Embarrassing question..

If you are in jet program or hired by a company like aeon.. How early must you arrive in Japan before you start work? I hope at least a week to get used to the area..

I read programs an companies don't pay for your airplane ticket which is fine to me. Here is the embarrassing question.. My mom wants to go to Japan with me when I first go.. She is very scared for me to travel and live alone.. She wants her to be there to help me get used to the area.

I told her I will be fine, haha! But she insists.. I don't even know if it is allowed to have a guest in your apartment so early? Is it?

If she can not do that, that is okay! Haha. I have travel by airplane alone before. Not overseas. But I still feel that I will be okay and will be able to find my way once there =) I'm sure it will be hard, but I will do it! Haha =)

Many apartments are cramped small places, most likely she'd need to stay in a hotel or pay for her own accommodation. It depends on the contract you have. It might be harder because JET puts you in the middle of the countryside most of the time, not many hotels out there.

Here's my JET specific answers to your questions:

If you are in jet program or hired by a company like aeon.. How early must you arrive in Japan before you start work? I hope at least a week to get used to the area..

Speaking of JET, your ticket will be paid for and you much travel together with the other hires and attend a conference in Tokyo before heading to where you will work. Then you will have about a month to get settled before classes begin.

I read programs an companies don't pay for your airplane ticket which is fine to me.

JET pays for your ticket to Japan and your return ticket at the conclusion of your stay. Some private companies do, but its probably safe to say that most do not.

Here is the embarrassing question.. My mom wants to go to Japan with me when I first go.. She is very scared for me to travel and live alone.. She wants her to be there to help me get used to the area.

I told her I will be fine, haha! But she insists..

That could be terribly embarrassing if coming on JET where you travel together with all the new hires. Rarely some family members come to Japan with new JETs but they will need to have separate plane and hotel reservations and transportation, and should keep a respectful distance. They also wouldn't see you during the few days of training, so it'd be like a shadow trip for the first week or so. If you and your mom are comfortable with this than you may be able to work something out with her.

I don't even know if it is allowed to have a guest in your apartment so early? Is it?

Sometimes new JETs stay with homestay families for the first week or so of their stay. If this is the case then your mother should find her own accomodation. Otherwise, unless you are at special housing, such as teachers dorms, then it should be ok for your mom to stay with you.

If she can not do that, that is okay! Haha. I have travel by airplane alone before. Not overseas. But I still feel that I will be okay and will be able to find my way once there =) I'm sure it will be hard, but I will do it! Haha =)

Especially if you are on JET you will be walked though each step of the way, together with all the other 2000 new hires that are doing it with you.

Really, in the countryside?? I talked with a few people from jet who said lots are in the city and have seen videos of them living in the city.. Maybe that is only a few??

Wow!! You were very helpful!! Thank you so much!! i was unaware jet paid for plane ticket and knowing that they help you each step of the way makes me feel better and i definitely think it will make my mom feel better especially knowing the other teachers will be close by with me.. Thank you so much!! =)

It might be harder because JET puts you in the middle of the countryside most of the time, not many hotels out there.

I wouldn't be too concerned that you won't be able to find a hotel. You would have to be in some real inaka to have no hotel choices, and those are the types of situations where JETs are more likely to have places where your mother can stay with you.

Really, in the countryside?? I talked with a few people from jet who said lots are in the city and have seen videos of them living in the city.. Maybe that is only a few??

It depends on what you consider the countryside. For example, I taught on JET in Gunma Prefecture, which is north of Tokyo and very mountainous. But the majority of JETs were in a city of some size. Don't be worried that you'll be placed in the middle of nowhere surrounded by rice fields (although it is a possiblity), however if you are placed in the mountains then that is a different story. But on the opposite note, don't assume you'll be near a major metropolitan area. I am lucky to be a 1.5 hr train ride from Tokyo, but I never go. If you are happy where you are then you'll have the best time, and don't rely on being able to escape to the nearest large city for your happiness.

Wow!! You were very helpful!! Thank you so much!! i was unaware jet paid for plane ticket and knowing that they help you each step of the way makes me feel better and i definitely think it will make my mom feel better especially knowing the other teachers will be close by with me.. Thank you so much!! =)

No problem, happy to help!

I know I have so many!! =X I am sorry!

It seems everyone I talk to wants to be placed in Tokyo and I would like that too, but it seems very unlikely. I would just prefer a city, small or large, compared to a very far away secluded area.. But wherever I am placed I will make the best of it! =) I will learn a lot no matter if I'm in the city or in the countryside, so it will be good!

I just looked up on a map the locations and how far they are from Tokyo because I would like to visit Tokyo at least once while I am there and it seems a lot of places are 3+ hours away. Do you think it would be possible to go there for a weekend if I made plans?

Forgot to ask.. Can you request a change of location? I would not plan on asking for this. First year I will be lucky to even be chosen to go to Japan =) and will take whatever I get! But after your first year, you can ask to stay another year? Can you ask to go to another location then? Lets say you are in the countryside and hate it, want to go to city. Or if you're in the city and hate it, so you want to go to the countryside..

no problem, keep the questions coming

It seems everyone I talk to wants to be placed in Tokyo and I would like that too, but it seems very unlikely. I would just prefer a city, small or large, compared to a very far away secluded area.. But wherever I am placed I will make the best of it! =) I will learn a lot no matter if I'm in the city or in the countryside, so it will be good!

Actually I think its actually impossible to be placed in Tokyo City with JET. The Tokyo metropolitan government doesn't hire JETs and instead uses private dispatch companies. The parts of Tokyo that may still hire JETs are the islands south of Tokyo. This is not a convenient place to live as some are a once a week 26 hour ferry ride from the actual city.

I just looked up on a map the locations and how far they are from Tokyo because I would like to visit Tokyo at least once while I am there and it seems a lot of places are 3+ hours away. Do you think it would be possible to go there for a weekend if I made plans?

Tokyo is easily done from as a day trip even from many of the surrounding prefectures. It basically comes down to cost. By regular train, Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Nagano, Yamanashi, and Shizuoka are possible as a day trip even. Farther than that and you may want to consider the shinkansen which is more expensive. Weekend trips are also no problem and you can find hostels and hotels in the asakusa area really cheap. And there's business hotels all around the city, and don't forget the capsule hotels, internet cafe, and stay out all night clubbing options. It gets expensive fast however, and you can easily spend at least 10,000 yen on transportation and lodging for the weekend.

Forgot to ask.. Can you request a change of location?

Yes, and you will have a better chance of being placed there assuming you have some sort of connection to the area (prior homestay, family, etc.). You will have a better change of getting your request if it is a less popular area. For example, if you really want to be close to Tokyo, request one of the neighboring prefectures.

I would not plan on asking for this. First year I will be lucky to even be chosen to go to Japan =) and will take whatever I get!

If you want to request then the time to do it is on you application. It does not have any bearing on your acceptance into the program.

But after your first year, you can ask to stay another year?

Yes, you can stay up to 5 years now. The last 2 are at your employers discretion.

Can you ask to go to another location then? Lets say you are in the countryside and hate it, want to go to city. Or if you're in the city and hate it, so you want to go to the countryside..

Yes, you can ask, but baring special circumstances (marriage, health, etc.) your request WILL be rejected. Like I mentioned, the time to request is on the application.

I have only one more question, then I will be done =)

I will remember to request a location when I apply! What would you say is the best location to request in order to be some what close to Tokyo?

You listed Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Nagano, Yamanashi, and Shizuoka as being possible day trips. Would those be the ones you suggest requesting??

You have been so unbelievably helpful.. I really appreciate it so much =D

I'm gonna have to be incredibly biased here, but I quite partial to Gunma. Its is just where the mountains start and reasonably connected to Tokyo (around 2 hours by train from most of the prefeture). It has a good JET community and their support system, training, etc. is set up pretty well. Weather is good as the mountains shelter it from typhoons, but it can get hot in the summer. The best part for me is that it is just a 30-45 minute drive to the nearest skiing, and an hour or so to Yuzawa, Niigata with some really great resorts, and at the same time it doesn't actually snow where I live. But that's just my incredibly one sided response. What are your interests? That may help in picking a location.

Well I am very interested in exploring new locations and especially taking photos!! Which is why I love the big cities annd the countryside.. I really love exploring the big cities, going shopping, and taking lots of photos of the busy exciting life.. But I also really love taking photos of the beautiful countryside. Photography is really important to me. I do not ski and am not very good at sports =X

I like your opinion! =) It sounds like a nice place!