CLAIR News May 2024

CLAIR News May 2024



Important
Registration for the Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call) and Contact Information Survey for JET Participants

CLAIR requests that each JET Programme participant register for the Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call) and Contact Information Survey. These are two separate systems. Please 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 it 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 make sure you respond regarding your safety situation when a safety confirmation email arrives, as it otherwise takes time for Host Prefectures/Designated Cities to confirm the safety of each individual 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 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.

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

Mental Health Support Resources

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 consider submitting documents early, as CLAIR usually receives a high volume of applications in March and April.

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
Enrolment into the 2024–2025 Translation and Interpretation (Online) Course – Spring Session

CLAIR holds an online course for JET Programme participants to improve their translation and interpretation skills. The course is available in English, Chinese, and Korean. Please understand that this course is intended to enhance translation and interpretation skills and is not a Japanese language course. For this reason, we advise applicants to already have a high command (corresponding to level N2 and above of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test) of the Japanese language before applying. Before applying, we ask you to consult the demo materials to get an idea of the course level. Finally, please understand that completing this course is a prerequisite to applying to this year’s “2024–2025 Translation and Interpretation (In-Person) Course”, to be held later this year.

CLAIR has sent a course notification to each contracting organisation. For more details, please contact your contracting organisation’s supervisor.

Application deadline: 27 May 2024

Call for Presenters at the Summer CIR Post-Arrival Orientation

CLAIR is looking for CIR participants to do a presentation about CIR work at the upcoming Summer post-arrival orientations.

Eligibility: Current CIRs

Date:
① Monday, 29 July or Tuesday, 30 July
② Monday, 5 August or Tuesday, 6 August
Note(1): Both ① and ② are the same presentation.
Note(2): Monday or Tuesday will be assigned depending on the theme of your choosing and communicated to you later.
Note(3): Participants who can attend both dates will be chosen in priority.

Place: Hotel Keio Plaza

Themes:
– School Visit/Language Class
– Managing Public Relations
– Event Planning
Each presentation lasts for 40–50 minutes (including a Q&A session) and is conducted entirely in Japanese.
Please ask your contracting organisation’s supervisor for more information.

Application deadline: 31 May

JET Video Contest – Winning Videos and Award Ceremony Details Announced!

We are delighted to announce that following a thorough review process of approximately 200 submitted videos, 13 have been selected as award-winning works in this year’s JET Video Contest! Winning creators will be joining us from various locations across Japan and abroad for an award ceremony on Friday, 12th July in Tokyo. All current and former JETs are also invited to attend. Please refer to the link below for a list of winning videos and information on how to RSVP for the award ceremony.

https://jetprogramme.org/en/videocontest/

RSVP deadline: 31 May

Call for Writers for CLAIR Forum Magazine

CLAIR serializes two columns about JET Programme participants’ activities in its monthly magazine, CLAIR Forum.

We are searching for writers for the columns listed below.

  1. ‘JET Katsuyaku no Genba Kara’ (‘JETs in Action’)
    In this column, local government officials share details about the work of their JET Programme participants. Since this column is written by officials from local government authorities, please contact us after first consulting with your supervisor if you are interested in being featured.
    https://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/forum/pdf_415/11_jet_genba.pdf
  2. ‘JET Kara no Tegami’ (‘Letters from the JET Programme’)
    In this column, current and former JET Programme participants share information about themselves and their activities. Applicants will be asked to write one 1600-character article in Japanese.
    https://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/forum/pdf_415/12_jetletter.pdf

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

  1. Name
  2. JET number
  3. Nationality
  4. Job type (ALT/CIR/SEA)
  5. Host Prefecture or Designated City
  6. Contracting Organisation
  7. Affiliation (department/school, etc.)
  8. The column you wish to apply for (1. ‘JET Katsuyaku no Genba Kara’ or 2. ‘JET Kara no Tegami’)
  9. Content you would like to write about, things you pride yourself on, etc.
  10. Additional documents (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 will be selected to ensure a balance between article content, placement area, nationality, and other factors. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

https://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/forum/index.html

After JET Contact Details Survey【Non-reappointing JETs Only】

All JETs who have left/are leaving the JET Programme between 5/1/2024~8/30/2024 will receive an email from CLAIR entitled ‘After JET Contact Details Survey’.

Every year, CLAIR collects contact information from non-reappointing JETs through this survey, to assist JET Programme participants in maintaining connections with the JET alumni community and Japan after leaving the programme.

The survey takes approximately five minutes and is crucial to maintaining the JET alumni network.

We appreciate your cooperation!

Grant for TEFL/TESOL Certification

Details for the 2024–2025 TEFL/TESOL Certification Grant have been posted on the JET Programme website and sent to contracting organisations. Please note that there have been significant changes to the Grant application process in this fiscal year.

JET Programme Participants who are thinking about applying for the Grant should check the new Outline and Guidelines carefully.

Details are available on the following page: https://jetprogramme.org/en/tefl/

For questions, please use CLAIR’s grant-specific email address: grant@clair.or.jp

Period of Stay and Status of Residence Renewal

For JET Programme participants who arrived in summer, it is almost time for some of you 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 page 75 of the General Information Handbook (GIH).

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

General Information
Information for JET Programme Participants ending their Term of Appointment

JET participants finishing their appointments in 2024 should refer to CLAIR’s online After JET Guide for information on how to prepare for your successor, move out of your apartment, deal with reverse culture shock, and prepare for your next career move.

In addition, 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/

Japanese Language Courses (Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced)

You can apply for online Japanese language courses offered by CLAIR.

For the 2023–2024, changes are being made to the format and application process for the JET Programme Japanese language courses. For detailed information, please check out the course guide on the JET Programme website (links below).

http://deli3.study.jp/?multi
http://jetprogramme.org/ja/languagecourses/

Japanese Language Course Application Form:
https://bit.ly/2HfLvpv

Regarding unit deadlines: Each unit will be extended automatically for up to six months, requiring additional contact through the course help desk for extensions into the seventh month onward. It is recommended to complete each unit within one month to complete the course in a reasonable timeframe.

Note: Questions about course content (grammar, vocabulary, etc.) may be submitted through the course provider site to receive an instructor response. Please not that responses may take a few days.

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

Lump-Sum Pension Withdrawal Payment

JET Programme participants finishing their appointments and returning to their home countries may be eligible to receive a pension refund (lump-sum withdrawal payment). For more information, please refer to page 194~203 of the General Information Handbook (GIH).

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

Information is also available in English and Japanese on the following website:

https://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/english/index.html

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 the 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.

PAGETOP
Copyright 2015 by the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR)