Connect Magazine Japan #84 Tokyo Orientation 2019

AJET News & Events, Arts & Culture, Lifestyle, Community

TOKYO ORIENTATION 2019

The Japanese Lifestyle & Culture Magazine Written by the International Community in Japan1

CREDITS & CONTENT HEAD EDITOR Alice Ridley

HEAD OF DESIGN & LAYOUT Ashley Hirasuna

COVER PHOTO Ashley Hirasuna

TABLE OF CONTENTS PHOTO Ashley Hirasuna

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY Tayler Skultety Ashley Hirasuna

COPY EDITOR Lauren Hill

CONTRIBUTORS

Alice Ridley Lauren Hill Tayler Skultety Garrett White Annelise Wilp Tayla-Paige van Sittert Laura Pollacco Nikkita Kent Gaven Au-Yeung

This magazine contains original photos used with permission, as well as free-use images. All included photos are property of the author unless otherwise specified. If you are the owner of an image featured in this publication believed to be used without permission, please contact the Head of Graphic Design and Layout, Ashley Hirasuna, at ashley. hirasuna@ajet.net. This edition, and all past editions of AJET CONNECT, can be found online at http://ajet.net/ajet2 connect/magazine-issues/. Read CONNECT online and follow us on ISSUU.

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Five Top Tips for Surviving Tokyo Orientation:

by Lauren Hill

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Five Top Tips for Beating the Summer Heat:

by Tayler Skultety

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Five Things that Surprised a First Year JET:

by Alice Ridley

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Five Tips for Your First Day: by Garrett White

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Five Things You Should Bring to Japan:

by Annelise Wilp

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Five Challenges of Living in Japan and how to Laugh Through Them:

by Tayla-Paige van Sittert

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Five Ways to Be Eco-Friendly in Japan:

by Laura Pollacco

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Five Different Ways to Make Japanese Friends: by Nikkita Kent

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Five Ways to Win at Desk Warming:

by Gavin Au-Yeung

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR I am proud to welcome a new year for Connect 2019-2020! Whether you a new incoming JET or you are a veteran who has lived here for many years, I hope that you will enjoy this years editions of Connect. For the recent 2019 JETs welcome to your new home and that Connect can be a valuable resource for you finding your feet. For our veterans, I hope that Connect can teach you new things about Japan and inspire you to explore. Connect covers all areas of living as an expat here in Japan where it be from community, health, entertainment or sport you are bound to find something that interests you.

The Tokyo orientation issue is written by Connects own editors writing their own top five articles! These quick fire articles are packed with information to kick start your orientation experience. Whether you are interested in how to be more eco friendly, how to make new friends or what to do during the dreaded “desk warming” periods we’ve got you! There is an article written by yours truly about some moments of surprise about my first year of Japan living.

For those who have recently landed here in Japan Past JETs will think fondly back to those days spent in our little foriegn bubble in the Keio Plaza Hotel. Being from New Zealand, I was astounded by how many people were in one location. So many countries, so many cultures! I remember the feeling clearly. It was only last year that I was that same anxious person being shifted around the same conference in a zombie like state. Mostly still in shock that the day had finally come. Orientation flew by and before I knew it I was traveling on another bus with a new bunch of strangers to the mighty cabbage patch of Gunma! Getting to your prefecture is where the real journey begins. You will likely be dropped off by your supervisor to your new home with the sudden feeling of… “Well what now…” Apart from various life admin tasks you are free to do what you wish! Hopefully you will have some helpful local JET senpais to guide you. But it being peak summer please remember to take care of yourself during this sweltering heat.

Here’s to another year living abroad in Japan!

Alice Ridley Head Editor 2nd Year Gunma ALT

Photo: Tayler Skultety

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LETTER FROM THE AJET CHAIR Hello! I’m Rachel Boellstorff, your current Chair of National AJET. I’m proud to welcome you into the JET community. I hope that as you start your adventures in Japan, that you seek out the unknown, live without fear, and thrive in this beautiful country. The AJET community is here to support you with events and information, during and after your time in Japan. Take advantage of these opportunities, and consider volunteering with us to help make the JET Programme a more supportive, inclusive community for all JETs! Best of luck in all your endeavors!

Best wishes,

Rachel Boellstorff AJET Chair 4th Year Okayama ALT

Photo: Ashley Hirasuna

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Arts and Photography Contributors Assistant Designers Assistant Head Editor Copy Editor General Section Editor

section editors:

News, Events, Culture, Entertainment, Style, Health & Nutrition, Travel, Community, Sports

For inquiries please email: connect.editor@ajet.net

Applications deadline: July 7 Photo: True Agency on Unsplash.com

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Top Tips for Surviving Tokyo Orientation Lauren Hill (Tokyo, 2016-2019)

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Technically, your contract starts the first day of orientation, so you’re representing your new school(s) and getting paid for it! As tempting as it might be to duck out and see the Shinjuku sights (or sleep off the JET-lag), resist! Now’s your chance to make an awesome first impression.

Right now, “awesome” means present and awake. Absorb as much info as possible, and ask an expert any burning questions!

Meet (the right) new people Your first month will be a whirlwind of introductions, most unavoidable. With orientation, there’s some leeway. If you have any level of social anxiety, mixers on this scale might be your worst nightmare, but don’t push yourself too hard. No one’s expecting you to be everyone’s best friend. Concentrate your energies where they’ll make the biggest impact - find out who’s headed to your prefecture, and get to know those people. They’ll be the ones you see around most often, after all!

Tokyo Orientation can be overwhelming, and you’re doing awesome! It’s easy to get swept up in the craziness, but don’t forget to be kind to yourself. Take a night off and sleep early. Call a friend at home if it gets too much. Take things at your own pace. Orientation is the first hurdle, and one of the biggest. Now, get out there and make your JET journey whatever you want it to be. You’ve got this!

Look the part (without breaking a sweat!)

Appearances matter in Japan, and you’ve probably spent hours researching teacher dress codes. While it’s good to be over prepared, you’ll only know for sure when you get to your placement. Orientation is a business conference, so suits and smart dresses are best, but try to avoid showing collarbones and shoulders. While early-August in Japan is hot, potentially hotter than you’ve ever been (UK JETs, looking at you!), the Keio Plaza will be gloriously-air conditioned all day long. Dress to impress, with zero stickiness!

Note: Room temperature in Japan is around 27 degrees celsius. If that’s a bit much for you, bring extra strength deodorant from home, or nip to a drugstore and grab some Sea Breeze cool spray!

After lectures are over, it’s time to explore Shinjuku! Rub shoulders with salary men in a ramen restaurant, or try some drinks in Golden Gai. Heard of the Robot Restaurant? It’s within walking distance, and if you book in advance, you’re in for a show you’ll never forget (no matter how hard you try!) Head back in time to sleep tomorrow, it starts all over again!

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Last year a record breaking heat-wave swept the islands of Japan and surrounding countries resulting in numerous deaths and countless hospitalizations from heat related illnesses. Welcome to your new home! All jokes aside, the global rise in temperatures warrants some consideration. Asia has always experienced high humidity and Japan has embraced some handy tricks for managing this extreme weather. Read these top 5 tips so you can stay out of the hospital this summer and focus on keeping the temperature at your desk a comfortable “warm”.

Every person in Japan has a couple key items to help keep the heat at bay: a sweat towel and a fan.

These sound simple enough but culture shock is a funny thing. Make sure to add these items to your mental check-list of things to grab before leaving the house. Forget your fan enough times and you’ll slowly accumulate a huge collection of cheap, ugly, plastic festival fans.

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Constant sweating leads to low levels of sodium which can cause dehydration. Salt candies are available in any convenience store or supermarket.

Just look for the big salt kanji (塩) on the label. These functional sweets come in a variety of flavours like lemon, plum, and lychee, they keep your salt levels up and you get to have a piece of candy.

Sometimes, your apartment feels like it might be the hottest place in the entire country.This is especially true for people living on the upper levels of buildings where the heat likes to gather and hang out. Cooking on an open-flame gas stove is infeasible during July and August. If meal prep is part of your routine, compile some no-heat recipes like rice paper rolls or chilled noodles dipped in tsuyu. Cold brewing tea and coffee is another great way to avoid using excess heat inside.

Central air is just not a thing in Japan. Most apartments are equipped with a single source air conditioner to cool the entire space. Not the most efficient system. Hopefully yours is near your futon. To keep these precious babies from working too hard, and to achieve maximum effect, try partitioning the space to cool just one room (your ice cave for the rest of the summer). For other parts of the house try opening windows opposite one another to encourage cross ventilation, a stand fan can help to get the hot air moving in the right direction.

Skinny jeans are no longer on top of the legwear food chain and it could not have come at a better time for those new to Japan. Here, cool, loose-fitting clothing is the name of the game.

This is probably influenced partially by Japan’s relatively modest clothing standards. Try on some professional, breezy culottes to keep air, not cloth, against your skin. At schools, athletic wear seems to always be an acceptable option outside of ceremony days. You can find polos and other items in specially designed breathable materials at Uniqlo and other retailers.

Tayler Skultety (Nara)

Tayler Skultety is a third year JET from Vancouver Island, Canada currently in landlocked Nara. She misses the ocean more than anything and can’t wait to hit the beach in her spare time this summer.

Photo: Ashley Hirasuna

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Alice Ridley (Gunma)

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Firstly, congratulations on making it on a global scale of excellence! Through writing this list I reflected on how my experience of the last year has been. So many things I worried about were never a problem, but then some things were a complete surprise to me. There have been some tough moments but also a lot of moments of え えええええええええ aka roughly translated into whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

2. You will have to answer lots of obscure questions about own country.

So be prepared. Especially weather questions that you never ever would think about. I ended up having to Google a lot of random things about New Zealand because I simply didn’t know them.

4. You’ll realise small differences between you and the other foreigners.

One of the big surprises I have had is around culture shock between the OTHER foreigners.

No, you are not reading that incorrectly. When you are from a smaller country, like New Zealand, I had a bit of culture shock from the other Americas. Because of this able to ask questions and learn about many more cultures than I expected!

1. Your life will become a broken record for a period of time.

When you arrive in Japan you will be jittery and very unsure what is happening for the next couple of months. From when you land you’ll have a lot of information thrown at you. Do not stress if you don’t get everything at once!

Everyone is learning and people will understand that things are alien to you. Try your best at managing this information overload.

3. You will lose your ability to adult.

Simple tasks you did back home, forget it! I can only laugh at how I cannot adult. You will tell someone back home that you need to go to the doctor and their brains won’t compute that you can’t communicate something as critical as your health. Luckily a lot of the medical terms are only in English. So friends of mine have just written things down and pointed enthusiastically.

5. You don’t have to become an emotionless robot now that you live in Japan.

I don’t know about you but when I first read all of the very formal manuals given out by JET I was completely terrified at what my life would become. Although this information is valid and informative, I would’ve loved someone remind me that in summary it was a lot of common sense. And that I could just go about being myself still. After being in Japan for a couple of months you will find your groove between “regular” you and “Japanese” you.

I hope after reading this list you have one simple takeaway: take things light-heartedly during this learning curve.

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Garrett White (Fukui)

Photo: Plush Design Studio on Unsplash.com

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Brush up on that “jikoshoukai” because you are going to be using it a lot. I kept mine short and sweet: Name, where I’m from, and a classic “yoroshiku onegaishimasu.” You don’t want it to sound too rehearsed!

Try to meet all of your coworkers -- even the ones who do not speak English very well. You would be surprised at how many are interested in meeting you, but they are just too nervous of making a mistake. Be the brave one!

Your first day of work may not be your first day of classes, but if you see students and teachers in the halls, say “hello” or “good morning.” Greeting is a very big part of school life in Japan.

And don’t forget about the people who aren’t teachers. The groundskeepers, librarians, school nurses, support staff--you will see these individuals more frequently than you realize, and they will be happy that you want to chat with them.

And don’t forget to smile!

Someone from the Board of Education told me, “Dress on your first day how you intend on presenting yourself for the rest of the year.”

My attire definitely got more casual after the first day because of the heat, but this advice stuck with me.

First impressions count. Stay true to what you like (or don’t like) to wear. This can go for make-up, jewelry, facial hair, haircuts, accessories -- anything.

Your first day, you may not have classes. This may be an ample opportunity to Get Things Done with your supervisor. But try not to bombard them with a whole lot of questions all at once. Try to work out what you can on your own or with the help of fellow ALTs first.

Even though our supervisors are there to help us, they are teachers themselves with many other duties beyond tending to us. Although some supervisors work exclusively at BOEs. It can get stressful when they don’t seem to have enough time to help you out, but try to keep it together. I promise it will all get worked out in the end!

This is vital. It sounds like common sense, but there is a pressure to conform and act perfectly according to everything you have read online about the Japanese work environment.

You are uniquely suited to teaching your students and coworkers about a different culture just by being present. Being yourself is the best way to be an authentic source for them about foreign countries and people.

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Annelise Wilp (Saitama)

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I remember the preparation for the big move to Japan like it was yesterday. I had never been to Japan before JET, so I was especially nervous about this life-changing transition. Just a year ago, I was in the same position as you, so I know how stressful this process can be. So, as your JET Senpai, I would like to compile a short list of things I wish I brought to Japan to make your preparations a little less hectic.

I’m sure I won’t be the only person to tell you this, but roll-on deodorant is nearly impossible to find in Japan! The blazing hot summers do not improve this situation, unfortunately. To stay comfortable and to keep smelling wonderful, make the extra room in your suitcase to bring a pack of roll-on deodorant.

I was also warned to pack my own toothpaste, since Japanese toothpaste has a taste and texture that many foreigners aren’t accustomed to. But I didn’t think of packing my own toothbrushes. Japanese toothbrushes are very tiny, and electric toothbrushes are expensive and hard to find. Be sure to pack your favorite dental essentials so you can wow your new coworkers with your beautiful smile!

If you’re like me and have curly hair, you will learn quickly that Japanese shampoo is not friendly to our hair types.

I packed two large bottles of shampoo and conditioner that is specifically for curly hair. Sometimes it’s worth making the extra space in your luggage so you can show off your natural hair and feel beautiful!

Another thing you may have heard is that Japanese sizes run a lot smaller than most Western countries. This may mean that you will have to make some extra space in your luggage, or plan to ship some things over later on. It will most likely be expensive to order bigger sizes online, so my best advice would be to pack as much as possible to save you the trouble later.

Annelise Wilp is a first-year JET from Chicago, currently living in Saitama prefecture. When she’s not at school, she enjoys travel vlogging, reading, and writing her novel. You can follow her on Instagram and Youtube at @annelisetravels.

Photo: Caroline Selfors on Unsplash.com

Suits are required for all three days of Tokyo Orientation. Also, there will be some formal events at your school that require professional attire, such as graduation. Again, it may be hard to find a suit in your size in Japan, so be sure to bring over at least two suits.

This list can go on, and as much as we want to bring our pets and our favorite comfort foods, the airplane can only hold so much. Feel free to use or lose the information I have compiled for you today; I hope I was able to help you a little more as you prepare for this great adventure!

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Tayla-Paige van Sittert, almost 2nd year ALT, Kumamoto

Photo: Lidya Nada on Unsplash.com

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The length of time seemingly simple things take.

Try simply explaining to your supervisor that you will be taking byokyu (sick leave) instead of nenkyu (regular leave) because you were actually sick. No Japanese person does this, so its like pigs can fly all of a sudden and nobody knows what to do about it. After a few phone calls back and forth, confused conversations with the higher-ups, you might get your sick leave finalized. You can always just laugh yourself to health…

Call ahead to check business hours before you go anywhere, even if you don’t speak Japanese.

Try being spontaneous in a place that adores strict schedules and nonsensical business hours. Unless you want to catch 3 busses, walk for 20 mins only to arrive at closed doors. Maybe it’s a lack of knowledge about Japanese holidays (because they’re not like other countries at all) or it’s possibly because what the Japanese consumer wants/does is not like foreigners. Regardless, expect to be disappointed more than once by strange working hours, even after you said you would learn from the mistake. Maybe you will find it funny on the 3rd bus home.

The paradoxical approach to hygiene.

The streets are spotless yet try finding a bin to throw your rubbish away. It’s super annoying and it makes no sense, but the jokes on you because you’re the one always walking around with a bag full of trash. Facemasks are so common they’re basically Japanese fashion.

You’re a monster if you don’t wear one when you’re sick and yet nobody knows how to block/ hold in a sneeze, monsters! Another thing, we all marvel at the dedicated cleaning period for kids to clean their school. On closer inspection (not that close coz it’s kinda glaringly obvious) you may notice that the schools are not in fact clean; how can it be when no janitor fills in the gaps that the students ignore with their halfhearted sweeps, pushing dirty water around (because no soap is ever used) and disregard for dirt pile-up in far-to-reach places. It’s so confusing it’s funny.

Eating out for breakfast is not really a thing unless you live in Tokyo and then you can probably only do so at 10am.

Try missioning hung-over into town for a delicious, well-deserved Full English Breakfast that doesn’t include a small salad. You’re either too early, didn’t reserve one week in advance or no such thing exists. It’s a major loss to any weekend shenanigans, really. You can try the local bakery but the cheese is strangely not cheese, and the butter doesn’t do what butter should do. The best thing to do at this stage is to go home and laugh cry into a bowl of 2-min noodles from the combini.

The totally unnecessary compliments about your chopstick and/ or Japanese language skills. #nihongojouzu #ohashijouzu Try eating with your Japanese colleagues, students and friends without anyone commenting on your excellent chopstick skills. Some conspiracy theorists among us believe that this kind of commentary is a subtle way for Japanese folk to tell you that you suck at chopsticks but they’re glad to see you trying anyway. Don’t forget about the times you might say one word in Japanese, like the very advanced ‘konichiwa’, and be told how good you are at speaking Japanese. You may beam with pride at first but then you will slowly realize that the compliment was so unnecessary it was actually kind of backhanded. Maybe try laughing while speaking Japanese and using chopsticks to see what happens?

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Photo: Tayler Skultety

In memory of Sarah Auffret, Tokushima JET 2007-2010, who died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10th this year.

After seeing the plastic problem on one of her local beaches Sarah aimed to do something about it, involving a local school and eventually hundreds of volunteers to help clean up the beach.

On the day of the crash she was on her way to the UN Environment Assembly in Kenya to discuss ocean plastic pollution. We can all follow her example of caring for our environment and do our bit here in Japan and onwards.

Laura Pollacco (Kanagawa)

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Japan is notorious for over packaging products. Everything is covered in plastic. Bananas, that have a natural protective covering of their own, wrapped in plastic, trays of biscuits, each one individually wrapped. So buy a reusable bag and bottle, and if you want to go cultural and traditional, wrap your bento or your conbini purchases in a Furoshiki which can be reused and washed.

When looking to buy things for your home, such as kitchenware, cleaning products etc, try to find alternatives to cheap, plastic products such as products made from bamboo, coconut fibre and various other recyclable materials. TIP: lemon juice is great for brightening whites, cleaning the sink or bathroom and even removing rust with no nasty chemicals going down the drain!

Okay, okay, I know this is a difficult one, and it would be hypocritical of me to say that I have managed this one myself. Some of you will already be vegetarian or vegan, which is great, but everyone can help by simply reducing the amount of meat and fish you eat. You could agree to eat meat when you are eating out, but to cook vegetarian/vegan dishes at home and take them to work the next day.

Recycle shops in Japan are amazing. They sell a variety of things that are still in good condition, from clothes to homeware products to sports equipment and electrical items. You are reusing a product that is probably still in excellent condition and giving it a new lease of life rather than it ending up straight away in landfill.

Like Sarah, see how you can do your part to help your local community. It can be small things, such as picking up litter in your area as you walk home, or larger things, such as joining volunteer groups to help the environment. One of the biggest things you can do is to help educate your students on the issues regarding the current Climate Crisis.

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Maybe you’ve heard the stories about how Japanese people are shy, introverted, or aloof. Or maybe the fear of being unable to communicate keeps you at home, watching Netflix reruns. I’m here to tell you, neither of these things are a problem – if you know where to look.

Join a Class, Say Hello to Talk to Teachers Club, or Gym Neighbors By far the easiest one on the list, start by talking to your JTEs. Tell them your interests and ask about theirs. If you find a common thread, discuss recent news on the topic or invite them to related events you’re attending. You can even ask them to introduce you to any non-English teachers who might be interested in the same topic.

Photo: Kimson Doan on Unsplash.com

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When not at work, the Japanese live for their hobbies. If your school offers a club you want to join, ask a JTE to connect you with the club’s sponsor. If not, search for a local fitness gym, sports team, or martial arts studio. People love sharing their hobbies with others, even if that means speaking in a mix of Japanese, English, and gestures.

Don’t ignore the toddler that says ohayo! to you in the morning. Smile and tell them good morning in return. My neighbors recently gave me the best advice – friendliness, active participation in events, and treating them as equals are the keys to making local friends.

Before you know it, you’ll be making mochi with your neighbors for New Year’s.

Nikkita Kent (Gunma)

Visit a Foreign Language Exchange The Internet is rife with language meet-ups and events from the city to the country. Local governments will often sponsor game nights, festivals, and classes. Private groups and businesses may offer regular dinners or events to encourage language and culture exchange. I’ve even seen a meet-up to discuss beer at a local brewery. The possibilities are endless!

Go for a Drink or Lunch People often underestimate the power of a work party. Yes, they can be expensive, but by going, you’re sliding yourself into the fold. More important than the official party though is the nijikai, or second round. Liquid courage is a real thing, for both Japanese and foreigners, and results in some of the most memorable conversations.

If drinking isn’t your shtick, try sitting at the break table at lunch. Often, if the other teachers see you trying to understand, they’ll include you in the conversation, going as far as to look up the English translation on Google.

In the end, the best advice I can give you is to push the boundaries of your comfort zone. Sports, art, music, food, and a general love for life are truly how people connect – words need not apply.

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Gavin Au-Yeung (Gunma)

Some ALTs love it, others despise it. It’s called “desk-warming,” and whether you like it or not, new ALTs will find themselves with loads of free time in August. Classes are halted for the summer vacation, teachers are away from school, and you are still jet-lagged from that 12-hour plane ride.

While many continuing JETs may choose to use their nenkyuu (paid leave) during this time, new JETs probably won’t have the time or money to properly enjoy summer. Instead, you will be sitting at your desk twiddling your thumb.

Don’t let the start of your new life be riddled with tedium. There are lots of ways to be productive while desk-warming!

You will most likely be expected to prepare an introductory lesson about themselves and their home country. Use this time to plan what you will do with this lesson – a fun quiz or a presentation full of pictures are sure to be successful. You haven’t actually met your students yet, so don’t worry too much about lesson planning. Use the first few weeks of classes to gauge their abilities.

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You’ve just been thrown into a new environment, and you probably have a lot of questions. “Where’s the toilet?” Well that can easily be answered by wandering through the unusually-empty hallways. While your school campus may initially look like a maze, summer vacation will give you a good chance to freely explore the building.

Although classes are halted during summer vacation, many junior and senior high school students still spend their days at school. Club activities, especially sports, are practiced religiously in Japan. Many clubs may try to take advantage of the prolonged break to practice every day. Try talking with club supervisors about watching or participating in club activities. Furthermore, interacting with your students outside of class is a great way to build rapport.

Most of us will have Internet access on our workplace computers. However, every good website (i.e.

YouTube) is likely to be blocked. Fortunately, there are still other things you can do online. Use this free period of time to study something you have always wanted to learn. There are many free online resources which can help you acquire skills or explore hobbies. If you’re lost for ideas, studying Japanese is always a safe bet!

You may be stuck at your desk now, but your time to have fun will come soon! Being new in your prefecture, there will definitely be tons of new and exciting attractions. Do some research online or talk to your new co-workers about the local hot spots.

There are tons of gems in your own backyard.

Gavin Au-Yeung is a second year JET in Gunma. Always ready to combat the boredom of desk-warming, you can find a Haruki Murakami novel in his desk at the teacher’s room.

Photo: Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash.com

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CONTRIBUTING TO CONNECT is a magazine for the community in Japan, by the community in Japan. Everyone is welcome to write, no matter your experience or style! If you have an idea you want to see in these pages, reach out to our Head Editor, or any of our awesome section editors. We’ll work with you to make it the best it can be and share it with our audience of thousands. Not every article needs to be an essay! We feature interviews, infographics, top-ten lists, recipes, photo spreads, travelogues, and more.

Contact the Head Editor of CONNECT, Alice Ridley, at connect.editor@ajet.net with your submissions, comments, and questions.

ARTICLES

SPOTLIGHT

HAIKU

Tell us about someone in your community who’s doing something neat and noteworthy. Cooks, collectors, calligraphers — we want to hear about the inspiring people around you.

Each month CONNECT will feature haiku from our readers. A haiku is simple, clean, and can be about anything you like! If you’re an aspiring wordsmith with the soul of Basho, send all of your haiku along with your name and prefecture to connect.editor@ajet. net.

COMMENTS Let us know what you think.

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PHOTOS Members of the JET community contributed to the photos you see in this issue. If you’re an aspiring photographer and want your work published, please get in contact with the lead designer, Ashley Hirasuna, at ashley.hirasuna@ ajet.net.

COMICS You asked for it, and now CONNECT features comics.

Whether you’re a desk doodler or a published artist, we want to see your panels and strips about life in Japan.

Write about something you’re doing. Write about something you love. Tell us a story.

CONNECT WITH US Interested in contributing to CONNECT? Want to stay up-to-date on interview opportunities, photo requests, and CONNECT announcements? Get involved with the CONNECT by contacting our current CONNECT staff and reading about the possible positions here (http://connect.ajet.net/team/).

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