Arriving in Japan

Finding Home: Embracing Life in Rural Japan

Week 1 - Monday through Wednesday

This blog is best viewed on a PC or a tablet until I learn how to post so you can view it on a cellphone. My apologizes.

The first week in Japan as part of the JET Programme is filled with orientations, meet and greets, and many unknowns. I landed in Japan on August 4, 2024, after a 20-hour journey from Washington, DC. What should have been a straightforward 14-hour flight turned into an odyssey due to weather-related rerouting, a refueling stop, and a crew change. My adventure started with more excitement than anticipated and a lot less sleep.  As we pulled up to the beautiful Keio Plaza Hotel in the heart of Shinjuku, I longed to fall asleep in a comfy bed.

After a few hours of horizontal sleep, it was off to breakfast and day one of orientation. Little did I realize when I got to the hotel at 111:00 that more than 900 JET participants were going through orientation. Wow, I was so surprised that there were so many. All of us were decked out in our blue or black suits and excited to learn about what was to come.   We spent the day learning about the expectations of a JET and our role as an ALT.  

 

Tuesday mirrored the previous day but with a deeper dive into teaching English as a second language. We tackled everything from conversation and grammar to comprehension. In the afternoon, we met with a Japanese travel agency rep to finalize the departure details for our new home city. Another ALT from Misato and I decided to have ramen for dinner. We picked Ichiran Ramen Restaurant in Shinjuku. We managed to order using the vending machine with English subtitles.

I had a fantastic bowl of salty ramen with tender pork—absolutely delicious! The shop has English translation tools on the back of each tag. The menu is in Japanese and English, making it easy to navigate. Though the restaurant is cozy, seating just 16 people, it provides a comfortable and private dining experience for each guest.

The one thing I love about being in Japan is all the meticulous planning that goes into each day. For anyone who worries about missing a train or bus, the Japanese Travel Adjency has everything planned perfectly. Our departure day was no exception. We had breakfast at 6:00, met at 6:30, and took the shuttle bus to Tokyo Station at 7:00, and the Shinkansen departed at 9:30.

There were three other cities or prefectures traveling together. Some left as early as 8:15, but our train departure was the last, so we could stroll around, grab snacks and drinks from the convenience store, and try to escape the sweltering heat and humidity, which only happened once we boarded the train.  

Around 9:30, we were lined up on the platform, ready to board our train. The heat and humidity had me sweating buckets, but the friendly faces from the Sendai office waiting at the station were a welcome relief. After a short walk to the government center and a quick lunch, we dove into the Miyagi Prefecture orientation. 

By mid-afternoon, our Misato Board of Education staff arrived to pick us up, and we were finally on our way to the next chapter of our adventure. We stopped at the government office, signed our lease, picked up our keys, and headed to see our new apartments.