JET Statistics - How many JETs and where

by **Patryn** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 8:40 am

This question seems to come up more than it should. Especially in the application period.

If you ever wanted to know how many JETs from your country are in Japan, and where they go and you haven't looked at the JET website properly, THIS is the link for you.

http://www.jetprogramme.org/e/introduction/statistics.html

The detailed stats will tell you how many from each year on JET, and how many JETs from each country are in each Prefecture/City. This is updated every year afaik.

by **Sooyong** » Tue May 15, 2012 3:49 pm

It's a little sad to see the huge gap between the 2nd year and 3rd year ALT numbers; it probably means that a lot of people are going home after their second year. I intend to stay for the full 5 years though

by **kawaiijutsu** » Tue May 15, 2012 4:15 pm

i intend to go home after my second year too...mostly because ill be turning 25, and figure i should finish up graduate school and get qualifications for a more "real" job by that age. i think thats why most people go home then. just wanna go to the next step in their lives.
note - "real" job here - job that requires qualifications, etc. since i want to be a full teacher one day, gotta get certified sometime.

by **michelleamy** » Tue May 15, 2012 5:35 pm

Oh man, I just started my first year here and I'm turning 26 this week.

by **OdysseyOfNoises** » Fri May 18, 2012 9:23 am

Sooyong wrote:I intend to stay for the full 5 years though

If this is the right decision, then good for you, but don't bemoan people who leave after one or two years. There are so many factors at work.

by **johnfm** » Sun Jul 22, 2012 4:38 am

We are from Canada and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Canada has 5th highest Alt's in the program, my son has just completed his 2nd year and is intending on staying for the duration. Unfortunately we are unable to visit him but he has managed to return once so far, I believe this will be the right decision for him in the long run. He has a girlfriend there now and they are quite serious, yet to be determined if they will remain there after the program runs it's course.

by **yujia** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:42 am

Sooyong wrote:It's a little sad to see the huge gap between the 2nd year and 3rd year ALT numbers; it probably means that a lot of people are going home after their second year. I intend to stay for the full 5 years though

That's so great!

Are you going to become a teacher after that?

I thought the maximum number of years you're allowed to stay is three years. How are you able to stay for five years?

by **worldteach** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:03 am

There seems to be a big difference between the 3rd and 4th year also.

by **HoyaHoyden** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 11:44 pm

Via the JET Programme, you can work for five years. Whether or not your CO will let you work five years with them, well, that's up to your CO. But even if they only keep their ALTs up to 3 years, you can still apply for a transfer for the next year. (Speaking of which ... the deadline's coming up! Probably unnecessary heads-up to those of you who have been thinking about it.)

As for why ALTs leave, and when ... I can't find the declines disappointing. Every one of us has an amount of time that's right for us to live in Japan. And when you can't put the kids first, or when you can't be mostly happy going to work every day, or when there's just something else you're itching for, someplace you fervently want to be ... then it's time to go. Whether it's after one year, two years, or all five years. For every JET that steps aside, there's someone who wants to be here, ready to have their turn.

As for me, I'll probably be here three years. Then someone else will have their crack at my Tohoku penninsula of awesome ^.^.

by **Shem** » Mon Oct 15, 2012 2:05 pm

Not every JET that leaves the programme goes home either. Some JETs find new opportunities here in Japan and pursue those instead!