I Am Applying For The JET Programme
 

I know there have been a few threads in recent times that have faded away about the JET programme. But, I figured we could have a one, definitive thread for all us who are definitely applying for the 2009 JET programme. Mods want to even sticky this one since this will be a process that will be on-going for a while now.

I just started my application, and I'm sure others have too. For those who have applied before, on the application where I'm selecting my preferences for places to live, they let you pick a region (Kanto, Kinki, etc.), and then a prefecture/major city in the region. On your first choice, you can specify a town/city/village, but on the others you can only do a region and a prefecture/major city. Both my first and second choices are in Kinki, and it's telling me for my third choice to try and please select a different region. I REALLY want to live in Kinki so I want to make my third choice there, but I'm wondering if they might frown upon having all my choices be in Kinki? Did any of you run into this, and/or have any suggestions?

There is no guarantee if you get in you can live in Kinki, so you need to choose somewhere else. Follow the directions to the letter.

That's what I figured =/ I'm just really not sure of anywhere else I want to live. I have Nishinomiya as my first choice, Kobe City as my second, and I really don't have any good ideas for anywhere else. Any suggestions for awesome places in Kanto or Chubu? I'm really hesitant to select Tokyo (even though I love it there and know the area) because even though it's just for Tokyo prefecture and not the city, I still feel like it'd be a waste of a choice because so few people go there.

What exactly are you looking for? Chubu is a really great area, and there are some very nice cities. Nagoya is a wonderful city, and a quick trip to Osaka.

75% of people choose Tokyo. Nara...Wakayama...Nagoya...Hiromshima...think about these.

Interesting you put Nishinomiya as a first choice. It is one of my favorite places in Japan...I always try and get to Koshien Stadium for the high school baseball championships when I can.

I got first interested in Nishinomiya because I'm a huge Hanshin Tigers fan. After doing some research on the city, I found a lot of things I love about it, the location is perfect, and just everything about it seems like the perfect fit for me. I chose Kobe City second because it's a city that typically gets overlooked, but it's still a cool city, close to Nishinomiya and Osaka, and it's a sister city to Philadelphia, which is my home city. I also was wondering, when it asks you what area you would like to represent, I'm wondering if I should put my actual hometown (which is in South Jersey), or Philadelphia, which most people will recognize. It doesn't say to state your exact hometown there, so I'm wondering if putting the city would be better..

I've heard a lot of great things about Nagoya, I'm just not that familiar with it personally. When I was there, I lived in Tokyo, so I know that area, and I love Kansai, so I know a lot about the greater Osaka area. If I had to make a decision right now, I'd say Saitama because it's close to Tokyo, and I know I love Tokyo. Not my top choice, but it's closer to something I'm familiar with. Anyone have any good info on Saitama (city or prefecture) they'd like to share?

For the whole placement thing, I kinda hate the fact that Hokkaido/Tohoku is put together like this. It would've been nice if Hokkaido and Tohoku would've been separate.

That aside, I'm still not entirely sure what I want to put down, but, so far, this is what I've put down on my application...

Area type: No Preference

Block: Hokkaido/Tohoku
Prefecture/City: Hokkaido
Town/City/Village: Ishikari

Block: Hokkaido/Tohoku
Prefecture/City: Miyagi

Block: Kanto
Prefecture/City: Saitama (Sister City)

Sister city goes a long way. Emphasize that, and it will be harder for them to deny.

No preference means you might get extreme country-side. That is what I hear.