CLAIR News April 2026
- Safety Confirmation System & Contact Information Survey Registration
- Contact Information Survey Registration
- Mental Health Support ResourcesSubsidy Deadline: 1 April 2027
- JET Programme General Information Handbook (GIH)Updated for 2026–27
Pinned Notices
Safety Confirmation System & Contact Information Survey Registration
In the event of a disaster, CLAIR uses its Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call) to verify the safety of JET Programme participants in the affected area. Responding to safety notifications is quick, so please do so immediately upon receipt. We also kindly ask that you report any updates to your contact details as soon as possible.
Safety Confirmation Registration
Every year, emergency warnings are issued across Japan. Additionally, Japan is vulnerable to major earthquakes and other natural disasters. When these events happen, embassies and consulates may contact CLAIR to verify the safety of JET Programme participants. In these cases, CLAIR provides data from its Safety Confirmation System. For this reason, we ask that you not only respond swiftly during emergencies, but that JET Programme participants and supervisors cooperate to ensure proper registration and understanding of response procedures.
A password is needed to access the system.
Password hint: ID and PW: last 9 digits of your JET# without the 20 in frontA password is needed to access the system.
Password hint: ID and PW: last 9 digits of your JET# without the 20 in frontImportant: If your contracting organisation has changed, please register your new address right away.
Additional Notes
- Safety confirmation requests are sent out based on the registered host prefecture or designated city. You may receive a confirmation check even if you are not physically near the affected area. Please still respond in these cases.
- We cannot conduct safety checks by phone.
- Prefectural advisors and supervisors who wish to conduct a Safety Confirmation System drill/simulation may contact CLAIR to request one.
Emergency Pocket Guide for JET Programme Participants
To ensure your safety in Japan, please take the time to prepare in the event of a disaster.
CLAIR has put together an Emergency Pocket Guide for use during a disaster. Please fill in the key sections and keep the guide with you at all times, as a disaster can happen at any moment.
Note: CLAIR also hands out the Emergency Pocket Guide to new participants during orientation.
Contact Information Survey Registration
CLAIR requires registration of an email address to make use of online training services offered to JET Programme participants.
You can also update your contact information through the same link.
A password is needed to access the system.
Password hint: ID: JET# / PW: Date of birth (YYYYMMDD)Note: 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.
Mental Health Support Resources
Mental Health Counselling Assistance Programme
Subsidy Application Deadline: Thursday, 1 April 2027
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 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2027. Application documents for the subsidy should be submitted through contracting organisations and arrive at CLAIR no later than Thursday, 1 April 2027.
Please bear in mind that any applications CLAIR receives after the 1 April 2027 deadline will not be eligible for the subsidy.
Additionally, applications for the 2025–26 fiscal year are closed.
Email and Video Counselling
JET Programme participants can also benefit from free counselling offered by CLAIR via email and video call.
If you wish to use these services, please access them using the URL below, input the ID/password, and follow the instructions for registration. To help the counselling service to communicate with you more effectively, please register with your personal email address instead of a work or organisational one. If you haven’t done so yet, we kindly ask you to update your information. Up to seven video-call sessions are available between 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2027. We recommend starting with email, which has no limits on usage.
A password is needed to access the system.
Password hint: Please check your email version of CLAIR News for the login and passwordJET Programme General Information Handbook (GIH)
Updated for 2026–27
Every year, CLAIR updates the General Information Handbook (GIH) for JET Programme participants. Please be sure to refer to it whenever you have questions regarding living in Japan or JET Programme policies.
You can consult/download the latest version of the GIH at the link below.
Time-Sensitive Notices
Japanese Language Courses (Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced)
Application Deadline for Mid-April Intake: 5 April 2026
Application Deadline for May Intake: 20 April 2026
Application Deadline for Mid-May Intake: 5 May 2026
Important Update about the Japanese Language Courses
You can register for the CLAIR Japanese Language Course using the application form below.
Applications received before the 20th of any month will allow you to start the course starting from the 1st of the following month. In addition, applications received between the 21st of any month and the 5th of the following month will allow you to start the course starting from the 15th of the following month. Your login credentials will be sent via email. Please make sure to allow emails from addresses ending in ‘@attainj.co.jp’. For the month of March, we will not be accepting any applications for the Japanese course. We will resume taking applications and continue to provide updates in April 2026.
New Course Tutorial and Course Guide
Following a change in the provider of the course, a video tutorial is available to show new students around the platform. You can find the video tutorial and course guide at the following link. We hope this new course helps you in your endeavours to learn Japanese.
Regarding Unit Deadlines
Each unit should be completed within one month to ensure the course is finished in a reasonable time frame. However, you are responsible for attending the course at a reasonable pace.
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.
May 2026 AJET Teach-Meet Sessions
Elementary School Application Deadline: Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Junior High School Application Deadline: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Senior High School Application Deadline: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
AJET is pleased to hold online Teach-Meets for ALTs across Japan in May.
The sessions will be divided into three categories:
- Elementary School
- Junior High School
- Senior High School.
Participants are encouraged to bring one activity that they would like to share with their fellow ALTs.
These Teach-Meet Sessions are a great way to gain skills in presenting, and also to learn about new activity ideas from other ALTs across Japan.
- Dates
Elementary School - Thursday, 14 May (18:00 - 19:30pm)
Junior High School - Thursday, 21 May (18:00 - 19:30pm)
Senior High School - Thursday 28 May (18:00 - 19:30pm) - Location
Online (Google Meet)
- Language
English
- Contact
prof.edu@ajet.net
Important: If this session takes place during your working hours, please ensure that your attendance does not interfere with any working duties, communicate with your supervisor, and receive permission to attend. Your supervisor may ask that you attend other duties rather than the session.
Seasonal/Recurring Notices
2024–25 ALT, CIR, and PA Case Studies Now Online
NEW
Case study collections featuring a range of projects and ongoing initiatives from current Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), Coordinator for International Relations (CIR), and Prefectural Advisor (PA) JET Programme participants are now available to download from the JET Programme website. We hope that these collections will be useful in your future endeavors.
You can find the case studies under the ‘Download Materials’ section of each page.
A password is needed to access the system.
Password hint: Ask your JET Programme supervisorA password is needed to access the system.
Password hint: Ask your JET Programme supervisorA password is needed to access the system.
Password hint: Ask your JET Programme supervisorInformation for JET Programme Participants Ending their Term of Appointment
JET Programme participants finishing their appointments in 2026 should refer to CLAIR’s online After JET Guide for information about how to prepare for their successor, move out of their apartment, deal with reverse culture shock, or prepare for their 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.
Lump-Sum Pension Withdrawal Payment
JET Programme participants finishing their term of appointment and returning to their home countries may be eligible to receive a pension refund (lump-sum withdrawal payment). For more information, please refer to Section 7.3 Pension Refund of the General Information Handbook (GIH).
Note: Information is also available in English and Japanese on the Japan Pension Service website.
Period of Stay and Status of Residence Renewal
To the attention of those who arrived in spring:
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 2.4 Status of Residence in the General Information Handbook (GIH).
Please be careful, as failure to extend your period of stay can result in your being asked to leave the country.
Embassy Information for JET Programme Participants
CLAIR maintains a webpage on the JET Programme website for diplomatic missions in Japan to post information to the attention of JET Programme participants from their country. Please check this page regularly for updates.
Note: CLAIR does not bear responsibility for information provided through this page.
Please direct any enquiries about specific information to the embassy in question.
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 system 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.
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.
Changes Regarding Driving in Japan
NEW
As of October 2025, the procedures for converting a foreign driver’s licence to a Japanese driver’s licence have become stricter. Be sure to thoroughly prepare for the written and practical exams. Depending on the driver’s licence center, the process from application to completion may take several months. We recommend that you apply at least six months before your current license expires.
Enrolment in Property Insurance
Is your house or apartment covered by property insurance (kasai hoken)? If you do not know, we recommend you 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 your choice. However, costs can be very high if you are found liable for any damages. 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.
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 their article in Japanese (approximately 1600 Japanese characters, or about 800 English words).
If you are interested in writing for CLAIR Forum, please apply via the following URL.
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.
Here are some examples of recent articles from JET Programme participants:
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!