{"id":11491,"date":"2019-02-21T02:59:43","date_gmt":"2019-02-21T07:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/?p=11491"},"modified":"2025-06-19T10:42:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T14:42:15","slug":"in-japan-on-jet-you-need-to-read-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mobal.com\/blog\/teach-english-in-japan\/in-japan-on-jet-you-need-to-read-this\/","title":{"rendered":"In Japan on JET? You Need to Read This!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Making the brave decision to come to Japan on the JET programme is a huge life decision but it will also be one of the best experiences of your life, so congratulations! Your time in Japan will be extraordinary, crazy, exciting and at times you will feel like you\u2019re in another world.<\/p>\n

Excited…<\/h6>\n

When I first arrived I was excited yes, but also overcome with nerves and I felt pretty disorientated. Particularly because I didn\u2019t help myself by learning any Japanese whatsoever beforehand…<\/p>\n

Lucky….<\/h6>\n

Fortunately I was very lucky that my apartment came with high speed broadband, so I was connected at home straight away, free to Facetime, Skype, WhatsApp \u2013 basically gorge myself on contacting home any means possible to overcome the homesickness. Lucky me. And my relatives. (They didn\u2019t agree…).<\/p>\n

Not so lucky…<\/h6>\n

If you aren\u2019t as lucky as me then chances are you\u2019re going to need some connection to the outside world, or your first few weeks are going to feel pretty isolated and a little difficult. Some of my good friends here admitted to sitting outside the 7\/11 conbini (Japan’s beloved convenience stores) for hours at a time just soaking up the free WiFi to contact loved ones \u2013 or even make plans here in Japan with other JETs. Not the most fun in Japan summertime. An easy contract with speedy mobile data seems like a pretty good way to start, right?<\/p>\n

Lost…<\/h6>\n

Now, my Achilles heel, my Kryptonite as it were, is my sense of (or in this case LACK OF) directional skills. In orienteering I\u2019m as pretty useless as they come. Armed with a car in a new country where English is not the native language and road signs are majority in Japanese, this is dangerous territory. I struggled to find my local supermarkets without getting lost. Train station direction? NO IDEA.<\/p>\n

Found….<\/h6>\n

So, when my glorious SIM card arrived from Mobal I felt a sudden sense of relief. I could finally do the traveling I wanted to do. I could drive to the next city with ease because I knew Google Maps had my back.<\/p>\n

Instagram your entire life in Kyoto? Easy.<\/p>\n

Skype your gran at Dotonbori? Done.<\/p>\n

FaceTime your besties on the beach? No sweat.<\/p>\n

Sit in your PJs binge watching Netflix on your phone at 2am? No judgement.<\/p>\n

Blare Disney bangers on Spotify on a 5 hour journey skiing up the mountains? I\u2019M THERE.<\/p>\n

\"JET<\/p>\n

It was a slightly disastrous turn of affairs that meant the JETs in my group coming over didn\u2019t have residence cards for weeks after we arrived \u2013 meaning no phone contracts and no internet for many people. And then a bunch of us spent even more time faffing about which company to choose for phone reception.<\/p>\n

So to counter that, here\u2019s some free advice: Mobal is quick, easy and has English support! They even have a stand at the\u00a0 hotel when you arrive in Tokyo orienteering (because obviously you\u2019ll have your residence cards like what\u2019s supposed to happen ! No bitterness…)<\/p>\n

Oh, and if you prefer to collect your SIM in person in Japan on arrival there’s lots of options – simply click here for more info.<\/p>\n

Honestly, get yourself connected straight away. It\u2019ll beat those homesick blues and mean that you hit the ground running on your adventures here.<\/p>\n

I wish I\u2019d had the opportunity to connect up straight away, it is so worth it.<\/p>\n

This blog post was written by Naomi Witt – JET Participant & Mobal user. Naomi currently resides in Ishikawa Prefecture.<\/em><\/p>\n

Why Mobal? A Quick Reminder<\/h6>\n