Love in Fukushima

This week’s guest post comes from Felicity, an Australian JET living in Fukushima. She writes about her romance with a Japanese man. Just before I got on a plane to Japan to join the JET Programme in July, 2012, my mother told me, “You won’t come back again now. You’ll marry a Japanese boy and […] Read more…

Nara is the Best Place in Autumn

Autumn in Nara is the best. The weather cools down during the day, you get healthy doses of cute fashion, and special fruits like persimmons are found in abundance. Fall is one of my favorite seasons and it’s the best time to travel if you love to photograph nature and the changing colors of the trees. While […] Read more…

How to Prepare for Typhoons in Japan

Japan is very prone to natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons. While most of us in affected areas keep calm like the Japanese do, we still need to be prepared. Okinawa is very typhoon prone and I know a few things about coasting through them gracefully. Luckily, the buildings in Okinawa are made of concrete and built […] Read more…

How to Survive Winter in Japan

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty shall we? Japan lacks proper insulation. Some of us may come from colder climates (like me, who comes from Chicago and our winters are no joke) so we think, “I’m a trooper! I’ll be fine.” No, really, it’s not a joke. I have JET friends in Hokkaido who keep […] Read more…

JET Program: Tokyo Orientation FAQ

Going to Japan for the first or [insert number here] time can be a wonderful, exciting and joyous time. If you’re reading this post, you’re most likely new to the rodeo so Gina Bear is here to help answer your questions and make your transition to the Land of the Rising Sun easier. Like you, […] Read more…

Cultural Fatigue in Japan

I’m taking a break from my helpful posts to discuss some very real topics. This post is kind of a damper, but cultural fatigue in Japan needs to be discussed. A new country isn’t always going to be perfect and sometimes you will get worn down. I looked up a great article about Cultural Fatigue on Vagabond […] Read more…

How to Survive Summer in Japan

Summer in Japan will probably be unlike summer in your home country. From the American side, everything is over air-conditioned and you almost never feel hot inside a building. My first summer in Japan was kind of miserable and I wish someone told me that Japan was an energy-saving country because they don’t turn on the […] Read more…

How To Survive Summer in Okinawa

Summer in Okinawa can be amazing. The color of the water becomes alive with the sparkling reflection of the sun, the fish are more vibrantly colored, and the sun is that much stronger. While many of us want to be beach bums or bunnies, we have to keep in mind Okinawa is closer to the […] Read more…

Advice for Moving to Japan

Last time, I posted a Japan Thrival Guide on what to do before, after, and while in Japan. I think as someone who lived in Japan for three years, there are some things I wish I knew before arrival. A new country means lots of changes, but we also shouldn’t forget some of our own […] Read more…

Japan Thrival Guide

Before coming on JET, most of us are young, bright-eyed and bit naive about our next adventure. If you’d like more information on the JET Program, check out the JET section of my blog. I lived in Mexico for 3 months with my family over summer vacation as a child, but I had no idea what Asia was about. […] Read more…

How To Apply to Teach in Korea from Overseas

This blog post is dedicated to on how to apply to teach in Korea from overseas and how to do the paperwork in a timely and headache free manner. Doing this process from overseas can be frustrating and may end up making you give up. I want you to know you’re not alone. I went […] Read more…

What Makes Japan a Difficult Country to Live In?

For someone who has been living in Japan an extended period of time, you begin to ask yourself, what makes Japan a difficult country to live in? Sometimes living in Japan is difficult. In fact, sometimes Japan is one of the hardest countries to live in the world. Before coming on JET, I believed I would […] Read more…

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