Who has never been to Japan before?

[Loerian]

um i left my selection a little open ended only selecting areas I wasn't at all specific but I choose Kochi, Kyoto and hokkaido

[bananathursdays]

I chose Hamamatsu City in the Shizuoka prefecture as my first choice, because it is known as "the city of music", and in my essay, I talked a lot about my interest in music.

[eFred]

Like many others, I've never been out of my own country (South Africa) [and Namibia doesn't count because we only made it to Springbok and we never even got to change money which was unfun because I like comparing differences (plus the hotel we stayed in was so dingy that the power tripped when we tried to use the iron, plunging the whole place in darkness - that was exciting - and they made us leave...XD).]

Why do I want to go?

I'm a poet. (Sometimes). Someone on Myspace ragged me out about being a writer who "haven't been anywhere" and "haven't done anything" which made me sad. I want to go in order to selfishly and unashamedly use the experience to bulk up my poetry portfolio (I'm applying for my MFA in Creative Writing in the next 2 years or so). Also (again like many of you) I have an interest in Japanese culture - by that I mean samurai's and ninja's with the occasional tea ceremony. I've been wanting to be a samurai warrior for ages and ages and would have taken up sword lessons too (couldn't stomach fencing as a substitute, it's so.... French) but I couldn't find any such thing in Cape Town (Land of Everything Backward) so I did archery instead (which I sucked at but loved because aiming is for sissies anyway). In short short, I want to go because I want to write about Japan and secretly become a samurai who gets captured and then retrained as a ninja then gets sent on a high level mission to infiltrate a foreign government -the Russians- in order to stop them from becoming the next super power... it's a long story, but very exciting. Lots of danger, terror and forbidden chocolate.

How do your parents feel about you wanting to go?

My mother (thinks she's dying -she has cancer-) is all "NO NO NO!! How will you dry your hair????" (hair is a coloured thing) and my father is all "YES YES YES!! So how much money will you need???? (We're ridiculously poor).

Where did you request to be placed and why?

I KNOW THIS IS CONSIDERED A BIG "Pfft they will so kill you in the interview" but I requested Kyoto and only Kyoto. No second or third choices. The reason I wrote in my app was something along the lines of "Arthur Golden's book (Memoirs of a Geisha) embarrassingly enough is the reason I put down Kyoto - it made it seem romantic" or something like that. I can't remember and stupidly never made a copy for myself.

So that's it. I expect to get crucified a little. On the up side... I'm really small but really scary. (This is very true)

[hatefulsandwich]

I KNOW THIS IS CONSIDERED A BIG "Pfft they will so kill you in the interview" but I requested Kyoto and only Kyoto. No second or third choices. The reason I wrote in my app was something along the lines of "Arthur Golden's book (Memoirs of a Geisha) embarrassingly enough is the reason I put down Kyoto - it made it seem romantic" or something like that. I can't remember and stupidly never made a copy for myself.

So that's it. I expect to get crucified a little. On the up side... I'm really small but really scary. (This is very true)

Don't worry, i was pretty brazen about my choices, too.

Oh, and in terms of managing kroeshaar* ( I imagine that's what your mother's freaking out about?), There are plenty of people whose hair types don't fall in the coarse, straight black hair of most Japanese. I'm sure they find a way around it.

*Please slap me if I used "kroeshaar" in an insulting manner. I'm not sure where the word stands in terms of politcal correctness these day.

[eFred]

Oh, and in terms of managing kroeshaar* ( I imagine that's what your mother's freaking out about?), There are plenty of people whose hair types don't fall in the coarse, straight black hair of most Japanese. I'm sure they find a way around it.

*Please slap me if I used "kroeshaar" in an insulting manner. I'm not sure where the word stands in terms of politcal correctness these day.

Nail on the proverbial head et al. 'Kroeshare' is quite alright. As for political correctness, I wouldn't know, I wasn't brought up to be polite.

[MHFencer]

I put down Shizuoka, Sendai, and Nagoya. My reasoning was that they all seemed to be culturally significant (though I am sure that nearly every Japanese city is culturally significant). If I get the interview, I am definitely going to be looking more into these cities.

Why do I want to go?

I'm a poet. (Sometimes). Someone on Myspace ragged me out about being a writer who "haven't been anywhere" and "haven't done anything" which made me sad. I want to go in order to selfishly and unashamedly use the experience to bulk up my poetry portfolio (I'm applying for my MFA in Creative Writing in the next 2 years or so). Also (again like many of you) I have an interest in Japanese culture - by that I mean samurai's and ninja's with the occasional tea ceremony. I've been wanting to be a samurai warrior for ages and ages and would have taken up sword lessons too (couldn't stomach fencing as a substitute, it's so.... French) but I couldn't find any such thing in Cape Town (Land of Everything Backward) so I did archery instead (which I sucked at but loved because aiming is for sissies anyway). In short short, I want to go because I want to write about Japan and secretly become a samurai who gets captured and then retrained as a ninja then gets sent on a high level mission to infiltrate a foreign government -the Russians- in order to stop them from becoming the next super power... it's a long story, but very exciting. Lots of danger, terror and forbidden chocolate.

Be careful about mentioning samurai and ninja in the same breath. I'm not sure about other kendo instructors and I'm not sure how serious you are being about them, but my sensei would not have approved you comparing samurai and ninja. There have been many a time where a naive beginning student asked about ninja, and just as many tirades about ninja. Then again, I've never been to Japan, so I can't say what a Japanese kendo sensei would say (mine was white).

Where did you request to be placed and why?

I KNOW THIS IS CONSIDERED A BIG "Pfft they will so kill you in the interview" but I requested Kyoto and only Kyoto. No second or third choices. The reason I wrote in my app was something along the lines of "Arthur Golden's book (Memoirs of a Geisha) embarrassingly enough is the reason I put down Kyoto - it made it seem romantic" or something like that. I can't remember and stupidly never made a copy for myself.

So that's it. I expect to get crucified a little. On the up side... I'm really small but really scary. (This is very true)

You can obtain a copy of your application. Just go back to where you filled it out and print it. And good luck with getting Kyoto. From what I've read by lurking around in the forums, you should be prepared to defend yourself in the interview.

[bryanthorne]

I'm also in the "Never Been to Japan" club. I'm from a small northern midwest town in America, and I've never really traveled much. I didn't have any international experience to share on my resume. However that's exactly WHY I want to go, I want to experience a different culture and different part of the world.

For location requests I put 1) Nara City 2) Gifu Prefecture (I mentioned Takayama) 3) Sendai City
I keep hearing that interesting requests are look at very favorably. I have friends in and around the Nara and Takayama areas, and I red a post on here about how cool Sendai is and how the Jet community there has been active in helping out the Tsunami relief effort in the area, and I would like to help with that.

[eFred]

Be careful about mentioning samurai and ninja in the same breath. I'm not sure about other kendo instructors and I'm not sure how serious you are being about them, but my sensei would not have approved you comparing samurai and ninja. There have been many a time where a naive beginning student asked about ninja, and just as many tirades about ninja. Then again, I've never been to Japan, so I can't say what a Japanese kendo sensei would say (mine was white).

I know about that. I was making a reference to Chris Bradford's books (he writes kids fictional books about samurai's etc). But thank you nevertheless for the kind word of warning. (I'm not very serious half of the time)

You can obtain a copy of your application. Just go back to where you filled it out and print it. And good luck with getting Kyoto. From what I've read by lurking around in the forums, you should be prepared to defend yourself in the interview.

I can't, I filled it out manually (at the post office). I have my SOP though and a vague recollection of what I wrote, but that's it. I've been reading nothing but forum posts, so I know about Kyoto. But like I said, my reasons aren't very strong and I acknowledged that in my application (Which is why the interview email surprised and terrified me).

[HStraveller]

I'm also in the "Never Been to Japan" club. I'm from a small northern midwest town in America, and I've never really traveled much. I didn't have any international experience to share on my resume. However that's exactly WHY I want to go, I want to experience a different culture and different part of the world.

For location requests I put 1) Nara City 2) Gifu Prefecture (I mentioned Takayama) 3) Sendai City
I keep hearing that interesting requests are look at very favorably. I have friends in and around the Nara and Takayama areas, and I red a post on here about how cool Sendai is and how the Jet community there has been active in helping out the Tsunami relief effort in the area, and I would like to help with that.

--Wooo, yeah Nara! I think that was my top request as well...that or Wakayama, they were kind-of tied. I didn't know a whole lot about various regions and cities in Japan, so when I was applying I spend a few days just burying myself into articles about places in Japan. I chose my areas based on climate (cold is not my friend), my perception of their urban/rural-ness (I really need some good green space in my life), appearance, whatever information I could find about what was in these areas. I wish I had known more ahead of time so I could have possibly been more specific, but anywhere in the general vicinity of my requests would be awesome!

On a side note, I was amused to find out about the random deer that run around Nara city after I had submitted my application... looking forward to seeing them. :3

One odd thing that I think is fun to do is to pick some random places in Japan on google maps and "walk around" using street view. It's neat to see what places really look like and try to find interesting things.

[SailorZorro]

Yeah I've never been, but I have wanted to go since I discovered it was a country I used to be terrified of flying so I had devised this crazy plan involving boats and the Orient Express, but now I guess I'll just drug myself and deal. I love to travel and my trip to London wasn't too bad...

I actually don't remember what areas I put because I don't really care as long as its not a big city (I actually know a former JET who came home knowing very little Japanese since everyone talked to her in English and she was in a city). I'm trying not to look at my app too much until the interview results are posted.

All my family is pretty supportive, plus all my extended network. But I think they see how excited I am and don't wanna burst my bubble. If I don't get accepted for JET, I've met a teacher who is a former JET/current Japanese teacher and I may help chaperone their trip to Japan this summer (if it's not too late to sign up).

[Gaso]

I have never been to Japan and have always dreamed about going there, maybe as a student or something. When I learned about this program I decided to apply for it, because it's a really good chance to see the country from the inside. I think there's nothing strange that people from all over the world want to go to Japan, because this country is totally special and it has given lots of things to the whole world. It really fascinates me.

[JasonB91]

I've never been to Japan before.

I have many friends who are either currently living there, or have spent years there previously though.

I applied to Tsu (Mie-ken) and Wakayama-Ken.

[jookie]

I've never been to Japan, let alone out of the USA until last year (if you count the Bahamas.) Ever since my first contact with Japanese culture in middle school, Japan has always been a fascinating place to me. I didn't put any location requests because I have never been, but I'm really open to being placed anywhere.

My parents were very supportive of me when I told them I was applying for the JET program. The initial push for me to apply was actually one of my professors who is a former JET. So his support and urging played a big role in my parent's acceptance as well.

[RoBot]

I've never been to Japan before but I did choose prefecture placement- more because of their geographic location rather than anything specific- but totally open to going anywhere- just let me in!! My parents were a bit "ehhh... are you sure?" but now that they've seen my commitment to it they're happy to let me go.

[Spencer]

Never been to Japan. Never been overseas. Never been to mexico, Havent been out east further than winnipeg, Havent been down below Yellowstone part in northern Wyoming.
My cultural experience is pretty limited.
But I cat travel for 2 weeks. It would be too short a time for me.


but i only have one brother that im close with, other than that, no family remain. Nothing holding me back