General Advice for New JETs

[Terin317]

I think all we pay for in the whole process is the shipping of our extra baggage to our location from the airport.

[JTB]

I think all we pay for in the whole process is the shipping of our extra baggage to our location from the airport.

Yup, that's what it says in the JET Handbook

[Kirari]

Thanks everyone! I may have read that in the handbook, but I heard elsewhere that someone had to pay for their own. Of course, that was just hearsay. Just making sure it wasn't an ESID thing.

[nicole.ai]

I'm sure this varies, but after the orientation, do we need to pay for our transportation from Tokyo to our respective locations?

It depends on which prefecture you going to, because some BOEs and COs make you pay for transportation to their location but then reimburse you later on. The Sapporo JET I know said he had to pay for his flight to Sapporo when he was in Tokyo, and then they reimbursed him a month or two later.

[word]

Yeah, it's increasingly rare, but some BoEs do require you to pay for your transportation, accommodation in Tokyo, etc. and will reimburse you later. Hopefully, your pred will tell you if this is the case. Definitely a bummer if it happens, but keep in mind that it's a distinct possibility and try to have money available if necessary.

[Kirari]

Ah, I see. The case I heard about must have been a similar situation. Well, just have to be prepared and hope for the best! Thanks nicole.ai and word.

[Kbryder]

Ok so,

I want to start off with, I am TALL, 6'2". I assume it would be in best interest that I buy all my clothing in the US. I wonder about short sleeved shirts though, I am really skinny for my height. Mens size M in the US are usually perfect for my width, but they are usually too short. Is it at all possible to find long(ish) and slim T-shirts in Japan? In the US the apparent standard is that if you are tall, you obviously must be wide too, so many of the long shirts I find are 2 sizes too wide for me. My torso isn't super long, so I just want to know if I can find some short sleeve shirts there before I go postal on the stores here and buy all I can in fear of finding nothing in Japan...
So, if any Tall JETs have any advise for me that would be awesome. I do plan on buying pants here, being that my legs contain most of my height. I will also buy any long sleeved shirts and jackets here too, although I do have issues here too when attempting to locate non-custom made clothing that I can fit into.

Basic question: I'm tall and Skinny, can I but T-shirts in Japan.

[KIKKI.K]

Ok so,

I want to start off with, I am TALL, 6'2". I assume it would be in best interest that I buy all my clothing in the US. I wonder about short sleeved shirts though, I am really skinny for my height. Mens size M in the US are usually perfect for my width, but they are usually too short. Is it at all possible to find long(ish) and slim T-shirts in Japan? In the US the apparent standard is that if you are tall, you obviously must be wide too, so many of the long shirts I find are 2 sizes too wide for me. My torso isn't super long, so I just want to know if I can find some short sleeve shirts there before I go postal on the stores here and buy all I can in fear of finding nothing in Japan...
So, if any Tall JETs have any advise for me that would be awesome. I do plan on buying pants here, being that my legs contain most of my height. I will also buy any long sleeved shirts and jackets here too, although I do have issues here too when attempting to locate non-custom made clothing that I can fit into.

Basic question: I'm tall and Skinny, can I but T-shirts in Japan.

Well, I'm not sure about length in fashionable men's clothing stores, but what i will add is that most of the japanese guys i have seen (the larger portion belonging to the 30+ teacher-for-life category) and compared to men of european descent, their shoulders are much narrower (even less wide than mine (female) sometimes), their arms are WAY shorter than the average european for their height, BUT their torsos seem about the same.... i think you may still have to find a store doing something like 2XL etc ....

[teabot]

in terms of t-shirts (and i can really only speak of that because i'm a girl) i've found that shirts with the unisex cut have pretty much the same fit as what i'm used to in the US. they may be slightly smaller or may depend on the shirt's manufacturer or something, but the few i've bought so far have been the same size and fit the same as they would buy back home. i would say that at least for t-shirts, you should be able to buy them here in about the same size as back home. i get the impressions dress shirts and other more fashionable shirts do have fairly significantly different cuts, though...

[word]

As a 6'0" guy, I can tell you... it's gonna be hit-or-miss. Western guys are NOT shaped like Japanese guys, apparently. When I buy shirts here, they tend to be too short--in the arms AND torso. Also, quite narrow across the shoulders. That said, it's possible to find clothes that fit reasonably well, but I HIGHLY recommend trying on everything before you buy it. Uniqlo is pretty cool about this; they always have sample shirts and such out for you to try. I've managed to find shirts that fit me pretty well... but almost always T-shirts/polos/short-sleeves. Long-sleeved shirts are almost always completely wrong for me. The sleeves are too short, the shoulders are too narrow, and the collars are too tight.

Very often, when I buy a shirt that's actually big enough to fit my shoulders, it's ridiculously large and obviously designed for someone who is quite overweight.

So, yeah... I'd bring what you can, hope that you're placed within a couple of hours' travel of a decent-sized city, etc. Don't stress about it too much. You'll figure out a way to make it all work out.

[Namisuke]

My boyfriend has issues finding shirts and jackets here sometimes that have long enough sleeves. You'll be able to get short-sleeve tees here fine, but those with long arms should bring enough long-sleeve shirts to last the year or your next visit back home, especially if you won't be placed anywhere near a UNIQLO, Zara, or other foreigner-fitting store. Those placed in or close to bigger cities should be okay.

[Gizmotech]

Ok so,

I want to start off with, I am TALL, 6'2". I assume it would be in best interest that I buy all my clothing in the US. I wonder about short sleeved shirts though, I am really skinny for my height. Mens size M in the US are usually perfect for my width, but they are usually too short. Is it at all possible to find long(ish) and slim T-shirts in Japan? In the US the apparent standard is that if you are tall, you obviously must be wide too, so many of the long shirts I find are 2 sizes too wide for me. My torso isn't super long, so I just want to know if I can find some short sleeve shirts there before I go postal on the stores here and buy all I can in fear of finding nothing in Japan...
So, if any Tall JETs have any advise for me that would be awesome. I do plan on buying pants here, being that my legs contain most of my height. I will also buy any long sleeved shirts and jackets here too, although I do have issues here too when attempting to locate non-custom made clothing that I can fit into.

Basic question: I'm tall and Skinny, can I but T-shirts in Japan.

Bring it from home, but don't buy now... wait until you get ahold of your predecessor first. You might not be in an environment where you need dress shirt every day.

Like word said, uniqlo is a good bet, but a lot of stuff will still be too small. The polo-shirts this season were surprising in that they fit my shoulders and didn't leave me feeling like I was wearing a muumuu. Pants aren't soo much of a problem unless you've got some impressively long legs, and are quite nice as they have the in between sizes, not just 30,32. I went searching for summer jackets this season (I really dislike the humid wind... freezes me to my bones) and ended up buying a jacket just like all the work crew uniforms because that was the only one with a decent shoulder fit AND sleeve length. Everything from more "fashionable" stores was either WAY too short in the sleeves (if it fit my shoulders) or was made for a guy much wider in the middle than the shoulders.

I know many JETs don't have access to something like this, but in the "big" suit chain stores they have a pretty wide selection of shirts and tend to fit better for the arms/shoulders, however it's totally hit or miss if you will get something that fits correctly across the stomach. In my school, thankfully, it's a bit more casual than the norm and I can get away with a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up all year round. (I wear a fleece from home over my shirts in winter, like most of the staff).

I've heard good things about the vietnam run before, where you go for a few days, get measured up, and have a whole bunch of shirts made on the cheap, and pick em up on the way back to Japan I have yet to do it, but I have heard good things.

[Musashi]

Our worst fears lie in anticipation.

So chill out, enjoy friends and family, and what time you have left before departure.

[word]

Our worst fears lie in anticipation.

So chill out, enjoy friends and family, and what time you have left before departure.

WORD. The three months before I left were epic. Glorious. Filled with laughter, indulgence, hedonism, and ecstasy. If I had it all to do over again... I wouldn't change a thing.

[bananathursdays]

Yeah, definitely...I've been letting myself stress out about everything way too much these past few months (actually, I've been stressing since December. Hah). A few days ago, it really clicked with me that I shouldn't be stressing, I should be happy! I've always really wanted to do something like JET, way before I even knew what JET was. I've made it! I got accepted! I need to go celebrate with my friends! Now should be the best time of our lives, right? ^_^