Bringing Dependents to Tokyo Orientation

"Tokyo Orientation" by chrysanta

One of the biggest concerns I had immediately after finding out I was shortlisted was whether or not my dependents would come along with me to Tokyo Orientation.

JET's official recommendation is that dependents wait 1-2 weeks before coming over. Their reasons are:

1. The orientation begins right after you arrive in Tokyo and you will not have time to look after your family.
2. Spouses and children may not participate in workshops and lectures at Post-Arrival Orientation or the prefectural orientation, and CLAIR cannot make arrangements for family members. 
3. Babysitting services at the hotel may not be available and the cost can be very high. 
4. Post-Arrival Orientation provides an opportunity for you to meet other JET participants residing in your area. This is a good opportunity to network, and not having to care for your family during orientation will ultimately be an opportunity for you to meet more people with whom you and your family may interact with once you arrive in your prefecture/designated city. 

JET also notes that participants are very busy getting settled in for the first few weeks.

To help me make a decision I decided to make a pros and cons list. I love writing things out like this when making decisions; I find it really helps.

Pros for Travelling Together

• Support from my spouse during a stressful period
• Could be less confusing for Yana if we're all together. She's never been away from me overnight.
• Simpler in terms of booking transportation and accommodation as we can just do it all through JET
• Any decisions about housing and other contracts can be made together and any help I get with setting up phones, bank accounts, etc. can include my spouse
• We'll be together, so no worries about me not having internet or phone service for a while
• Justin has only been out of the country once before, a while ago, so he doesn't feel comfortable travelling alone with a preschooler
• JET will book a suite for your family for Tokyo Orientation, so no sharing rooms
• If we arrive separately, I might have to take leave to pick them up and get them settled and do it all on my own (as opposed to when I arrive I will have help from my BOE)

Cons for Travelling Together

• The hotel in Tokyo would be expensive, plus paying for extra food
• It may be cheaper to book dependent flights if they have flexible departure dates
• The housing may be unfurnished, which could be a problem if there's no beds
• I would be busy with work stuff, so Justin and Yana would be on their own all day. That means a tired, jet-lagged adult watching a cranky, jet-lagged kid
• Going alone would give me time to network and meet people on my own

Expanding upon travel arrangements for dependents, it is your responsibility to ensure travel arrangements are made for your dependents, but JET will help you out. The JET travel agent can book tickets for your dependents, they can make travel arrangements from the airport to the hotel (for a fee), can arrange hotel accommodation in Tokyo, and can arrange travel from Tokyo to your contracting organization. Just make sure that your entire family has been included for all legs of travel.

When making my decision, I asked on the JET couples and families group on Facebook for opinions. I got all kinds of opinions. Some said waiting was best for helping children make the smoothest transition. Others said their spouse had waited, but if they had to do it over they would go together. Several people said they traveled together, which surprised me, as I thought more people would have gone separately. People also noted that I would be very busy for the first little while. Ultimately, the best advice I got was "Whatever your decision, just smile, don't justify it to anyone, and when anyone at your school or BOE comments simply stare at them like you think they are crazy for suggesting you should have left them behind."