[jasonbvr]

City decision actually. They are the ones paying your salary and benefits. This is why in Gunma you can go from a city like Kiryu where every ALT is JET to mine where it is mixed to Oizumi where there are no JETs. The city makes their budget then request the JETs from the prefectural offices. The more rural schools though, I can see them getting a lot of assistance fromt the prefectural level.

And for the most part you are right about schools having no say in the matter. Unless you go somewhere like Ashikaga and have to do an interview with the BoE and schools you will work for. That is if you are private. The JETs there certainly don't go through that.