely cause a little jealousy, but it's the good kind if you know what I mean. I know that a lot of JETs get together and travel to places together, so if you're comfortable with that they will probably take you to a lot of cool places. Going solo might allow you to really adventure where most foreigners don't usually go (which is a relatively safe thing to do). I personally think it's a bit lonely travelling Japan alone, so if you can it's best to go with a partner or two. Travelling depends on your tastes, but if you live in Kansai you won't have to go very far to get to the kinds of places it sounds like you have interests in. It also sounds like you want to go to a "ryokan", which is like an old style in. You might wanna check those out on the internet if you haven't already. I've had experiences with multiple inns like that. I went with my parents when they travelled to Japan one time in Kyoto and it was nice, but obviously slightly geared to foreigners. If you really want to have the real-deal-experience, you could always ask a friend to teach you some good places. Although a slightly foreigner-friendly place will probably be fine (as it was still a relaxing experience).

So what kinds of stuff do you like to do on your vacations, and do you plan on staying a night or two? (where you are willing to travel to will greatly depend on where you are placed)
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MMM (Offline)
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08-20-2010, 05:13 AM

Nobody gave a crap where I went on my vacations or days off. If anything, they gave me advice where to go to see beautiful spots in Japan. A lot of my friends traveled to Asia on vacations, but I liked travelling around Japan.
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steven (Offline)
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08-20-2010, 06:24 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM View Post
Nobody gave a crap where I went on my vacations or days off. If anything, they gave me advice where to go to see beautiful spots in Japan. A lot of my friends traveled to Asia on vacations, but I liked travelling around Japan.
Yea, I have nothing against the countries nearby, but there is an awful lot to see within the country. I've never travelled to another country since I've been here, although I know a lot of people really like to do that. If I were doing JET for only a year or 2 or something like that, I wouldn't be bothered by what my coworkers thought about me going to other countries... it's a chance that you might regret passing up!

A lot of the teachers at my school have talked to me and helped me find some cool places (they've even asked me for advice which is ironic but another story). However, I've heard teachers at my school, as well as other teachers making complaints which specifically talk about "ALTs" going to asian countries during vacations. I don't quite get why the complaints seem to revolve around "asian countries", but I understand that teachers get frustrated that their ALTs sometimes take off of work in the middle of the year so they can go on some paradise vacation.

I'm straying from the topic (which I apologize for constantly doing MMM), but there are teachers who look down on other teachers for taking trips or time off! That's one of the things that does bug me about Japan. I wish people would relax a little bit about certain things and just enjoy life for themselves, if not for their kids and family, once in a while.
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