Hello I saw some other threads talking about the Keio Plaza accommodations, and horror stories of sleeping on pull out couches.
The email I received from New Jersey NTA America states:
5. Hotel Accommodation
You are expected to stay in a twin room shared with another JET assigned by CLAIR Tokyo.
Does this confirm its two per room and no pull out couch ?
Also I am not a New Jersey JET, did everyone else receive this same email?
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I read it is 3 in a room, as it was pre-covid. Would be so much better if it is only 2, though.
I think that section is for those staying at a hotel the day of the flight to not miss it. You should look up the type of the hotel the Keio plaza is.
Now that things are back to “normal”, you will have roommates in the Keio hotel. Most rooms are 2 single beds, and they’re actually quite big.
The last two years were exceptions, since everyone was required to either quarantine or be very careful.
Keep in mind too that Tokyo is currently experiencing over tourism. The hotel will likely be at capacity, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they have 3 people per room (cot/fold out couch).
A lot of people coming on JET are straight out of university and haven’t adjusted to “working life” yet. Everyone is going to be tired, jet-lagged and possibly overwhelmed. Please be kind, patient and respectful. Don’t be that annoying asshole who sees this as an extension of university frat life. Once you land, you’re technically working. There will be time to party later.
How do I add a badge under my name saying incoming JET
I stayed at the hotel for the JET orientation in 2019. I shared with 2 other guys and we all had a large single bed each. Didn’t hear of anyone sleeping on a pull-out couch or any other “horror stories”, so take everything you read on here with a pinch of salt.
If orientation is back to 2 nights, your time at Keio Plaza might not be that long depending what time you arrive at the hotel 😅. I’ll share my experience.
My orientation (pre-covid) was 2 nights and we had 3 people in a room. Also the people I sat with on my flight were also my hotel mates. After arriving at Narita, my group was held up at the airport for 3 hours 😭 because a group who arrived before us, misplaced their photos(?) for the visas that were gonna be issued to enter Japan.
My group finally gets through immigration and they get us on a bus and we don’t arrive to the hotel until 10pm-ish 😭. Some call it a night while others go out. Next day is orientation all day (morning and afternoon). Free time in the evening. Final day is morning meeting and meet our PAs and we travel to our prefectures.
I barely saw my hotel mates, I felt like I only interacted with them on my flight. And I was only at the hotel for less than 2 days since my group arrived so late and I heard of groups arriving after midnight when orientation is in the morning. Your time at Keio Plaza will be a blur from JET lag and orientation alone.
**Edit**: Sorry it was **3 nights**, Orientation was such a blur to me 😅 I was very jet-lagged when I arrived in Tokyo. Also it was my first international flight.
When I had orientation in 2018 it was three to a room, but everyone had proper beds. It was perfectly comfortable, if a little cramped. We generally weren’t in room at the same time so showers weren’t too much of an issue. Everyone was jetlagged and naturally waking up hella early so there wasn’t an issue with everyone wanting to use the bathroom at once
I was a group C arrival in 2019, so due to there being fewer of us being in the hotel, we were all 2 to a room no sofa beds or anything like that
I’ve heard that you have to share beds and there’s definitely no pull out allowed.
Okay that guys horror story was more about his 3rd roommate having drunk period sex with ppl in the room. Sleeping on a cot/pull out couch is hardly a nightmare for 2 nights, lol.
That’s a really nice hotel. There will be no horror stories.
Pull out couches shouldn’t be horror stories for most people, unless they have specific medical conditions, but that’s a problem you would solve by informing the relevant people.
When I went in 2018 it was 3 to a room for most but they seemed to be split by country and I got lucky and only had me and one other person in our room. Alphabetically we were probably at the end of the list.
My horror story: I got food poising from the food they gave so I was sick and missed most of orientation, and when I got to my prefecture, my PAs and members of the BOE had to take me to the hospital. There are a slew of restaurants near the hotel. The first day I went, the second day I opted for the hotel food. I remember thinking to myself “I shouldn’t have been so lazy. shoulda just walked to Mcdonalds.” lol. Apparently, there was another year when a bunch of JETs got food sick from the hotel food as well. So be careful lol, if you can, just go to a restaurant or the 7/11 across the street.