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This is a little late but I received this email from the US Embassy regarding the earthquake in Hokkaido. 

The City of Sapporo as well as other municipalities in Hokkaido have reported areas where water service is not functioning.  We recommend that citizens conserve water where possible.  Citizens may also wish to maintain a backup supply of water by filling bathtubs, sinks or other containers.  If citizens are without water, contact local authorities to find the locations of emergency water supply points or evacuation centers.

The U.S. Consulate General in Sapporo remains closed today for routine, previously-scheduled consular services, but staff remain onsite to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens.  U.S. citizens traveling or living in the affected region: Please let friends and family know you are safe, and update your status on social media.  Any related inquires can be directed to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

Here are the links included in the email. All links are in English,

Japan Meteorological Agency

Tokyo Metropolitan Safety Guide

Additional Information from the Hokkaido Governernment

Japan Tourism Organization’s Safety Tips

NHK World App

Emergency Preparedness for Americans in Japan from the US Embassy in Tokyo

STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program)  (this is how I received this email!) 

American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit (select Tokyo or one of the consulates in Osaka-Kobe, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo, or Naha) The information for the Sapporo Consulate is: Kita 1-jo, Nishi 28-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0821; Tel: 011-641-1115, Fax: 011-643-1283; serving Americans in Akita, Aomori, Hokkaido, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. https://jp.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/sapporo/

Even if you aren’t a US Citizen or in Hokkaido, I think the first few links are very useful to have. I also recommend signing up for STEP if you are a US Citizen. The US embassy is pretty good about not spamming up your email and it’s usually just information reminding you to vote or updating you after a disaster strikes. 

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Tonight there's going to be a full lunar eclipse which is supposed to signal rebirth and new beginnings. A few hours later I'm going to get on a plane to Japan! Doesn't get much more cosmic than that 🤷

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The Japanese weather agency has declared the heatwave a natural disaster. This heatwave we’re experiencing right now is actually killer. Thousands of people have been hospitalized with heat related sickness and as of this article, 65 people have been confirmed dead as a result.

Everyone, please be careful. Stay hydrated and watch your temperatures. Also look out for those around you, especially after those who are most vulnerable like children and the elderly. 

Be familiar with the symptoms of heat exhaustion:

Cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat

Heavy sweating

Faintness

Dizziness

Fatigue

Weak, rapid pulse

Low blood pressure upon standing

Muscle cramps

Nausea

Headache

If you suspect heat exhaustion: Untreated, heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke, which is a life-threatening condition. If you suspect heat exhaustion, take these steps immediately:

Call for help!!!

Move the person out of the heat and into a shady or air-conditioned place.

Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly.

Remove tight or heavy clothing.

Have the person drink cool water or other nonalcoholic beverage without caffeine.

Cool the person by spraying or sponging with cool water and fanning.

Monitor the person carefully.

Source: Mayoclinic.org

Keep cool! Use everything you can to stay cool– fans, air-conditioning, dehumidifiers, keeping your curtains closed, drink water, etc. If you don’t have air-conditioning or can’t afford to run it all day, find a public place that is air-conditioned like a mall. If you can, avoid being active during peak hours and try to do things in the early morning or the evenings when the temperature is cooler. There are all sorts of tips to keep cool in Japan in the summer so please do everything you can. Protect your skin! Wear sun screen, hats, and other protective clothing. Invest in a parasol if you have to. 

If you’re thinking 90F/32C is no big deal you might be surprised when you get here. I’m from NC, USA which regularly gets hot summers in the 100s (37C+) and summer in Japan is totally different. It’s not even that the humidity is worse here because its’ about the same compared to what I’m used to. The lack of central air-conditioning and proper insulation in many Japanese buildings can make life genuinely uncomfortable. When you aren’t able to cool down properly heading back out into the heat, you’re really setting yourself up to heat up faster. For those of us who don’t have cars, you’ll be dependent on biking or walking to get things done and thus, a lot more active than you might be used to. For others, the temperature might be what you’re used to but the humidity might be something you aren’t used to. It’s also a lot hotter in cities and places with asphalt because these areas absorb heat. 

PLEASE BE CAREFUL THIS SUMMER

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finished uni, a little more than a month left till departure!

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is this showing off thing a persistent problem with (some/most/many/any/a vocal minority of) jets?

Here’s a handy guide for all of the new JETs who will be going through many, many conferences their first few months here in Japan. I’ve been to several I could not have imagined going without, and I’ve been to several that are useless and boring. The key to helping it not be the latter? Knowing when it’s your turn to speak and when it’s more valuable that you just listen. **Full disclosure some will still be boring, but you will not be that person within the boring**

If you would like to be a presenter in the future, you should do that. I encourage it. I have presented at every single Skills Development Conference during my time on JET and each time was stressful and fun and valuable. I highly recommend it, all joking aside, I really do.

But in every single presentation, no matter what it was or who was speaking or the level of experience it would take to weigh in constructively— there was always at least one of each of these categories of “questions” and it can really derail the point of a workshop or seminar.

It’s sometimes the most respectful thing you can do to just absorb what was said and take away what you think is useful. This falls in line with my “no shitty vibes” mood, because you will be keeping the vibe respectful and attentive in the conferences until you’ve broken through them to settle into your role at your workplace in Japan. Good first impressions all around, good feelings from you and your vet-JETs, good feelings from fellow newbies who didn’t have to feel awks.

<3

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Incoming JETs waiting for their preds to contact them like:

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Placement Update!

In a convenient act of continuity for this blog, my JET placement is in Chiba! Back to Chiba I go. I'll be in the suburbs teaching JHS or ES (or both??) with ten other ALTs bumping around town.

My town is apparently experiencing an exodus of current ALTs as well as three new positions, so most of us are gonna be greenies. The preds of town don't know which of us they have yet but have conveniently herded us newbies into an fb group chat to explain the basics. It is with infinite relief I can say that they all sound super kind, and no one has even tried to oversell me a shitty car!

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のほも is such a good word?? the concept is kind of hard to fully get across in translation, but basically it means a feeling of pure, deep, platonic affection, and i think thats beautiful

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Last year they came out like May 15th or 16th, so it's nbd, I was gonna be mega anxious all week anyhow

placements

BTW, people in my area are starting to get notifications about who their successors are, so everyone’s placement emails should be coming soon. For reference, mine came May 14th, 2015 from Chicago.  Fingers crossed y’all get what you want! 

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I, a good Chicagoan, am having a very anxious May 14th

placements

BTW, people in my area are starting to get notifications about who their successors are, so everyone’s placement emails should be coming soon. For reference, mine came May 14th, 2015 from Chicago.  Fingers crossed y’all get what you want! 

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Fewer than 100 days to departure...

I looked it up yesterday, and it's only 95 days until I leave for Japan for a year! Crazy. I am super busy getting my paperwork done and getting in shape physically and mentally to move halfway across the globe. Today that looks like Kanji Kram for an hour. 😅

What are other people doing/have done to prepare for departure?

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Long Wait for Placements

The initial buzz from getting into JET is finally wearing off, and now I'm real fidgety waiting for placements. Not finding out until mid-May at least is driving me crazy. I'm so excited for this big step, but it's kind of freaky to know I'm moving overseas this year yet have zero idea what kind of place I'll actually be in. Will I have to drive? Will there be a lot of other foreigners? Will there be 虫? In some ways, I feel more uncertain now than before I knew I was accepted.

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I'm moving to Japan!

So excited to announce that I have been accepted to the 2018 JET Program. I will be teaching English in Japan for the next year or two. I can't believe it's real!

This blog will be keeping my updates on the process and my time there.

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Anticipation

So I barely used this blog at all to capture my study abroad experience in Chiba, which I regret, but! The good news is that I am going to hear back about my participation in the JET program around the end of this month. So this blog might be getting repurposed to talk about travels in Japan again! Here's to hoping I get accepted...

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1. Machine order ramen, pay and press a button like a vending machine, and you recieve a little ticket. 2. Said ramen. 3. A friend's tuna she ordered in a tiny izakaya in Minato Ward.

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Sensō-ji Temple, Asakusa

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Tsukiji Temple and Fish Market