CLAIR News March 2025

Important

Safety Confirmation System & Contact Information Survey Registration

CLAIR requests that each JET Programme participant register for the Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call) and Contact Information Survey. These are two separate systems, and you should register for both using the links below.

Safety Confirmation System:

https://asp2.emc-call.jp/clair/index_en.html 　or
https://asp2.emc-call2nd.jp/clair/index_en.html

Your login ID and password are both the final nine digits of your JET Number, omitting the first two digits (20).

*If your contracting organisation has changed, please register your new address.

Contact Information Survey: https://goo.gl/u1gVT2
Login ID: JET Number (11 digits beginning with 20)
Password: Date of birth (YYYYMMDD)

*For JET Programme participants who were originally scheduled to arrive in Japan in 2020 or 2021, please use your pre-arrival JET number that starts with 2020 or 2021.

Emergency Pocket Guide for JET Programme Participants

To ensure your safety in Japan, please take the time to prepare in case a disaster occurs.

CLAIR has compiled an Emergency Pocket Guide for reference in the event of a disaster. Please fill out the important portions and keep the guide with you, as a disaster can occur at any time.

*CLAIR distributes the Emergency Pocket Guide during orientation for new arrivals.

https://jetprogramme.org/en/emergency-support/

Response to Safety Confirmation during Emergencies

In the event of a disaster, CLAIR will confirm the safety of JET Programme participants using the Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call). It only takes a few moments to confirm your safety via the email you receive. Please respond to safety confirmation emails promptly to avoid delays in confirming the safety of every JET Programme participant in the affected area(s).

In any given year in Japan, there will be somewhere which has had an emergency warning issued. The country is also prone to large earthquakes. In the event of a large-scale earthquake, a JET Programme participant’s home country embassy or consulate will contact CLAIR regarding their safety; CLAIR responds based on information from the Safety Confirmation System. Because of this, we are asking JET Programme participants and supervisors at each contracting organisation to confirm information registered with the Safety Confirmation System and to check how to respond to a safety confirmation request should an email arrive. If you receive a safety confirmation request email, please respond to it right away.

Safety confirmation requests are sent out based on the Host Prefecture/Designated City, so participants may receive safety confirmation requests even when they are not physically near the site of a disaster. In this case, a response is still required from each individual to whom the request is sent.

Note¹:: As of 2022, safety confirmation checks using home telephone lines or cell phones without internet access are no longer conducted.

Note²:: CLAIR also provides safety confirmation simulations. Please contact CLAIR if you wish to request one.

Mental Health Support Resources

Subsidy Application Deadline: Friday, 4 April 2025

CLAIR offers the JET Programme Mental Health Counselling Assistance Programme with the aim of enhancing mental health support for JET Programme participants. This Programme provides a partial subsidy (50%, up to 30,000 yen per year) for counselling costs incurred through consultation with mental health professionals not covered by health insurance.

The coverage period for this year is from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. Documents for the subsidy should be submitted through contracting organisations no later than 4 April 2025.

*Please be aware that any applications CLAIR receives after the 4 April 2025 deadline will not be eligible for the subsidy.

JET Programme participants can also benefit from free counselling offered by CLAIR via email and Skype. If you wish to use these services, please access them using the URL below, input the ID/password, and follow the instructions for registration. Up to seven Skype sessions are available between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. We recommend starting with email, which has no limits on usage.

Web Mail and Skype Counselling

Website: https://jetcounseling.com/

Login Information:
Username: jet
(Please check the email edition of CLAIR News for the latest password.)

News・Updates

Japanese Language Courses (Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced)

Current Course Ends Monday, 31 March 2025

Important update about the Japanese language courses

Starting in April, CLAIR’s Japanese language course is being updated. If you’re currently studying with the current curriculum or if you are considering signing up to the new course, please continue reading to learn how this change will affect you.

Changes to the curriculum

The current curriculum will only be available up to 31 March. From 1 April, all students will be required to access the new curriculum.
Access to the old platform

You may only access your current account up to 10 April 2025. Be sure to save/print your certificate of completion before then if you wish to do so.
If you wish to continue studying with the new course

If you wish to continue studying past 1 April 2025, you will have to register for the new course. You can do so via our online sign-up form.

The form is available in the email edition of CLAIR News, or via a link which will be sent to all the participants who registered for the current course after November 2024.

Note: People who wish to start the new course on 1 April must sign up by 20 March.

Application Form link: Please see the email edition of CLAIR News.
If you wish to sign up for the new course

Please register via the online form available in the email version of CLAIR News. Those signing up by 20 March will be able to start the course on 1 April. Please note that the curriculum has been updated.

The new course guide is not yet ready. It will be sent to everyone in early April via your Host-Prefecture/Designated City. It should also be available in the next edition of CLAIR News.

2025–2026 Japanese Language Course Application Form: Please see the email edition of CLAIR News

Applications received by March 20 will enable you to start the new course on 1 April.

For more detailed information about the course, be sure to check the JET Programme website (link below).

(Note: The course guide has yet to be updated and does not reflect the new curriculum from 1 April onward.)

https://jetprogramme.org/en/languagecourses/

Regarding unit deadlines: Each unit should be completed within one month to ensure the course is finished in a reasonable timeframe. However, the deadline for completing a course will automatically be extended for up to six months. For extensions beyond six months, you will need to contact the help desk.

Note: Questions about course content (grammar, vocabulary, etc.) may be submitted through the course provider website. A Japanese instructor will answer them. Please note that responses may take a few days.

Applications for 1st Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) of 2025

The 2024–2025 Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Grant has concluded on 14 March 2025.

Additionally, applications for the July test of 2025 (to be covered by CLAIR’s grant in November 2025) are open from Tuesday 18 March to Tuesday 8 April at 17:00. For more information, please check out the link below.

https://info.jees-jlpt.jp/info/2025年第1回試験実施案内.html#

Now Accepting Applications for the 2025 Japanese-Language Teaching Course (The Japan Foundation)

Registration Deadline: Monday, 31 March 2025

The Japan Foundation’s Japanese-Language Institute (located in Saitama City) will be hosting a training course for JETs Programme participants who are considering teaching Japanese as a second language in the future.

The course mainly involves workshops where participants can discuss Japanese-language instruction methods with each other while utilising their experience in Japan. The goal of the course is not only to train participants to teach Japanese in the future, but to provide useful information for their classroom teaching as current JET Programme participants.

Dates:
12 May (Mon) – 21 May (Wed)

To register, please complete the Excel application form (available at the following URL) and submit it to the email address listed below. Please first receive permission from your contracting organisation before registering. The deadline for registration is 23:59 JST on 31 March (Mon). Please thoroughly discuss with your contracting organisation about how your participation would be classified (i.e., either as a work trip or as a personal trip using vacation days).

Please use the following URL to download the registration form as well as access course materials.
https://www.jpf.go.jp/j/urawa/trnng_t/other_jet.html

Contact:
The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa (JFJLI)
Teacher Training Team
National JET Japanese-Language Teaching Course Supervisor
Email: nc_jet@jpf.go.jp
Phone: 048-834-1181

Information for JET Programme Participants Ending their Term of Appointment

JET Programme participants finishing their appointments in 2025 should refer to CLAIR’s online After JET Guide for information about how to prepare for your successor, move out of your apartment, deal with reverse culture shock, and prepare for your next career move.

If you are finishing your term of appointment on the JET Programme this year and returning to your home country, please make sure you discuss travel arrangements with your contracting organisation as early as possible.

https://jetprogramme.org/en/ajg/

Update: In addition, the information shared during the 2024–2025 JET Programme Leavers Seminar held on 29th January may also be helpful in your preparations. Please see the link below for a recording and other materials.

https://jetprogramme.org/en/current/leavers/seminar/r6/

(Please refer to the email version of CLAIR News for the password)

2024-2025 JET Programme Opinion Exchange (ALT)

On 21 February 2025, CLAIR hosted the 2024-2025 JET Programme participant opinion exchange for Assistant Language Teachers. 12 ALTs from across Japan gathered to discuss the themes of ALT duties, training and support.

During the opinion exchange we received feedback and ideas about defining ALT roles, improvements to SDC and JET Programme Orientation, further support materials, as well as how ALTs can become more involved with the local community. We would like to thank all the participants who applied for the exchange, and those who came on the day, as your opinions are invaluable in helping us improve the JET Programme.

National AJET Elections

Application Deadline: Monday, 31 March 2025

The National Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching (National AJET) is a volunteer organization of JET programme participants who support and uplift JETs by providing information, resources, and access to a network of JETs across Japan. They are holding their annual elections for FY2025.

If you are interested in a position with the National AJET Council, please visit their website for more information on how to make nominations and run for positions. The deadline for applications is 31 March.

National AJET website: https://ajet.net/elections2025/

General Information

Call for Writers for ‘JET Kara no Tegami’

CLAIR is searching for writers for the ‘JET Kara no Tegami’ (‘Letters from JETs’) column in its monthly serialised magazine, CLAIR Forum! In this column, participants share information about themselves and their activities during their appointment on the JET Programme. As CLAIR Forum is a Japanese publication distributed to local authorities and other relevant organisations, successful applicants will be asked to write one approximately 1600-character article in Japanese (about 800 English words).

Here are some examples of recent articles from JET Programme participants:

If you are interested in writing for CLAIR Forum, please email the following information to chousei@clair.or.jp:

Name
JET number
Nationality
Job type (ALT/CIR/SEA)
Host Prefecture or Designated City
Contracting Organisation
Affiliation (department/school, etc.)
Content you would like to write about, things you pride yourself on, etc.
Additional documents, photos, etc. (optional)

If you are selected to write for CLAIR Forum, you will receive five copies of the magazine containing your article upon publication. CLAIR staff will correct your submissions, so please feel free to get in touch no matter your level of Japanese!

Please note that we may not be able to request articles from all applicants, as writers are selected to ensure a balance between article content, placement area, nationality, and other factors. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Back issues of CLAIR Forum are available here:
https://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/forum/index.html

2025–2026 Reappointment Procedures

The time for reappointment procedures has begun for the following participants: participants who arrived in Japan by the end of January 2025. Please begin the procedures after you receive the reappointment documents from your contracting organisation.

Please talk with friends, family, etc. and consult with your supervisor before making your decision. Changes cannot be made to reappointment decisions after the submission deadline.

All JET Programme participants should receive documentation regarding the reappointment procedures from their contracting organisations. Please read the documents carefully and consult with your supervisor if you have any questions. The reappointment documents will also be made accessible on the JET Programme website after the official notice to contracting organisations. Please refer to the link below.

https://jetprogramme.org/reappointment/
(Please check the email edition of CLAIR News for the latest password.)

More information about reappointment can be found in the GIH (pp. 68–73). Please note that the content of the GIH may differ from the reappointment documents provided by your contracting organisation. In that case, please prioritise the content in the documents provided by your contracting organisation.

GIH:: https://jetprogramme.org/gih/

Period of Stay and Status of Residence Renewal

For JET Programme participants who arrived in April, it might be time to extend your period of stay, so please check the dates written on your residence card (especially JET Programme participants in their third year who will be reappointed for another term). For information on extending your period of stay or changing your status of residence, please refer to the Section 2.6 ‘Status of Residence’ in the General Information Handbook (GIH).

https://jetprogramme.org/en/gih/

Enrolment in Property Insurance

Is your house or apartment covered by property insurance (kasai hoken)? If you do not know, please check with your contracting organisation supervisor.

There have been several cases where JET Programme participants were forced to pay for damages to not only their own but also their neighbours’ housing when there were water leaks or other problems. (If a water leak occurs, damage to the property of neighbours is covered by the JET Accident Insurance Policy Liability Endorsement, but damage to your own property, as well as damage to the structure or building, can only be covered by property insurance.)

Whether or not to purchase property insurance is the choice of the JET Programme participant. However, if found liable for damages, the costs can be very high. Therefore, CLAIR recommends that participants enrol in property insurance.

Although the majority of JET Programme participants live in rental properties, earthquake insurance may also be taken to account for the cost of lost household items, such as personal computers or TVs. Therefore, please take care to research a suitable form of insurance for your situation.

Home Country Taxes

Personal tax affairs in one’s home country are the responsibility of each JET Programme participant. Be sure to obtain and keep your gensen chōshūhyō, or Statement of Earnings, from your contracting organisation, as this may be necessary for filing your taxes abroad. Please refer to the General Information Handbook (GIH) for more details.

https://jetprogramme.org/en/gih/

Embassy Information for JET Programme Participants

CLAIR maintains a webpage on the JET Programme website for embassies in Japan to post information for JET Programme participants from their country. Please check this page regularly for updates.

https://jetprogramme.org/en/embassyinformation/

Please note that CLAIR does not take responsibility for any of the information listed on this page. For enquiries regarding the information on this webpage, please contact the embassy in question directly.

Registering with Your Embassy

All JET Programme participants are strongly advised to register with their home country’s embassy or local consulate and/or through their embassy-run travel registration scheme while living in Japan. Your embassy may be able to help you and your relatives obtain necessary information and check on each other’s safety in times of emergency. Please check the website of your home country’s embassy or local consulate for more details:

https://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/protocol/index.html

JET Programme Official Social Media

CLAIR regularly shares information of interest to both current and former JET Programme participants on the following social media platforms. Be sure to follow us to stay informed about upcoming opportunities and updates!