Time-sensitive stuff JETAANY 2017 Pre-Departure Seminar ❏ Inform your landlord and/or roommate (s) that you are What You Should Do leaving the country! Settle any outstanding fees (rent, utilities, cleaning, etc.) ❏ Before Departure ❏ Give your notice at work! Don’t burn any bridges in the process ❏ Time-sensitive stuff (cont’d.) Pack! ❏ ALTs only: Fill out Form 8802 with the IRS so you can ❏ You get 2 checked luggage plus 1 carry-on item get Form 6166 Each checked luggage must be under 50 lbs ❏ Form 6166, “Certification of US Tax Residency” = exemption ❏ When you arrive at Tokyo Orientation, 1 luggage will be sent to ❏ from paying Japanese income tax for 2 years your Contracting Organization (CO) and 1 you will keep — pack $85 filing fee for the application (Form 8802) , usually takes 4–6 ❏ 1 luggage with everything you’ll need for your first week! weeks to receive Form 6166 in the mail If needed, have a friend or family member send it to your ❏ Japanese address Note: You are still responsible for filing US Federal Income taxes!
Pack! — Essentials Pack! — Essentials (cont’d.) ❏ Conservative formal business attire for orientation, ❏ Comfortable summer clothing school ceremonies, and formal events Tokyo can get up to 100º with nearly 100% humidity ❏ Suits, ties, blazers, knee-length skirts/dresses, shoulders must ❏ ❏ Larger sizes of clothing and shoes can be tricky to find be covered, closed-toe shoes in Japan, keep that in mind while packing ❏ Business casual attire for everyday use at work ❏ Stores like Uniqlo sell most clothing staples for cheap depends on your school, but it’s always better to dress up than ❏ (including winter jackets) — don’t worry about bringing everything! down! Pack! — Essentials (cont’d.) Pack! — Essentials (cont’d.) ❏ Omiyage (souvenirs) — bring something to distribute to the ❏ Things to keep in mind about omiyage staff at your new workplace Presentation is important! Don’t give away something that ❏ Food is always a great gift! Cookies, snacks, specialty foods looks sloppy (sloppy = you didn’t put in much time or effort) ❏ from your hometown, etc. If possible, have your souvenirs pre-wrapped for easy sharing ❏ Bring nicer gifts for your supervisor(s), principal(s), vice (i.e. individually wrapped candies or cookies) ❏ principal(s), and Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs) Omiyage and gift-giving are an important part of Japanese ❏ culture — be respectful, try to give something that you would also like to be given
Pack! — Essentials (cont’d.) Pack! — Good to Have ❏ Passport with your new ❏ Anti-perspirant deodorant, fluoride toothpastes, and Japanese visa some cosmetics can be difficult to find ❏ Contract from your Note: Dove, Biore, Neutrogena, Nivea, and other big brands can ❏ be found at most Japanese drug stores Contracting Organization (CO) ❏ Photos and mementos of your hometown, family, college, etc. ❏ Plane ticket These can be used for your self-introduction lessons at school ❏ ❏ Laptop in addition to making your Japanese house feel more like home! Pack! — Grey Areas Pack! — Grey Areas (cont’d.) Prescription medication Prescription medication (cont’d) ❏ Includes contact lenses, some forms of birth control, ❏ Read the General Information Handbook for details and some over-the-counter pain killers If, for whatever reason, you want to bring more than 1-month’s ❏ worth of meds, contact your supervisor or Prefectural Advisor ❏ Can bring up to 1-month’s supply (PA) ASAP To bring more than 1-month’s supply, you need to fill out ❏ ❏ Most prescription medication can be fulfilled by a special documentation ( yakkan shoumeisho ) doctor in Japan once you’ve run out of your 1-month Failure to comply with these regulations can result in fines, ❏ imprisonment, and/or deportation supply
Pack! — Grey Areas (cont’d.) Pack! — Leave at Home Cell phones ❏ Books ❏ Some US cell phones (regardless of make) will not work These can be bought in ❏ DVDs on Japanese networks Japan or shipped by sea ❏ Heavy winter gear ❏ You can bring your own, but you will likely have to buy a (cheapest shipping option) ❏ Towels new phone upon arrival ❏ Blankets Money, money, money… Money, money, money… (cont’d.) ❏ Be sure you have at least $2,000 CASH to bring with ❏ If you have student loans, ensure you will be able to you (more is better!) make payments while away ❏ Order Japanese Yen from your bank — usually better Make sure you have enough money in your bank account to ❏ make loan repayments until you can send money (remittance) rates than exchanging at the airport from Japan Many options for sending international remittance: GoRemit, JP ❏ Bank, Western Union, and more
Tie off loose ends Tie off loose ends (cont’d.) ❏ Alert your bank, credit card company, or student loan ❏ Pay any outstanding bills agency that you are moving to Japan ❏ Cancel any cable, internet, or cell phone plans, and any Change your address if necessary ❏ newspaper, magazine, or Amazon subscriptions ❏ Get your International Driving Permit at an AAA ❏ Register with the US Embassy $20 fee, permit is good for one year ❏ They’ll send you travel advisories and contact you in case of ❏ Must have a valid US driver’s license ❏ emergencies Even if you don’t think you’ll have a car, it’s a good ❏ Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) ❏ idea to get your IDP! Basic Japanese Basic Japanese (cont’d.) ❏ Practice a few set phrases before departure ❏ Useful phrases: すみません sumimasen — “Excuse me” or “I’m sorry” ❏ ❏ Familiarize yourself with hiragana and katakana よろしくお願いします yoroshiku onegaishimasu — “I look forward ❏ ❏ Apps like Memrise can help you learn basic Japanese to working with you” (lit. “Please be kind to me”) 英語をわかりますか eigo o wakarimasu ka? — “Do you greetings and phrases ❏ understand English?” ❏ Download a Japanese–English dictionary like Anki, 日本語をわかりません nihongo o wakarimasen — “I don’t ❏ Midori, or Google Translate understand Japanese” __ のアレルギーがあります __ no arerugi ga arimasu — “I have a ❏ ❏ Make sure you can access it offline! __ allergy”
Self-Introduction in Japanese Self-Introduction Example ❏ Prepare a short self-introduction for when you meet はじめまして。私は [name] です。アメリカから来ました。趣味は [hobby] です。 [thing] が好きです。よろしくお願いします。 your supervisor, teachers, and coworkers Hajimemashite. Watashi wa [name] desu. Amerika kara kimashita. Feel free to keep a cheat sheet to read of off ❏ Shumi wa [hobby] desu. [Thing] ga suki desu. Yoroshiku ❏ Simple is best, especially if you aren’t confident in onegaishimasu. Japanese yet Even if you make some mistakes, your coworkers will ❏ Nice to meet you. I am [name]. I’m from America. My hobby is [hobby]. appreciate the effort! I like [thing]. I look forward to working with you. Connect! — Your Predecessor Connect! — Your Predecessor (cont’d.) ❏ They will have the best info and advice about your ❏ Questions to ask your predecessor specific school(s) and placement Schools — What are the staff and students like? How large are ❏ the classes? What will your responsibilities be in class? Are they ❏ They will usually contact you at least 2–4 weeks before involved in any extracurricular activities? departure — do not panic if you haven’t heard from Furniture & belongings — Will you be inheriting or buying any ❏ them yet! of their things? (Do not feel obligated to buy anything) Living situation — Will you be moving into their old ❏ house/apartment, or will you move into a different one? Are there any upfront costs or fees (e.g. key money) ?
Connect! — Your Predecessor (cont’d.) Connect! — PAs ❏ More questions to ask your predecessor ❏ Contact your Prefectural Advisor (PA) if you haven’t Home maintenance — When are the garbage and recycling yet heard from your predecessor or if you have general ❏ days? Can they leave instructions or translations for using questions about your placement region appliances (e.g. air conditioner, hot water, etc.) ? They are your go-to if you have any problems or questions ❏ Internet access — Will you have internet when you arrive? Can ❏ while you are on JET their current internet plan be transferred to you? Transportation — How do they commute to school or work? Will ❏ Most PAs will send a welcome email to incoming JETs, check ❏ you need a car? Where is the nearest train station? your spam if you haven’t heard from them Neighborhood — Where is the nearest grocery store/bank/ ❏ post office? What restaurants or bars are nearby? Connect! — Social Media Connect! — At Home ❏ Check Facebook for ALT or JET groups in your ❏ Make time for friends and prefecture or city family before you leave Get to know other JETs or ALTs in your area ❏ ❏ Visit your favourite places, ❏ Search online for any resources from your prefectural eat your favourite food, Association of JETs (AJET) enjoy your last month! E.g.: Gunma AJET, Akita JET have websites with plenty of ❏ articles and information
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