Hi everyone! If this has been posted before, please let me know—I’m new here.
I’m considering applying to the Jet Program, and one thing that I’ve become curious about is what ALTs (especially those in rural settings) do with their free time. As someone who is rather introverted by nature, I am concerned about finding ways to get out there if/when I move abroad. So what do you do when you aren’t at work? What kinds of hobbies and activities do you take part in? Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
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This is a recent [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/JETProgramme/comments/13t548c/rural_placements/) focused on rural placements, but I think it answers your question pretty well
Here’s a copy paste of my answer from there
>I’ve found it’s been a great time to discover hobbies. I’ve gotten really into reading, which is something I loved as a child, but lost time for as I’ve gotten older. I’ve also enjoyed doing art, which is something I’ve always struggled with and have never been good at. I didn’t grow up playing video games, but I got a switch a few years ago and it’s been fun to explore that new hobby as well. I’ve also always been a huge language nerd, so I put quite a lot of time studying Japanese, which has also allowed me to better connect with my coworkers and neighbors.
>I’m quite social at work. Not just with the kids but with my coworkers as well. When I come home from work I enjoy having some time to myself to engage in hobbies. I’m the only ALT in my town, but I’m friends with the ALTs in the surrounding region. People are very much willing to drive long distances to hang out.
Japanese class at a community center. Teaching English at night as a volunteer for the community. Walking around my town. During the winter when I’m buried (Tohoku) reading, gaming, occasional winter sports,and onsen. Studying Japanese at home or driving 30 minutes to a city to study in a Starbucks and do some shopping. Work on lesson plans and game ideas.
It’s a pretty simple lifestyle in the countryside, and that’s what I love about it. I also somehow manage to feel busier here than I did back home living in a city. The key is putting yourself out there despite your introversion, it can be as busy or as calm as you want it to be and are willing to make it.
During the weekdays after work, I go to the gym, study Japanese, and sometimes get dinner with co-workers or other ALTs in the area!
On the weekends, I rarely have a free day because I am always making plans! Whether I’m going to USJ (I have a year pass with my friends), traveling to a new prefecture with my co-workers, exploring towns near me, or just having a chill weekend with fellow ALTs at a karaoke bar, I’m always making the most of my weekends and having fun!
I think the best thing about being an ALT is that most of the time, you do have a good amount of free time! And if you’re in the countryside the salary is quite comfortable so that you can travel on the weekends! If you’re in the city, while your rent might be more, you’ll have the city and all of its fun activities at your fingertips!
Netflix and chill
In the winter, ski, ski, ski! Work ends at 4.10 and I can be on the cross country course by 4.30. In summer, cycling or running. I do a volunteer English class for adults once a week. I met my partner here and, as my Japanese has improved, made more Japanese friends so one or two nights a week going out for food/beers. We travel as often as possible.
I love playing video games but I have to carve out some time at the weekend. I lived in big cities all my life but I love the countryside here. Cheaper cost of living but still great restaurants and onsen all around.
I’m a suburban alt and I’m using my spare time to get a teachers license and masters degree.
I also travel around my prefecture and go on nearby hikes. And, because it’s so close, I’m occasionally wander the streets of Tokyo.
I live in a town with 10,000 people. Its nice to have time for hobbies. I draw, paint, play games, drive to new places around my prefecture, go hiking, go to the local cafe and talk to the owner, watch Netflix, etc. On weekends usually take the train for 30 mins or so to the bigger city. But honestly i feel like work is so draining for me sometimes that I like just being home after work.
I’m studying Japanese and spending time on Discord and Line helping inbound JETs with questions. Oh, and going into the city on weekends to play arcade games and eat a wider variety of food (Japanese food is great but sometimes you want something different).
I watch movies, go shopping for groceries or whatever, play games, rest, laundry, go to resteraunts to be social, hang out with the friends I’ve made, hang out with my friends from back home online.
It is different from back home but also some of the same.
I really enjoy going to see local temples or that sort of thing. Japanese people in rural areas seem to love interacting with me, so I smile and wave or say greetings in both English and Japanese which pleases them to no end.
It pleases me to no end too to have positive interactions with the locals.
My Japanese skills are very low but I practice almost every day to try and learn more words.
Im a bit of both an introvert and extrovert… So on the introvert days I stay in and game and watch shows. On extrovert days I go for hikes or izakayas.
I like making plans for my bigger trips like to Tokyo, kyoto, nara etc
Curling 🥌
I play taiko in our local taiko troupe! ^_^
It is a lot of fun, releases stress, and it is a great cardio workout 😛
Not rural, but I hit the gym 3 to 4 days a week after school.
I meet friends and stay at home. I’ve tried language exchange groups but it doesn’t fit with my personality. Other meet up groups are too far for me.
On weekdays, I really just study Japanese, watch Netflix or play video games, take online dance classes, workout, read, and various other hobbies. If I’m feeling social, I’ll get dinner with coworkers or other ALTs.
On weekends, I’m usually really busy. I’m a part of my city’s taiko team and iaido dojo (also did kyudo in a neighboring town for a while but getting to the dojo took more of my time than I was willing to spend). If I have time, I’ll go watch my schools clubs at their competitions. My town is pretty nice and quiet, but I’m about 2 hours from downtown Tokyo, so I’ll occasionally go out there for dance classes with friends, run errands, cafe hop, etc.
Really my problem has been making sure I remind myself to take downtime.
I think the key to getting involved is saying “yes.” You may have to seek them out, but a few emails and checking advertisements around city hall, a rec center, or city gym should open up some good opportunities.
I live outside Tokyo, so I’m always going to events. Any cool collab cafe opens? I hit it up. Some pop-up shop? I’ll go after class.
Tuesdays are Japanese classes. My city has a small volunteer-led group that is ¥100 for a 90min class.
Some nights I stay in and watch tv. But I’d rather be out exploring.
I’m also an introvert. I like my alone time and need to decompress a bit when I get home from work.
After that, it’s usually preparing for the next day – groceries, cooking, putting together lunch for work the next day, tidying up afterwards. Sometimes, I’ll do some cleaning, depending. Then I relax for a bit and start getting ready for bed. Honestly, it’s about as much as I have the energy and time for most days.
Occasionally, I’ll go out with friends for dinner or something, but I don’t make it an everyday thing. It gets expensive and also, it takes away food prep time if I have to work the next day.
If you want to get involved, try asking around at your school. Usually, the teachers have their own things and might be able to let you know what’s happening. As others said, city hall is a good resource and sometimes, I get flyers advertising certain events.
Ultimately, do what’s best for you. I know I’m introverted and if I overextend myself (i.e. go out every night), I get exhausted very quickly. I don’t feel any shame doing this. It’s who I am and I’ve long accepted that.
There was a local park I liked to run at. I was also near the coast so on my 2nd year here I bought a paddleboard and I take that out when the weather is nice. Got a gym membership too. I’ve also tried my luck at gardening. On top of all that I dropped 2.5k on a gaming PC and I paint miniatures
I always kept a pretty packed schedule! My most recent one looks like this:
Mondays: taught English to grannies
Tuesdays: play badminton
Wednesdays: catch up on chores
Thursdays: Japanese class
Fridays: Japanese Sign Language class
Saturdays & Sundays: out with friends or catching up on chores at home
I really want to learn a new martial art and go hiking bc I’ll be in Gunma near mountains.
Thanks for all the thoughtful replies, everyone! This helps a lot!
Gym, trading cards, play rugby, road trips, playstation. I find myself with loads to do in the weekends and after school.
Travel the world, Travel Japan, study Japanese, meet some Japanese friends, volunteer, take cooking classes, hang with PTA 🙂 , make YouTube videos, study investing and retirement planning! The world is your oyster!
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Studying Japanese, further developing my CV, hiking, goshuin collecting, kyudo, and travel!
I live in the inaka right now by the ocean, and there’s quite a bit to do! I’m pretty introverted myself but I think pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and trying new things is the best way to get adjusted to your new environment.
At one point, I did: pottery, judo, volunteered to teach English at a local eikawa at a community center, tea ceremony, and taiko.
Right now, I’m doing dance and we have regular weekly practices and a few performances throughout the year. In addition to that, I like to do all the nature stuff. I love going to the beach, hiking in the mountains, kayaking, etc. Just drive/biking around my town and exploring is very nice too. Eventually I want to try fishing, gardening, and farming. Sometimes I will go to the community center to learn Japanese from local volunteers weekly; they’ve done really useful lessons, like what to do in case of an emergency, how to call for help, how to make appointments, etc. We even toured the local fire station and talked to our local firefighters and police officers. At the community center, there’s a variety of sports, old gym equipment, and activities, which I’ve used a few times. I prefer to workout at a new gym so I go to one closeby. Also, I like to stay home often, host movie/dinner nights, play games, study Japanese, and go to food places, izakayas, or karaoke with other ALTs/friends.
TLDR; make use of the resources and community around you and the experience will be what you make of it!
I’m in a fairly inaka placement, and I volunteer at an eikaiwa once a week, have regular hang outs with friends, study Japanese, and I practice kendo at the dojo here! Places will have a lot to offer if you’re proactive and seek it out.
I live in a semi-rural area.
I travel, go hiking, do mountain climbing, swim in the ocean, partake in local festivals, do photography, watch movies, do long distance gaming and shows with friends back home, cook fun things, exercise at the gym or go running around a course I created, visit museums and other historical sites, play kendo with my students and document the really neat things you can see here.
I’m going to say, if you are particularly introverted, you will probably not have a good time on JET or moving abroad in general, unless you can force yourself to be extroverted when you need to be.
It’s about the same as how you’d do it in your home country, just harder in some ways because of the language barrier. Easier in some other ways because as a foreigner you’ll be “interesting” and stand out more. In other ways harder.
Basically what I think you need to be worried about is if all your hobbies are solitary ones. Unless you have a hobby that requires doing it with other people in person, sports, church, alcoholism, etc, you’ll have a hard time meeting people.