by Marti Deyo, Ph.D. (Aomori, 2004–2009) When I arrived in Aomori Prefecture in 2004 as a JET ALT, I had no idea where the experience would eventually lead. My days often began with an hour-long drive through the countryside to one of the five elementary schools, three junior high schools, or agricultural college where I taught. Every school was different. Every community had something new to teach me. Even the drive itself became part of discovering this place I was beginnin

By Chris Chiba-Tow, Co-Director, JETAA Tokyo Fellow JETs and JET Alumni — Some of you know me from JETAA events; what you might not know is what I've been doing on the retail side of Tokyo. This August, I got to help open one of the biggest projects of my career: lululemon's new Global Flagship Store in Harajuku, where I now serve as Assistant Store Manager. It's been twelve years since I first came to Japan on JET, and eight years since I first joined lululemon in Japan. I s

This piece was originally published on jetwit.com on July 24, 2026 By Valerie Hwang Beck (ALT, Hyogo, 2009-2012) Almost every ALT on JET has some version of this story. Being used as a human tape recorder. Being put in a position where your input on how the English lessons should go was dismissed, or just ignored. I remember one curriculum meeting for my town’s elementary and junior high English teachers. Typical Japanese school meeting room: fold-out tables arranged in a mak

There's knowing about matcha, and then there's what Ian Chun knows about matcha. On August 1st, a small group of JETAA Tokyo members braved the summer heat to make their way to Togoshi Ginza to visit Ian at his matcha tasting space, Yunomi Matcha Tokyo — and walked away with a quietly expanded sense of what a cup of tea can be. Ian is a JET alum (Okinawa) whose path to becoming one of Tokyo's most thoughtful matcha specialists has been years in the making — part passion proje

As of April 2026, updated immigration guidelines for the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa (技人国) have officially gone into effect, creating new discussions and concerns among foreign professionals living and working in Japan. Under the revised guidelines, applicants are generally expected to demonstrate either JLPT N2 certification or equivalent B2-level Japanese proficiency when applying for this visa category. This is particularly important becau

A look back at three sessions on life, work, and study in Japan after JET — co-presented by JETAA Tokyo and USJETAA. The transition from the JET Program to "the real world" can be a little overwhelming. That's why USJETAA and JETAA Tokyo teamed up to launch the Horizons Series, a multi-part workshop designed to help current JETs and recent alumni find their footing in Japan and beyond. With a strong turnout of over 100 virtual registrants and a dedicated in-person cohort, her