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Tokyo Orientation Evening Schedule (self.JETProgramme)

submitted by sirmunklee

Does anyone know what the evening schedule might look like for the Tokyo orientation days?

In the letter from my consulate they said the schedule will be provided at arrival, so I'm asking here. For meals, it also notes that we don't have dinner covered.

Basically, I'm trying to gauge if I will be able to meet with a friend for dinner one of the evenings.

Yes I realize I will be jet lagged.

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[–]JapanITjobsFormer JET - 2006 - 2008 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I brought 2 Japanese friends to my prefectural dinner lol. If you're American, there is no embassy night.

The funny thing is that I lost contact with those Japanese friends over the years but am still friends with one of the two JETs that sat together with us at the booth.

[–]Memoryjar 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Typical schedule:

Sunday:

Arrival sometime during the day.

Bus to the hotel (1-1:30 hours)

Quick hotel orientation, get your room key (1 hour)

Monday

Breakfast (fill up as this is a buffet and lunch is always very lackluster with small portions)

Finish around 5

Embassy night (Optional, some countries it is worth going to as they feed and entertain you others isn't)

Tuesday

Same as Monday except they will want your large luggage brought down after orientation

They often do a small reception where they pair you up with your local ALTs. This is worth going to as these will be your neighbors and co-jets over the next year. You may also meet the rep from your prefecture who will be taking you to your new home.

Wednesday

Travel to your prefecture - departure times vary based on where you are going and how you are getting there. Some JETs leave early AM (read 5-6 am) and some leave mid morning.

Edit: I might have the embassy night on the wrong night but I'm pretty sure it is on Monday.

[–]ScootOverMakeRoom 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If that friend meets you in Shinjuku, shouldn't be a problem.

[–]jackiejack1Former JET - 2011 - 2014 3 points4 points  (11 children)

You can definitely meet up with your friend when there's free time. That said - I'd recommend using your time hanging out with/making friends with the JETs that will be near you instead. You can always meet your friend some other time. Orientation is a unique social opportunity - take advantage of it.

[–]ScootOverMakeRoom 3 points4 points  (9 children)

I would prioritize a friend over some random people if I only had a few days in Tokyo for orientation and were moving somewhere that's more than cheap day trip away. I would think it kind of selfish to tell my friend they can just visit me in Fukuoka or Hokkaido or on Sado Island if they want to see me, and quite financially irresponsible to spend the money to get to Tokyo to meet up if I could have easily met up with them during orientation.

[–]Infamous_Composer939 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would have dinner with your friend. The people who live near you will be around for at least a year if not more. They will surely get to know you and invite you to various outings because you are all ALTs together in the same area.

I was an alternate and came late (September 2nd). I had no orientation whatsoever, and was sent off on the Shinkansen the next day. Once I arrived, the other JETs in the city were more than welcoming and even threw me a welcome party at a local izakaya.

[–]Background_Road_140 0 points1 point  (3 children)

I disagree. Those people living near you will be traveling with you after the orientation to the same prefecture. Prob save the bonding for them.

If it's Tokyo orientation, just go with the flow

[–]ScootOverMakeRoom 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Good plan if you want to lose your old friends and replace them with new temporary friends.

[–]jackiejack1Former JET - 2011 - 2014 0 points1 point  (0 children)

if you will lose a friend by not grabbing dinner with them once, they aren't your friend

[–]Background_Road_140 0 points1 point  (0 children)

See, you get it!

[–]jackiejack1Former JET - 2011 - 2014 -2 points-1 points  (3 children)

The folks im referencing are the other ALTs in the city/neighboring towns that you are moving to. They will be your main social circle so you may as well get to know them right out of the gate. That said, it sounds like you've already made up your mind so enjoy dinner with the homie.

[–]ScootOverMakeRoom 0 points1 point  (2 children)

So the people you'll have weeks and weeks to get to know? Yeah, I wouldn't prioritize them over a friend either.

[–]DiffabuhCurrent JET - Nagasaki-shi 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Yeah, it sounds so weird to prioritise hanging out with people you can easily see once you're settled in over an existing friend who you may not be able to see for weeks if not months months.

Unless this is fear of being ostracised by your JET community for... not spending a night out in Tokyo with them?

[–]ScootOverMakeRoom 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Especially since you are going to be spending an couple 8-hour days with those people in the orientation, including breakfast and lunch.

[–]AdCold157 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I arrived at 9 pm and had to get up for 9 am events the next day so definitely consider whether you really want to go out and have fun if you have a hard time getting used to the time difference and are tired from travelling! Tbh the adrenaline kept me going but until the weekend it’s pretty intense and still you might have a lot to do then. It’s a pretty usual 8 hour day for the orientation stuff though, and the day you go to your placement is a pretty early start! They do give you breakfast and lunch but I found it pretty inedible by the time I got to it haha. Also don’t go to the hotel Konbini because it’s a rip off

[–]mapoiue -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I landed in Tokyo at around 3pm, put my bags in my room and then went out to drink with my friends until the first train. I continued to do the same for all of the nights during the orientation. I didn’t bother attending the group dinners as I would never see those people again and you’re in Tokyo, who would want to stay inside a hotel at night??

[–]hezaa0706dFormer JET - Fukushima 05-10 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I went parapara clubbing at Roppongi velfarre after my first day of Tokyo orientation. But that was 21 years ago.  

[–]colourfulgiraffe 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You are free, but you might also wanna dinner with your country mates or your newfound prefecture mates. It’s entirely up to you!

[–]IL1KEP1ZZACurrent JET - Fukui Prefecture 7 points8 points  (2 children)

Like what a lot of people said here, you're free around 5. So you can go do whatever you want. I personally went out for drinks and food with friends most of those nights. We did Karaoke and just kind of explored. Breakfast and lunch are covered for ya though.

[–]urzu_sevenFormer JET - 2015-2017 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Breakfast and lunch, not dinner

[–]IL1KEP1ZZACurrent JET - Fukui Prefecture 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oops, definitely meant Lunch. I guess I just had Dinner on the mind lol

[–]craigslistcarpet 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I met friends for dinner every night of orientation, it was tiring but possible!

[–]wildpoinsettiaCurrent JET 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You're free by 5, but many people were jet lagged for a bit (I came from the Caribbean). I was running on adrenaline 😂. The first evening we did conbini food, as many of us hadn't been to Japan before (I bought so many breads and onigiris that night!). The other nights we went out and had indian food. The irony.

[–]acouplefruitsFormer CIR - 2019-2020 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I went to the Kirby cafe for dinner to meet a friend during Tokyo orientation haha

[–]ItsKingDx3 3 points4 points  (0 children)

From what I remember, breakfast and lunch are provided. Dinner is not.

I know someone in my consulate who had previously lived in Tokyo and made friends, and he was able to find time to go out with them. Me and some others found time to go out for food and drinks every night. I'm sure you'll be fine, but you'll need to be flexible as you probably won't know what you need to attend until you get there. There will be probably be an optional mixer one of the nights that you can skip, for example.

[–]Realistic_Report_796Current JET - Hokkaido, Niki-cho 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You should be free around 5-6pm. I don't have the schedule with me anymore, but you totally have time to have dinner with a friend in Tokyo. I'll be honest, I barely remember anything about the orientation lol I was jet lagged, and on arrival day, one of my roommates snored so loud, I wasn't able to get any sleep for the next day.

[–]JetProgram 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You're free to go out after the day's orientation is over. However, you will have spent the previous 12 hours jet lagged in a space with no windows in stuffy outfits while you get the entire handbook fed directly into your brain so YMMV on your energy levels.

[–]thetasteofinnocence 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, you can meet for dinner. If I remember correctly, you’re usually free around 5:00 or 6:00.