How likely will I get my placement?

20 comments

1. Most people get something close to their top three. Every now and then though someone will get the complete opposite of what they requested so you gotta be flexible.

2. Statistically speaking it’s unlikely you will get your placement. Those prefectures are not particularly famous, but you should assume that you won’t get any of them.

3. I would say be prepared for anything, I asked for a city and was put in a city in the least populated prefecture lol. I feel like they look at what you put as more suggestions if anything.

4. Just forget you even put them tbh

   If you get it, it’s just an added bonus

   I put 3 prefectures with a TON of JET openings and I didn’t get any of the 3 and not even my school level preference. Others get their top placement. No one knows hows its decided so just forget about it.

5. I would say if you mentioned your connection to ibaraki it’s less likely. Most people I know that requested a place they have already lived in Japan don’t get it. I think it’s 50/50 for any other requests. I got my top choice and it was the only spot open in my prefecture for the time I arrived. Several other people I know got one of their top 3 and several didn’t. There’s no way of knowing until it happens, but what ever you get take it graciously and it might be the best choice for you even if it wasn’t your or final hoped plan.

6. Highly unlikely. I put Osaka down as my 1st place, then Okinawa 2nd. I’m living in Kumamoto lmao. But I don’t have a license and I was placed in a suburb near a city where I can walk to school, and take the bus. Just know you can’t complain about your placement when you get it and attempt to get it changed. They stressed this A LOT when I was doing the visa documentation and we were waiting for our placements.

7. I put Shiga, Fukuoka and Nagasaki and got Saga. The interest I put down for my Kyushu preferences was just an interest in the local history.

   I would say Fukuoka is going to be a hard get. Saga is more likely because it is less popular (but a great choice!). As everyone is saying tho, anything could happen

8. I doubt Ibaraki is popular. Ibaraki is consistently rated the most boring prefecture in Japan even by Japanesw people.

9. How likely will you get your requested placement? Zero to none.

   No one ever gets their preferred placement (not that I’ve heard of anyway). There is a JET in my area that has a chronic illness and requested a large city to have easy access to healthcare. Nope. Inaka. 100%.

10. I requested Ibaraki (studied abroad there). Didn’t get it.

11. I feel it’s more probable you will be placed in an area that has a sister state relationship where you are from (depending on what your contracting BOE/Municipality has requested). That is just from my own personal experience and I am sure it is different with others. Beyond that, just be happy you were hired on as a JET because it’s a wonderful opportunity regardless of where you go. Since my time on JET I have been all over the world and served in two war campaigns with the US Army… not a week goes by where I don’t think about my former students and wish I was back at my old kyouikuiinkai (BOE).

12. You’re unlikely to get your preferred placements UNLESS you have a chronic medical condition.

    I requested broad areas, but requested an urban placement due to my health. My third choice was Kyushu and got Fukuoka due to the city having excellent doctors.

    Fukuoka is one of the most popular prefectures for JETs. There are currently 116 of us in the prefecture, and we got 19 new JETs last cycle. Better odds of ending up here than most prefectures, but one out of three seats are reserved for Hawaiians

13. It’s not known how likely you are to get your placement. As an anecdote, I asked for Shiga (studied abroad there), Hokkaido, and I think Hyogo but ended up in Tokyo teaching SHS despite not marking it for the preferred grades. My friend’s top choice was Tokyo and she got it. It worked out great though. I would not put too much stock into your choices just in case you don’t get them, and if you do, it’s a nice surprise.

    The only real worry I should mention is that even if you get your ideal placement, the school(s) you work at might affect your perception of the area.

14. I didn’t get any of my 3 preferences which I all had solid ties to (hometown, family and friends).

    I’m pretty sure why I got my current placement though. I really emphasized that I love skiing and this town has multiple ski resorts. It was also a new CIR spot in a small town and I grew up in a small town in Japan. So it makes sense that I got placed here.

    Anyway, what I am trying to say is, they may take into account your preferences or not. They may take into account your hobbies even. Just don’t get your hopes up.

15. Got the prefecture, city, and level of school I requested without any kind of illness. It’s as you seem to already know, if you request somewhere not especially popular your chances of getting it skyrocket. I figured choosing somewhere less popular was better than risking getting placed wherever they wanted. I am so incredibly happy I made that decision.

16. No guarantees obviously, but I’ve noticed that people who ask for kyushu tend to get it cuz those prefectures tend to be less known. So if Saga has openings I actually think there’s a good chance you get it.

    But at the end of the day, you shouldn’t expect or anticipate anything.

17. Its random most of the time.

18. Asked for all rural Kyushu and was placed on random Okinawa island, I think it can be taken into consideration, but sometimes doesn’t matter at all.

19. Recommendation for anyone applying: don’t put Fukuoka city down as a choice because Fukuoka basically has no ALTs so it’s basically a wasted option!
    I got my second choice when applying. I put Fukuoka city down first but it was wasted.
    I’ve also notice if you requested a place that is sister cities with your hometown the likelihood of going there increases.
    There is also a theory that people with good Japanese are sent to elementary schools and people who don’t speak Japanese are sent to high schools. Just a pattern we have noticed.

20. Unless you chose a rural area you likely already have a connection to, you can consider your placement requests null