Life as a Rural JET

So you made it into the JET program, excitedly scanned through your materials and found out you’ll be living in the countryside…
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The following are some important things to consider if you live in countryside Japan:

1. Sometimes you may be required to drive. There may be a car provided by your workplace, or you may opt to buy a car and drive because public transport in Japan’s rural areas is not quite as efficient as that in urban areas. You may need a car just to get to a supermarket, convenience store or work but that being said, a bicycle or bus ride may be just as convenient.

2. It is likely that few people in your town will speak a lot of English. However, if you don’t have good Japanese language abilities, there will be people available to assist you – your JTE’s, supervisors, PA’s, and other JETs. It is still adviseable to learn some useful phrases both before and after you arrive. Even if you do have good Japanese language abilities, it can sometimes prove difficult to adjust to your towns regional dialect.

3. You might be required to work more or just be more involved in your community than other JETs. Some JETs (especially those who live in big cities) blend into their environments relatively easily and are viewed as ‘just another staff member’ by their colleagues. Depending on the size of your town and its previous experiences with foreigners, you could be invited to participate in all kinds of random activities during and after regular working hours. Such activities could include planting or harvesting various crops, attending festivals and participating in festival activities, assisting with promotional work around your town and being the subject of media interviews. Also, your colleagues may be very intrigued by you and you could receive infinite invitations to dinners, parties and other social events in and around your town. Now you may love or hate this type of attention but be aware that it could well become a part of your life. It is good to work out some boundaries and set some limits – you don’t have to accept every invitation that comes your way. Be careful not to fall into a pattern that leaves you with no time for yourself.

4. You will meet new bugs, insects and other ‘critters’. This is inevitable. Hopefully your predecessor will have left your apartment relatively bug-free but out in the countryside there is a lot of, well, nature and creepy-crawlies are part and parcel of said nature. Most Japanese insect sprays and natural repellents work pretty well, so you should not have too much trouble combating unwanted housemates.

5. Unlike most city JETs, you might not live in an apartment building with other JETs and instead, live in a house or apartment on your own, away from other foreigners. This has its pros and cons, depending on your personality and lifestyle. You may also not have very direct access to things such as gyms and other sporting clubs/classes, Japanese language classes, various churches or places of worship and other places that support your hobbies/interests. However, these things will be available at various places throughout the prefecture, which just means that you will inevitably be required to travel a little further for basic goods and services.

Horefully these few tips will help you prepare for your move and enjoy all that country life in Japan has to offer.