STUDENTS FROM ARAHAMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MY JET PROGRAM EXPERIENCE

I have now been in Japan since August 2001. As you have seen from my other pages, especially my travel section, I have traveled quite a bit before, especially in Europe. Japan, however, is totally different from any other country I have ever been in. Adapting to Japanese culture has not always been so easy, but I have started to get used to the cultural differences. I am really enjoying my life in Japan!
My job here is Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), and I work for the Board of Education of Kashiwazaki City, which is in Niigata Prefecture, in Japan. To view Kashiwazaki's website in English, go here after copying the following address with your mouse in cut and paste:
http://www.city.kashiwazaki.niigata.jp
The definition of exactly what an ALT is and does seems to vary everywhere, and in my case I work at six different schools, so I am at a different place every day, and I work with many different teachers and countless students. I work at Junior High Schools and Elementary Schools. Chugakko is Junior High School, and Shogakko is Elementary School.

HERE ARE THE SCHOOLS I WORK AT:

Daiichi Chugakko.

DAIICHI CHUGAKKO

This is my base school, the one that officially "hosts" me. Official correspondence is sent to me there, and I spend Mondays and Fridays there, whereas I am at each other school only once per week. This is my second year there.
To view their website in English, go here after copying the following address with your mouse in cut and paste:
http://www.kisnet.or.jp/daiichi/index.htm

GRADUATION DAY AT DAI ICHI, MARCH 8, 2002

IN THE OFFICE AT DAI-ICHI

A DRAWING BY A THIRD YEAR STUDENT AT DAI-ICHI

THE NOTE ON THE OTHER SIDE

A LETTER FROM ANOTHER DAI-ICHI STUDENT

Kagamigaoki Chugakko.

This is my second year at Kagami. This is one of the biggest schools in Kashiwazaki City.

Higashi Chugakko

HIGASHI CHUGAKKO

I started at this junior high school in September 2002.
To view their website in English, go here after copying the following address with your mouse in cut and paste:
http://www.kisnet.or.jp/~higashi/

Makihara Shogakko

MAKIHARA SHOGAKKO

I started at this fun elementary school in September 2002.
To view their website in English, go here after copying the following address with your mouse in cut and paste:
http://www.kisnet.or.jp/~makihara/

Schools From Last Year

Matsuhama Chugakko

To view their website in English, go here after copying the following address with your mouse in cut and paste:
http://www.kisnet.or.jp/~matuhama/

Minami Chugakko

MINAMI CHUGAKKO

This school is right near the rice fields and the mountains. I taught here last year.
To view their website in English, go here after copying the following address with your mouse in cut and paste:
http://www.kisnet.or.jp/~minami/

A FIRST YEAR STUDENT'S SKETCH OF ME TEACHING WITH SATOKO TAMURA, AN ENGLISH TEACHER AT MINAMI CHUGAKKO

Arahama Shogakko

ARAHAMA SHOGAKKO

This school is not far from the Kariwa Nuclear Power Station, near the Sea of Japan. I taught at Arahama last year.
To view their website in English, go here after copying the following address with your mouse in cut and paste:
http://www.kisnet.or.jp/~arahama/

Takahama Shogakko

TAKAHAMA SHOGAKKO

I taught at Takahama last year. This school is in the hills above the Sea of Japan. It is very small, with only 22 students! A very friendly school!
To view their website in English, go here after copying the following address with your mouse in cut and paste:
http://www.kisnet.or.jp/~takahama/

TEACHING ENGLISH AT TAKAHAMA SHOGAKKO

VIEW OF THE BEACH AND MOUNTAINS FROM TAKAHAMA SHOGAKKO

BEACH VIEW

TAKAHAMA STUDENTS AND ENGLISH CLUB TEACHER

TAKAHAMA SHOGAKKO TEACHER WITH STUDENTS

KASHIWAZAKI CITY AND YONEYAMA MOUNTAIN

Kashiwazaki City is relatively small (I was told it had about 80,000 residents). The biggest thing of note there is that it hosts the world's largest nuclear power plant. The buildings are low rise, and the city is directly on the Sea of Japan coastline of Japan. On one side of the city there is the Sea of Japan, and behind it (on the other side) you have the mountains, dominated by Mount Yoneyama. It rains here a lot, and it is extremely humid. However, the surrounding mountains get a lot of snow, for which reason this area of Niigata Prefecture is called "snow country" (Yuki Guni in Japanese), although Kashiwazaki itself sees little snow. English is not very widely spoken in this area of Japan. However, people are pretty friendly, and slowly I am beginnning to pick up the language. The photo above was taken near my apartment.
As I mentioned, English is not spoken here by very many people. Sometimes when they do speak it, I have trouble understanding it! This has made communication difficult at times, but I am learning to just laugh it off, and this experience has made me more patient. Also, English signs are common here, with many bad misspellings and usages, like "Beer Holl", and "Hair Saron". The second-hand store is called "Off House", and the International Association is in a place called "Joy House". Some of the t-shirts and signs I have seen in English here are so strange that I probably should not print them here! My students have also said some really funny things to me, and they have a tendency to ask very personal questions, as well. There is a website where you can check out Japanese English ("Jenglish") at its finest and that will give you some idea of how surreal life can be in Japan sometimes!

School Events

Schools in Japan hold many important events throughout the year, including sports festivals and cultural festivals, in addition to the opening year and graduation ceremonies. In October they have a hiking day as well. With Dai Ichi Chugakko, I took part in their Marathon Walk, which went for 42 km along the Sea of Japan Coast from Teradomari to Kashiwazaki. Here are some photos from that day.

Marathon Walk

PEP TALK AT THE START

WALKERS

WALKING THROUGH TERADOMARI

CHEEZU

CHEEZU!

BOYS' GROUP

PTA

DAI ICHI PTA CHEERS US ON

Kami-Sensei sometimes needed to inspire the students to keep pressing on!
COME ON, SHU-CHAN

SHU-CHAN, GANBATTE!

GET UP, BOYS!

THERE'S TIME FOR REST LATER!

Rest time finally did come. LUNCH BREAK

LUNCH BREAK

QUICK BREAK

HAPPY TO HAVE A BREAK!

Scenery along the Sea of Japan Coast

During the Marathon Walk, I had a chance to photograph the beautiful Sea of Japan coastline!

NICE HOUSE

HOUSES AND ROAD

HOUSES AND ROAD

ROAD AND HILL

EMPTY ROAD AND HILL

FALL LEAVES

FALL LEAVES AT REST STOP

FISHING VILLAGE

FISHING VILLAGE

HOUSES AND BEACH

HOUSES AND BEACH

WATERFALL

WATERFALL

RESTORED HISTORICAL HOUSE

Places and Events in and Around my Area

Here are some photos and details from places and events from Kashiwazaki and Niigata Prefecture. These were compiled over time, and are not well known outside the area, since it is not so touristy.

Niigata City

Niigata City is the capital of Niigata Prefecture, the state that I am working in. Niigata City is pleasant, although it's not a mecca for tourists.

DOWNTOWN NIIGATA CITY

BANDAI BRIDGE

BANDAI BRIDGE

STORE

DOWNTOWN STORE

Northern Culture Museum

This museum, just outside of Niigata City, shows rural life in that area as it was during the 19th Century. It is the former family estate of the Itoh family, one of the local landowning families.

MANOR BUILDING

TEAHOUSE

TRIANGULAR TEAHOUSE

This teahouse, and everything in it, is shaped like a triangle!

ROCK GARDEN

This is a traditional rock garden designed by a gardener from Kyoto. It is part of and is surrounded by the main manor house.

JET Program Links

The newest official JET Program Website
Elliot Yamashiro's website . He is a former JET who has compiled a lot of information.
The older official JET Website
Big Daikon , which is an unofficial forum for JET Program participants. Be aware that many of the debates get heated and argumentative, and that some postings are less than serious. However, there is a lot of good "inside" information here as well.
I Think I'm Lost , a newer, smaller forum for people who are on the JET Program or living in Japan.
JAPANic , which has more forums for foreigners who are living in Japan.
Every Situation is Different (ESID) , a website with parody comic strips about the JET Program.
Let's Japan, a website that talks about life as an English conversation school teacher, like GEOS, NOVA, etc.

JET Program Teaching Links

These websites provide JET Program teaching ideas, and give you an idea of what teaching on the JET Program is all about.

Edochan's homepage of teaching ideas from Tochigi Prefecture.

"Teach the Peach" - Lesson plans compiled by JET Program participants in Okayama Prefecture.

"Genki English" - a homepage with lesson plans and materials for Elementary School teaching, put together by two former JET Program participants.

Japan News and Information Links

These webpages give news and information about events in Japan, and insights into life in Japan.

Japan Today's news and discussion site, which gives headlines from Japanese news.

Yuichi Yamamoto is a semi-retired Japanese businessman, who is fluent in English, and maintains an English-language news blog about Japan. It is a fresh look at the headlines, and sometimes very critical in nature. This is very unusual for Japanese news sources. Check it out! Tokyo Free Press

Debito Arudou (David Aldwinckle) is an American who became a Japanese citizen. His website discusses many issues pertaining to foreigners' rights in Japan, and life in Japan in general. It also talks about his social activism, including his discrimination lawsuit against a bathouse. Very fascinating reading!

Engrish.com is a website dedicated to the subject of "Japanese English" (Jenglish). It shows some very amusing examples of Japanese companies using English to advertize products and services (as well as English t-shirts and other products) without having it proofread, with hilarious results!