CLAIR News September 2020
It is necessary to continue to observe basic safety measures against infection, such as avoiding the “three Cs”: Confined spaces (with poor ventilation), Crowded places (with many people nearby), and Close contact (with people), as well as wearing a mask.
For further details please visit the websites of the government or local governments, etc.
CLAIR has compiled information about the new Coronavirus in multiple languages. Please visit the following link for information.
https://www.clair.or.jp/tabunka/portal/info/contents/114517.php
NHK WORLD also provides information about the new Coronavirus.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/tags/82/
CLAIR requests each JET participant register for the Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call) and Contact Information Survey. These are two separate systems. Please register to 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 numbers of your JET Number, omitting the first two digits (20).
Contact Information Survey: https://goo.gl/u1gVT2
Login ID: JET Number (11 digits beginning with 20)
Password: Date of birth (YYYYMMDD)
CLAIR provides the Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call) for use in times of emergency that necessitate direct action, such as an earthquake with seismic intensity of level 5-upper is reported or an emergency warning has been issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
In times of emergency, the system will send a message to JET Programme participants by the method of contact they have registered in the system. These messages require a response.
If your registered method of contact is mobile or landline telephone, the telephone guidance will be in Japanese. If you feel you may have trouble responding to such guidance, please change your registered contact method from telephone to e-mail or another written form.
Actual safety confirmation procedures are as follows:
In the case of emergency warnings resulting from, for example, heavy rains or river flooding, registered participants will receive a message from the e-mail address clair@asp2.emc-call.jp with a title like “【Heavy Rain/River Flooding】 Safety Confirmation”. The body of these messages will include a URL that will allow participants to confirm their own safety.
Confirmation groups are divided by 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.
With the aim of enhancing mental health support for JET Programme participants, CLAIR offers the JET Programme Mental Health Counselling Assistance Programme. This programme provides a partial subsidy (50%, up to 30,000 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 1 April, 2020 to 31 March, 2021. The application form must be sent to CLAIR by 9 April, 2021 (Fri).
CLAIR also offers a free online service to provide JET Programme participants with mental health assistance from professional counsellors using Web Mail and Skype.
If you would like to use this service, please access the following website. After entering the password, you will be instructed to register. You can receive up to seven Skype Counselling sessions from 1 April, 2020 to 31 March, 2021. CLAIR recommends trying the Web Mail Counselling system first. There is no limit to the number of threads you can start in the Web Mail Counselling system.
In addition to the Web Mail and Skype counselling listed above, we have established a free-dial telephone counselling service. This service is available once per month and does not require any advance reservation. Dates of operation are listed below. Please make the most of these services if you are experiencing anxiety or other burdens on your mental health.
(Operating Hours: Third Wednesday of every month, from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm.)
※Schedule for the fiscal year of April 2020 to March 202115 April, 20 May, 17 June, 15 July,
19 August, 16 September, 21 October, 18 November, 16 December, 20 January, 17 February, 17 March
Web Mail Counselling
Login Password: Please ask your contracting organization or refer to the e-mail version of CLAIR News.
English: https://www.kokoro-soudan.net/en/
Japanese: https://www.kokoro-soudan.net/
Skype Counselling
Login Password: Please ask your contracting organization or refer to the e-mail version of CLAIR News.
English: https://www.fismec.co.jp/hiroba/en/secure
Japanese: https://www.service-fismec.net/inquiry-ftof/login/（※）
Counselling via Telephone
Phone number: 0120-810-803
(No advance reservation required. Calls are free of charge.)
※ Limited to one call per person per day (no annual limit)
※ CLAIR has prepared three telephone lines for this service; however, there may be times when the lines become congested. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
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:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/protocol/index.html
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 damages, the costs can be very high. Therefore CLAIR recommends that JET participants enrol in property insurance.
As mentioned in the May Edition of CLAIR News, due to the spread of the new coronavirus, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) that was originally scheduled to take place in Japan on 5, July 2020 was cancelled by the testing agency.
For the latest information about the JLPT, including information about the second JLPT test scheduled to take place on 6, December 2020, please consult the following website.
For those currently enrolled in one of CLAIR’s Japanese language courses, please remember to plan your study schedule ahead of time. If you would like to change your course level, you can do so by accessing the Contact Information Survey site, selecting your desired course, and then clicking the ‘OK’ button at the very bottom of the page.
Participants who apply before the 10th of any given month will be able to start their course on the 1st of the following month. Once your course has started, please remember to plan your study schedule ahead of time.
http://deli3.study.jp/?multi
https://jetprogramme.org/en/languagecourses/
The translation and interpretation course offered by CLAIR would normally be opening for registration at this time of year. However, due to the postponement of the arrival of JET participants in April of this year, the registration schedule is in the process of being revised. Information about the schedule when finalised will be posted on the CLAIR official website at the following link:
jetprogramme.org/en/languagecourses/
CLAIR and The Yomiuri Shimbun have launched a periodical column in The Japan News, a globally-circulated English language newspaper. “JET Programme Voices” is a collection of articles submitted by current and former JET participants which give a worldwide audience insight into unique experiences and achievements of participants during their time on the Programme. Instructions regarding the submission of documents are accessible from the link below.
https://jetprogramme.org/en/jetvoices
A useful checklist for newly arrived (domestic) JET participants can be found on p.81 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.
https://jetprogramme.org/en/gih/
CLAIR provides an online tool to easily develop signage in multiple languages as part of continued efforts to promote disaster preparedness and internationalisation at the grassroots level. The main purpose of this tool is to allow users to create signage leading to evacuation areas, but it has many other useful templates as well. CIRs who are responsible for planning international events or translating signage as part of their work duties may find this tool helpful.
http://dis.clair.or.jp/
https://www.clair.or.jp/e/multiculture/index.html
In Japan, 1 September is Disaster Prevention Day, and is a good opportunity to make yourself aware of and engage in disaster preparedness. CLAIR has compiled an Emergency Pocket Guide for reference in the event of a disaster. Please keep it with you at all times.
