Not so obvious advice for new ALTs

[Gizmotech]

Maybe Japanese guys are more believing. They need to hurry up with that male birth control though.

Ya, well the Japanese guys can be just as uneducated about sex as the women so it wouldn't surprise me. also, WORD.

[Frap]

Ya, well the Japanese guys can be just as uneducated about sex as the women so it wouldn't surprise me. also, WORD.

Ikr, the amount of men prepared to go bb is incredible

[Torinn88]

Learn how to cook for yourself. Nothing is sadder than seeing people live off microwaved meals from 711.

Also don't be an ass like me....or do because it's fun.

すごい！ You eat rice?!

My go-to reply if they are in the middle of eating anything western is to basically repeat what they said in a sarcastic way.

Wow! You eat pasta?! You sure are good at using a fork.

[acpc2203]

Learn to love mediocre to bad coffee

[Ananasboat]

Learn to find the local coffee roasters and enjoy a really good cuppa

FTFY.

(Insert Ini-style 'this is the problem with everybody who isn't me' rant)

[webstaa]

Learn to look in unexpected places for really good value. Like instead of going to Costco for bulk spices, see if there is a "halal market" near you. They often sell uncommon spices in larger quantities for extremely cheap compared to both normal import stores (like Jupiter/Yamaya etc) and larger supermarkets (looking at you AEON with your 50g of paprika for 300 yen.)

Local butchers/meat shops are much more common as well - you can often get supermarket beating price or better cuts (including American or Australian/UK style cuts) for very good prices. Same goes with farmers markets/that local produce/local speciality store that's next to the station or michi-no-eki etc.

[Gizmotech]

lol. Halal market. Sign you are living in a big Japanese city #431.

My not so obvious advice?
Most ALTs think their Japan represents all of Japan. They are usually wrong.

[fryfry]

one thing I noticed from the GIH that wasn't really spelled out before is that transfers to different cities/pref. generally don't happen. makes sense, I suppose, given the selection process. for ALTs who generally want to see more of Japan, how often would you say you get to travel?

[Ini]

You can travel every weekend if you can be arsed and have no interest in joining in with your community.

[fryfry]

You can travel every weekend if you can be arsed and have no interest in joining in with your community.

arsed? is that like short for arsetricized? Does that mean Frap no longer desires your bum?
I fully intend to join in my community. I guess I just also want a chance to travel around. Sounds like I probably won't have to worry too much about it.

[OatsCurrySummer]

for ALTs who generally want to see more of Japan, how often would you say you get to travel?

Let's just say considering I live in the absolute most inconvenient place for a person who wants to see every prefecture in Japan, in under four months I've already been to eight. The pay is good enough on JET that you can take a trip every month if you want to. And you wont even have to take a boat, a bus and a plane to get there. Lucky you!

[mrcharisma]

I fully intend to join in my community.

"Community" on Jet usually means hanging around orphanages with gawky ALT resume-padders, or playing frisbee with some local octogenarians.

Fuck all that. Travel regularly at weekends, shag plenty birds wherever you go and get pished with salarymen. You'll earn a lot more respect than you would turning up to your town's basket-weaving festival in a yukata.

[acpc2203]

I can easily travel but haven't found a reason to after I went to the major sites and cities. Will eventually go to Hokkaido I guess.

[Ini]

seeing as 90% of Japan looks the same you really dont need to bother doing that stupid "visit every prefecture" thing.

[acpc2203]

Yeah I figured that out once I heard it was a popular thing for JETs to do which is a huge red flag.

[vaterross]

seeing as 90% of Japan looks the same you really dont need to bother doing that stupid "visit every prefecture" thing.

True that, you should instead do every prefecture twice.

[fryfry]

seeing as 90% of Japan looks the same you really dont need to bother doing that stupid "visit every prefecture" thing.

will keep it in mind. anyway, I'm not really one to take off right after starting a new job. (meaning, within a few months.) I figure it's something I'll get to do either when I'm invited or once I've exhausted my town's own charm.

[Fantasylife]

seeing as 90% of Japan looks the same you really dont need to bother doing that stupid "visit every prefecture" thing.

Finally! Someone said what I've been secretly thinking since I got here.

[Gizmotech]

Finally! Someone said what I've been secretly thinking since I got here.

Most of us realize it, but the really clueless alts, who want to do it, just won't shut up about it. They'll be like: so I went to miyagi today. it was so awesome. that's another prefecture off the list. I'll be like :so what was awesome about it? and get no response.

[mothy]

I don't even remember which prefectures I've been to. They're all a blur.