Tag: Japan

So You Wanna Be A JET: Placement

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Hey JETsetters!

The JET Programme application process is a terribly long one. You apply in October, and if you started prepping beforehand even earlier, and then spend half a year waiting for news on acceptance. Once you get that acceptance letter, you’re stuck waiting once again for news on where you will be uprooting your life to for the next one to five years.

For me, the wait for my placement was one of the hardest ones. I couldn’t really start planning my packing until I knew where I would be located. Would I be in the city where shops are abundant, and I don’t have to worry about sizes or comfort food? Or would I be in the countryside on a remote island where I would only get grocery deliveries once a week or two by boat (true story for one of our JET speakers at Tokyo Orientation)?

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In Japan? Kaiten-zushi is a must try!

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One of the most iconic Japanese foods throughout the world is sushi—it comes in all shapes and sizes, different kinds of seafood and extremely satisfying to one’s taste buds. You are nearly guaranteed to find some kind of variant of sushi in your country; however, there is no better place to try the delicacy than straight from Japan.

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Visiting Shinto Shrines

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One thing I love about Japan is how the country is its ability to mix the traditional and the mordern together almost seamlessly. A perfect example of this mixture is readily apparent in the form of shrines, which can be found all throughout the country. Japan is home to literally thousands of gods and goddesses–generally known as kami (神)–many of which have at least one or two, if not many, shrines dedicated to them. You’ll never find a shortage of shrines in the country.

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Gion Matsuri – Kyoto’s Biggest Festival (Part II: Events)

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You’ve learned the history of the Gion Festival, so now it is time to put that knowledge to use! The Gion Festival is a very long one, lasting one whole month, so it gets difficult to keep track of all the different events taking place. Even though the main attractions of the Gion festival are the “Yama-boko-Junkou” on July 17th and the “Ato Matsuri” on July 24th, various festivities and functions are held throughout the month. Check out what is going on each day below and find which events interest you the most!

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