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JET Return on Investment (ROI) is a new category on JetWit intended to highlight the various economic, diplomatic and other benefits to Japan resulting from its investment in the JET Program. Why is this important right now? Because the JET Program and JET Alumni Association may be cut by the Japanese government, as explained in this post by Jim Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) titled “JET Program on the Chopping Block.”
We want your “outreach” stories!
Have you given back to your town or prefecture in some way? Have you helped spread Japanese culture through activities in your own country? Have you inspired former students in interesting ways?
We know there are tons of stories and examples out there that have yet to be documented (or gathered in one place). We need these now to help demonstrate some of the ways that JET and JETAA have provided return on Japan’s investment.
Please share your story in the comments section below (or email it to jetwit@jetwit.com).
Yoroshiku!
2 comments so far...
(Received via email)
I heard that the JET program may be on the chopping block and would like to contribute my experiences about how the JET program has positively impacted my life. I worked as an AET in Yamaguchi-ken from 1994-1996 and I am still making connections with Japan and Japanese people as a result of the great experience I had living and working in Japan on the JET program.
During my stay in Japan, I learned how to speak Japanese and learned about Japanese culture. I learned how to play the koto and attended sumo tournaments where I met fellow Hawaiian and yokozuna, Akebono. I did a homestay in Hokkaido and really saw how a Japanese household was run. I enjoyed learning about how the Japanese school system is different from the American school system. I also taught the junior high school students and teachers a great deal about American and Hawaiian culture that would not have been as meaningful coming from a textbook. I taught some of the students how to dance the hula and introduced them to Hawaiian and American music. One teacher liked the Hawaiian lessons that I incorporated into my lessons so much that he kept the English-Hawaiian dictionary that I brought from home so that he could continue to teach his students about English and Hawaiian.
I treasure the memories that I have of my time in Japan. I still keep in touch with other JET participants who have since moved to other parts of the world. I also remain in contact with several of the Japanese teachers that I taught with. Most of all, participating in the JET program has motivated me to return to Japan on vacation and to continue to teach Japanese students about Hawaii and America by hosting Japanese students in my home. To date, my husband and I have hosted four Japanese students for short-term and long-term homestays and have enjoyed every minute of it. You cannot put a pricetag on these experiences. The consequences of cutting the JET program will be far-reaching and will greatly impact the cultural exchange that the JET program promoted. We now live in a global community and it is more important than ever to foster cultural connections between Japan and the world.
April Okumoto Goo
Yamaguchi-ken AET, 1994-1996
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