AJET PSG: For JETs, by JETs

Peer Support Group (PSG) was established in the early 1990s and has continued to grow from a single landline phone to an easy-to-access Skype account, providing anonymous support to the JET community.

PSG is a confidential listening service for JETs, by JETs, which prides itself in confidentiality. It is a safe space to discuss any issues or challenges you are currently facing with people that have been in similar situations. PSG volunteers are dedicated to helping fellow JETs who are in need of an objective, non-judgmental listener or looking for informational resources.

Whether you’ve been battling cultural fatigue, need to find certain information, or just want someone to listen, we are here for you. PSG operates 365 days of the year from 20:00 until 07:00. We are the only listening service available during those times that has an acute understanding of life as a JET. Please give us a call at 050-5534-5566 or contact us on Skype at AJETPSG. You can also visit our website or Facebook page for more information.

We are here to help. Know you have our support and understanding.

Tatami Timeshare

Tatami Timeshare (TT) is an exclusive Couchsurfing-like community for JETs and JET alumni. There are currently over 400 active members around Japan and internationally. TT is aimed at those that would like to travel around Japan and different parts of the world while, at the same time, staying with locals in those areas. TT is also aimed at those that would like to offer their homes, knowledge, and experience to travellers coming through their local communities.

Once you decide to join, you will be given access to the private TT Google Map with members’ location pins and contact information, so you can take the next step in contacting people in places you are interested in visiting.

If this sounds like a community you would be interested in joining and you are a current or alumni JET, please fill out this form. 

You can also find us on Facebook by searching "Tatami Timeshare" or contacting tatami.timeshare@ajet.net.

NHK World-Japan "Friends Around The World"

There are over 400 Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) in towns and cities all over Japan. As a CIR, your main roles are interpreting, translating, event-planning, and school visits – with random odd-jobs every so often. However, spreading international understanding and exchange is the focal point for our jobs, and promoting our towns and cities to other people within Japan and abroad plays a huge role.

In an effort to reach more people worldwide, English-speaking CIRs around Japan are cooperating with NHK World-Japan for their “Friends Around the World” English radio program! Tune in each week as one (or more!) CIRs introduce their communities, describing what the prefecture is known for, as well as other unique qualities, events, festivals, and more! Let the CIRs help you discover new areas and uncover interesting facts from all around Japan!

In addition to the CIRs’ segments, the radio hosts introduce timely Japanese culture and read fan mail, so feel free to send in your messages, get your voices heard, and get a special program sticker!

JET Programme Voices

Have you had unique experiences on the JET Programme that you want to share with the world? Would you like to use your writing to highlight the charm and appeal of your community?

All current and former JET participants are invited to contribute to JET Programme Voices, a journalism project designed to publicise the activities of JET participants through storytelling. Articles are selected by CLAIR and published by the Yomiuri Shimbun of the English language publication, The Japan News.

For more information please see the guidelines on the JET Programme website.

Call for JET Creators

Are you a photographer, writer, blogger, or creator in Japan?

Would you like to have your website or channel hosted on the National AJET website?

National AJET is currently looking for new and current outlets to promote on the JET Resources section of the AJET website. In our experience, JETs make the best resources for JETs and we want to make sure we have the most accurate representation of what the JET community and JET life is like.

If you are interested in sharing your blog or website, please email the Director of Public Relations at taryn.matthews@ajet.net with your:

• Name and Weblink
• Year and Placement on JET
• 100-150 word blurb about your website or channel and what topics you cover (life as a CIR, studying Japanese, teaching advice, etc.)

JET Christian Fellowship Fall Retreat

JET Christian Fellowship (JCF) will hold its Fall retreat from November 2nd-4th, 2019. Christians from inside and outside of Japan will meet in Karuizawa, Nagano for a time of praise, prayer, time in God’s Word, fellowship, encouragement, and fun.

Rob Taylor will be our guest speaker, and he will guide us through the theme of: "Be Who You Are, in Christ" and how the Gospel forms the foundation of our identity. Other activities include small group discussions, worship time, and free time to explore Karuizawa,. Come join us and connect with Christians around Japan while seeing old friends and making new ones. As Samuel, a 3rd -year JET from Shiga, said about our Spring retreat in Kobe,

“I was blessed to find a church in my current city of Omihachiman with an atmosphere similar to my church back home, but the church is primarily elders with few youth. The JCF retreat was a blessing because it rekindled my faith with a different kind of fellowship that I feel was necessary. It really was helpful to have an all-English fellowship and the time to spend with people in the same position.”

Don’t miss this chance for a spiritually rejuvenating weekend with other Christians. For more details or questions, please contact us at jcfretreat@gmail.com.

Hope to see you there!

AJET Connect Magazine

This month's issue covers seasonal changes and exciting anecdotes. Take a glance at a fire and snake festival gone awry, some tips and tricks to get your autumn photos just right, cosplay perspectives across Japan, a local sports tournament shaped by memes, and more!

See it all in the October issue of AJET Connect Magazine!

National AJET LINE Stickers

National AJET's first set of LINE stickers are available now! The eight sticker set features National AJET's official mascot, a red-crowned crane known as Tsuru-chan, who represents AJET's mission to nurture and cultivate the JET programme and its' participants.

Add a little character to your LINE chats with this collection, available in the LINE sticker shop for ¥120!

Register with Your Embassy 

For safety and security whilst living abroad, there are times when questions and concerns can best be handled by your home country. All JET participants are strongly advised to register with their home country’s embassy or local consulate while living in Japan, as your embassy may be able to help you and your relatives obtain necessary information and check on each other`s safety in an emergency.

Please contact your home country’s embassy or local consulate for details. You can find an official list of Embassies and Consulates on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

JETs Recommend!

The JET community is made up of participants from all over the globe, with a diverse range of advice, opinions, and wisdom to share! Enjoy some recommendations from the community here and send suggestions to pr@ajet.net.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

If you’ve read and enjoyed Flynn’s other works – most notably Gone Girl and Sharp Objects – then you’re in for a treat. Dark Places has the same dirty, raw and unapologetically human atmosphere that draws in so many of her readers. Her portrayal of depression through various characters’ actions never ceases to both amaze and horrify me.

The protagonist of the novel, Libby Day, was the only survivor in a massacre that resulted in the death of her mother and two sisters in the eighties. Her brother is incarcerated, believed to be the murderer under much controversy, and Libby’s own memories of that night paint her eldest sibling out to be a crazed Satanist. The story is set some twenty years after the murders take place and Libby dives deep into the question she has been too scared to ask for decades: what really happened that night?

The overarching themes of the book deal with depression and isolation and how various characters cope with their mental illnesses. I was continuously arguing with myself over Libby’s brother’s innocence or guilt, trying to read behind every character’s action (or inaction).Like I said, I don’t want to give too much away with this review, but I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. I gave it five stars on GoodReads before I’d even finished it.

Seriously, go find a copy of it now.

​Submitted by Tara Henley

VoiceTra App

Have you ever had an awkward moment speaking Japanese where you didn’t know quite exactly how to articulate a certain phrase? What about when a local is speaking to you in a hard-to-understand dialect at shinkansen-speed?  Most of us would turn to Google Translate to fill in those language barrier moments, only to get wonky and hilariously incorrect translations in return. What if I told you there’s an app that puts Google Translate to absolute shame, giving quick, precise translations no matter what slang is used or the speed it’s spoken?

Recently, I’ve come across a nifty translator app that uses AI technology specializing in Japanese translation. It’s called VoiceTra, and it’s a complete game-changer. All users need to do is press the mic and speak, and their sentences are accurately translated to the target language within seconds. The best part about it? It’s FREE!

When I introduced VoiceTra to my coworkers in the office, everyone went into frenzy. They were out of their seats, speaking auctioneer-speed Kansai-ben and Awaji-ben (the island where I’m from) into the app, and having their minds blown at how exact the translations to English were. Within about 15 minutes, an office of 30 people all had it downloaded, trying to push the limits of what this AI app could do. However, since this is a more Japanese-centric app, the translations are most accurate when translating X to Japanese, or Japanese to X. For example, if you want to translate Arabic to Spanish using VoiceTra, you’re better off going back to Google Translate.

Studying Japanese is obviously the best way to break the barriers, but, sometimes our brains are just fried from a long day. This app has come to my aid during many moments of drawing blanks, and has been my secret weapon ever since.

​Submitted by Lillian Seiler

Volunteer in your Community on Behalf of AJET

As JET Programme participants, we are in a unique position to give something back to Japan and to greatly impact the local areas in which we live. Spending time working with others towards a collective societal or environmental goal is an immensely satisfying and rewarding experience that can provide a huge sense of accomplishment, as well as personal and professional benefits.

No matter your placement in Japan, your first port of call should be the National AJET volunteering database. Our ever-expanding database contains masses of organizations and volunteer associations throughout Japan (arranged by block to make things even easier for you)! To keep up to date with volunteer events and opportunities, join our Facebook page or contact the Director of Volunteering at natasha.taliferro@ajet.net!

JETAA KenJETkai Program

Are you a recent JET Alumnus looking for ways to stay connected to your home prefecture? Make sure to join your KenJETkai group on Facebook! Created and facilitated by JETAA-I (JET Programme Alumni Association International), the KenJetKai program focuses on connecting JET alumni with their home prefectures to continue fostering cultural exchange after JETs return to their home countries.

KenJetKai groups have worked to help flooding relief efforts, hosted JET Programme 30th anniversary events, and continue to work to better relationships between JETs and their home prefectures in a variety of ways.

Even after leaving Japan, JETs can always feel connected to their home-away-from-home! To get connected JETs can go to the KenJETkai Facebook page to find their Prefecture listed under “Groups". The main page also acts as a great place for resources, tips, and ideas on how to foster this cultural exchange! 

AJET Resource Database

The AJET Resource Database is an ongoing project to help JET participants have greater access to a variety of teaching resources,  JET-made lesson plans, Japanese language tips, textbook accompaniment, academic articles, after-JET preparation support, and more! Whether you’re looking to update your resume, write a new one in Japanese, or are just having a hard time getting back into the swing of lesson planning, there’s something here for you!

Don’t see what you're looking for? Have a great resource, guide or lesson plan you think would help others? Let us know what resources you would like to see on the site by writing the Director of Professional and Educational Development at samantha.cosentino@ajet.net.