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10-10-2007, 12:29 AM
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. 
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10-10-2007, 05:36 AM
See you there, mousee. When we make it, I'll buy you a beer.
Thanks for the wealth of info. It's much better to hear this from someone who did this rather than the company website. I read about the sports thing, and it's not something you apply for, it's more of a professional thing. Kind of mysterious. I'm not really so picky, actually. As long as I'm with my lover and we've got a roof, everything else is negotiable. My best quality is adaptation :P I had the notion that they managed dorm-like apartments, and I didn't want to redo freshman year of college. The pets thing is going to be a real mess, but I'll figure it out somewhere. Let's say I apply to JET in September of the year before I graduate. They say it's competitive, but I hear otherwise. Anyway, assuming I don't get in, what are my options? Browse Gaijinpot and look as hard as I can for job openings?
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10-12-2007, 03:43 AM
As I've said before, JET's selection process is a complete mystery to everyone including those chosen. But yeah, if you don't make it in, no worries. You will certainly be able to find a teaching job with a degree. Gaijinpot is good as well as the other links on the first page of Teaching in the JP 2.0. I applied sometime in June, was hired in July, and came over at the end of August. I didn't decide to teach until January of my senior year so I missed the JET hiring round. There is more advice about getting a teaching gig in the teaching thread.
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10-12-2007, 04:35 AM
Yeah, apply to JET, you will know by February or March of your senior year if you got in or not, so plenty of time to find something else when you graduate.
EVERY JET placement is different. I don't know where your GF lives now, but don't count on living anywhere near her, or count on her living with you in your JET apartment. In my situation it could have happened, and I had a buddy who was a JET that had his GF living with him, but I also knew people that were next door neighbors to other teachers in smaller towns, and word spreads FAST. I am not saying its impossible, just don't bank on it.
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10-14-2007, 11:39 PM
The thing is, that as far as dating in Japan goes your girlfriend never sleeps over at your house until the two of you are actually married. At least this is the way it works in more traditional (ie outside of Tokyo) Japan. Even after two Japanese marry, they often live at home with their parents and visit love hotels when they want some action.
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10-14-2007, 11:53 PM
Exactly right. And no matter where you are in Japan, you will be in the minority, and Japanese people like to, shall we say, share news of what's going on with their neighbors. Privacy is a luxury. It will NOT be OK with your school to be living with a woman outside of marriage at their apartment, and word will likely get back to them eventually. The landlord probably won't like it either.
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10-23-2007, 02:43 AM
Yo, I found some stuff on pets. Check it out, Animal Quarantine Service Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
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10-23-2007, 02:50 AM
Notice how it says "If you have all the proper paperwork your pet will go through in 12 hours" and if not it will be 180 days. From what I hear, plan on 180 days, unless you are Paris Hilton or Britney Spears.
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10-23-2007, 02:53 AM
Quote:
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