JET35 Alumni Reunion Early Registration Ends 4/22
The JET35 Alumni Reunion is a three-day gathering for JET alumni and friends with exciting programming, special events, and plenty of time to see old friends and make new ones!
EARLY REGISTRATION AND SPECIAL HOTEL RATES END ON 4/22
RATES
- Early (thru 4/22): Paid Member $150, Member $160, Non-Member $180
- Regular (4/22-5/19): Paid Member $180, Member $190, Non-Member $210
- Onsite registration: $250
SPECIAL SUPPORTER TICKET $1000
Thanks to an anonymous donor we are able to provide an Exclusive Supporter Dinner on 5/20 to all with $1K tickets! Of this, $750 will count as a tax-deductible charitable donation, and you will also receive recognition as a reunion supporter and USJETAA Elite membership for 1 year.
HOTEL REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Apr. 22
This is the deadline for attendees to reserve at the discount rate via the USJETAA link. (There are a limited number of rooms and they may run out so book soon. If you have trouble, Email us.)
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JET35 Agenda Highlights
Keynote Address
- Bill TSUTSUI, President & CEO, Ottawa University; Award-winning Historian and Author ofGodzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters
 Bringing Japan Home: Community Connections to Japan
- Hon. Ellen KAMEI, City Council Member, Mountain View, CA (Mie, 2005-2007)
- Adm. James D. KELLY, President, John Manjiro-Whitfield Commemorative Center for International Exchange; former Commander, US Naval Forces Japan
- Dale WATANABE, Executive Director, Japan-America Society of the State of Washington
- Stacey JEHLIK, International Affairs Director, City of Seattle (Kobe, 1996-1997)
- Moderated by Shanti SHOJI, Director of Programs, Sasakawa USA; Co-founder, Kizuna Across Cultures (Kagawa, 2002-2004)
Creators Panel: Telling the JET Story
- Zack DAVISSON, Manga Translator & Author of Yurei: The Japanese Ghost (Nara/Osaka, 2001-2006)
- Aaron WOOLFOLK, Award-winning Director of The Harimaya Bridge (Kochi, 1992-1993)
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May 2022 Japanese Reading Group (Virtual)
REGISTER
Find your timezone: May 13 7:00 PM EST / 6:00 PM CST / 5:00 PM MST / 4:00 PM PST/ 3:00 PM AST / 2:00 PM HST / Japan time: May 14 8:00 AM
The USJETAA Japanese Reading Group helpa advanced beginner and intermediate level students improve their reading skills. Each month we will look at a short reading from Aozora Bunko, a repository of public domain literature. Participants should attempt to do the reading on their own and come to the meeting with any questions. We will spend the meeting each month reading the assignment sentence by sentence to understand how the Japanese is working.
From April to June, we'll be reading マスク (Masks) by Kikuchi Kan, who was a famous playwright and novelist. He created the Bungeishunju literary magazine and started the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes. Let's read this story from 1920 about - masks!
This month we are continuing where we left off last time. Find the reading here. Register to receive the Zoom access link.
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JETAA Chapter Events
Check out the JETAA USA calendar for JETAA activities you can join virtually or in your region.
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U.S.-Japan Implications of COVID-19
By Hayley Hutchison
JETs on Japan Forum Issue No. 8
The COVID-19 pandemic has made an impact on the entire world, affecting each country in very different ways. The response to the pandemic has been of almost equal measure, with the United States having taken the lead in vaccine development and manufacturing to enable distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine within one year to countries around the world. As a major contributor to the COVAX global vaccine distribution effort, Japan has stepped up to play a vital role in the COVID-19 response. In this report, I discuss how the United States and Japan have worked together to address the burden brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, and, as the pandemic wanes, how they will continue to work together to support the world as it recovers.
Read: U.S.-Japan Implications of COVID-19
The JETs on Japan Forum is a partnership between USJETAA and Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA (Sasakawa USA) that features selected articles of JET alumni perspectives on U.S.-Japan relations. The series aims to elevate the awareness and visibility of JET alumni working across diverse sectors and provides a platform for JET alumni to contribute to deeper understanding of U.S.-Japan relations from their fields. The articles will be posted on USJETAA’s website to serve as resource to the wider JET alumni and U.S.-Japan communities on how alumni of this exchange program are continuing to serve as informal ambassadors in U.S.-Japan relations.
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USJETAA gives a warm welcome to the newly elected Country Representatives of our sister organization, JETAA USA. We look forward to working with you to support the JET alumni network! The Country Representatives are elected annually to support the 19 JETAA chapters in the U.S. and represent the United States with JETAA International.
- Valerie Stewart, Saga, 1999-2002, JETAA South East
- Megan DeVille, Aomori, 2009-2010, JETAA Mid-South
- Adam Lisbon, Hyōgo, 2004-2007, JETAA Rocky Mountain
We are excited for the energy they bring and initiatives they plan to accomplish in the coming year. Together they have nearly 30 years of combined leadership experience for JETAA.
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JET Alumni Interviews with the Japan Society Boston
 I went on JET without knowing much about Japan, or feeling any particular connection to Japan. That has changed completely. When people ask ‘Where do you recommend to travel?’ or ‘What’s your favorite country?’ it is now such an easy answer. It has only been in the last year that I stopped working in U.S. Japan relations, but still feel very connected. Some of my best friends I made on the JET program. When I moved to a different city a year ago, I quickly joined the local JETAA chapter to meet people in the area. Though I do not foresee ever working in U.S.-Japan relations again or returning to Japan to live, Japan will always have a really special place in my heart.
 Shiga is best known for Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. It’s a beautiful backdrop to Nagahama Castle, which is surrounded by about 600 cherry blossom trees and is one of the best places in Japan to view the sakura! During cherry blossom season, I would leave school every day, pick up dinner from the convenience store, and enjoy hanami with anyone else who was free. Nagahama is known for the Hikiyama Festival, held every year in April. During the festival, multiple floats are set up around town which hold tiny kabuki stages. Short Kabuki plays are acted out on them, but with a catch — all of the actors are boys aged 5-12! I was able to see some of my students perform in the festival, which was really incredible. Shiga is also known for funazushi – fish packed with salt and buried in barrels underground for at least a year, then mixed with rice and buried for another 2 or 3 years. It’s one of the oldest forms of sushi, but I could never get used to the funkiness.
These alumni interviews are part of a partnership between the Japan Society Boston (JSB) and USJETAA in which JET alumni contribute short interviews about their experiences in Japan in each prefecture. To read past interviews, please visit our website.
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JET & JET Alumni News
Meet PCNet Vice Chair for Caregivers Alissa Berdahl, Who Found Support and Love in Prioritizing Precious Time with Her Mom
Alissa Berdal (Miyazaki, 2013-2016) shares about the her experience being a caregiver for her mom and her role as the global vice chair for caregivers for 2U’s Parents & Caregivers Network (PCNet).
JETAA Talks with Annalise Wilp from the Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago
Annalise Wilp (Warabi, Saitama from 2018-2020) answers some questions about her time on JET in an interview with the Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago.
Daily Inspiration: Meet Teri Galvez
VoyageDenver's interview with artist Teri Galvez (Hokkaido, 2016-2017). Teri says: "I’m an artist that specializes in anime/pop culture fan art, as well as illustrations, mascot design, and some other crafty items. I’m most known for anime and video game art, and some of my favorite pieces are my very first print of Samus Aran in watercolor and my digitally painted Spider-Man poster."
Nostalgic Nihon: Life in Japan as an American in the 1980s by Joe Palermo
Joe Palermo (Numata, Gunma, 1982-1983) shares stories about his time as a JET in Gumma in the early 80s.
How I Followed My Dreams from Teaching English in Japan to Working at Instagram
New blog post from Cara Lam (Niigata, 2016-2018) on her career path. Cara says: "Unlike many of my friends who joined brand name companies straight out of college, I chose to YOLO and move to Japan to teach English… It was fun and all, until reality kicked in and I had to think about what to do with my career.
Finally, at age 28, I got into my dream company doing something I love — but the journey to get here involved a ton of doubt, fear, anxiety, rejection, and frustration.
And this is exactly what I wanted to share with you all — read how I followed my dreams from teaching English in Japan to landing a job at Instagram!
If there is a will, there is a way.  "
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USJETAA is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, EIN 47-4042132. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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Job Board
New jobs are added all the time.
Visit the Job Board for more great opportunities.
For more job opportunities check out the following resources:
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Thank you to our grantors, program partners, and donors!
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Grantors and Major Donors
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