[jasonbvr]

The JET program has a few different jobs it offers. The huge majority will be ALT's. There are two other positions that are non-ALT jobs. These are the coordinator of international relations and another program that is like English education through athletics. I really don't know that much about the second one other than there are not that many positions for it since they only place two to three in each prefecture. The CIR's are basically about the same number. They usually have the task of organizing events for both JET ALT's and the prefectural board of education. Your Japanese ability for this position should be JLPT level 1 or higher, fluent in other words. Then there are other positions available in the prefectural board of education, and these positions usually go to JET program participants because they are exposed to the prefectural level more so than private ALT's who are mostly only familiar with the city BoE.

As far as your g/f living with you as a member of the JET program, that is not going to be a problem. Yes, you get the apartment of the former JET which are usually decent places, but unless you live out in b.f.e. no one is going to know, much less care, that you have a g/f staying with you. But you can't really go out and find a new apartment that easily in the JET program. Whatever you choose has to be conveniently located close to your school for the ALT that comes after you leave. You can't get a car and then decide you want to live farther away from your school. I knew a JET who was doing this, but they were stilling paying rent on the apartment while living in someone's house for free.

As far as companies that hire English teachers, it is none of their business who lives with you and where you live. Some companies say they provide an apartment, but unless your boss also happens to be a real estate agent it simply means you are taking over the apartment vacated by your predecessor. If you are willing and able to get your own place paying the key money and getting all the light fixtures, stove top, shower, washer, heater/AC, etcetera, more power to you. It isn't cheap moving into your first apartment in Japan which is why most Japanese live with their parents until they are like 30. I am not kidding, you walk into an empty apartment and there is nothing in there other than a counter top, a hood fan, some wires hanging out of the ceiling and holes in the wall for water hookups.

Companies that place you with roommates, F that. I wouldn't want to live with about 90% of the English teachers I know. I like my space and don't like cleaning up after other people.

The issue of pets is another story. Each apartment is going to have different restrictions based on pets. Some will allow a cat but not a dog. Some will allow a dog but maybe no cat since you are allowed only one. Some apartments have weight restrictions meaning the size of your dog is going to matter. To be completely honest, you are better off renting a house than an apartment when it comes to pets. Even in a house there are going to be rules, but you are more likely to find a house that allows pets than an apartment. What MMM is saying about quarantine is totally true. Even after the initial cost of quarantine, I don't want to know how much that is, there are fees and taxes to be paid to the city government for ownership of dogs and probably cats too. Again I have no idea of what the pet tax is, I just know it exists. Or at least I have heard of it.