#tokyo orientation

[sagaprefecturejet]

So life’s been a little crazy lately. I attended Tokyo Orientation for group B (as a Prefectural Advisor picking up the new people). The new group seems great. I was sad when Keio Plaza forgot Saga existed 🙃 but at least they had a sad fix haha

For the last two weeks I was in America visiting my family for a wedding. Thursday and Friday I was a jet lagged emotional mess at Saga’s orientation. I’m hoping this year will be one of the best yet.

[sagaprefecturejet]

A secret for tumblr people

I'm a little sad. I was going to present at a seminar during micro teaching at Tokyo Orientation with my JTE. This was super flattering and an amazing opportunity one year into JET, but unfortunately my JTE had a conflicting event, so it's a no go :( しょうがない Either way it was awesome to be picked. I don't want to share this with my Facebook people because it doesn't feel all that real.

[jetsettermac]

tokyo orientation

july 31, 2018

i said in this post that id talk a bit more about tokyo orientation, and i wanna do that before i start posting backlogged stuff.

as i’m writing this it’s april 8, 2019 so i’m really late with this, and to be honest i don’t remember much (but i think that has less to do with the passage of time and more to do with being totally overwhelmed my first month here lol). 

i don’t really remember exactly what kinds of panels we had to attend or what kinds of games we played. i DO remember trying not to bust out laughing in the middle of a panel because the chicago consulate group chat was exploding with memes. i DO remember sneaking out of the hotel to go up to the top of the tokyo metropolitan government building with my new friends. i DO remember going to the yuri on ice exhibition with a friend i’d met all the way back in february at the jet interviews. i definitely remember being hot and sweaty and anxious, and i remember that it all turned out just fine despite that.

a lot of jets say that tokyo orientation is useless and that it should be used as an excuse to go out on the town and drink, and while i don’t think it’s completely useless, i do think the things that last are the memories and the friends you make while you’re there.

[shannonsensei]

Shuppatsu

Departure. Tokyo orientation is officially over, and I'm writing this from somewhere beyond Shin-Yokohama on the Shinkansen bullet train. The Hyogo prefecture JETs all met up at 8:30 this morning to pile into a bus to the station, shuffle through the station to the train, and -when we get to Shin-Osaka station - pile into another bus in order to get to a high school in the prefecture. From there, our supervisors will come pick us up (mostly by car), so I'll have another two or two and a half hours before I see my town for the first time. I hope I get along well with my supervisor, since it'll be an awkward ride if we don't click. Tokyo orientation went okay overall, I think, with the notable exception of needing to go visit a clinic. I developed an ear infection on the plane, and it worsened considerably by the morning that orientation started. Two of the JET employees and one of the hotel employees were incredibly kind and found a clinic that could take me as a walk-in. I've officially gotten through my first experience with the Japanese medical system, including needing to go to a pharmacy to get medication, and all I can say is thank GOD I speak passable Japanese — this entire process would have been much more difficult if I couldn't puzzle out what they were telling me about the medication administration procedures and things. In any event, I've gotten ear drops and antibiotics and a painkiller if it gets too awful, and it will hopefully clear up in a few days. They apologized extensively for making me pay 100% of the cost of my appointment and medicine, since technically my insurance paperwork won't be finished until I register my permanent address. Being from the US, the concept of paying ~$50 for an emergency walk-in visit and three prescriptions is kind of incredible in the first place, but I'll be getting the bulk of that back in a refund once my paperwork goes through. The rest of orientation included a mix of long (and often boring) speeches, unhelpful workshops, actually useful workshops, and good-natured exhausted complaining. Some of it definitely could have been done better, but I really appreciated getting the chance to meet some people and all. I'm mostly glad it's over so I can go and actually start life in Hyogo, since Tokyo Orientation was definitely a very weird in-between transition phase, but I said goodbye to some people from Seattle who have really become friends in this short period of time and that was kind of bittersweet.

[sagaprefecturejet]

Orientation has been intense. It feels like freshman year where everything is fresh and new and everyone you meet is your new best friend. Sometimes I feel drained and tired and the lack of sleep catches up with me, but the more people I meet and talk to the more confident I feel about this

[shannonsensei]

Atsuuuui

"It's hooooot!" How many times will I hear this said before the end of the summer? Many. Tokyo is just as sunny and warm and sweat-inducing as I remember. Our flight made it a half an hour faster than expected, and I managed to be towards the front of the line going through customs and immigration, meaning I was on one of the first buses out of the airport... so I've gotten to the hotel earlier than I anticipated. Safe, sound, with all bags okay from what I saw. Going to go eat dinner with my lovely Obie friends and pick up some necessities (SIM card!) before orientation officially starts bright and early tomorrow morning.

[sayonarasurie]

July 20: How to Survive Tokyo Orientation

This time last year, I was getting ready for my big move to Japan. I was anxious, nervous, scared, and stressing the hell out over packing, goodbyes, omiyage, and figuring out what to wear. I survived Tokyo Orientation (just barely), and now I want to pass on my advice to the Incoming JETs! Sempais (senpais? I never know which one to use), feel free to add your advice!

Sync your internal clock to Japan time, and do this maybe a day or two before your trip, or even on the flight over. I was one of the lucky ones and departed from Hawaii, so my flight was only seven hours BUT I had a 19 hour time difference to deal with. Before my flight I literally stayed up for 24 hours and re-synced my internal clock to Japan time. It may not have been the most convenient thing to do, but it did help minimize my JET lag (tehe). Tokyo Orientation is go go go go go and if you’re jetlagged, you’re going to be miserable. 

Wear comfortable, loose clothes on the flight. Guys, think tshirts and basketball shorts. Girls, maxi dresses, long skirts, loose tops. DO NOT WEAR LEGGINGS. I made the mistake of wearing leggings and by the time I got to Japan my legs were swollen from the compression and altitude difference. Plus it’s going to be super hot and humid so anything tight is gonna make you feel even hotter.  

Grab a cart for your luggage. It’s a long walk from the baggage claim to the buses. Don’t be like me and think you can do it all yourself. I didn’t grab a luggage cart and I was so sweaty and gross by the time I got to the buses. Don’t be like me haha.

Keep your business clothes in your carry on, just in case if your luggage gets lost. Last year, an airline misplaced all of the Florida JETs’ suitcases and CLAIR had them sit in a special section during orientation because they were wearing casual clothes. Awkward haha.

I know you’ll be tempted to go out on your first night in Tokyo, but the best thing to do is just chill at the hotel and sleep or prepare for the first day of orientation and iron your clothes. Even if you feel wide awake, try and rest. The first day of T.O. is grueling. It’s full of workshops, lectures, and seminars. The senior ALTs in charge are going to give you so much information, by the end of the day it’s going to be bleeding out your ears. 

But if you do choose to go out, go out with friends. Use the buddy system. Chances are your phones will be in airplane mode and won’t be able to access GPS. So if you’re going to get lost, it’s better to get lost with friends haha. I ended up hanging out with Hawaii JETs who have been there before and know their way around. It’s going to be said at TO but I’m going to tell you first. STAY AWAY FROM KABUKICHO. Kabukicho is the red-light district in Shinjuku. My aunt told me most of the bars in Kabukicho are ran by Chinese mafia. End up in one of their bars and you’ll leave with no money. They’ll say one price to sucker you in, then at the end of the night you’ll be stuck with a 100,000 yen tab. So be careful!

Don’t trust your roommates. Keep all your money with you at all times or divide it out into different bags so it’s not all in one place. I know it’s weird carrying 200,000 yen around but better safe than sorry. 

Make friends! Network! Talk to ALTs who sit next to you, who knows they might be your best friends or offer a couch at their place if/when you visit!

Drink lots of water. It’s going to be hot. Even if you don’t feel thirsty, drink water so you’ll stay hydrated.

And lastly, enjoy. Your journey of being an ALT for the JET Programme is just beginning. Even though T.O. is three days, it’s going to go by like a complete blur and then you’re going to be whisked away to your city/town. Don’t be stressed!

I hope this helps Incoming JETs. Below are two of my posts from last year’s T.O. if you want to read them!

Sayonara, Surie

August 3: Tokyo Orientation Part One August 4; Tokyo Orientation Part Two

[hanachaninjapankobe]

Sites, Stories, Songs, and Shuccho

Oh, blogosphere, I haven’t forgotten about you! For the past two months I just decided to take a break and enjoy life without actively seeking things to write about. A lot of life experiences have passed by since my last update, and I will surely catch up on some of them.

In this update, I would like to talk about my trip to Tokyo! Since there were only 6 new ALTs placed in Kobe for the springtime, the Guidance Division thought I could probably lead the prefecture/designated-city information session and bring everyone back without any major problems, and so the Guidance Division sent me over to the CLAIR Orientation venue in Tokyo. :)

If I was going to be reimbursed for the travel and overnight stay, I thought I’d make the most out of it, so I left very early on Tuesday, April 12. After a spectacular airport breakfast and an hour-long flight nap, it was time to explore.

Since the very beginning, I had always wanted to walk through some of the neighborhood that I wrote about in my thesis – Ginza, Shinjuku, and Shibuya. On this day, I was able to accomplish all three. My hotel, the Grand Hill Ichigaya, was in a pretty central location, so it was possible to pick any of these places and travel in a loop around Yamanote Line. Here are some pictures that I took along the way.

Ginza

During the transition into the Showa Period, Ginza was very well known for its willow trees. They were newly planted around this time, so they became a sort of a symbol for Ginza. Although not as many exist today, a handful of willow trees have been preserved on the eponymous street, Yanagi Dori (Yanagi means willow).

Even at that time, it was recognized for its movement toward modernization and westernization, and as a result, it became the city’s main shopping district. You can still feel the strong Western influence and luxurious atmosphere by walking down some of the more popular streets.

Shibuya

Actually, Shinjuku rose to fame before Shibuya did, but Shibuya was closer on the train route. XD Around the late 1900s, Shibuya began to attract a different crowd. Although department stores like Sogo and Seibu were also frequented by shoppers, the district was distinguished as a hang-out spot for teens and young adults. A lot of the music I’ve listened to about Shibuya references fashion and dating. Judging from all the flashy screens, upbeat music, and cute “kawaii” shops, I think it continues to live up to its reputation.

This is the famous crosswalk called “Shibuya Scramble.” Hundreds and hundreds of people use it to get to and from the station and the main store buildings.

This is the famous statue of a dog who is said to have waited for its owner to come back and commute home together every day, even after its owner died.

Shinjuku

My final stop was Shinjuku. Sometime in between the rise of Ginza and Shibuya as prominent neighborhoods in Tokyo, Shinjuku also had its time in the spotlight. Something interesting that I noticed is a distinct divide between west and east sides of the station. In the west stands the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, actually right next to the Keio Plaza Hotel where we stayed for the summer JET Orientation. This area seems to be used primarily for business. However, the east features Kabukicho. According to songs about Shinjuku, which lament over glasses of cold sake and yearn for lost love, Kabukicho may not have been such a happy place, especially at night. But it was harmless in the daytime, so I took the opportunity to walk around a bit before heading back to the hotel for lunch.

I made my way over to the orientation venue in the evening, and conducted a short explanation and Q&A session with the six Kobe ALTs. It was weird to be back in that environment, since I was easily mistaken for a new JET, and I’d already had WAY MORE than enough repeating my name, placement, and life story… and then hear everyone else do the same. On the other hand, it was quite exciting to see how excited the new JETs were, because it reminded me of how I felt back then (before the jet lag and car sickness, of course). This meeting only lasted about an hour, so soon I was free for the evening. After meeting up with a friend from Dartmouth for dinner, I crashed in my comfortable hotel room, enjoyed a nice shower (but actually, look at the separated bathroom and real shower!!!!), and went to sleep.

P.S. Shuccho = business trip