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