CLAIR News June 2024
Important
News・Updates
General Information
- Call for Writers for CLAIR Forum Magazine
- Period of Stay and Status of Residence Renewal
- Information for JET Programme Participants ending their Term of Appointment
- Japanese Language Courses (Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced)
- Home Country Taxes
- Embassy Information for JET Programme Participants
- Registering with Your Embassy
- Lump-Sum Pension Withdrawal Payment
- Enrolment in Property Insurance
Registration for the Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call) and Contact Information Survey for JET Participants
CLAIR requests that each JET Programme participant register for the Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call) and Contact Information Survey. These are two separate systems. Please register for both using the links below.
Safety Confirmation System:
https://asp2.emc-call.jp/clair/index_en.html or
https://asp2.emc-call2nd.jp/clair/index_en.html
Your login ID and password are both the final nine digits of your JET Number, omitting the first two digits (20).
*If your contracting organisation has changed, please register your new address.
Contact Information Survey: https://goo.gl/u1gVT2
Login ID: JET Number (11 digits beginning with 20)
Password: Date of birth (YYYYMMDD)
*For JET Programme participants who were originally scheduled to arrive in Japan in 2020 or 2021, please use your pre-arrival JET number that starts with 2020 or 2021.
Emergency Pocket Guide for JET Programme Participants
To ensure your safety in Japan, please take the time to prepare in case a disaster occurs.
CLAIR has compiled an Emergency Pocket Guide for reference in the event of a disaster. Please fill out the important portions and keep it with you, as a disaster can occur at any time.
*CLAIR distributes the Emergency Pocket Guide during orientation for new arrivals.
Response to Safety Confirmation during Emergencies
In the event of a disaster, CLAIR will confirm the safety of JET Programme participants using the Safety Confirmation System (Emergency Call). It only takes a few moments to confirm your safety via the email you receive. Please make sure you respond regarding your safety situation when a safety confirmation email arrives, as it otherwise takes time for Host Prefectures/Designated Cities to confirm the safety of each individual JET Programme participant in the affected area(s).
In any given year in Japan, there will be somewhere which has had an emergency warning issued. The country is also prone to large earthquakes. In the event of a large-scale earthquake, a JET Programme participant’s home country embassy or consulate will contact CLAIR regarding their safety; CLAIR responds based on information from the Safety Confirmation System. Because of this, we are asking JET Programme participants and supervisors at each contracting organisation to confirm information registered with the Safety Confirmation System and to check how to respond to a safety confirmation request should an email arrive. If you receive a safety confirmation request email, please respond to it right away.
Safety confirmation requests are sent out based on Host Prefecture/Designated City, so participants may receive safety confirmation requests even when they are not physically near the site of a disaster. In this case, a response is still required from each individual to whom the request is sent.
Note¹: As of 2022, safety confirmation checks using home telephone lines or cell phones without internet access are no longer conducted.
Note²: CLAIR also provides safety confirmation simulations. Please contact the relevant person at CLAIR if you wish to request one.
Mental Health Support Resources
CLAIR offers the JET Programme Mental Health Counselling Assistance Programme with the aim of enhancing mental health support for JET Programme participants. This Programme provides a partial subsidy (50%, up to 30,000 yen per year) for counselling costs incurred through consultation with mental health professionals not covered by health insurance.
The coverage period for this year is from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. Documents for the subsidy should be submitted through contracting organisations no later than 4 April 2025. Please consider submitting documents early, as CLAIR usually receives a high volume of applications in March and April.
To those planning on finishing their time on the JET Programme this summer, please submit your documents as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for processing.
JET Programme participants can also benefit from free counselling offered by CLAIR via email and Skype. If you wish to use these services, please access them using the URL below, input the ID/password, and follow the instructions for registration. Up to seven Skype sessions are available between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. We recommend starting with email, which has no limits on usage.
Web Mail and Skype Counselling
Website: https://jetcounseling.com/
Login Information:
Username: jet
(Please check the email edition of CLAIR News for the latest password.)
Award Ceremony for the JET Video Contest 2024 in Tokyo on Friday, 12 July
Are you ready for a touch of Hollywood in Tokyo? The awards for the 2024 JET Video Contest will be presented during an award ceremony at OAG Hall (Tokyo, Akasaka) on Friday, 12 July, starting from 6 p.m. Award winners will be joining us from various locations across the globe, and all current and former JET Programme participants, as well as their friends are invited to join us for this special event. Do not miss this chance to celebrate with the award winners during a reception right after the ceremony. Food and drinks will be provided for free! Please refer to the link below to RSVP.
https://forms.office.com/r/qSGQc8dG8N?origin=lprLink
RSVP deadline: 23 June (Sun.)
ALT High-Level Training Seminar (Online Conference)
CLAIR is pleased to announce that it will be offering online ALT High Level Training again in 2024–2025. ALT High-Level Training aims to provide in-depth knowledge and practical ideas for experienced ALTs and the teachers they work with. Courses are available for all levels from elementary to senior high school.
- All current JET Programme ALTs who arrived in Japan before 31 March 2024.
- Teachers of English (including elementary school teachers) with whom JET Programme ALTs work.
Timetable:
The training will be delivered online via Zoom.
The training takes place over four days. The first two days will take place in August and the last two days will take place in late November and December.
Further details, including the final timetable, registration method and period, will be sent via contracting organisations at the end of June.
CIR Database
Earlier this month, CLAIR sent a notice to all CIRs asking them to fill in the ‘CIR Database’ questionnaire. Submission of the questionnaire is mandatory, and answers will be used internally to help better align seminars aimed at CIRs with their actual work duties.
We ask that you please fill in the questionnaire no later than 16 July 2024.
In addition, CLAIR will also compile a CIR information list from CIRs who have given their consent. This list will contain placement details and contact information, languages spoken, work duties, etc., so that CIRs may contact their peers when in need. More details about this project can be found in the materials sent to contracting organisations.
* CLAIR plans on finishing compiling the CIR Database around August. Please understand that answers from CIRs finishing their tenure in August this year will be left out of the list, regardless of expressed consent for publication.
** For statistical purposes, CLAIR still requires all CIRs to respond to the questionnaire.
Grant for TEFL/TESOL Certification
Applications for the 2024–2025 TEFL/TESOL Grant are now open. Details have been posted on the JET Programme website and sent to contracting organisations. Please note that there have been significant changes to the Grant application process in this fiscal year.
JET Programme Participants who are thinking about applying for the Grant should check the new Outline and Guidelines carefully.
Details are available on the following page: https://jetprogramme.org/en/tefl/
For questions, please use CLAIR’s grant-specific email address: grant@clair.or.jp
Call for Writers for CLAIR Forum Magazine
CLAIR serialises two columns about JET Programme participants’ activities in its monthly magazine, CLAIR Forum.
We are searching for writers for the columns listed below.
-
‘JET Katsuyaku no Genba Kara’ (‘JETs in Action’)
In this column, local government officials share details about the work of their JET Programme participants. Since this column is written by officials from local government authorities, please contact us after first consulting with your supervisor if you are interested in being featured.
https://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/forum/pdf_415/11_jet_genba.pdf -
‘JET Kara no Tegami’ (‘Letters from the JET Programme’)
In this column, current and former JET Programme participants share information about themselves and their activities. Applicants will be asked to write one 1600-character article in Japanese.
https://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/forum/pdf_415/12_jetletter.pdf
If you are interested in writing for CLAIR Forum, please email the following information to chousei@clair.or.jp:
- Name
- JET number
- Nationality
- Job type (ALT/CIR/SEA)
- Host Prefecture or Designated City
- Contracting Organisation
- Affiliation (department/school, etc.)
- The column you wish to apply for (1. ‘JET Katsuyaku no Genba Kara’ or 2. ‘JET Kara no Tegami’)
- Content you would like to write about, things you pride yourself on, etc.
- Additional documents (optional)
If you are selected to write for CLAIR Forum, you will receive five copies of the magazine containing your article upon publication. CLAIR staff will correct your submissions, so please feel free to get in touch no matter your level of Japanese.
Please note that we may not be able to request articles from all applicants, as writers will be selected to ensure a balance between article content, placement area, nationality, and other factors. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Period of Stay and Status of Residence Renewal
For JET Programme participants who arrived in summer, it is almost time for some of you to extend your period of stay, so please check the dates written on your Residence Card (especially JET Programme participants in their third year who will be reappointed for another term).
For information on extending your Period of Stay or changing your Status of Residence, please refer to page 75 of the General Information Handbook (GIH).
Information for JET Programme Participants ending their Term of Appointment
JET Programme participants finishing their term of appointment in 2024 should refer to CLAIR’s online After JET Guide for information on how to prepare for their successor, move out of their apartment, deal with reverse culture shock, and prepare for their next career move.
In addition, if you are finishing your term of appointment on the JET Programme this year and returning to your home country, please make sure you discuss travel arrangements with your contracting organisation as early as possible.
Japanese Language Courses (Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced)
JET Programme participants may apply for online Japanese language courses offered by CLAIR.
Multiple new features have been added for 2024–2025, including JLPT practice tests, pronunciation practice, and the ability to participate in live review sessions. For detailed information about the application process and content, please check out the course guide on the JET Programme website (links below).
https://deli3.study.jp/?multi
https://jetprogramme.org/en/languagecourses/
Japanese Language Course Application Form:
https://bit.ly/2HfLvpv
Regarding unit deadlines: Each unit should be completed within one month in order to complete the course in a reasonable timeframe. However, the deadline for completing a course will automatically be extended for up to six months. You will need to contact the help desk for extensions beyond six months.
Note: Questions about course content (grammar, vocabulary, etc.) may be submitted through the course provider website. A Japanese instructor will answer them. Please note that responses may take a few days.
Home Country Taxes
Personal tax affairs in one’s home country are the responsibility of each JET Programme participant. Be sure to obtain and keep your gensen chōshūhyō, or Statement of Earnings, from your contracting organisation, as this may be necessary for filing your taxes abroad. Please refer to the General Information Handbook (GIH) for more details.
Embassy Information for JET Programme Participants
CLAIR maintains a webpage on the JET Programme website for embassies in Japan to post information for JET Programme participants from their country. Please check this page regularly for updates.
https://jetprogramme.org/en/embassyinformation/
Please note that CLAIR does not take responsibility for any of the information listed on this page. For enquiries regarding the information on this webpage, please contact the embassy in question directly.
Registering with Your Embassy
All JET Programme participants are strongly advised to register with their home country’s embassy or local consulate, and/or through their embassy run travel registration scheme while living in Japan. Your embassy may be able to help you and your relatives obtain necessary information and check on each other’s safety in times of emergency. Please check the website of your home country’s embassy or local consulate for more details:
Lump-Sum Pension Withdrawal Payment
JET Programme participants finishing their term of appointment and returning to their home countries may be eligible to receive a pension refund (lump-sum withdrawal payment). For more information, please refer to page 194~203 of the General Information Handbook (GIH).
https://jetprogramme.org/en/gih/
Information is also available in English and Japanese on the following website:
Enrolment in Property Insurance
Is your house or apartment covered by property insurance (kasai hoken)? If you do not know, please check with your contracting organisation supervisor.
There have been several cases where JET Programme participants were forced to pay for the damages to not only their own, but also their neighbours’ housing when there were water leaks or other problems. (If a water leak occurs, damage to the property of neighbours is covered by the JET Accident Insurance Policy Liability Endorsement, but damage to your own property as well as damage to the structure or building can only be covered by property insurance.)
Whether or not to purchase property insurance is the choice of the JET Programme participant. However, if found liable for damages, the costs can be very high. Therefore, CLAIR recommends that participants enrol in property insurance.
Although the majority of JET Programme participants live in rental properties, earthquake insurance may also be taken to account for the cost of lost household items, such as personal computers or TVs. Therefore, please take care to research a suitable form of insurance for your situation.
