JET Income and Expenses

I'm not sure how useful this really is, but for anyone who finds these things interesting, here's a rundown of monthly income and expenses here in Japan.

Income

The Paycheck
My pay varies a bit depending on how many days I've worked in a month. During my first year, my base pay was 280,000 yen per month. I get a bunch of taxes and insurance taken out of that. I usually ended up with around 230,000 take home salary. For my second year, I get a pay raise, so my base pay became 300,000 and I take home around 250,000 yen.

Rent Subsidy
Additional to my salary, I also get 27,000 yen every month for rent subsidy. It is direct deposited into my bank account with my salary. So I'm not technically getting my rent reduced, I'm just getting extra pay to help cover the cost.

Child Benefits
Even though we're not Japanese, Yana gets child benefits here! It's no secret that Japan has a rapidly ageing population, so this is one government incentive for couples to have children. The whole thing is a bit mysterious to me, to tell the truth, but I think I'm being paid 40,000 yen in a lump sum every 4 months.

Bills

Energy - 11,000 - 46,000 yen every month
Energy, or in other words, electricity. We pay monthly. The cost varies widely, depending on the time of year. Our highest costs were in the winter, when we had electric heaters running nearly 24/7. In the spring and fall our costs are quite low, because we use neither heat nor air conditioning. Again, there is a small spike in summer, because we use fans 24/7, and the air conditioning during July and August.

Water - 2,000 - 5,000 yen every month
We pay a water bill monthly, and it is automatically withdrawn on the 30th or 31st day of the month. Of course it varies depending on usage, but we've never paid over 6,000 yen. Usually we pay around 4,000 yen.

Sewage - 4,320 yen every month
In addition to the water bill, we also pay a sewage fee every month. It is automatically withdrawn from my account on the same day as the water bill, so the 30th or 31st of the month. It is always the same amount.

NHK - 2,520 every two months
There is a law (albeit one with lots of loopholes) in Japan that just by owning a TV, you must pay a fee to NHK. This comes from a belief that all TV owners/viewers should share the cost. There are several different billing setups, but we pay 2,520 every two months, starting from December.

Rent - 57,900 yen every month
For rent, we pay 57,900 every month. But again, I receive a rent subsidy of 27,000 as a separate deposit from my paycheck. So the idea here is that we only pay 30,900 for rent.

Apartment Maintenance - 3,500 yen every month
I started being charged this halfway through my first year. Not going to lie, it irritates me a bit that this fee was randomly imposed, and I can't see any evidence of the apartment being better maintained for it. But as they say here, "shouganai" - it can't be helped.

Cellphone - 15,506 yen every month
When we first arrived we signed up at Softbank for a smartphone plan with 5GB of data. However, with two smartphones the cost was an insane 20,208 yen each month. We went and changed our plan to the lowest data plan of 2GB. Now we pay 15,506 every month for both phones. To be honest, a phone for Justin is probably a bit superfluous, but we find it useful during outings and to stay in contact during the day.

Internet - 4, 644 yen every month
There was a setup fee of around 10,000 yen. Now we pay 4,644 a month, and that's for unlimited, fiber optic internet. It's actually even better than what we had in Canada!

Phone - 2,376 yen every month
In order to install the internet, we also had to get a phone line. This comes to just over 2,000 yen a month. It's also a fancy TV phone, so you can video call and I think it's actually free to use within Chizu. It also shouts announcements throughout the day, which I kind of wish it didn't.

Kyuushoku (School Lunch) - 1,200 - 3,000 yen x2 every month
I pay what I owe to each school. The cost varies depending on how many days I'm at each school and which days actually have kyuushoku served. Usually the ES is 1,600 or so and the JHS is around 2,500. The per lunch cost is 275 yen at ES and 315 at JHS. I'm not sure why it's a different cost, because it's the same lunch and the same portions...

Preschool - 3,800 yen per month
Yana goes to a municipal preschool (hoikuen) here, which is traditionally meant for children with two working parents. However, Chizu is so small and population is declining, so they let Yana in even though Justin stays at home. Preschool here is ridiculously cheap! Especially consider this price includes a hot lunch! At first we paid 4,000 yen a month, but after January it somehow switched to an even cheaper price...not complaining!


So that's it for mandatory expenses! I'm not going to include other expenses, because it just varies so much. We spend most of the rest of my paycheck on food, as well as train rides into Tottori-shi, clothing, random school expenses (me and Yana), work parties, eating out, etc. To be honest, we don't have a lot left over each month. But we aren't purposefully frugal either (though we're trying to crack down!).

Applying for the JET Program: The Application

The JET Program application is your first impression, so its important to make sure it counts.
The application is notably long and detailed. You will need to include references and several documents along with it.

Here are some of my tips:

• Make sure you understand what the job entails. Obviously you can't know exactly what its going to be like until you get here, but know that this is not a vacation and it is not a study abroad. This is a job like any other and you should treat it as one. Also, be prepared to deal with things like homesickness, being a foreigner and standing out, language troubles, and struggling to work with JTEs. 
• Read the application instructions very, VERY carefully! Each consulate has different requirements, so don't depend on information from anyone else. If you need help, contact your consulate. They are the only ones who can give you 100% accurate information!
• When filling out the application, include any kind of information which ties you to children, teaching, or other cultures. I included that I was a leader at an English camp and helped in English class when I was a high school exchange student to Japan. Things like summer camps, reading, previous ESL experience, cultural volunteer experience, etc.
• Its not too late to start some of the above mentioned activities. If you start doing some ESL volunteering right now, you can include it on your application. 
• Know what you want to get out of JET and understand that it is a 5 year maximum program, though more often 3 years is the max. JET expects you to leave Japan, so have an idea of what you will learn from JET and how you want to incorporate that into your future goals and career. They will ask you about it.
• Placement requests: make sure you do your research. Check out things that matter to you - climate, local food, activities. It might be a good idea to join prefectural/regional JET groups on Facebook and ask any questions you have about placements. In past years, people always cautioned against picking Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto since tons of people request them and hardly any get in. The thing is, with the Olympics there are now hundreds of spots opening in Tokyo! I don't know much about it except that all spots are for high schools, but it means that Tokyo is more of a possibility now than ever before. 

A note for family JET applicants:

• If you have children, try and play that up in your statement of purpose, application, and interview. You have experience dealing with children by default, so it should be a benefit to your application! Also note how your child will truly act upon grassroots internationalisation - there is nothing more grassroots than a foreign child playing with a Japanese child. Just by playing together, the next generation learns English and appreciation of other races and cultures. Children also give you a pretty good "in" with the community. I had a welcome party organized for me by a local mother and I was able to meet other families and children from the area! 
• The other thing to address is how your family will deal with homesickness and troubles. The main deterrent for bringing dependents along is that JET worries how they will fare in a new country. You need to make sure JET knows you are flexible, that you and your family can deal with work trips and absences from home, and that you aren't going to break contract and run home because your dependents are unhappy. JET is a year-long contract at least, so treat that with respect and make sure you can commit to that period of time.
• If you have or are bringing a spouse, make sure you have a rough plan for what they will do. Ditto for children. At the interview you may be asked about this, so just have a general idea of what your spouse will do - stay at home with the kids, find a job, or stay in your home country? Will the kids stay in your home country, be homeschooled, attend local school, or go to a private international school?

Currently, this is what the Canadian JET application consists of:

• 1 JET Programme application
• 1 signed and dated self-assessment medical report
• 1 signed and dated authorization and release form
• 1 statement of physician form (if applicable)
• proof of Canadian citizenship (photocopy of passport, birth certificate, or citizen card)
• official transcripts of ALL college and university courses
• copy of your degree OR a letter from your university stating your specific graduation date
• 2 recent letters of reference (written within 3 months of application deadline)
• proof of teaching qualifications (if you have them)
• statement of purpose/personal statement essay (usually 2 pages)

Keep in mind that none of the submitted documents can be returned, so don't send originals!

Applying for the JET Progam: The Letters of Recommendation

Aside from the statement of purpose, the two required letters of recommendation are the most important part of the application. These letters act as vouchers for your motivations, personality, and suitability to the job.

The letters can be in English or Japanese. In Canada the letter can also be in French.

Letters may not be written by friends, family, colleagues, or classmates. If you are still an undergraduate student while applying, one of your letters MUST be from someone related to your studies and MUST reference your expected graduation date. If you have already graduated, there are no other restrictions about where the letters come from.

Some good sources for letters of recommendation:

• University professor
• Language school/class instructor
• Boss or manager from work
• Someone in charge of a volunteer program you participated in

If you've worked with children (ex. been a camp counsellor), done something cultural (ex. volunteered at a cultural fair), or have teaching experience (ex. been a TA or tutored), I would highly suggest you use someone involved in that as one of your references. You need to ensure that your references portray you as someone who can be a good English teacher for children in Japan and as someone who can adapt to and appreciate other cultures.

Make sure that whoever writes your letter will present you in a good light. You may want to have your Japanese 101 professor write your letter, but if you've never spoken to them and got a 70% in the class, don't bother. 

My recommendation is to think about who you want to write your letters early on. Make sure you either already have or take the time to create a good relationship with them. When you ask them to write the letters, give them plenty of time. Make sure you provide them with a copy of the requirements for the letter, printed from the JET application website. Especially if you're using a university reference, provide them with a CV/resume which shows your accomplishments and qualifications. Try and have them use official stationary.

Here are the topics The JET Programme Canada requires to be addressed in the letters of recommendation:

• teaching/communication style and ability; are you comfortable with public speaking?
• leadership skills; how you work in a group
• work performance; how you handle pressure and challenging situations
• career aspirations; motivations for participating in JET

Again, MAKE SURE your references follow the rules! For example, mine had to seal their letters in envelopes and sign the seal to ensure the letter was untampered. Not following these rules can negatively impact your application.

Lastly, good luck! 

Applying for the JET Program: How it Works

[Please note that this information was collected in 2014 to 2015, so it may be outdated.]

Since its application time for 2015 departures, I want to post about applying and getting into the JET Program.

The JET Program - and application process especially - is known for being shrouded in mystery. Many people seem to have differing opinions on how exactly the whole process works. I want to present some information which will hopefully shed some light on how the program works. This information comes from a poster at ITIL who is involved in the JET program at an American consulate.

Additionally, I want to note that deadlines have been pushed forward a few weeks as of the 2015 departure, so some of the dates here may not apply anymore.


Early Departure
JETs arrive in 4 main waves from April to August. The two largest groups of arrivals are Group A (end of July) and Group B (beginning of August), who each have their own post-arrival orientation in Tokyo. However, there is also an April arrivals group as well as a Group C (late arrivals and upgrades; mid-August).

April arrivals are early departure participants. Early departures happen for a variety of reasons, but most likely a current JET has left their job before their replacement comes in July/August for some reason. April arrivals have a single day welcome reception and brief orientation in Tokyo before departing for their placements the next day. However, consulates get their information in waves and early departures can theoretically happen anytime between April and August. So while most early departure participants arrive in April and attend the orientation, many others do not.

Applying for early departure does not guarantee any higher chance of getting into the program; it just means that if you do get selected you don't have to wait as long to find out placement and actually leave. As a slightly meaningless reference point, Toronto consulate had around 70 participants leave in 2014 and 8 of those were early departure.

One thing to be wary of when applying for early departure is that you must be ready to leave within a month or less of being notified. If you are single and live at home, I think it would be fairly easy, but for me it was just too much with a family and my own home. I had tons of loose ends which took months to tie up before we left in August, so I can't imagine how it would have been with only a few weeks!


Interviews/The Selection Process

This is probably the most elusive aspect of the JET program. Consulates cannot reveal the exact way they score applicants and determine the shortlist.

There is a lot of potential information about how to ace the interview, but it really is dependent on a lot of factors. However, there are three questions which are essential for a successful applicant to answer:

1. Why Japan?

2. Why JET?

3. Why ALT/CIR?

If you can't give a good answer to these questions, you're probably not going to get in. These should have been addressed already in the statement of purpose, but you should expand on these ideas during the interview. Furthermore, you need to be able to explain why you want to teach in Japan with JET rather than with EPIK in Korea, for example. Be specific - your reasons and motivations for applying to this program are important. Many applicants have studied abroad, have ties to Japan, or have studied Japanese. You need to make sure your motivations are unique and personal in order to stand out. 

Personality is another significant aspect of the selection process. The interviewers need to be able to visualize you as someone who could be teaching a group of Japanese students. They understand that you may be nervous, but you still need to be able to sell yourself in person, rather than just on paper. 

Interviewed applicants are scored on a point-based system. After all interviews have been completed, the panel organizes applicants into one master list and that list is sent to Tokyo. From there CLAIR and the COs make the final decision. The problem is, having high marks does not guarantee you will be selected; similarly, having middle or low marks does not mean you'll automatically be cast aside.

For example, a consulate interviews 50 people. Out of those 50, the consulate does not recommend 5 of the applicants. That leaves them with 45 people who are being recommended. However, until April the consulate doesn't know the exact number of people who will be shortlisted in a given year, and even then this doesn't include upgrades later on. They can estimate from previous years, but they can't know for certain. Perhaps last year they sent 25 people, and the year before they sent 15. This year they could only send 10. Or maybe 35! Or anywhere inbetween. The consulate can send their list and hope their top picks get in, but if there were 15 people with high marks and only 10 spaces that year, that means 5 people didn't make the shortlist, even though they had amazing interviews. This means that consulates cannot disclose information about the number of participants which will be shortlisted this year. It would be unfair for them to promise 25 spots only to end up with 10.

Getting Shortlist Results
The number of shortlisters is determined by the number of COs who need JETs. Being shortlisted basically means you have a 99% chance of getting a placement. It is extremely rare, but some shortlisters cannot be placed. This is usually due to a medical condition, where the applicant needs to be close to a certain medical facility, but there is no placement which can accomodate their needs.  It can also be due to something such as a CO needing someone who can drive, but the applicant refuses to get a license.

The consulates receive their list back from Tokyo around late March to mid-April. They sort through the list and try to coordinate the release of the results so that everyone hears around the same time. In 2014 it took a week or two for all countries to release their results. It can take a while due to time zones, email lag, and individual circumstances. Before they actually get the results, the consulate doesn't really know when they will receive the short list. In 2014 I think there were rumours about when they would receive it about a week or two beforehand.

For more speculating, there is a discussion on acceptance rate over at ITIL.
The 2014-2015 placement statistics (how many JETs per country/per prefecture)


Alternates
For those given alternate status, the wait can be even more torturous than the initial application stage. Many people want to know their position on the alternate list so that they can know if they're close to being upgraded or not. However, this is impossible for the same reasons its impossible to know how many shortlisters there will be or if your score was high enough to guarantee you a spot. Even more so than shortlisters, alternates are upgraded based on specific requirements such as gender, home country, driver's license, language ability, dependents, etc. So if the next 4 people on an alternate list are female with no license and the CO wants a male with a license, that person will be upgraded even though they're 4th on the list. Consulates are vague about the alternate list to protect the candidates.

The number of upgraded alternates varies year to year. For example, after Fukushima, many people with placements in that area dropped out, so there was a large number of upgraded applicants. It depends on how many shortlisters don't accept or break contract. Some years 10% of alternates may be upgraded and other years it might be 90%.

The number of alternates depends on a few factors. Firstly the consulate considers how many alternates were sent the previous year. They tend to err on the side of having too many alternates to make sure their bases are covered in case of dropouts. It also depends on how well applicants did during their interviews. For example, last year a consulate sent 20 people and this year they interviewed 40. They hope to send 20 people again this year. From the 40 applicants they eliminate 5 for not passing the interview. They now have 15 potential alternates. Of those alternates, some may have passed their interview with very low scores, so the consulate cuts 5 of them off the list. The final alternate list is then 10 people.

Similar to early departures, alternates are upgraded in waves. The largest wave comes right after the deadline for shortlisters to submit their acceptance of their placement, usually in early May. The second wave comes nearer to departure, when shortlisters get cold feet and suddenly withdraw. There are smaller waves between August and December, the last possible time for an upgrade. Some new JETs freak out and leave right after they arrive or leave around the holidays, when homesickness hits and they tend to be in low spirits. Upgrades after August or September are rare, but they do happen!

Pre-departure
The process of getting into JET doesn't end with the interview. Prior to departure there are a lot of responsibilities for new JET participants. There is paperwork to fill in and submit, flights to book, visas to acquire, and photos to take. Additionally, you must submit your passport to your consulate in order to get your visa, making it difficult or impossible to travel outside the country between around May to July/August (so make sure its renewed beforehand!). Consulates get a special list from Japan which approves the JET visas (since JETs don't get the typical certificate of eligibility others need to acquire work visas). They usually get this list in late June or early July.

JETs will have at least one pre-departure orientation which is mandatory. The consulate has a responsibility to inform participants about certain procedures and rules. Its also when you will probably get all the nitty gritty details about arriving at the airport, the flight, and post-arrival. In Toronto we had a whole slew of pre-departure orientations, but the only one which was mandatory was a couple hours in the afternoon the day before we left.

Applying for the JET Program: The Reply Form and Other Documents

After I was notified that I was a shortlist candidate, I was required to submit MORE documents to JET. I really didn't realize how much paperwork was involved with the whole process.

In my case, I had to submit the reply form, a copy of my passport (valid until 2015), and two passport photos. These were due May 2nd. The three other documents required by JET - the criminal record check, the certificate of health, and proof of graduation - were given a later due date of June 20th, thankfully. 

The information to fill out on the reply form included checking yes or no to accepting the shortlist position, my address, if I had applied for a criminal record check yet, if I had dependents and if they were accompanying me, if I had dual nationality with Japan, choice of departure airport,  passport information, and if I already had a visa for Japan. There was also space to glue on the two passport photos.

My tips for filling out the reply form:

• Do it early! My form had to be in Toronto by May 2nd, NOT postmarked. You never know with mail, so get it done and send it out ASAP. Plus, a lot of people send their paperwork in near the deadline, so sending as early as you can will also relieve the coordinator of some work.
• Make your photos professional. Dress for your photos like you did for the interview. That little bit of extra effort might be the standout factor that causes a CO to pick you.
• Follow directions! Check and double check. If the form asks you to glue the photos, don't tape them or paperclip them. If it wants to you use black ink and all capitals, make sure you're doing it.
• Get tracking when you send your package off. It is worth any extra cost to have that peace of mind that your important documents actually arrived.

Tips for the criminal record check:

• If you can afford it, get the criminal record check and certificate of health done as if you were applying for early departure (even if you're not). Being able to send these off with your reply form will relieve some of your stress and minimize the number of post office visits you need to make.
• Get the ball rolling on your criminal record check ASAP. Right now. I mean it! It can take weeks or even months to get your check returned. In my case, the police only mail them out, so on top of that I had to wait for it to arrive in the mail. 
• In Canada, there is a bit of an issue with criminal record checks. The vulnerable sector check is what is usually required for teachers, however, these are no longer done for jobs outside of Canada. I could only obtain the regular police check, and the consulate was aware of this and accepted my check regardless. However, I have heard that you can get the vulnerable sector check if you tell the police that it is going to the embassy or consulate in Canada, not Japan.

Tips for the certificate of health:

• This is something else you should get started on as soon as you can, as it can be difficult to make appointments in time for busy doctors. In my case, my doctor only did examinations at certain times. I ended up going to my student health center. You can make appointments early on and cancel them without penalty if you need to, as long as you observe the doctor or clinic's policy.
• If you need to get the TB test instead of the x-ray (some doctors won't do x-rays without just cause), keep in mind that this may take several weeks. I opted for the 2-step test, because it makes it easier for any other TB tests I take in the future. This meant that I had to visit my clinic four separate times (I scheduled my examination for the 4th day as well to prevent a 5th visit). 
• Make sure your doctor fills out ALL the sections. Especially make sure that you can get your eyesight and hearing checked.
• Also make sure that you get a copy of the TB test results if you do that instead of the x-ray. They are required to be included with the certificate of health.

Tips for the proof of graduation:

• Somewhat obvious, but important to note: MAKE SURE YOU WILL GRADUATE ON TIME. When I applied in November, I had to get a letter written up by my counselling office which stated that I was expected to graduate in June 2014. This required a graduation check, so I knew exactly what factors my graduation hinged on. 
• Make sure you will get your actual diploma in time. In my case, I get my diploma on the day I graduate and no earlier. 

Turning in these documents on time is incredibly important, as late documents will disqualify you from the JET Programme. Late documents will make one alternate very happy, but you may not share their enthusiasm.

Also, make sure you get copies of everything you send to JET! It is important to keep copies for your own reference, just in case.

Lastly, I will quickly touch on another document you may be required to submit, which is registration for orientations. This is for both shortlisters and alternates. My consulate offered 8 orientations (2 were the same information) plus Japanese classes. I am required to submit my registration by May 16th. It is important to send this on time because the consulate needs to know how many people are attending which events.