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It all depends on where you’re placed and your contracting organization, so while some people have small apartments, others don’t!

Some people might consider it to be in the countryside, but I would say it’s somewhere between rural and urban. I think it’s the perfect size!

If you’re interested in more information about Yamaguchi, I recommend emailing your Contracting Organization (CO) to get in contact with the JETs in your area of the prefecture. There is also a Chugoku regional JET Discord and other groups that you can join to connect with fellow JETs. I hope you enjoy Yamaguchi!

Hello! I’ve never taught in Iwakuni, as I was an ALT in Hofu, but if you’re interested in connecting with JETs in Yamaguchi you could contact the Prefectural Government’s International Division, as they’re in charge of implementing the JET program in the prefecture, or the High School Division, as they’re in charge of all of the High School JETs in the prefecture. If they’re unable to help in an official capacity, you could ask to be connected to the PAs, as they may be able to share any information informally.

@@internetsydney Thank you very much for the helpful information! I will contact 県庁 and see if they can connect me to JETs in Iwakuni-City.

Thank you so much! I’ve really enjoyed living here, and I’m so grateful for all the people I’ve been able to meet and places I’ve been able to go along the way.

Thank you! I’m glad you liked it.

Thank you! I hope you made it.

Yeah, finding a bike would’ve been one more thing to worry about before arriving, so it was nice to have that taken care of. Also, thank you! I’m really pleased with what I’ve been able to do with the apartment.

Congratulations to your son for getting accepted into the program. Things like the amount he’ll have to pay, whether or not he’ll have to find his own apartment, and whether there will be furniture at the apartment or not all depend on his placement. In my case, the apartment is leased by my contracting organization, and my rent is subsidized. I pay ¥28000 a month for rent, and utilities cost me up to another ¥20000, assuming all my bills are high that month. I had no successor (I was the first ALT in this position), so I bought almost all of the furniture when I moved in. However, my contracting organization did provide a futon, a fridge, a washing machine, and a microwave oven, so the apartment was livable from day one. Most people will “inherit” their apartment from their predecessor and will likely have furniture, as well as other household goods, which that person left behind. However some placements (namely Tokyo) require their JETs to find their own apartments, though they will help with the search.

I didn't pick my apartment, so it was the luck of the draw, but I think I lucked out!

Thank you! I'm glad you like it.

Thank you! I'm glad you like it.

Yes, Hofu is the city directly to the west of Shunan! I haven’t been to the Heta Station area, but I have been to Shunan. They have a nice zoo, and the library at Tokuyama station is modern and sleek!

Thank you! I'm glad you liked my apartment tour. Yeah, I'm also happy because I'm not paying the full price for my apartment. I also majored in Asian Languages and Literatures with a focus in Japanese! But that's not at all necessary for getting into the JET program as an ALT. There are plenty of people in JET with unrelated backgrounds (I know someone who majored in Computer Science before coming to Japan, and also someone who was a nurse before joining the JET program). I think people should study what makes them happy and the things they're interested in perusing in the future while they're in school, whether that's Japanese or Game Development or both! The JET program is only a maximum of 5 years, and most people don't stay that long, so consider that you won't be in the JET program forever. If you want to double minor and think that's feasible with your class schedule and workload, then go for it! If not, there's no need to stress trying to get a specific minor on your transcripts if you're not interested in it :)

@@internetsydney oh yeah, I should of said I'm interested lol! But thank you for all of this, I'm still not sure how I feel about teaching students as I don't exactly see myself as the teaching type. But hopefully I'll figure it out in due time. Thank ya again!

Interesting question! I think I've changed both mentally and physically. I've been eating differently and started exersizing outside of my commute since coming to Japan, so my physical health has improved. I also feel I've become both more motivated and more introverted since coming here. However, my moving to Japan coincided with both 1) being out of school for the first time since preschool and 2) the beginning of a global pandemic, so I can't really point to if the cause was coming to Japan, something else, or a combination of things. It's likely a combination of things :D

Yeah, I was surprised when I first found out the apartment I'd be living in. It's a little smaller in person than it feels in the video, but it's still much bigger than what I was anticipating!

Thank you :D I'm from the US!

Thank you! I'm really happy with my apartment.

Thanks for the comment! I hope you liked the video :)

@@internetsydney I was just wondering whether you feel alone there... 👉🥺👈

@@preetamrawat3009 Nope! I see my friends multiple times a week, and I'm with energetic students all day, so I don't feel lonely :)

Thank you! I'm really happy with my apartment.

Thanks for sharing Ms. Sydney..

Thanks for watching! :D

Thank you! I'm glad you like it.

Thank you! I'm glad you like my voice :D

I had considered making another one, so I might when I have some time soon. I'm glad to hear people are interested in an update!

The answer here is: it depends! About brining a partner on JET: Dependents of JETs can get dependent visas, but this is limited to spouses and children under 18. The Japanese government doesn't recognize common-law spouses/fiancé(e)s/same-gendered marriages, so those people wouldn't be eligible for a dependent visa. They would need to get their own visas, either through their own employment/as a student/etc. It's also possible to apply with parter to both become JETs, but there is no guarantee that you would be placed at the same CO (Contracting Organization). There's more information about bringing dependents on pages 33-37 of the General Information Handbook: jetprogramme.org/en/gih/ About roommates in general: Your living situation is determined by whatever contracting organization you end up with. Some provide their ALTs with houses owned by the city, some have their ALTs live in teacher housing blocks, some have their ALTs rent regular apartments (my situation), some provide resources for housing search but leave it up to the ALT to find their apartment, and others might do something different. Some COs provide subsidies and have the CO listed on the lease/as an owner, and other COs don't. So regulations depend on your CO and/or your landlord.

No problem, I'm glad you liked it! My apartment has changed quite a bit in the past year so I'm thinking of doing an updated 2021 version!

This is one of those times where every situation is different! My BOE chose our apartments for us, so I didn't have to do anything. There are some places (particularly in the countryside) where the contracting organization owns or rents a home for JETs to live in. There are some cities where JETs live in share hoses or teacher dorms. On the other side, I've heard that JETs in Tokyo have to find their own apartments, though they are put in contact with real estate agents. I'm unsure if that only happens in Tokyo or if there are other areas where JETs have to find their own apartments.

@@internetsydney Ohhh thank you so much!! I really didn’t knew about this information. I was worried they left us at our own luck in Japan, what a relief 😅🙌🏻

Thank you! I really like where I live-- it's beautiful here!

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

Thank you! I'm glad to hear that you liked it.

Thanks! I don't like the look of cluttered spaces, so anime merch that I do have is very low-key and also practical (like clear files).

Thank you! I'm really happy with the apartment my BOE found. It's a little big, but that makes it more fun for friends to come over.

Thank you! I'm really happy about my placement, and while I didn't buy that much in terms of furniture, I like what I did get.

@@internetsydney it's really one of the best I've seen. I'm an incoming JET ALT and as you can imagine I've watched quite a few of these videos, 😂😳

I'm glad you like the video! I don't think my clothes are particularly interesting, but if that's something you'd like to see then I can work on making a video about my wardrobe. Thanks for the idea!

@@internetsydney That would be awesome if you could!! If it's something however you're not super interested in making yourself then please don't feel obligated to do so!!. I'm getting worried about what to pack for myself and since no one has received their placements yet, Im still unsure of what kind of wardrobe I should be looking into! Also, I'm sure you're being modest with your clothes because all of your shoes are super cute! I can sense the cute fashion from you I know it hahaha

Thank you; I'm glad you liked it!

Thank you! Your video inspired me to finish.