Packing Omiyage: What to Buy?

When you go to a new place, it is polite to bring omiyage, or gifts, with you to give to people that you meet or will be working with in the future. Going to Japan through the JET Program means that you will be meeting  A LOT of people and it is polite and respectful to give something to them, especially if they are important or superior to you (think the principal at a school or your supervisor). Because of the wide breadth of people that I will be meeting, my mom and I have been gathering various omiyage over the summer. Here are a few that will be going into my suitcase:

Sticky Notes 

Sticky notes are a teacher's best friend and because they come in so many different shapes, sizes and colors, they are very handy gifts. I bought these cute Hawaii-themed sticky notes from Don Quijote and thought that they would be useful omiyage for the English teacher at my junior high school. 

Little Trinkets with a theme

I've been told that keychains and other small trinkets make wonderful omiyage and bought a couple to give away. The cute ribber slippers are actually erasers! I've never seen them before, but thought they were absolutely adorable and had to buy some :) The Hawaii-themed keychains were pretty cheap, so I might go out and buy some more. These were bought from Don Quijote as well :)

Coffee  

At the JET Q&A Session, a former JET told us that coffee is one of the best gifts to bring when we go to Japan because the teachers at the school(s) can share it in the staff room. Many tourists often buy Kona coffee when they visit Hawaii so bringing a couple bags of the fragrant coffee for teachers is usually greatly appreciated. 

Macadamia Nuts 

The ever popular mac nuts definitely make it on my list of omiyage to bring! They come in a variety of flavors, making them a delicious snack to much on during the day :) You can buy these from a wide variety of stores-- I think my mom bought these from Longs when they were on sale. 

Other omiyage that people have told me are useful to bring are pancake mixes, pencils and stickers (especially for students), and local candy. Do you have any that you will be bringing that haven't been mentioned? :)

JET Q&A Session and Workshop: Helpful Tips and Advice

July 1, 2013

This past weekend, I attended the JET Q&A Session and Workshops at Tokai University and was able to meet other Hawaii JETs. Former JETs and the Hawaii JETAA council were there to give us a plethora of tips and advice that would be useful for us to know. Below are some of the tips that I was able to pick up.


Money

• Japan is a cash-based society:
• Credit cards are not commonly used
• Always carry around cash with you
• Create a budget and stick to it

Banks

• Find a larger bank for money transfers (you can also use the post office to transfer money)
• When transferring money back home, be sure to watch the exchange rate as it often fluctuates
• Keep your name order consistent and pick either Japanese or English when writing your name
• Ex. John Smith, Smith John, ジョンスミス、スミスジョン、etc. 

Omiyage

• Coffee, nuts, etc are good
• Teachers can share the coffee
• Avoid bringing chocolate because it may melt 
• Ask your predecessor how many teachers there are at your school to plan how much omiyage to bring
• Give your neighbors omiyage when you arrive-- it will help you in the long run! 

School

• You will have 3-5 days after arriving at your Contracting Organization to use before teaching. This is a good opportunity to walk around the school and meet the students
• Talk to all of the teachers, especially during summer when they are not as busy
• Because you will not be in class the first month or so, it is a good idea to prepare lesson plans and your 自己紹介（じこしょうかい）, or your self-introduction
• Some good reward prizes for students include Hawaii stickers, English word stickers ("Super" "Great Job!" etc.), pencils, candy, etc. 

I hope this helps a bit! I'm getting so nervous and excited to go to Japan in a little over a month! (: