Overview While the JET Programme does cover a lot, if not most, of the costs in regards to moving and settling in Japan there are some things you will have to be responsible for. Keep in mind this post is for Hyogo JETs so if you are assigned to another prefecture it might be a […]
With burdens like language barriers and “key money”, finding an apartment in Japan is not a pleasant business. One of the blessings of the JET Program is the Contracting Organizations usually arrange housing for participants. Of course, that means we get plenty of questions about housing. My friend’s apartment is better/cheaper than mine. Contracting Organizations […]
As your parents or friends are certain to want you to call home once in a while, consider some of the following tips when you’re calling. Country Codes Country codes for countries that most JETs come from are as follows. Australia 61 Canada 1 Ireland 353 Jamaica 1 New Zealand 64 Singapore 65 South Africa […]
What is your Period of Stay? Your period of stay should be written on your alien registration card or residence card. It is the period of time that you are legally allowed to live and work in Japan. Most JETs receive a three-year period of stay. Who needs to extend? If you are staying on […]
Banking Overview Once you have your Residence Card, you are ready to set up your bank account. Some banks require a hanko as well, but others such as Citibank and Shinsei Bank don’t – you can just use a normal signature. Your supervisor or one of the English teachers at your school should go with […]
There are several ways to send home money from Japan. Popular options have been Lloyds Bank and the post office. The post office used to be cheaper than Lloyds but the handling fee has since increased to 2500 yen. Although this is more expensive than Lloyds, non-Lloyds TSB customers will also have to pay a […]
Once a month, when you get your paycheck, your school (or BOE) will probably also give you a piece of paper describing it in detail. Here’s an explanation for those of you wondering how everything adds up. For most JETs in the Hyogo , Payday will be on the 16th of any given month. Salary […]
Your school takes care of your shinkansen ticket and room reservation for that upcoming conference, and then asks you for money. Or, without giving you a single yen, they ask you to take care of it all yourself. Or perhaps one day someone at your school comes up to you and asks you to pay […]
One of the nice things about Japan is that the company takes care of the taxes. No April 15th, no frantic and confusing filling out of pages of forms. Your company (school, BOE) takes care of everything for you. Unfortunately, the same is not true for most other countries, and even though you’re over here, […]
Depending on your country of origin, when doing your home country tax return, you may have to include a statement from your Contracting Organization in Japan about your annual earnings. This statement is known as your gensenchoshuhyo, and is issued to you in January of each year. It covers the period from January 1st to […]