I inherited my first and (at the time) only mode of transportation last September from my predecessor, who informed me that she had inherited it from her predecessor, whom had inherited it from her predecessor. Some basic math revealed that the bike was over 10 years old and it showed. The thing was a black, rusted disaster, with horrible squeaking brakes and enough weight to rival a sumo wrestler. Imagine my distress when I found out that I needed to re-learn how to ride a bike with it. I even borrowed a friend’s helmet despite ridicule from my host families and supporters. I always thought helmets were necessary when riding, but in Japan your adult role models will be the ones making fun of you. At the time I thought “better to be safe than sorry!”

At the same time that I learned how to bike all over again (and no, it was not “just like riding a bike”) I shopped around for a brand new mamachari.  As the name implies it’s a style of bike with mama’s level of coolness; a basket attached in front, tinkling bell, etc. One of my Principles informed me of a bicycle shop called “Shigeta Cycle” located just outside of my neighborhood. I decided to check them out right after work. I was not in the least bit interested in bikes and wanted to spend as little money as possible so I wasn’t quite convinced when they offered a nice-looking, rust-proof one with Bridgestone tires and an oh-so-smooth ride. I said to the older couple “Let me check out ‘Cycle World’ down the street and get back to you in 10.” I asked the manager at CW who informed me that their bikes were NOT rust resistant; the tires NOT puncture protected and just as expensive. So I went right back down to Shigeta Cycle and paid 150 bucks for my sweet new ride.

At that moment the slight drizzle turned into a downpour, preventing me from returning home even though I was 8 minutes away (5 with my new mamachari!) I chatted for a while with the two owners and a handsome customer, trying to educate myself as much as possible while I had the opportunity. I guess they found me interesting (despite my cycling ignorance) because they invited me to a drinking party that Saturday! Little did I know that the party was a secret introduction to the Tonerin Cycling Club from which there would be no escape. Drinking with this group of people was like signing a blood pact. It was all arranged: I would borrow Shigeta-san’s wife’s cross bike, meet the Tonerin Club at this place and this time in two weeks and attempt my first Hill Climb: Haruna mountain.

A cross bike is quite a few levels up from a mamachari. It’s easy to recognize a cross bike because of the distinct straight-across handlebar, medium weight and smooth tires with a thickness somewhere between those of a mamachari and a road bike. However, unlike a mamachari these bikes can be adjusted in many ways to match your exact body specifications. It’s a good thing I was unaware of this during my first hill climb because it might have discouraged me to know just how much of a disadvantage I had! The uphill distance, the bike being adjusted to Shigeta-san’s wife instead of me, the heat, the wind and every unknown made Haruna (at the time) the most physically challenging thing I had ever done. But if you love the thrill of a challenge like I do, you’ll be so excited after reaching the top that you might even join “the crazy group” and bike all the way to the surreal, Princess Mononoke-esque lake nearby despite being thoroughly exhausted.

It was beautiful by the way. But the most beautiful thing for me was earning enough trust to borrow one of Tonerin Club’s cross bikes; one to call my very own while I’m in Japan. Long story short, I also came into possession of my own road bike three months after that!

Modifications on both bikes began immediately after their acquisition, and there are still ongoing modifications. As Willy Wonka once said, “So much time and so little to do!” I’m sure you can walk into any bike shop and they’ll take your measurements for you for free. A new catalogue is released every year which gives bike riders recommendations on bike settings based on the ‘inside’ length of your leg, (i.e. from crotch to instep.) You wouldn’t believe how many minute changes can be made to a cross bike, and there’s even more that can be done with a road bike. Things like raising, lowering, forwarding, backing or tilting the seat, changing out the pedals, tires and handle stem, adding or removing height to the handlebar and generally anything you can think of! And a small change can make a big difference; occasionally someone notices my seat needs to be raised up one more centimeter, or that my handlebars are .5 centimeters too far away. After its modified I feel like a whole new cyclist all over again!

But what’s even more important than your bike specifications is how you ride. There are a million things I wish I knew on that first day climbing Mt. Haruna, but over time and dozens of practices I finally got the hang on cycling technique 101. Equipment also plays an important role in reaching your true potential as a cyclist so I’ll talk about technique and equipment in conjuncture.

You might assume that you know how to pedal a bike. But have you ever seen a road bike’s pedals? Or a serious cyclist’s shoes? Did Lance Armstrong wear Nike sneakers at the Tour De France? Nope. The reason is that there are special shoes, with a small locking mechanism, designed to prevent your feet from slipping off the pedals.

A cycling specific shoe also has a rigid sole, which means greater power transfer from your thighs to the bike, so you can go faster with less energy! Before transitioning to my road bike full time I had Shigeta-san change the pedals on my cross bike to locking on the top side and flatbed pedals on the bottom side! That way I could still ride my bike to school, and I could practice with my new cycling shoes.

Shigeta-san propped my bike up on a stand so I could learn how to lock and unlock my feet inside the store. I thought I had it! But when I rode my bike out of the store and came to a stop at the road, well, my feet just didn’t want to come off the bike. I’ve fallen a few times since then, but the pedals aren’t scary at all anymore. Because there is always a possibility of falling it’s most important to learn to dismount on the left. That way if you fall over at least you’re not falling into traffic!

After learning how to unattach my feet from the bike, I had to learn how to pedal again. Most people are used to pushing the pedals down with their whole weight to get the bike moving. Actually it’s just the opposite with locking pedals! Try to keep your foot rigid and pull the pedal upward with just your thigh muscles; it’s much friendlier on your knees and keeps your energy use efficient! Efficient energy use is certainly handy when you’re pushing your limit on mountains like Akagi and Haruna. When you first start learning you can repeat this mantra to yourself to help you remember that pushing down is off limits: “ageru ageru ageru ageru…” (“lift lift lift lift..”)

Next, about your hands: on a cross bike your hand positions are limited since the handlebar is straight across. You can only modify how close your hands are to the handle stem, really. I added a modification that allowed me to rest my hands on the side of the handlebars as well as the tops.

The key word here is “rest.” Try not to grip the handlebars tightly; you want to be able to change positions on the handlebar and signal that you’re stopping or turning to your comrades easily. Especially on a road bike where there are many options for hand positions, keep your grips flexible and light. I recommend that you stick with the ‘hood grip’ so that you have access to your brakes, obviously brake access is essential when biking on the road or where pedestrians might be nearby. You can also try resting your hands on the tops of the handlebar or (rarely) on the “drops” themselves.

This is the “hood” position

You can use the drop position during steep downhill portions because you can apply much more pressure to the brakes from this position, but it does take getting used to as your head will be pitched forward very far, seeing as your seat will already be above the handlebars anyways.

I don’t recommend resting your hands like below often because your hands are very close to the stem compared to a cross bike, making balance an issue. Also, no brakes!

The easiest way to insure that you keep your grip light is to have a good sitting posture. I know your mom always told you to sit up straight, but this is one time where that advice should be ignored! You’ll want to create a half moon shape with your back so that that shock of any bump is absorbed properly. Over time if the stress of your ride is absorbed into a straight back, you’re going to have a lot of back problems. Be mindful of using your abs to support your back in this position, while keeping your arms and hands light.

You can try out this position in your office chair: keep your lower back against the lumbar, but slump everything else forward, even your head. Now, pretend you have a pair of scissors on your neck; don’t raise your neck up, only your face (because seeing what’s in front of you is important when cycling). Now, raise your arms up via your back and shoulders, trying to keep as much tension out of them as possible. Remember to keep the very base of your spine tucked in and voila! This is the standard cycling position

These people shouldn’t be smiling because they all have terrible cycling posture! Rigid, extended arms, (a result of relying on the shoulders to hold yourself up instead of your core), flat backs and a total shape that resembles a triangle…

Now look at this pro who’s got it going on. Relaxed arms, half moon shaped back and using that core like a champ! It may take time to build enough core and back muscles to make this position effortless, but it will really save you in the long run. Getting used to the hard seat may also take some time, so don’t worry if your butt hurts at first. Good luck with cycling everyone!!

When JETs arrive in Japan, they are given a three year visa. This visa is good for three years as long as you do not leave your job or change professions. So the question is, what happens when you’re in your third year on JET and you have decided to continue your job for another year?

For JETs going onto a fourth year, an “Application for Extension of Period of Stay” is necessary. The immigration offices start accepting these applications 3 months before your visa expires. Just remember that you need to have your visa renewed before your current visa expires – if you even go one day over your visa expiration date, you run the very real risk of losing employment status in Japan.

The visa extension process is a bit time-consuming and involves a lot of paperwork. You must make a minimum of two trips to the immigration office. The second trip is usually two or three weeks after your first trip, provided that there was no issue with your paperwork. So I recommend that you make your first trip at least a month and a half before your current visa expires.

Taking Leave for Visa Renewal:

What kind of leave you have to take to renew your visa will be up to your contracting organization. It may be special leave (tokkyu) or it may be paid leave (nenkyu). The immigration office can be pretty crowded, so I would recommend taking the entire day off and going in the morning.

Materials Needed for First Trip:

ŸApplication Form

• For ALTs, it will be this form: http://www.moj.go.jp/content/000103522.pdf
• For CIRs, it will be this form: http://www.moj.go.jp/content/000103532.pdf
• “For applicant” pages should be filled out by the visa holder. “For organization” pages should be filled out by your Contracting Organization or school (please check with your supervisor about which).

4 cm x 3cm Photograph which fulfill these requirements:

• Applicant must be alone and be facing forward without any head covering
• Background should be plain with no shadow
• Must be sharp and clear
• Must have been taken within 3 months prior to submission
• Approximately these dimensions (in millimeters):

• ŸPassport
• Alien Registration Card/Resident Card

Possibly Need: Supporting Documents (*NOTE: Ask your supervisor/local immigration office about what you exactly need for this/if you need these, as the necessary documents may vary):

1 – Documents certifying the activity, its duration and position of the person concerned:

• Reappointment Intention Form
• Employment Terms & Conditions/Contract in Japanese
• Statement of Earning for previous year (gensen choushuu hyo, 源泉徴収票)
• Certificate of Employment (zaishoku shomeisho, 在職証明書).

2 – Documents certifying an annual income and tax payment:

• Kazei Shoumeisho (課税証明書), available at local tax office or tax/revenue department in your municipal office
• Nouzei Shoumeisho (納税証明書), available at local tax office or tax/revenue department in your municipal office

Go to your Immigration Office of choice and take a number. When your number is called, submit the necessary materials. If you end up missing any documents, the office may allow you to mail it in, but this is not a guarantee. If you submit your paperwork and everything seems to be in order, they will give you a post card to write down your name and address on. They will send this postcard to you once they are ready for you to come back to finish the visa extension process.

Note: When you submit your documents, they will not be returned to you (with the exception of your passport and Alien Registration/Resident Card). So if you need to make copies, make sure you do so before you go to the immigration office.

When you get the postcard in the mail, it will state the period of time you have to go back to the office and finish the process. It’s highly recommended you go during this period, but if you absolutely cannot, please call the immigration office to reschedule.

Materials Needed for Second Trip:

• ŸPostcard the immigration office sent you
• Passport
• Alien Registration Card/Resident Card
• 4,000 yen Revenue Stamp (Shunyu Inshi or収入印紙).  **Available at the post office, NOT the immigration office

Go back to the immigration office and take a number. When your number is called, give them your post card, passport, and Alien Registration Card/Resident Card. You will probably make your payment at this time. They will give you a paper to stick the revenue stamp on, and you’ll fill out how much you paid, what for, and sign the sheet.

You’ll probably have to wait a bit again as they make your new Resident Card. Once it’s finished, you’ll be called up again and given your new card and your passport back.

Congratulations! Your visa had been renewed and extended. If you look at your Resident Card, it states how long your renewed visa is and when it expires.

IMPORTANT NOTE: No new visa stamp will be placed in your passport. Basically, your Resident Card is your visa.

Directions to the Takasaki Branch Office from JR Takasaki Station:

1. Leave Takasaki station from the West Exit (西口).
2. Go straight on Prefectural Route 31.
3. At the intersection with the ガスト (Gasto(, the road will become Prefectural Route 29. Continue along Route 29.
4. Pass the Gunma Music Center and Symphony Hall on your right and the Takasaki City Gallery on your left. At the light (保険福祉事務所前), turn left.
5. Pass the court house on your left (前橋地域裁判所高崎支部) and turn left at the next street.
6. Go straight until you see the immigration office on your left (if you reach the hospital, you have gone too far).

Voting Guidelines

1. Voting is open to Current Gunma JETs or Current Gunma Residents (including private ALTs, etc). Sadly, due to previous voting fraud, we are not able to open voting to alumni, previous residents, etc.
2. Each person may submit only 1 vote for the contest. In order to make sure each vote is unique, we require you to submit your name and email address on the voting ballot. This information will only be used in the event that we need to confirm that all votes are unique and legitimate, and will not be shared with other voters, contest entrants, or anyone outside the organizers of the photo contest.
3. Non-JET voters must provide the name of a current JET whom they know and who can verify that they are, indeed, a Gunma resident. We apologize for the inconvenience.

If you have any questions about the photo contest voting, please contact Jenn, the GAJET Secretary, at secretary@gunmajet.net. If you have an technical problems with this page or the voting form, please contact editor@gunmajet.net.

Photo Entries

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Voting is open until Friday, May 10th at 8pm! 

President

Chris De Borja

Hello! My name is Christopher De Borja, and I am a third-year JET in Takasaki. In the upcoming year, I would like to serve as your Gunma AJET President.

For the past two years, I have served as Gunma AJET’s Treasurer and have helped plan numerous events for Gunma JETs and the surrounding AJET communities. After working closely with the current GAJET president, I have learned how to improve our board’s team efforts and time management. Most recently, after working on GAJET’s yearly charity event I Can Japan, I better understand the logistics of timing and planning a large scale fundraiser and the amount of teamwork necessary to execute a successful event. I now hope to use the experiences I have gained over the past two years to help reshape GAJET.

My goal as president will be to provide Gunma JETs with the most fulfilling and connected experience possible by strengthening our communities at both local and regional levels. The committee I lead will commit to monthly meetings and maintain a calendar of bi-monthly small and large-scale events that will offer Gunma JETs more opportunities to interact with one another and the greater Gunma community. Increased and improved communication will be our strongest tool. Open quarterly meetings will give community members greater voice, and will better connect the committee to the community it serves. Increasing and refining how we use social media—the forums, Facebook, Google Calendar, email—will bring greater efficiency to GAJET communications. Finally, supporting visible, proactive regional representatives responsible for frequent low-cost events will offer JETs an anchor and resource within their local communities.

By first fortifying our local Gunma JET communities, I believe that we will accordingly become a more unified Gunma JET community. If there is a strong foundation of small communities, when these communities come together and interact at Gunma-wide events, I believe there will naturally be a stronger sense of the Gunma JET community as a whole. Similarly, when Gunma JETs feel more connected to one another across our prefecture, there is greater potential to engage communities beyond our prefectural borders. In the long run, I hope to help Gunma JETs connect with other prefectures’ JETs as well as Special Interest AJET Groups (i.e. Stonewall, Asian Pacific Islanders, etc.) to help us create new bonds all across the national JET community.

Finally, as President, I would like to communicate with you personally. To me, the JET Program is a shared experience, and AJET should be an organization built upon every JET’s input, so let’s start talking! By everyone working together, I believe we can make GAJET the best it can be.

Please vote for me so we can build a stronger Gunma together!

Andy Siriapismai

Greetings Gunma~ My name is Andy and I am running for GAJET President this year. I am a fourth　year ALT placed in Takasaki. I had the of serving on GAJET this past year as VP External. As is the nature of VP positions, and I guess most of what the council does, a lot of the work is/was done behind the scenes. Still, it was a good experience to help organize the GAJET events this past year. I was happy that we could organize the events that everyone had come to expect along with a few new ones that I know people enjoyed.

As far as how I operate and work within these sorts of groups, I think I could be described as calm, direct, generally efficient, and reasonably quick to respond to messages. And I think everyone who knows me would agree. On that note, if you don’t know me that well, if we hadn’t had the pleasure, I encourage you to talk to someone who does.

Looking forward, if elected, I look to continue and expand on all of the things that GAJET does.

Internally this would include things like the I Can Japan charity event, festival outings, various things with Canyons, and holiday oriented events like the Halloween Party and Haruna Illuminations field trip.

In addition, I would continue to look for opportunities for Gunma to explore other parts of Japan. It might be good to bring the Sumo trip back this year and do Kabuki again too. Of course, events like the Fuji trip are a GAJET standard. And, even if not formally organized by GAJET, I would like to get more information out about other Japanese events and other prefectural AJET events, join those events, and get more people to join our events as well.

Externally, I would like continue building on the relationships that I have gotten a chance to build on this past year (partly due to being VP-External). I feel like Gunma is closer to Nagano and Niigata than it ever has been in my time here. I know that we can improve on these relationships even more, get all of Block 3 involved and acting as a community, and work to include even more networks here in Japan.

In conclusion, if elected I look forward to bringing you more good things on behalf of GAJET in the coming year. I know the voting period is short, but please feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

Vice President

Ashly Schanback

Hello, everyone! My name is Ashly Schanback, and I am a second-year JET teaching in Takasaki. In the upcoming year, I would like to serve as your Vice President on Gunma AJET.

Before participating in the JET Program, I worked as a Resident Assistant for my university, building a supportive, inclusive community for my 70 residents through low-cost, regular events as well as a few dormitory-wide events. During my time on the JET program, I have also worked to build community within Gunma. As a Tokyo Orientation Assistant last summer, I welcomed our newcomers to life in Japan, and then assisted with their adjustment to life in Gunma when I presented at Gunma Orientation. Finally, as a member of JOMO JET, I have assisted in organizing numerous international exchange events to connect JETs to our local Gunma community.

Moving forward, I would like to use my past experiences to help lead GAJET in a new direction. Particularly, I want to use GAJET as a point of contact for Gunma JETs to connect to their local communities, and to subsequently unite these communities. I aim to strengthen local communities by recruiting at least two GAJET representatives per region, who will each host one low- cost, small-scale event per month. After assembling our team, I will stagger our representative’s small-scale events across a two-month calendar so Gunma JETs can attend various regions’ small events. Moreover, as Vice President I will co-lead the organization of all large-scale events, assigning responsibilities evenly across the GAJET committee to ensure greater accountability and teamwork.

In short, my goal as Vice President is to maintain GAJET’s internal structure by holding my committee members accountable to one another while simultaneously supporting their individual needs. I want to support GAJET from within, so we can support you throughout Gunma.

Treasurer

Alice Volkmar

Hey guys! I’m running for treasurer of GAJET and really excited about the possibility of working for you all. During my time on JET I have presented at the Summer Conference, participated in the JOMO JET committee to encourage JET engagement with the wider Gunma community, and been a Tokyo Orientation Assistant where I presented a panel and helped facilitate the Irish Embassy Event. I was also invited to present a panel at Anime Expo in California on the topic of life in Japan, with promotional consideration provided by the Gunma Tourism Board. Hundreds of instant converts to the church of Gunma-chan cheered when he came on the screen, and promised not only to visit Japan but to specifically come to Gunma as well. I’ve been doing my best to spread the good word about life in Japan and especially Gunma both at home and abroad since the moment I arrived!

Before my time on JET, I was president of Otakorp Inc., a multimillion dollar 501c3 Educational Arts Non-Profit Corporation which regularly puts on events of up to 30,000 people. As a result of my work for Otakorp I have been running events in both the US and Japan for over six years. I am well-experienced in running events of all sizes as well as managing communities, both digital and in real life. I love event planning, community management, and social media, and want to put all of my skills to the test for the Gunma community!

I want to continue the great work of the GAJET council and continue improving life in Gunma for all ALTs in our lovely prefecture. I want to increase engagement at a local level, and I also want to engage Gunma with the wider ALT community. I believe our organization should be inclusive, be engaging, and be awesome. I hope you believe in me!

Secretary

Hello Gunma JETs. I soon will begin my 3rd year on JET and I would like to serve a second year as the GUNMA JET committee Secretary. I learned a vast amount working with other GAJET committee members, as well as interacting with and meeting more JETs and local people across Gunma. I will always remember what GAJETs and other senpai have done for me during my first year in Japan. They have welcomed me, helped me with many questions and gave me so much encouragement and emotional support.

During my second year I worked to welcome, help out and be available to the new members of my community as well as other new members of the larger Gunma community. There still are more people I would like to reach out to and more stories that can be shared about the dynamic experiences working in Gunma as a “cultural ambassador.” I would like to continue building a supportive network for next year to better connect new and re-contracting JETs. Although we JETs are all from different places and have various interests, personalities, customs and cultures, we are all connected as we together represent our separate foreign cultures and countries in Japan. I hope that next year we can build stronger bonds together and brighten up and enhance our image and work as JETs.

From interacting and spending time with many of you, I realize this strong need to further develop our networks and make outreach. I hope that you can help welcome newcomers as well as be supportive to one another in all endeavors as you live here. Serving another year as secretary will allow me to work with others who will also work to strengthen our community. It will also give me the opportunity to grow from my first experiences as secretary in my 2 nd year of JET. I am looking forward to working with you again in the 2013-2014 year.

Editor

Peter Frazer

Hey there! My name is Peter Frazer and I’m a first-year Australian JET in beautiful Midori “City” in the Tobu region. It would be a great privilege for me to serve you as Gunma AJET Editor next year.

Although I’ve only lived in Gunma for nine months, I’m already enamoured by its quirks and interesting brand of Japanese lifestyle/cabbage. But when I arrived in Gunma and the glitter of Tokyo Orientation had faded, I felt isolated and unsure about life in Japan. I turned to the Gunma JET website for advice, and this saved me. For incoming JETs, I know this website is an important lifeline when coping with the transition to life in Japan.

Before JET, I was the editor of a large technical journal. Basically, my job was to liaise daily with dozens of authors, and edit and produce their articles for publication. This role had strict deadlines, so I had to be very organised and juggle multiple jobs. The role of GAJET Editor is to manage, edit, produce and encourage others to submit content to the Gunma JET site. I believe the skills I gained from my previous job would be relevant to this role.

While the Gunma JET website is already a fantastic resource, I believe it can be improved. In my nine months here, there are already many fantastic attractions I have discovered that some JETs may be unaware of. I would also like to encourage GAJET to re-embrace existing technologies like Google Calendar to help advertise events and bring JETs together.

An editor should be timely and accurate, with good communication skills. I know I can be a reliable editor who is all this and more. Let me help bring Gunma closer together through interesting and relevant content on the Gunma JET website. よろしくお願いします!

Jaime Ota

Hello! My name is Jaime Ota, and I am running for Editor. I’m a fourth year who worked as an ALT in Kiryu and who now works as a CIR in Maebashi.

I am running for GAJET Editor because I would like to bring you more useful information in the form of articles on the GAJET website in the near future. I would like to work towards making the GAJET website a more comprehensive and up-to-date guide and resource for better living in Gunma by creating original content and recruiting others to pen articles for the website.

As Editor, I hope to provide more living guides that may aid daily living situations for Gunma JETs, so that Gunma JETs can be more informed and take charge of their lives in Japan. I also hope to provide more in-depth articles on upcoming events and recreational activities in the various regions of Gunma so that Gunma JETs can be more involved with and connected to their local communities and Japanese culture in general.

Additionally, I would like to be able to better share and bring light to more academic and professional resources and materials by JETs for JETs, such as the Dropbox that the senior high school ALTs have created for sharing lesson plans.

In conclusion, I ask you to please consider me for Editor so that I may work to maintain a website that will better serve the needs of the Gunma JET community.

Chubu Rep

Maria Baruxis

Hello! My name is Maria Baruxis and I am running for the position of Chubu Regional Representative. I’m a first year ALT living and teaching in in the fast-growing city of Isesaki.

Isesaki, of the silk and facial hair-prohibiting fame, has become my home away from home. This hasn’t always been the case, however—especially not a first. Arriving in a place where I could neither speak nor read the language, life proceeded in a state most analogous to reincarnation with full memory of my past life. I had the entire spectrum of moderately mature human life trapped within, but seemingly little way of communicating it with the world around me, beyond masticated Japanglish and guttural hemming and hawing.

What could have been a much bleaker period of adjustment was alleviated by the strong network and sense of community I came to find in GAJET. Its events, website, and leadership conferred a mode of communication and a means for me to cultivate a rich, full life in Japan.

Now, I would like to extend my gratitude by helping to further strengthen this sense of community as a Chubu Representative. Because of my own disjointed thoughts and feelings upon first coming to Japan, I understand the importance of fellowship at such a potentially alienating juncture. Speaking to this point, I would like to organize fun events (picnics, karaoke, bowling nights etc.) and also give you voice for your needs at the regional level. I was a peer mentor at university as well as an undergraduate conference organizer and from these experiences I believe I have acquired the leadership skills needed to live up to a three-pronged platform of better communication, stronger organization and greater accountability. Let’s embrace camaraderie amongst the cabbage together!

Rebecca Mesch

Hi friends! My name is Rebecca Mesch and I’m a first-year ALT in Shibukawa who hails from sunny southern California. I would love to serve the Gu nma JET community as a Chubu Representative in the upcoming year!

Before JET, I was Vice President for my university’s chapter of Circle K International, a community service organization. The many hours I spent holding board meetings, planning service events, and volunteering helped me gain organizational and leadership skills, as well as a sense of pride and connectedness in my community. Also, I’ve been lucky to be a part of JOMO JET this year, for which I have worked to orchestrate events which unite JETs with the Japanese community and bring internationalization to Gunma.

I miss the sense of community support I found at home, and I crave to bring that to the Gunma JET community. As part of GAJET, I think I can help achieve that through our goals of better communication, stronger organization, and greater accountability. It’s easy for JETs to feel isolated, spread out across the prefecture with few peers around them. I want the Chubu-area JETs to feel they have a wealth of helpful resources available to them, to be well-informed of events, and feel supported in every venue as they build their lives here in Gunma. I want us JETs to feel we have a social network of friends with whom we can participate in fun events both big and small, pulling us out of our tiny apartments and enriching our experience abroad.

When I first came to Japan last summer, attending GAJET events and utilizing GAJET resources helped me tremendously to acclimate and feel at home in Gunma. This year, as part of GAJET, I hope to provide that same support to the community and help all Gunma JETs thrive.

Tone Rep

Kimberley Smith

Hi! My name is Kimberley Smith and I’m a first year JET teaching in Minakami. I was raised and breed in good old New Zealand. So I absolutely feel right at home in the beautiful Minakami as it reminds me of home. I am surrounded by mountains and love the outdoor activities that Minakami provides. I am ashamed to admit that I didn’t get to the mountains during the winter just been BUT will definitely get there next winter. I’m running for the GAJET Tone Regional Rep position.

One thing that really blew me away when I first arrived was the sense of feeling belonged and apart of something. JET as a whole has an intense community presence about it. As soon as you arrive there are events happening, which are a great way to get to know the Gunma community. Also within a week we were organizing regular Tone dinners. So there was never a moment when you felt alone or isolated. It was those moments that I treasure and realize how valued they are for someone who is in a foreign country and environment. So that is why I am applying to be the Tone Rep and am committed to making sure regular events are being held in our area. So that newcomers feel belonged and part of a community just the way I felt when I first arrived and still feel today.

So if given the chance I want to really foster the strong ties that already exist with the Tone region and to broaden those ties out to Gunma as a whole. But not to stop there, also to connect, socialize with other JET’s in other prefectures.

Robbie Blackburn

G’day everyone, my name is Robbie Blackburn and I’m approaching the end of my first year on the JET Programme as an ALT in Minakami, up in the Tone region. You may know the area for bungie jumping, canyoning and the GAJET ski trip. I’m running for the GAJET Tone Regional Rep position.

One of my favourite things about being in Japan as a JET is the sense of community you feel with other foreign ALTs. We’ve gathered here from all over the world to work in a fantastically different country from our own. As a group, we come from places as diverse as Europe and Oceania, the Americas and Africa, and choose to live and work in Japan. Through our common circumstances we band together and personify internationalisation and global culture. I’d like nothing more than to work as a small part in strengthening and promoting that culture.

Beyond our group’s three goals of better communication, stronger organization and greater accountability, I hope to continue the Tone region’s traditions of close ties between its ALTs through regular events; such as dinners, board game nights and karaoke nights. I also hope to help better connect Tone with other parts of Gunma by planning larger interregional events, and assisting with prefecture wide GAJET events (such as the welcome event, ski trip etc). I want the Tone region to foster strong ties with other communities around Gunma and to cultivate a stronger feeling of solidarity among Gunma JETs.

I’m hoping to make many contributions to the new year’s GAJET beyond simply assisting with my region. Although Tone isn’t the biggest region, I hope we will be able to make a big contribution to the Gunma JET community.

Seibu Rep

Andrea Kushnir

Hi everyone! My name is Andrea Kushnir, and I’m a first-year Canadian ALT living in Tomioka. For the past 9 months, I have enjoyed being immersed in Japanese culture – for example, participating in the Tomioka Donto Festival, watching Isesaki fireworks, snowboarding in Nagano/Gunma/Niigata, and trying my hand at Taiko drumming in Shimonita. Thanks to the help (and great company!) of my fellow JETs, these events help me to stay energized and excited about living in Japan.

I want to help foster a better sense of community in Gunma by volunteering as a Seibu Regional Representative for Gunma AJET next year. Although I have bonded with many Tomioka JETs, I have felt disconnected from the rest of Gunma. It has been difficult knowing when and where events are happening – I have relied upon a mix of friends’ text messages, Facebook notifications, and checking the GAJET website to learn about upcoming events. I believe the Daft Punk Party will help to consolidate event information so that it will be easier for Gunma JETs to know exactly what is happening.

I enjoy events such as movie/dinner nights, picnics, and in the winter, snowboarding trips! As the Joshin train line is quite expensive, I also believe that organizing carpooling is very important. At school I often browse the rotating clip boards and scan for upcoming community events, such as music concerts, nature walks, and cultural events at the Lifelong Learning Center. I would like to contribute to a greater sense of Gunma community by planning local events and relaying information about other events happening in the Tomioka area. Hopefully, this will help connect people with similar interests, and help build a stronger sense of Gunma community next year! Thanks for your time, and よろしくおねがいします！

Sarah Anderson

Heya everybody! My name is Sarah Anderson, and I’m a first-year JET hailing from the USA working in Fujioka. This coming year I want to serve as a representative of Seibu because this is my community as much as it is all of yours, and I am fully invested in making it as utterly kickass as possible.

My goals as regional rep will be 1) regularly organizing community activities/ thinking of fun stuff to do, 2) keeping up active lines of communication between community members, and 3) acting as a resource and liaison between the Seibu community, GAJET, and the greater Gunma community.

I’ve taken on roles like this in the past. As the president of my college fencing team I organized tournaments and recruitment, but also social activities like movie nights, ice cream parties, and (mostly) innocent college debauchery. However, I would say my biggest qualification for this position is my selfish desire to live in a cool place and do fun things with people. I want to connect with the people here in Seibu, JETs and non-JETs alike, and I want us connecting with the people around us as well.

As regional rep, I will do my best to provide opportunities to be active for anyone who might be interested. I will be that prodding, proactive buddy of yours who always wants all their friends to meet and have a good time together. Picnics, game nights, hikes, themed party shenanigans; I will make fun times happen (funness being contingent on your love of things like Jurassic park and wearing funny costumes).

As much as I love and appreciate our community, I know we can make it stronger, and I’d love to help make that happen. Thank you for your consideration.

Lindsay Woodville

Lindsay Woodville for Seibu Regional Representative Hello fellow Gunma JETs! My name is Lindsay Woodville, and I am a first-year JET living and teaching in the thriving metropolis known as Takasaki! It would be my pleasure to serve all of Gunma as a Seibu Regional Representative for Gunma AJET next year!

For the past eight months, I have inundated myself with Konnyaku, Mustached Daruma, and cabbage. After all the konnyaku has been eaten and the Daruma eyes have been painted, I now realize that living here would not have been the same without the wonderful community that has been at the core of these experiences. I strongly believe that community is shaped by the experiences we share with one another and the respect we build together through one-on-one interactions.

As a regional rep I hope to first make myself a visible/ accessible part of our community. Within the capacity of regional rep I want to serve as a bridge between our small regional communities and the larger Gunma community. Namely, I plan to organize many cross-regional events that will allow my small community to interact with our neighbors and grow towards one larger Gunma community.

Before JET I was a Residential Assistant at Connecticut College. As a Resident Assistant I learned how to connect with my community members to help them reach out to communities beyond our dorm. Throwing events like “Knowlton Top: Sandwich Master” was only the tip of the iceberg. I was the foundation of my community. I was the shoulder my residents would cry on or the person responsible for getting them in contact with the people and resources they needed.

I look forward to sharing my Gunma love as the Seibu Regional Representative! よろしくお願いします！

Vote Now!

Voting is limited to currently serving Gunma JETs, who are each permitted one vote.  We ask that you please provide your name and email address when submitting you ballot, as this is the only way we have to ensure that all votes are unique.  This information will not be shared with the candidates or public and will only be seen by the GAJET council members managing the election.  We will be deleted all collected information once the election results have been tallied.

Vote!
Note: you might not be able to sign up at school if Google Docs is blocked on your computer or network.

Elections are open until 8pm on May 10th!

If you have any questions about the contest, please submit them to the Jenn, the GAJET Secretary, secretary@gunmajet.net .

Submitting

Submit your photos to editor@gunmajet.net by Friday, April 26th, 2013 .

***Please title your email with “Photo Contest” followed by your name. (For example, “Photo Contest Gunma-chan Jomo.”). This makes the process run a lot smoother, so we appreciate your cooperation!

Rules and Regulations:

• Open to current Gunma JETs
• One entry per person
• Maximum file size: 7MB
• Your photo will be resized so that its longest side is 1600 pixels (around 2 megapixels), so make sure that your image is at least this size if you don’t want it to be up-scaled
• Do not add any borders to your photos
• Do not add watermarks (entries will remain anonymous during voting).
• The winning photo, plus the top 2 runners up, from each contest will be incorporated into a postcard set at the end of the 4 contests. This set will be available for sale through GAJET. All photos will be properly credited.

You will be notified if there is a problem with your entry.

The small print: By submitting your photos you agree to the following terms:

1. GAJET will have the right to distribute your photos as postcards for the Gunma Postcard Set.
2. All photos you submit will be licensed using this Creative Commons License.

One of our goals was to open events to other prefectures and include the Japanese community more. To this effect, we revamped our Canyons Trip and made it a Block 3 mixer, which included participation from Gunma’s neighboring prefectures. GAJET’s events with largest attendance by the Japanese community were achieved this year by making the I Can Japan Charity Fundraiser largely bilingual and opening the Halloween party to the public. We were also active in bringing you projects via the website such as the Photo Contest, Forums, Camping Equipment Rentals, and a Newcomer’s Guide. Alas, now the sun sets on our time…but will rise again with a fresh new council, ready to get you pumped for the coming year!!

Participating on the GAJET committee is a great opportunity to meet people, take part in planning the various annual events, plan new events of your own, and add experience to your resume. GAJET committee members can take part in Gunma Orientation, welcoming the newbies this summer, as well as run the Gunma desk at Tokyo Orientation! GAJET is as much of a time commitment as you want it to be, and the more work you put into it the more rewarding it is!

We are now accepting GAJET council nominations for the 2013-2014 year. The nomination period is from now until Friday April 20th. If you intend to run in the GAJET council election please e-mail president@gunmajet.net and let me know which position you intend to run for. All traditional positions are open, so if you are up for the challenge, please nominate yourself for one of the positions below. (Recontracting JETs only, please.) The voting period will be between Tuesday, April 23rd and Tuesday, May 7th. We look forward to hearing from you!!

1. President

The president will make sure everything runs smoothly and will be responsible for arranging GAJET meetings, setting the agenda and delegating tasks. The president will also be responsible for problem solving and making final decisions about money, events and operations. They are the liaison for National AJET and will be in close contact with our block representative.

2. Vice President

Roles are similar to president but with a bit less emailing. The president and VP will consult each other on various topics and run meetings together.

3. Secretary

The secretary’s main duty is to take detailed notes at GAJET meetings, type them up and distribute them to all committee members. They will compile a year-end guide of all GAJET events to pass on to the next committee.

4. Treasurer

The treasurer will be responsible for all of GAJETs money and receipts. You will make decisions about money along with the President. You should be organized, responsible, diligent and good with numbers.

5. Editor

You are responsible for all the content on the gunmajet.net website. You will encourage others to write articles, edit them and post them to the site, as well as write articles of your own.

Regional Representatives

Regional representatives are the go-to people in each region, acting as a local support for new ALTs. You are responsible for contacting local ALTs with various regional events as well as planning small outings and dinners together.

6. Chubu Region Rep

Isesaki, Maebashi, Shibukawa, Shinto-mura, Tamamura and Yoshioka.

7. Tone Region Rep

Minakami, Katashina, Numata, Showa and Kawaba.

8. Tobu Region Rep

Chiyoda, Itakura, Kiryu, Meiwa, Midori, Oizumi, Ota, Oura and Tatebayashi.

9. Seibu Region Rep

Annaka, Fujioka, Kanna, Kanra, Nanmoku, Shimonita, Takasaki, Tomioka and Ueno-mura.

10. Agatsuma Region Rep

Higashiagatsuma, Kuni, Kusatsu, Naganohara, Nakanojo, Takayama and Tsumagoi.

As the name suggests, this enkai is to welcome newcomers and say good-bye to the staff who have left. Generally, it leans more heavily on saying goodbye to the staff that have left, though newcomers who are new hires (i.e. haven’t worked at a school before) will also be there.

How a Kansougeikai runs is a bit different from the usual enkai. Of course, there are variations on how it will run depending on your school, but I would like to offer some general tips for those of you who will be attending one for the first time.

1. Wear a suit – No, seriously. This is the one work party where everyone will show up in a full suit. Don’t be like me and forget and proceed to be awkward.
2. There will generally be a designated area for the people leaving/newcomers. Make sure to check where that is so you don’t accidentally sit there!
3. Don’t go starving – There will be food like there usually is at a Japanese work party, but you might not get to eat immediately.
4. Be prepared to listen to a lot of speeches – Your principal will make one, and each person leaving will make one. If you have any newcomers present, they will all also make one. Depending on the number of leaving staff you have and the length of time each person decides to talk for, you might be sitting there for a while not eating or drinking. It took over an hour my first year!
5. On the other hand, there are times when they say you can eat and drink while you listen to the speeches, but it may be best to keep an eye on people around you and follow their lead.
6. Unless you have personal contact with them, this may be the last time you see the staff who have left, so this may be your last chance to talk with them, so make the most of it!

I hope these tips help you prepare for your Kansougeikai! Go forth and have a smashing time!

Although the following is found in the Tax Guide, please keep it in mind to avoid paying interest:

If you owe taxes, it’s best to pay the estimated tax amount at the time you file the 4868 (Extension of Time to File).　Interest will begin to accrue on April 15, so turn in form 4868 (along with an estimated payment) by April 15 if you owe anything.

2012 Tax Guide for New JETs