What a week it’s been! I’ve had over 10 emails from Mr. O and was also contacted by additional support persons I can access on the JET Programme! In addition, I prepared a lot more things and am just about ready to go. So let’s firstly get into all the info I recieved from Mr. O this week, and what it means in the context of Japanese lifestyles!

As previously mentioned, Mr. O ordered a Hanko for me – a stamp that is needed on all official documents. Mine is so pretty!

On a Hanko, it’ll basically be your name either in kanji or katakana but stretched vertically to fit in a circular stamp. Along with this, there are so many other points about living in Japan that might come as a culture shock to anyone that isn’t familiar.

School basically follows the American style of having middle school and high school separated, with first to third years in each. In Australia, high school is a mix of middle and high school with years 7 through 12. In some areas though, it’s normal for kids to slow down a lot in senior academically and prepare for more vocational, trade-based work while they acquired certificates or leave to train or work full time. In Japan, university is quite normalised and so are entrance exams, and in the words of Mr. O, sometimes it’s not all about students dreams, but their parents. That’s the nature of an age-based heirarchy!

In Japan, though, school times and activities from the start to the end of the day and week are quite distinct. Here’s what he shared with me:

I used to have staff meetings every Tuesday afternoons, sometimes Fridays. Usually once or twice a week outside of special sabbatical periods. My school had 4 periods from 0830 to 1430. I was a bit overwhelmed with the idea of having so many different students in so many periods, with different types of classes and class sizes! It’s just the kind of challenge I love to recieve so that I can grow within my profession. I consider myself quite the adaptable person! I’m honestly still wrapping my head around it and will have to feel it out when I arrive.

He mentioned that in the school, sports teams are also most important – students try to get sports scholarships if they can. Mr. O happens to run the badminton team, and I happen to have been an avid badminton player with my friend in my school days!

All the students are preparing for what’s called an EIKEN test. I’ve never heard of that before. Here’s what Mr. O had to say about that:

EIKEN (Eigo Kentei – Test in Practical English Proficiency), often called ‘STEP (Society for Testing English Proficiency)’ is the most popular English test in Japan. Here in [school], students take another English test called Zensho-EIKEN. Zensho means ‘All (National) Commercial High Schools Association’. It is another important English test for the students and is easier than STEP, but Grade 1 is difficult for many of them.Very smart students may acquire STEP Grade 2 – there is a level difference. About 1/3 of students aim to enter a famous 4-year-university, where STEP Grade 2 English skill level is desired. They may pass the entrance examination, but it is quite another thing whether they can keep up with the other students.

Frankly speaking, most students in Japan do not reach that level, even those in other academic general course high schools. Indeed, there are several extraordinary smart students here, but most students do not have enough vocabulary, lacking very basic grammar. The problem is, in my idea, that we can NOT really teach them according to their real levels, BUT are made to teach according to their future dreams (very often, their parents’ dreams).

It’s quite intersting. There are practice tests online. I suppose the equivalent of that would be the JLPT or Japanese Language Proficiency Test for us – of which I am sitting at an N3 level which is the middle. The Japanese practice offered to us by JET works according to these levels and provides materials up to N3 which is considered advanced, after N4 and N5. In truth, the absolute highest level is a native N1. I’ve been too scared to take the test – maybe I will try it in the future.

Mr. O also told me to prepare a PowerPoint introducing things like Australian culture, aninals, history, etc. for the following school year. That, for reference, starts in April – which is strange for me because in Australia, our school year begins in late January after a 6 week summer break over Christmas and New Years.

He also told me lots about what may happen in terms of moving in!

He has truly been so helpful with the entire process. There is no stove and I have opted out of gas because I’m not used to it. I was planning to get a hot plate instead and may search for it myself. But he is getting me a futon, so bedding, and the electricity and water will need to have contracts signed so I will probaby need my Hanko. What a blessing to have such a reliable mentor! I’ve a list of things I may need when I move in but after discussing it with my mum, I’ll most likely email him again. As long as I have bedding and electricity of some sort on the first night, I’ll be fine.

(You’ll notice his email sign off… he’s a massive Star Wars fan and I’m watching the movies becuse of it! He also watched the Odyssey, and as you can also see, his English is insanely perfect!)

On the first day, he says I’ll need to pay the following things in advance:

• Rent (in advance)
• Maintenance fee (included in monthly rent)
• Deposit fee (half to come back provided room is clean)
• Real estate company fee (gratitude money)
• Insurance

In total, this comes to about 216,000 yen rounded up, or about $1,968 AUD. Rent monthly, paid from October, will be 43,000 yen but the subsidy covers 15,000 of it – so I only have to pay about 28,000, or $255 a month. That is absolutely BONKERS. In Australia the housing and inflation crisis is so bad… it costs double that rent PER WEEK at the absolute minimum… the catch is that there are some amenities lacking and the space is small, but it’s just me, myself, and I there and I’ll mostly be working or spending time adventuring and hanging out at cafe’s doing my work, so it really works out great for me. from November, after all those fees, I am planning to save money from my pay check, be a great host to my parents visting in December, and my friend in Feburary, and do lots and lots of bullet train adventures around Japan.

This week, I also got my international drivers license, an example of which is below! It says 1979 but it really hasn’t changed at all.

I got some clothes repaired, have been cleaning out my office and wardrobe and now, fridge and pantry, and said goodbye to more people.

I was contacted by my JET ALT Prefectural Advisor for Toyama, as well as the Supporting Representative. They were so kind! They are deeper in their JET tenures, and did two very helpful things:

• Added me to a LINE group chat for the city region and prefecture
• Linked me to a handbook for Toyama that outlines how life will be.

I am the only late arrival in the region, so I’m a bit tardy to the party so to speak! But they have been great with answering any questions I have! I’ll get the chance to meet them in person eventually. I apparently missed the orientation in August, but there will be one next year. There will also be an upcoming Teaching Skills Development Seminar.

There are 16 days to go! My friends and I are going on a road trip this week and I am finalising some more things. I will be in Sydney when I write my next post, and should be all packed, too! I can’t wait to share all about it.