Hi! I’m planning to apply for 2023 JET Programme. I’m just wondering if joining the programme will not cause my mental health to decline (since it’s the atmosphere most commonly, if not most, in other parts of Japan)?
And anyone here who’s now working under JET as a single lady? How was it and your stay in Japan so far? Thank you!
7 comments
Only been here 3 months but so far so good! Being a single lady and living alone/ walking to places alone definitely feels a lot safer than in the US. But bars and clubs in the bigger cities definitely are not any better for a single woman than the US. I might even say they are worse… but that can be easily avoided if u just go drinking with friends lol.
As far as mental health, I think that’s very personal. Some people do get depressed, anxious but I don’t think that it necessarily becomes worse in Japan as long as you try to become a part of a community and don’t isolate yourself.
I don’t think anyone can answer the question about mental health.
Everyone is so different in terms of mental health history, coping mechanisms, and past experiences. For example, if you have a history of severe depression, that is something you will have to consider prior to moving to Japan. Mental health services here are not the same as they are in the west. Even if you are not depressed currently, consider that moving to a new country with a different language and culture and having zero supports (i.e. no family or friends) is very stressful. Some people move here and get culture shock so bad that they move back to their home countries within weeks of arriving. Certain things will help mitigate this. For example, being able to hold a conversation in Japanese will help you vastly in terms of making friends or dealing with problems that will inevitably come up. Prior experience living within a vastly different culture (i.e. living or studying abroad) will also help.
In addition, everyone’s placements are vastly different. Some people struggle with various aspects of their placements. For example, some people do a lot of deskwarming and they struggle with that. For others, maybe they don’t get along with their coworkers. No one can predict this. If you are good at working with people and maintaining good professional relationships, as well as being able to roll with the punches, then that will help.
However, nothing is guaranteed. Not a single one of us can say that you will or will not have a decline in mental health if you get into the JET Programme.
Being a single lady is absolutely fine here. I rarely feel unsafe. That being said, you just need to take the usual precautions here.
Japan is as safe as anywhere else for single women. Not dangerous so shouldn’t be avoided, not safe so shouldn’t take zero precautions on that assumption. Take the same precautions you take at home and you’ll unlikely have issues.
Moving abroad will almost always have a negative effect on your mental health due to culture shock. If you struggle with your mental health seriously reconsider any decision to move abroad. It will most likely get worse.
As far as mental health, mine got a lot worse upon arriving and lasted for several months while I struggled to adapt to the change. I’m doing great now, even better than I’ve been generally for the last few years. I think it will definitely make some problems stronger, but if you figure out healthy ways to cope, it will get better in the long term. Just make sure your bodily needs are met and you have a circle of people you can rely on.
Being a single woman is very safe as far as walking down the street alone at night, but there is some common sexual harassment in the form of being stared at, sometimes followed, hit on, having photos taken of you, etc. This is worse in cities but I’m in the inaka and it happens rarely here. Personally I feel very safe, but the attention can be pretty uncomfortable.
Lots of factors influence the mental health aspect, so it’s impossible to answer really. You could be placed in a busy city and thrive in that environment, while other people find that type of living overwhelming. Conversely, you could get put somewhere really rural and enjoy the challenges that living in that situation brings, or you could feel it’s too much for you. Your workplace and what type of school, the number of schools you are visiting etc will also have an impact. Some people spend most days sat at the their desk and others have classes all day. It’s a big risk to take because it really is pot luck. I understand your concerns as someone who has had mental health problems in the past. I seem to fluctuate between having the best and worst experience of my life here, but I don’t regret coming as it’s taught me a lot about myself and is helping to make me a more resilient person.
As others have mentioned, it is impossible for us to comment on your personal mental health situation. If you already struggle with mental health issues, then you might want to take some time to consider if moving to a new country where you have no friends/family and possibly don’t have the ability to interact with the locals, is a good idea for you. Everyone’s situation is different. Some people flourish the entire time. Some people flourish at first and then go downhill. Some people struggle at first and then get better. And then some people struggle the entire time. It really depends on a number of factors.
As for mental health it depends. Will this be your first time moving to a new country? How’s your Japanese ability? Are you able to have some distance between yourself and current support network?
I’ll be honest, the first year is kind of a roller coaster. You will have some highs and some lows. Moving to a brand new country you may or may not be familiar with, and taking care of all the initial things of moving somewhere can be somewhat overwhelming if its your first time doing it. If your Japanese is mediocre like mine you might need to get help doing some things and that loss of independence can also be sometimes frustrating. I’ve moved around a lot before so I could get a handle on it but there was one person in my area’s new intake that left after a few months.