New Zealand Participants

[Kaesespaetzle]

I just got a call from the Wellington Embassy... I'm going to Sakai-shi, in Osaka!
I'm pretty much maximum happy atm! <3

[Cytrix]

I'm just super super happy. Lunch time was going on and on about how awesome my place looks and the fact there's an active volcano! Woo!

I ended up scampering down to the class two doors down to where my friend is, pass her a note with my prefecture name on it, then run back to my class (I haven't told any kids I'm leaving yet...trying to leave it until the last fortnight)

There's a festival on the 15th-16th of August when I get there...Yamaga Lantern Festival where women put paper lanterns on their heads and dress in traditional garb and dance. AWESOME.

You are all free to come to the many onsen down where I am!

[Kiwi Jam]

Woo hoo for placements!!

My finace and I are both going to Kumamoto prefecture. Super over the moon excited!!! All you other chch people, check your email inbox cos the info is coming out!

Yaaaaaaayyyyy!

[Cytrix]

Woo Kiwi Jam! Fellow Kumamoto-ian! Here's the Kumamoto website for JET. Sign up to the forum with me! http://www.kumamotojet.com/

[bigbennynz]

My city/town produces LARGE quantities of Abacus. Interesting.

[Nats]

Abacus... cool... lol sounds interesting!

Yay got my email, I'm going to Tatebayshi-shi, in Gunma! It's the city of flowers and looks veery pretty!

[Cytrix]

Hah just did a dance because Kumamoto has a Lush store, which makes me very very happy!

[Ashley]

Abacus... cool... lol sounds interesting!

Yay got my email, I'm going to Tatebayshi-shi, in Gunma! It's the city of flowers and looks veery pretty!

Hey Nats...I have been checking this thread a bit to wait for kiwis coming to Gunma!! I am in Maebashi, Gunma. Tatebayashi is a small town but super close to Tokyo for when you want some big town action.....It was also one of the hottest places in Japan last summer so come prepared for intense heat! Check out our Gunma Jet page http://www.gunmajet.net/ We are working hard to get as much info on it as we can for the newbies this year! Also please join our facebook group 'Gunma ALTs' to keep up to date with what is going on and potentially finding your predecessor Happy researching!!

[grapemine]

Got my placement too. Tokigawa-machi, Saitama-ken.

Rural enough but only 90 mins to Tokyo by train. Gonna be sweeet.

[NYC2011]

You are all free to come to the many onsen down where I am!

I cannot wait to visit many onsen in Japan!! This may be my favorite thing in all of Japan.

[Nats]

Thanks Ashley, you were quick! Also had a message from Jessie, so it seems like the Gunma peeps are very welcoming Intense heat ay? That will be fun... Gunma Jets page looks very handy, & the FB page. I'm really excited about arriving in August!

[Psylent]

NOTIFIED!
I'm glad I didn't find out at school, I wouldn't've got any work done. I don't know how you maintained silence Cytrix; I'm not letting my students know until the last week too.
I'm in Shizuoka too hazazel! Fujieda.
I was wondering whether futon-surfing was practical/allowed. I never get a chance to offer a couch here because of my housemates so I hope I have enough room to offer strangers a bed in Japan.

[Cytrix]

Sounds like futon/couch surfing happens a lot between JETs over there.

You guys are getting such specific places...mine has only been Kumamoto-ken, Kumamoto-ken. Does that mean I'm in the city or do I need to wait for my actual city/town? Confusion abounds!

Thankfully my two classes during which I knew about my placement were A: silent reading all period, and B: writing an essay, so I had time to research like a rabid guinea pig

[Jax]

You guys are getting such specific places...mine has only been Kumamoto-ken, Kumamoto-ken. Does that mean I'm in the city or do I need to wait for my actual city/town? Confusion abounds!

Congratulations, you are most likely a prefectural ALT based at a high school and now have more waiting to hear from your pred for more specific details.

[Nats]

Psylent - Congrats on placement! From what I've heard, there are Jets who've organised tatami-share/futon-surfing, so I'd say once we're set up, we could definitely do it. Don't see why not anyway.

And don't forget to fill in the map guys, it's exciting to physically see where people are going!