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Masako in Japan, 438-1 Yamanoi, Prefectural Employee Housing, Hainuzuka Housing Complex, Building 200, room 222, Chikugo-shi (2026)

04/06/2026

So... How Much Does a JET ALT Actually Earn?

This is probably one of the most common questions I get.

"How much is the salary on the JET Programme?"

As of 2026, first-year JET participants earn around 4.02 million yen per year before taxes.

Of course, your actual take-home pay will be lower because of taxes, pension, health insurance, and other deductions.

But here's the thing: When I was applying, I was less interested in the exact number and more interested in one question:

Can I actually live comfortably in Japan? For me, the answer was yes.

The experience will vary depending on your placement.

Someone living in central Tokyo will probably have a very different budget from someone living in a small town in the countryside.

In my case, living in rural/suburban Fukuoka helped a lot.

My rent was much lower than what many people expect when they hear "Japan."

Because of that, I was able to:
- pay my bills
- travel occasionally
- support my family
- save money

Was I rich?

Definitely not. 😆

But I never felt like I was struggling either.

One thing many people don't realize is that JET isn't just a job.

For many participants, it's also:
✈️ a chance to live abroad
🌸 experience Japan
🏫 work in schools
🤝 meet people from around the world

The salary is important, of course.

But looking back, some of my best memories from JET had nothing to do with my paycheck.

02/06/2026

I Was an IT Teacher Before Becoming a JET ALT

One thing that surprises people is that I wasn't originally an English teacher.

Before joining the JET Programme, I taught Information Technology.

My background was in programming, software development, and technology-related subjects. I spent years teaching students how to create systems, write code, and develop software projects.

So when people ask me:

"Do I need an English degree to become a JET ALT?"

My answer is always: Not necessarily.

The JET Programme welcomes people from many different backgrounds. I've met participants with degrees in business, engineering, science, psychology, and many other fields.

What matters is your ability to communicate, adapt to a new culture, and connect with students.

In fact, I think my IT background helped me become a better teacher.

Teaching isn't just about the subject you're teaching.

It's about: explaining ideas clearly, encouraging students, building confidence, and creating a positive learning environment.

Whether I was teaching programming or English, those skills remained the same.

Sometimes the experiences you think are unrelated end up becoming your biggest strengths.

So if you're interested in JET but don't have an English or Education degree, don't count yourself out just yet.

01/06/2026

The ESL Activity That Turned My Classroom Into Controlled Chaos: Escape Room 🔐

Instead of answering worksheets individually, students work in teams to solve puzzles, complete English tasks, and unlock clues before time runs out.

The best part?

They become so focused on escaping that they stop worrying about making mistakes in English.

🔐 How It Works

1️⃣ Form Teams
Students work in groups of 3–5.

2️⃣ Solve the First Challenge
Students complete an English task such as:

- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Reading
- Speaking

A correct answer unlocks the first clue.

3️⃣ Unlock the Next Clue
Each clue leads to another puzzle or challenge.

4️⃣ Beat the Timer
Students race against the clock to solve all the puzzles.

5️⃣ Escape!
The first team to solve the final challenge wins.

Why I Love It

✅ Encourages communication

✅ Promotes teamwork

✅ Reviews English in a fun way

✅ Builds critical thinking skills

✅ Works for grammar, vocabulary, reading, and speaking lessons

Even my quieter students tend to participate because everyone is focused on solving the challenge together.

I've uploaded my Escape Room materials and instructions for teachers who would like to try it in their own classrooms.

What's your go-to ESL activity when students seem tired or unmotivated?

29/05/2026

🗣️ Watching my students brought me back to highschool

One by one, my students had to stand in front of the class and recite their own essays. You could immediately see the nerves kick in. Some spoke so quietly that everyone leaned forward to hear them. Others forgot a line halfway through and froze like a computer that suddenly stopped working.

Thankfully, the JTE was there to rescue them whenever they got stuck.

The funniest part?

Whenever someone forgot a sentence, their friends would immediately start snickering and trying their best not to laugh. Not in a mean way—more like the universal high school reaction of "Thank goodness it's not me up there."

Watching them brought back a memory from my own high school days.

Back then, my Chinese teacher was absolutely terrifying. She would make us memorize entire chapters from our textbook and then call us to the front to recite everything from memory.

And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING.

She would sit at the back of the classroom like a final boss waiting for us to fail.

The moment we missed a word, she'd raise an eyebrow.

The moment we paused too long, she'd sigh dramatically.

And if we forgot an entire sentence? You could practically hear the funeral music playing in your head.

Needless to say, many of us developed selective memory loss the second we stood in front of the class.

So while I was watching my students nervously present today, I couldn't help but smile.

Some things never change.

Whether you're a student in the Philippines memorizing Chinese passages or a student in Japan giving an English speech, standing in front of your classmates is always scary.

But those are usually the memories that stick with us the longest. (And yes, I still remember the fear of seeing my teacher sitting at the back of the room. 😆)

28/05/2026

What is your favorite 7/11 snack?
Mine would be:
Kare Pan with cheese (all the time)
@

27/05/2026

Do you know the game “Fruits Basket”?

My lesson today at my visiting school was about frequency adverbs: Always, Sometimes, and Never.

To make the lesson more interactive, we played the Fruits Basket game.

At the beginning of the class, I asked the students to write English words and phrases on the board about things they ALWAYS, SOMETIMES, and NEVER do at home, at school, or on the weekend.

Everyone went to the board to write their answers.

The mechanics of the game were simple:

One student stood in the middle and said an English sentence. Everyone who did that action had to stand up and quickly find another chair to sit on. They weren’t allowed to sit on the chair beside them.

The student who couldn’t find a seat had to stand in the middle and say the next sentence.

And if someone shouted “Fruits Basket!”, everyone had to scramble for a new chair.

It was pure chaos and laughter.

Even though some students were nervous about speaking English, they were still enjoying themselves and participating actively.

I stayed in the middle to help them build their sentences and practice the correct pronunciation, while the JTE stayed on the side helping translate sentences whenever students didn’t understand the meaning.

Honestly, whenever I run out of lesson ideas, this game is one of my go-to activities.

It’s simple, easy to prepare, and always fun.

26/05/2026

So I update our school’s English Corner every month, and for May–June, I decided to make the theme hydrangeas because the rainy season in Japan is coming soon. ☔💙💜

I also started adding small interactive questions for the students.

…but sadly, no one has answered yet. 🥲

I was honestly starting to think maybe the students weren’t interested at all.

Then something really sweet happened today.

Three of my boy students suddenly approached me while I was decorating the bulletin board. They looked a little shy, and one of them showed me his translation app with a message that said: “Do you need help?” 😭♥️

At first, I was surprised because I didn’t ask anyone to help me. But before I knew it, the three of them were already putting up decorations, and helping me arrange the hydrangea flowers on the tree.

Even though we struggled a little with communication, we somehow worked together using simple English, gestures, and translation apps. They were so serious and focused while decorating, and honestly… they saved me so much time.

Moments like this remind me that sometimes students may not always respond loudly or directly, but they are quietly watching and caring in their own way.

Now every time I look at the bulletin board, I’ll remember the three boys who kindly came over and asked: “Do you need help?” 💙

25/05/2026

One of the Best Perks of the JET Programme? Bringing My Husband to Japan 🇯🇵❤️

When people talk about the JET Programme, they usually mention:
✨ salary
✨ travel
✨ living in Japan
✨ cultural exchange

One of the biggest blessings for me was being able to bring my husband here. A year later, we were blessed with a healthy baby boy.

Moving abroad is exciting… but it can also feel lonely and overwhelming at times.

We left everything familiar to us. We left the security of our homes and jobs to pursue the JET PROGRAMME and my husband supported it because he knew that this is my dream and he was with me completely.

There were moments during my first year when I felt homesick, struggled with the language barrier, missed home badly, and questioned if I could really adjust here.

And having my husband beside me through all of it made a HUGE difference.

Now we get to:
🌸 explore Japan together
🍜 try random restaurants together
🚶 walk around quiet neighborhoods together
🛒 grocery shop like it’s a date 😭
🏡 slowly build a life together here

Sometimes I look around and think:

“We really moved to Japan together.”

That still feels unreal sometimes.

JET isn’t always easy of course.

But being able to share this experience with someone you love makes even the difficult days feel lighter ❤️🇯🇵

Now, my 2nd year in the programme is ending in July. I only have 3 years left. We'll make sure to make the most of it before going back to the Philippines. 💛💛💛

24/05/2026

Reminiscing my first day in Japan. ♥️
It's been almost 2 years.

23/05/2026

What I Packed as a JET ALT Moving to Japan 🇯🇵✈️

One thing I realized while preparing for Japan was this:

You’re not just packing for a trip.
You’re packing for an entirely new life.

So here’s what I personally brought as a JET ALT and what I recommend for incoming JETs!

🎒 CARRY-ON LUGGAGE

I anticipated all the things we might need during our first few days in Japan.

After arriving at the airport in Tokyo, all of our checked-in baggage were shipped through a courier service to our placements. That meant we only had our carry-ons with us during the Tokyo Orientation.

Because of that, I made sure to pack the necessities for the JET Orientation and hotel stay.

Here’s what I had in my carry-on:

✅ Formal clothes
✅ Casual clothes
✅ Night clothes / pajamas
✅ Underwear
✅ Formal shoes
✅ Casual shoes for going outside the hotel
✅ Toiletries
(The hotel usually provides these, but I still brought my own just in case. Also I bought three tubes of toothpaste with me in the checked in baggage because I heard the ones here aren't as strong from what we're used to.)
✅ Skincare (those that i couldn't live without)
✅ Make-up
✅ Phones, laptops, tablets, and chargers
✅ Airplane tickets, passport and important IDs
✅ Important immigration documents
✅ Omiyage (souvenirs/snacks)
✅Cultural attire

I actually gave my omiyage to my supervisor right away, and he distributed them to the staff at school.

🧳 CHECKED-IN BAGGAGE

👔 Clothes

I mainly brought formal and casual clothes suitable for summer since I arrived during that season.

I didn’t buy many autumn or winter clothes beforehand because honestly… Japan has REALLY good seasonal clothing 😭

👞 Shoes

I brought:

- formal shoes
- casual shoes

Since I teach at multiple schools, I brought three pairs of formal shoes.

Many ALTs just buy shoes in Japan to save luggage space.

If you want more room for other things, you can definitely buy shoes here instead.

🩴 Slippers

Very important for inside the house!

You’ll quickly realize Japanese homes are very strict about indoor/outdoor shoes.

💊 Medicines

PLEASE double-check your medicine before bringing it to Japan.

Some medicines that are common in other countries may actually be restricted here.

Especially:

- strong cold medicine
- ADHD medication
- anything containing pseudoephedrine

Always check Japan’s import rules beforehand.

🔌 Universal adapter / extension cord
(Japan uses Type A plugs and some apartments have VERY few outlets.)

💴 Some cash in yen
Especially for the first few days before setting up banking.

🍜 Comfort Food from Home

Trust me on this one.

When homesickness hits, that coffee, instant noodles, snacks, or seasoning from home suddenly becomes emotional support 😭

🥫 Seasoning from home
This one is SO underrated. A tiny packet of seasoning can emotionally transport you back home instantly 😭

🎨 Hobby Stuff

I brought:

- sketchbook
- pens
- pencils

But interestingly, I didn’t bring books.

I think bringing hobby items is important because moving abroad can honestly feel overwhelming at first.

Having something familiar helps a lot.

🌸 Final Advice

Don’t stress too much about packing perfectly.

No matter how prepared you are, there will ALWAYS be something you forgot 😭

Japan has most things you’ll need anyway.

The important thing is bringing:

- your essentials
- your important documents
- and a few things that make Japan feel a little more like home.

Masako in Japan

04/06/2026

02/06/2026

01/06/2026

29/05/2026

28/05/2026

27/05/2026

26/05/2026

25/05/2026

24/05/2026

23/05/2026

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