Day 2: Tokyo Orientation, part 1

I'm finally here! The room which, before today, I've only ever seen in photos!

Walking into the hall and seeing the giant "JET Programme Post-Arrival Orientation" banner, was the moment I realized "wow, I'm actually here, in Japan, on JET." During the Opening Ceremony, everyone was required to keep their suit jackets on while four representatives from CLAIR (Council of Local Authorities for International Relations), and various Japanese ministries gave talks in Japanese and/or English. After that, we could relax a little bit and switch to "cool biz" attire (i.e. no jackets, no ties) if we wanted to.

But before any of that happened, we were provided a lovely buffet-style breakfast, so I got a little of everything. The eggs were sort of like a grit texture, the bacon wasn't crispy at all, but it was absolutely delicious. Other offerings included steamed veggies and a Japanese-style vegetable soup, as well as more western-style items like potatoes, toast, and muffins.



After breakfast and the opening ceremonies, we attend a full day's worth of talks, which included: "Expectations of you as a JET Participant," "The Structure of Japanese Education," a team-teaching demonstration, and even a "Japanese Workplace Manners for ALTs" lecture/etiquette lesson. Lunch was provided between the talks, and consisted of marinara pasta with a creamy vegetable soup.

After the final talk ended at 5:15, we had a break before the mandatory evening reception and dinner. Several Very Important People, including embassy representatives and Japanese government representatives, welcomed all the new JETs before giving a traditional kampai toast. Then we were free to eat!

Offerings included: salmon with dill, fish (I forget what kind) with greenpea sauce, baked pasta, veggies, Japanese-style bbq pork, smoked salmon, and other goodies. Dessert included various cakes, and I had an egg custard that is very similar to the inside of the Hong Kong-style egg tarts.

They even had fruit. Fruit is very expensive in Japan, so I was surprised by the hotel's generosity. All of it was good, but the honeydew was particularly sweet.



At the end of the reception, I went straight to bed. I didn't have the energy to go out, and we had a full day of workshops on Tuesday to get through...