Tigers in Japan

The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program offers the opportunity of a lifetime to any university graduate interested in international travel, Japan, and living abroad. Since 1987, more than 79,000 participants worldwide, including more than 36,800 Americans, have worked in Japanese schools, boards of education, and government offices through the JET Program. The program is unique in that it is the only teaching exchange program managed by the Japanese government, and it is extremely selective with only 1,000-1,100 people being accepted out of the 36,800 American applicants every year.

“The JET Program gives participants the opportunity to live and work in a rich culture that will teach them so much,” says Katsuo A. Nishikawa, Ph.D., the director of the Center for International Engagement and professor of political science. “If Trinity students are curious and want to know if the JET Program is for them, they can do a semester study abroad or do the Trinity in Japan Program.”

Nishikawa encourages students interested in the JET Program, or similar programs, to reach out to him directly. “The CIE has recently started helping students do similar gap year experiences, such as the Peace Corps, Fulbright, as well as opportunities to work in China and Taiwan with our partner universities,” He says. “We are happy to support students through the application process by providing reliable information, advising students on what to expect, and looking at application letters to give feedback.”

The JET Program and similar opportunities are ideal for anyone looking to take a gap year before graduate or law school, especially if they were not able to study abroad during their time at Trinity. “This kind of experience is very powerful, and will allow one to work and live in a new space and potentially change their outlook on life,” Nishikawa says.

Although the JET Program is extremely competitive and requires a lengthy application process, Trinity boasts many Tigers who participated or are currently in the program. Read about the experiences of just a few of these individuals below.

Alexis Von Biedenfeld - Ishikawa

Academic adviser Alexis Von Biedenfeld participated in the JET Program 20 years ago in the Ishikawa Prefecture. She taught at a public high school in the former Rokusei-machi, current Nakanoto-machi, while living in Hakui-shi. 

Von Biedenfeld’s schedule frequently changed based on the three to four classes she had to cover daily. She was paired with a local English teacher, and together they taught grammatical constructions and colloquialisms to students. Von Biedenfeld spent time outside of class developing activities and lesson plans. “I tried to base the lesson on what the students were learning in their other English classes, but my co-teachers would tell me, ‘No, make it fun.’ So I often chose interactive, task-based topics, like ‘What’s in your house?’ or ‘Who do you know?’” she says. 

After work, Von Biedenfeld took advantage of the many things her town had to offer. “Once a week, I volunteered to teach an adult English class at the community center. My students from these classes became my friends, and we would spend weekends at karaoke pubs or traveling the peninsula,” she says. “My Japanese father, Manabu, would take me fishing a few times a year to catch ‘kisu’ fish and then spend a few hours at a nearby bathhouse. My best friend, Michiko, sometimes stayed the night with me, eating street food and watching B-grade horror movies.” Von Biedenfeld also judged speech contests, volunteered at cultural events, and even participated in the Ms. Onigiri Contest and placed second. 

Alexis Von Biedenfeld dressed in traditional Japanese wear (left) and interacted with the local community (right).

Von Biedenfeld only spent three years in Japan, but since then she has come back to visit and work multiple times. Just this summer, she was able to introduce her children to her former students and colleagues in Japan. “I can’t overstate how important the JET Program experience was to shaping who I am today,” she says.

Von Biedenfeld and her family on a recent visit to Japan.

Von Biedenfeld encourages those who are accepted to the program to take the opportunity to travel throughout all of Japan. “Practically, you will learn the soft skills that are valued by 21st-century employers by learning to navigate a different culture and language. Additionally, you will expand your personal horizons and lengthen your list of couches to sleep on,” she says. “The most valuable takeaway from my JET Program experience was learning not who I was, but who I could be, as a world citizen.”

Von Biedenfeld also advises aspiring JET applicants to take advantage of Trinity’s Japanese courses to become familiar with the language and culture. She also notes that almost any skills developed at Trinity can be utilized to connect with one’s community. “I played in my university's non-major orchestra, and I was able to perform in my town's community center!” she says.

Daniel Dawson ’07 - Shimane-ken, Iinan-cho

Daniel Dawson begins his workday with morning staff meetings right before classes begin. In Dawson’s school, students stay in the same room while teachers move around to different classrooms, so he travels with his assigned teacher and provides assistance as needed. “Sometimes, they will need me to read stuff out loud so students can hear English in an American accent,” he says. “I will also run activities to help students review what they have learned.”

During breaks, Dawson takes the time to walk around the school, study Japanese, eat lunch with his students, or prepare for future classes.

Daniel Dawson ’07 eats a Japanese lunch from his school during the break.

After his workday, Dawson takes advantage of the local events and activities in Shimane-ken, Iinan-cho. “I have a Japanese and English study group on Mondays, taiko drumming on Tuesdays, and an online reading club on Thursdays. I go out to eat dinner with the other assistant language teachers in my city some evenings as well,” he says. “I try to attend any local events I hear about to meet people, and overall I stay too busy to miss home.”

Dawson absolutely loves the city he was placed in for the JET Program. “I got placed out in the countryside, there’s not even a train station in my town. This means everyone is much more relaxed and has been incredibly friendly and welcoming to me,” he says. “I have met several people at restaurants and had some great conversations about America and Japan over drinks at the local Izakaya.”

Dawson helps harvest rice (left) and photographs the beautiful nature of the countryside (right).

Dawson advises anyone applying for the JET Program to carefully read all the instructions and requirements before the deadline in October. He also recommends getting it done sooner rather than later, as it will give you time to review your submission and fix any problems that arise early. “For example, my passport scan was ineligible, so I had to take the time to resubmit it,” he says. He also recommends reaching out to online communities of current and previous JET participants to ask questions and get support for the application process.

Matt Menezes ’23 - Osaka

Matt Menezes lives in Minoh, a suburban city in northern Osaka Prefecture. His one-room apartment is about a 10-minute walk from the station where he takes the bus to Toyokawa Kita Elementary School for work every day.

Along with other assistant language teachers, Menezes teaches about four lessons in a school day. “A typical English lesson consists of a greeting, phonics, vocabulary practice, and some games or activities involving speaking practice,” he says. “Grades one-three do very simple sentences and vocabulary (‘My name is,’ ‘I like,’ ‘I want’), while grades four-six do more advanced topics such as describing their daily schedule, giving directions around the school, introducing their heroes/role models, talking about interesting places or things in Japan, and what they want to do in junior high school. The goal is to enable our students to communicate confidently about relevant things in their lives.” 

For Menezes, teaching English is less about grades and more about students being able to express themselves to English speakers, such as holding a conversation about who they are and what interests them. “This style of English education is currently very rare in Japan, and I want my students to be prepared for the real world rather than merely getting good scores on tests,” he says.

During breaks, Menezes spends his time planning lessons or playing card games with his fifth  graders. “As a teacher, seeing my students learn and connect with my culture is gratifying,” he says. “It makes me take great pride in being part of their upbringing.”

Matt Menezes ’23 plays on the chalkboard with his students.

Menezes leads a busy life outside of the classroom. On Wednesdays and Fridays, he goes to Japanese conversation lessons at a nearby community center. His weekends are spent hanging out with his friends, hiking and traveling around Northern Osaka, and going to local events and festivals. 

Menezes photographs a festival (left) and Japanese food (right).

Connecting with locals is Menezes’ favorite part of life in Japan. “Old grandmas on their morning neighborhood walk saying good morning and giving me candy, salarymen inviting me to their tables at hole-in-the-wall restaurants to chat and then covering my bill, neighbors giving me fresh fruit from their gardens, locals inviting me to participate in traditional festivals: All of these are small gestures that ease my anxieties of residing as a foreigner, while also giving me an authentic experience living with salt-of-the-earth locals,” he says.

Menezes hanging out with friends (left) and photographing his travels in Japan (right).

Menezes advises JET Program applicants to look for ways to get involved in Japan-related activities. “For example, I stated [in my application] how in addition to studying the language in university, I also participated in the Japanese Culture Club, started Kendo club activities at Trinity, and applied for the Japan study abroad program,” he says. “All of these things are examples of showing a substantial interest in furthering an international exchange between my culture and Japan, rather than saying I'm only interested because I just recently heard about this program and decided to apply on a whim.”

He also recommends applicants home in on their reason for wanting to teach in Japan, specifically by connecting it with their future aspirations. “The people at JET understand that you'll only stay on the program for a few years at most, and they want to separate the people looking for a paid vacation in Japan from those who will truly change from the experience,” he says.