While researching the Tofugu JET Guide, I came across a wealth of information. Blogs, websites, wikis, forums, the list goes on. So many people are writing so much about life in Japan and on JET.
So it’s only right to share the resources I was most impressed with. These are sites I bookmarked and kept coming back to in my research. The best of the best.
Naturally, no one site contains all the information pertinent to everyone ever. So it’s good to look through the links below and see what uniqueness each has to offer. I’ve done my best to highlight what makes each one special.
Hopefully this page can be a resource for JETs looking for answers. Good luck!
Official JET Program Links
This is help from above, so to speak. The official word from the people who sent you to Japan and/or are in charge of you. This advice can feel stiff at first. After all, it’s from the bosses so there is a certain veneer of formality that goes along with this type of writing. Nonetheless, there is a lot of great stuff in here. A lot of problems JETs faced are covered in these links and covered well. Read all this stuff before digging into other resources.
The JET Programme
This seems like a no-brainer. But few JETs check through the “official” JET help documents. While CLAIR may give you dry advice or gloss over tough issues, its resources are actually incredibly helpful if you take the time to dig. The General Information Handbook (GIH) alone clears up a lot of concerns held by JETs during their tenure. On top of this, CLAIR offers New JET Guides, ALT Handbooks, Teaching Materials, and Returners’ Guides. Consider these resources the “Read Before Posting” guidelines of the JET Program. Clean and official, but very helpful.
Highlights:
Genereal Information Handbook
ALT Handbook
Visit: The Official JET Program Website
AJET
AJET (The Association for JET) is an official/unofficial organization. It’s officially the unofficial support network for all JETs in Japan. Being tied to CLAIR but not ruled by it means their help is down to earth and high quality. Their teaching materials are top-notch, as are their guides to life and work in Japan. You could get all the help you need from AJET and be just fine.
Highlights:
Professional Growth Tips
Bicycle Guide
Visit: The AJET Resource Page
CLAIR’s Information for Foreigners in Japan
This a site/directory created by CLAIR for foreigners living in Japan. It covers everything from marriage to taxes to garbage to job searching. If it’s something you have to do in life, this site probably talks about doing it in Japan. What I find strange is that this is made by CLAIR, the same organization which oversees JET. Why is this site not shared with JETs? Sure, it’s not JET-specific. But all JETs live in Japan and could benefit from this site. Whatever the reason, you have the link now. Give the site a look and I’m sure you’ll find a lot of useful information.
Highlights:
Multilingual Guidebook
Daily Life Issues
Visit: Multilingual Living Information
Shimane PAs
The Prefectural Advisors of Shimane-ken did a great job setting up a resource blog for their JETs. Though many things are Shimane-specific, any JET or expat in Japan should benefit from 70% of everything here. The best part is, it’s still active. So hopefully there’s more goodness to come.
Highlights:
Steps to follow if you’re in a traffic accident
Winter Tips and Ideas
Visit: Help from Shimane PAs
Ibaraki PAs
The PAs of Ibaraki have started a nice website for JETs in their prefecture. Right now there’s not much in the way of resources, but they do have an interesting feature: Ask Ibaraki JET PAs. ALTs ask questions about their job and the PAs give honest and helpful feedback. It seems to be updated rather frequently so hopefully it continues. In a year it could make for a treasure trove of Dear Abby style advice for ALTs.
Highlights:
Ask Ibaraki JET PAs
Visit: Help from Ibaraki PAs
By JETs, For JETs
Photo by Blake Danger Bentley
Almost every prefecture in Japan has JET Participant-created website meant to aid the community. Some of the resources on these pages will only apply to people living in or visiting that specific prefecture. But the majority of articles, guides, and clickables will help any JET anywhere.
If your prefecture’s website doesn’t offer the answers you’re looking for, or you’d just like a second opinion, click some of the links below. You’ll be surprised how much advice and wisdom you’ll pick up from these sites.
The JET Coaster
This site is unique to this list in that it is unofficial. It’s curated by a group of former JETs who give awesome JET advice to newcomers and those currently on the program. It’s relatively new, but already has a good deal of solid content. This site is often updated, giving it a big advantage over those that are helpful, though stagnant.
Highlights:
Podcast
Forums
Visit: The JET Coaster
Kumamoto JET
Definitely one of the best. Consistently updated. High quality content. I could go on.
KumamotoJET is featured prominently in Tofugu’s Guide to Lesson Planning, and it’s no slouch when it comes to the rest of JET life. Their Tax Guide alone is worth the visit. It’s only applicable to U.S. residents, but it’s incredibly detailed. If you’re a JET from the U.S., check it out for sure.
Highlights:
Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens
Visas
Visit: Kumamoto JET
Kyoto JETs
Kyoto JETs has a great collection of information. It will take some crawling but its worth the effort. The standouts are the Disaster Preparedness section and the Tax Guide. Most sites don’t even address disaster (surprisingly), so that alone is worth a click.
Highlights:
Disaster Preparedness
Tax Guide which includes countries other than the U.S.
Visit: Kyoto JETs
JET Sendai
This is one of my favorites (which is why it’s near the top). JET Sendai covers a lot of ground and their explanations of procedures untangle complicated situations. Short, sweet, and to the point. If you need help in a hurry, head to JET Sendai. ‘Nuff said.
Highlights:
Appliances Guide
Importing Medication
Visit: Sendai JET
Hyogo AJET
The website is rather bare bones in terms of design but it has a ton of useful content. It doesn’t cover every aspect of JET life. But what it does cover is unique and useful. More obscure and offbeat topics are covered here. Definitely recommended.
Highlights:
Getting Married in Japan
Evaluations Guide
Visit: Hyogo JET
Akita JET
Don’t let the plain presentation fool you. The Akita JET wiki has a lot to offer. Though some entries are a little shallow, the Akita wiki covers a lot. If you’re facing a strange or abstract situation, visit this site. The answer just might be there.
Highlights:
Conference Resource Archive
Finances
Visit: Akita JET
Saga JET
The Saga JET Programme site is pretty nice. Cute layout. Good amount of info. It takes some digging to find the good stuff though. Most of the advice ends up being Saga-specific. So you may click on a link thinking, “Wow! I really need to know this,” only to find the advice contained applies only to people living in Saga. Nevertheless, keep poking around. There are a lot of gems in here that will apply to anyone living in Japan.
Highlights:
Tips on Communicating with JTEs
Communication During a Disaster
Visit: Saga JET
Gunma JET
Honestly, I just have fun on this site. Maybe it’s the layout. The colors. I don’t know. All the resources are very complete and personal. One of my favs. It includes a unique furikomi guide. You’ll probably be taught how to use this by your supervisor, but it’s great in case you forget or are never taught.
Highlights:
Furikomi Guide
Advice from Current JETs
Visit: Gunma JET
Yamaguchi AJET
This is a very clean and navigable site. It has very complete resources for incoming and outgoing JETs. Not as much for life in between, unless you live in Yamaguchi. They have intensely detailed descriptions of every city in the prefecture. If you’re placed in Yamaguchi, it’s an excellent resource. If not, maybe it might be worth visiting. Going on a trip with such a detailed guide can make for a great experience.
Highlights:
Guide to the Japanese School System
Newcomer’s Guide
Visit: Yamaguchi AJET
Okinawa JET
The Okinawa JET website covers most aspects of JET life. Their guides and articles are mid-size, which can be a good thing. If you’re overwhelmed by comprehensive explanations elsewhere, it’s helpful to read shorter versions of the same information.
Also, OkiJET has an Island Guide. With beautiful beaches and resorts, chances are you’ll want to head down Okinawa way at least once. The Island Guide will give you the resident’s perspective not found in most travel guides.
Highlights:
Island Guides (mouse over About>Island Guides)
Combating Summer
Visit: OkiJET
Mie JETs
Mie JETs is a little tough to navigate at first, but the information is worth the effort. It’s set up like a wiki but isn’t called one. A wiki by any other name is still a wiki. Check here if you can’t find answers anywhere else.
Highlights:
Vegan living Guide
Japan Travel Guide
Visit: Mie JETs
Oita JETs
OitaJET is relatively new, but still sports a lot of content. Hopefully new things will continue to be added. Until then, enjoy the clean layout and unique features.
Highlights:
Paying Japanese Residence Taxes
For First Year JETs
Visit: Oita JETs
Kagoshima JET
The PAs of Kagoshima have created some original and helpful content. A lot of the common “Guides for Living” include abstract questions to aid in development. It’s nice to see a personal touch once in a while.
Highlights:
Sexual Health
Workplace Culture Questions
Visit: Kagoshima JET
OkaJET
Maybe the cutest logo of all Prefectural sites. Like others in this list, OkaJET offers its take on JET life. It also chimes in on regional issues like rainy season survival which you are likely to experience anywhere in Japan.
Highlights:
Meals for Beginners
Rainy Season
Visit: OkaJET
Toyama JETs
Though the site is very pretty, I was put off by navigation. But I pushed through and found some good content. The medical information was the most helpful, in my opinion.
Highlights:
Women’s Medical Issues
Safety
Visit: Toyama JETs
Fukuoka JET
Fukuoka JET’s resources are hit or miss. Some are detailed and helpful. Others not so much. Poke around the site and see what you can find. The School Calendar Kanji guide was pretty unique and could be helpful to ALTs wanting to stay in the loop at their schools.
Highlights:
Understanding Your School Calendar
Souvenir Suggestions: Omiyage
Visit: Fukuoka JET
Ishikawa JET Wiki
Very complete and has the advantage of being a wiki. Unfortunately it’s a wikia wiki, so be prepared for ads, ads, ads! The experience is slow, but content might be worth it.
Highlights:
Everyday Living Kanji
Victims of Crime and Emergency
Visit: The Ishikawa JET Wiki
TokushimaJET
Tokushima has a pretty little site. Still sparse on info, but what it does have fairly complete and easy to find. Thumbs up!
Highlights:
Cell phone guide
Sending Money Home
Visit: TokushimaJET
Ehime AJET
Ehime AJET is a little on the small side, but has some hidden gems. It’s pop culture events guide is unique as well as the shipping guide. Good stuff for vegetarians. Worth a look.
Highlights:
Shipping
Vegetarian Guide
Pop Culture Events Guide
Visit: Ehime AJET
ShizaJET
Shizuoka AJET (or Shizajet) is still getting started. Hopefully it will expand with time. I did really like their Top 5 Lists, which are a good collection of advice and ideas for ALTs in digestible form. More stuff like this please, Shizajet!
Highlights:
Top 5 Lists
Visit: ShizaJET
NiigataJET
The Niigata JET site isn’t too different from those listed above. It has a nice little blog that’s worth clicking through for personal insights. I thought their section on culture shock had some unique things to say.
Highlights:
Culture Shock
Visit: NiigataJET
Survival
Photo by kinpi3
If you didn’t get enough survival help from your fellow JETs above, here are some non-JET related links to take care of any loose ends you’re still fighting with. Really, the first link in this list is the jam. Keep reading and see what I mean.
Surviving in Japan
No joke, this site is what inspired this list. All the other sites listed are very helpful, but this one is extremely, overwhelmingly helpful. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been updated since 2013. Fortunately the articles left over are pure gold. This is all the nitty gritty stuff most guides don’t bother to cover.
Which toothpastes have fluoride? Where to find foods from home? What kinds of foundation match which non-Japanese skin colors?
I really can’t say enough good things about this site. Check it out and be amazed.
Visit: Surviving in Japan
Just Landed
This is an online community for expats in every country. The topics covered are fairly comprehensive, but not as deep as really good sites. Check here if you’ve checked everywhere else. You might find some answers or links you’re looking for.
Visit: Just Landed
Japan Post Communication Guide
This is a chart from the Japanese post office that helps foreigners use the Japanese post office. Makes a good language study tool.
Visit: The Japanese Post Office
Hyperdia & Jorudan
These are both Japanese train time calculators. I included them for completeness’ sake, but Google Maps does the same task better. Use these if you have an aversion to Google Maps.
Visit: Hyperidia
Visit: Jorudan
Japanese Toll Calculator Guide
Road trippin’ in Japan? Calculate the tolls you’ll have to pay on your cross country tour. Don’t forget the snacks! Seriously. Don’t forget the snacks.
Visit: Japan Toll Calculator
Import Foods
Photo by Rachel Titiriga
Food is one of the things you’ll miss most while on JET. Sometimes a tough bout of culture shock can be cured with a bit of cheese or some sour patch kids. Thankfully there are some websites that offer import and foreign foods delivered straight to your door.
The Flying Pig
This is probably the most famous resource. The Flying Pig delivers Costco items. Considering there aren’t many Costco locations in Japan and they may be hard to get to for most JETs, this is a big deal. The Flying Pig offers comforts of home as often as you like.
Visit: The Flying Pig
Foreign Buyers’ Club
The Foreign Buyers’ Club goes beyond Costco to just about everywhere else. Almost anything you can imagine, they’ve got. Try not to spend your whole paycheck.
Visit: The Foreign Buyers’ Club
The Meat Guy
Pretty self-explanatory. He’s a guy. He sells meat. His prices are pretty reasonable and you can get almost any kind of meat in any size. Even Thanksgiving turkey! Put your burger and bacon cravings to rest once and for all.
Visit: The Meat Guy
Tengu Natural Foods
For whole, natural, and organic foods. Tengu is the best way to eat right in Japan.
Visit: Tengu Natural Foods
Yoyo Market
Yoyo offers items from Costco and a little bit more. If it’s for sale anywhere in Japan, chances are they can get their hands on it.
Visit: Yoyo Market
Legal Help
Photo by Roy Berman
Hopefully you won’t need these links while on JET.
Japanese Law Translations
Unofficial translations of Japanese laws and regulations. If you’re in legal trouble or are simply a law geek, check it out.
Visit: Japanese Law Translations
Japan Legal Support Center
Legal Consultation for foreigners in Japan. If you need a lawyer while on JET bookmark this site. Actually, bookmark it no matter what. You never know.
Visit: Legal Help for Foreigners in Japan
Support for Various Groups
Photo by Martin Cathrae
If you need help or support for certain issues on JET, these sites and organizations should help you out.
LGBTQ
Stonewall Japan is a branch of AJET that offers support for the LGBTQ community in Japan. They offer groups, events, resources, community outreach, and more!
Visit: Stonewall Japan
Vegetarians
Figuring out what you can and can’t eat as a vegetarian in Japan is a challenge. Thankfully this extensive guide distinguishes which Japanese dishes are vegetarian. There’s even a nice restaurant guide at the bottom.
Visit: The Neverending Voyage
Vegans
“Is it Vegan?” offers solutions, recipes, and guides to help vegans find and make food while on JET.
Visit: Is it Vegan?
Japan Vegan gives survival tips and, most importantly, vegan friendly restaurants in Tokyo and Kyoto.
Visit: Japan Vegan
People with Celiac Disease
Avoiding gluten is a serious matter for those with celiac. Thankfully, Gluten Free in Japan brings relief and suggestions for navigating the Japanese culinary landscape with gluten-avoidance in mind.
Visit: Gluten Free in Japan
More JET Program Survival Resources?
Photo by m-louis
JET life outside of school can be a challenge, sometimes more so than the ALT job itself. Working out what to do and how to do it takes years. Hopefully these resources help a little and put you on a path of figuring out life in Japan.
If you have any suggestions for resources I may have missed, leave them in the comments below.
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