I don’t know much at all about the Japanese prefectures and yes I’ll (1) do my own research, (2) have already read similar posts (3) know that it sometimes doesn’t matter what you pick but I want a general idea anyway so I can write something down. I’d prefer rural (I’m okay with the middle of nowhere even) but I’m not sure whether to pick rural or island – does it make a difference which one? I’m assuming they’re both pretty rural. Also I’d like somewhere warm although if someone makes a good argument for colder then I’d consider it, and since I don’t have a drivers license, somewhere that has transport (even minimal) to the bigger cities.
Could someone name a few prefectures they think would work? Again, just looking for a general idea on what to consider, I will do my own research. Also if anyone knows the major pro/cons to island vs rural – I’d appreciate that.
Thanks in advance!
6 comments
When I was trying to decide, I was really considering Miyazaki prefecture. I made a post asking Miyazaki JETs about their experiences and got some really good insight! Here’s the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/JETProgramme/comments/xwie7p/miyazaki_jets_questions_about_your_prefecture/
How is your Japanese?
Can you drive? (Scratch that)
Can you handle being alone for extended period of time?
Can you handle being stuck in a place for extended period of time?
Saying “I prefer rural” is easy until you get sent to Tsushima and can only go to Nagasaki twice a week on a hour long ferry ride.
Islands can be super isolated. You will get a very unique experience, but it is very isolating. Prior to departure, I was chatting with a JET who was going to an island placement where there wasn’t even a grocery store. The islanders put in their grocery orders and a ferry delivers them once a week. From reading past Islander JETs’ experiences (blogs and such), the locals tend to be very friendly and welcoming, though, and your school will probably be small and you will get to know your students well.
Having worked briefly in a remote, fly-in First Nation reserve, I can imagine it’s a little similar and it is certainly an adjustment with regards to your way of life. It’s not for everyone (it’s easy to feel trapped) but it can be rewarding in its own way.
Pick the features you want and then go from there. Do you need it to be cold? That cuts out a tonne. Do you prefer mountain or oceans? Do you need access to shinkansen etc?
Go for general things that you need and you have less chance of being disappointed.
Not having a driver’s license is more than likely going to preclude you from a lot of rural placements. Especially local BOE placements (elementary and junior high schools) that usually have their JETs go to more than one school.
Id say you are more likely to be placed in a small city or at least a town that has rail access. There are tons of exceptions of course.
When you say “bigger cities’, what do you mean exactly? The closest “large city” to me has a population of around 300,000 and its 4 hours by shinkansen to a city with over a million people.
A few prefectures give JETs more vacation days than others. That is a factor to consider too.
Tohoku is chill and cheap. Within striking distance of Sendai for most placements and with the JR East Pass, traveling to Tokyo/Kanto is pretty reasonable.
Other good choices are Mie and Wakayama for affordability and their relative location to Osaka/Kobe/Nagoya. Ishikawa is also nice as they have a great vacation day policy, rail network (shinkansen) and is still centrally located.
Honestly, I don’t think it matters where you pick, because I picked Tokyo region, Kyoto, and Nara or something. In the end, I got placed in Shizuoka Pref. Which honestly, is perfect for me. Because it doesn’t get super cold, I have a killer view of Mt.Fuji, lots of tea/tea-picking, and good spots to go. It’s also close to Tokyo. And I can still go to Kyoto quickly if I want. Transportation is not the worse, but in the more rural areas, you’d need a bicycle. If you have a good grip on Japanese, rural won’t be a problem for you. But if you’re a Japanese language beginner you’d want a bigger city because it gets lonely.