2026 JET Program Pre-Departure Orientation and Reception
2026/8/10
On Friday, July 31, the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville held a pre-departure orientation at Belmont University for 47 participants in the 2026 JET Program, followed by a farewell reception at the Consul-General’s residence. Remarks were given at the reception by Deputy Consul-General Yamasaki, Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) Ms. Savanah Yahl, Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) Mr. Quinn Oney, and representatives from the JET Alumni Association.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Consul-General Yamasaki talked about the importance of grassroots exchanges like the JET Program. He also described the strong economic connections between our region and Japan and mentioned that the Consulate-General stood ready to welcome back and assist the JET participants at the end of their time on the program. Ms. Yahl and Mr. Oney both emphasized their excitement to participate on the program and challenged their fellow JETs to make the most of the experience.
A majority of the 2026 JET Program departed from Nashville for Japan on August 1. After attending a three-day orientation in Tokyo, they proceeded to their respective assignments throughout Japan.
※The JET Program is an abbreviation for the “Japan Exchange and Teaching Program,” which is a program to invite young people from overseas to provide language instruction and other services. It is implemented by local governments in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR).
The JET Program primarily invites young people from overseas to work in local governments as CIRs, or as English teachers for elementary, junior high, and high schools as ALTs. The program aims to promote grassroots internationalization at the local level. It is highly regarded both domestically and internationally as a large-scale international exchange program, and it is expected that participants and people from various regions of Japan involved in the program will build international networks and achieve rich results in the global community.
Since its inception in 1987, the program has expanded significantly, with the number of host countries increasing from four to 51, and the number of participants growing from 848 to nearly 6,000. To date, over 80,000 participants from over 80 countries have taken part in the program.
For more information on the JET Program, please visit https://jetprogramusa.org/.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Consul-General Yamasaki talked about the importance of grassroots exchanges like the JET Program. He also described the strong economic connections between our region and Japan and mentioned that the Consulate-General stood ready to welcome back and assist the JET participants at the end of their time on the program. Ms. Yahl and Mr. Oney both emphasized their excitement to participate on the program and challenged their fellow JETs to make the most of the experience.
A majority of the 2026 JET Program departed from Nashville for Japan on August 1. After attending a three-day orientation in Tokyo, they proceeded to their respective assignments throughout Japan.
※The JET Program is an abbreviation for the “Japan Exchange and Teaching Program,” which is a program to invite young people from overseas to provide language instruction and other services. It is implemented by local governments in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR).
The JET Program primarily invites young people from overseas to work in local governments as CIRs, or as English teachers for elementary, junior high, and high schools as ALTs. The program aims to promote grassroots internationalization at the local level. It is highly regarded both domestically and internationally as a large-scale international exchange program, and it is expected that participants and people from various regions of Japan involved in the program will build international networks and achieve rich results in the global community.
Since its inception in 1987, the program has expanded significantly, with the number of host countries increasing from four to 51, and the number of participants growing from 848 to nearly 6,000. To date, over 80,000 participants from over 80 countries have taken part in the program.
For more information on the JET Program, please visit https://jetprogramusa.org/.