With the aim of enhancing mental health support for JET participants, CLAIR offers the JET Programme Mental Health Counselling Assistance Programme. This programme provides a partial subsidy (50%, up to 20,000 yen per year) for counselling costs incurred through consultation with mental health professionals in Japan not covered by health insurance. The coverage period for this year is from Saturday, 1 April, 2017 to Saturday, 31 March, 2018. The application form can be submitted through your contracting organisation. Please note that the application form has changed from April.
CLAIR also offers a free online service to provide JET participants with mental health assistance from professional counsellors using Web Mail and Skype. Please ask your contracting organisation for further information.
Please make sure to access the link below and register your contact information, including the name of your main workplace and your personal e-mail address. If these details change, your contact information can be modified via the same website. Please ask your contracting organisation supervisor to obtain your ID and password.
Please also register your e-mail address with the JET Safety Confirmation System, if you have not done so yet:
asp2.emc-call.jp/clair/emcuser/showindexpage.do
CLAIR is currently accepting applications for the Translation & Interpretation Course (English). Applications must be completed through your contracting organisation. The deadline to apply is Friday, 18 August, 2017 (A, B arrivals) or Friday, 25 August, 2017 (C arrivals).
*The training seminar for the Translation & Interpretation Course (Chinese and Korean) will be held from Monday, 4 September, 2017 to Friday, 8 September, 2017. The seminar will take place at the Japan Intercultural Academy of Municipalities (JIAM) in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. Please bear in mind that participation in the training seminar is a requirement for receiving a Certificate of Completion for the course.
jetprogramme.org/en/languagecourses/#elm-1
Registration is still possible even after the registration deadline for a course has passed. Please check the course guide before registering and remember to plan your study schedule to finish the course on time.
For JET Programme participants who have passed the JLPT N3 conducted on Sunday, 2 July, 2017, you may be eligible to receive a grant for the test fee. The test results will be announced on Monday, 4, September, 2017. To check your eligibility, please read over the Grant Overview and Eligibility Flowchart, accessible from the link below. If you meet the conditions, please submit your grant application directly to CLAIR. It must arrive by Tuesday, 31 October, 2017.
CLAIR is now accepting submissions for the JET Programme Video Contest 2017. The video must be approximately three minutes in length, and should showcase the charm of Japan’s local regions as seen and experienced by a JET Participant. The deadline is Thursday, 30 November, 2017. You can apply through the link below.
jetprogramme.org/en/info/jvc2017app/
A useful checklist for newly arrived JET participants can be found on p.79 of the General Information Handbook. Please refer to the checklist for tips about how to become accustomed to your new residence and workplace, including reviewing insurance policies and registering with your embassy:
Post-Arrival Checklist (p.79)
jetprogramme.org/wp-content/themes/biz-vektor/pdf/publications/gih2017_e.pdf#page=40
Information about Insurance (p.53)
jetprogramme.org/wp-content/themes/biz-vektor/pdf/publications/gih2017_e.pdf#page=27
All JET participants are strongly advised to register with their home country’s embassy or local consulate while living in Japan, as 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 ask your home country’s embassy or local consulate for details:
mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/protocol/
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 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 participant. However, if you are liable for reparations, the costs can be very high and therefore CLAIR recommends that JET participants enrol in property insurance.
Furthermore, JET participants are encouraged to consider purchasing earthquake insurance, too. Most JET participants live in rental housing. However, it is possible to enrol in earthquake insurance for damage to household items. JET participants may wish to consider the cost of replacing appliances such as computers, TVs and stereos with the cost of earthquake insurance. *You can enroll in fire and earthquake insurance together as a set.
jetprogramme.org/wp-content/themes/biz-vektor/pdf/publications/gih2017_e.pdf#page=67
Selected videos from the Tokyo Post-Arrival Orientation have been uploaded to the official JET Programme website for those who were unable to attend all the workshops, would like to view other workshops, or simply want to review the workshop contents. If you are interested in viewing these videos, please ask your contracting organisation supervisor for the password.
jetprogramme.org/en/paori2017/
With regard to actions one might take in the event of a military strike on Japan, the Cabinet Secretariat has posted information on its Civil Protection Portal Site.
http://www.kokuminhogo.go.jp/en/pc-index_e.html
CLAIR also encourages JET participants to register with their home country’s embassy in Japan. In the event of a large-scale disaster, these embassies may provide information or advice on what actions citizens of those countries should take.
