Welcome new 2005 JETs! You should have been contacted already with your placement information. If you haven't, get in touch with me and I'll take a look.
Recontracting JETs already in Ishikawa on the other hand are most likely heading down to Tokyo this weekend...

for the 2005-2006 recontracter's conference. While I'm assuming all of you pretty much know where you're going, just in case, remember that the conference is in the Keio Plaza hotel in Shinjuku and starts at 2pm sharp! Make sure you get there with plenty of time to spare, because with at least a thousand JETs in attendance, things are certain to get crowded! The Keio Plaza hotel is easy to find from Shinjuku station (it's located right next to the massive Tokyo Tocho towers (the metropolitan government office towers that look like high tech pillars presiding over a futuristic colisseum) - it's the same place you had your initial Tokyo orientation when you got here a year ago. To reach it, simply head out of the West exit of Shinjuku station and follow the map below:

If you're arriving by airport, keep in mind that there's direct buses to and from the hotel. The limousine bus schedule from Haneda domestic airport to the Keio plaza can be found here. Keep in mind that the bus takes at least 50 minutes (or more, depending on traffic!) so don't catch a flight at the last minute and expect to make it!

Finally, should you need it, you can find out everything you need to about the Keio plaza by visiting their homepage (in english).

Man this conference blows! I'm gonna ditch!

A "free trip" to Tokyo rocks in anybody's book, and for those of us living in Ishikawa, it can certainly be a strong temptation to want to "make the most" of this chance by ditching the conference and painting the town red. While of course, officially I can't condone such behavior, I'm not going to pretend that it doesn't happen and that some of you won't skip yourself.

While ultimately the decision is up to you, I would advise you against skipping, for several reasons. The first and foremost is that attendance may be taken at the individual seminars, and if you are found to be absent, there's a chance you may be forced to reimburse your contracting organization for the money they spent to send you to the conferences - and believe me, it's not cheap, especially the two nights at the Keio Plaza. While this may seem extreme, it does and has happened, so think twice before ditching!

In addition, you will be required to write a report summarizing the various workshops you attended, and for the sake of those of us who have to read those reports it'd probably be better if they weren't all copied verbatim from the conference booklet!

Finally, many people have spent a great deal of time preparing this conference for you, and there's a great chance that you may find it contains quite a bit of useful information! So out of respect for the people who have put all their time and hardwork into creating the various workshops and setting up your accomodations and arrangements, try to attend at least most of the conference!!

Okay, okay. Now what's there to do in Tokyo?

That having been said, there will be plenty of opportunities to have fun in Tokyo! While I'm sure everyone will find their own things to do, it might not hurt to bring along a guidebook or stop by any of the various tourist information centers to pick up a map and information on some of the more mainstream attractions Tokyo has to offer.If you're looking for things more "off the beaten path", there's countless places you can look for information, but your own fellow JETs might be one of the best sources and are bound to know more than one or two interesting places you may never have considered! In addition, you check places like Tokyo's Metropolis Magazine, a foreigner rag devoted to all sorts of local happenings. You can pick up a copy at Kinokuniya (there's a branch in Shinuku out the East exit by Bic Camera/citybank), Virgin Records, etc. and in the back there's all sorts of advertisments and events listed. There's also some stuff floating around on the J-talk forums, or you can go to places like the Tokyo International Forum over in Yurakucho to see what postings you can find (these tend to be more of the cultural or "exchange" type, rather than parties or gigs) for information as well.

Finally, the Keio plaza has a nifty little flash based map which shows a variety of attractions (pretty mainstream) in Tokyo and how to get there. You can view the map by click here. If you need a map of the general train layout in Tokyo, you can find one here. Don't forget that your JET diary has a very useful english map of the train system in Tokyo as well!

A word of caution...

Tokyo is a vast and confusing place if you've never been, and while it's safe for the most part, exercise reasonable caution when heading out, especially if you're thinking about slumming around in Roppongi or Kabukicho. Try not to head out alone and don't do anything stupid - basically, anything you wouldn't do back here in Ishikawa. (forgive my little slip into "parental mode"!) I will be presenting one of the seminars at the conference and will be in Tokyo from Sunday until Wednesday evening, so if you need anything or get into trouble, don't hesitate to give me a ring and I'll do my best to help get you sorted out!

Returning JETs

Finally, Justin, the CIR PA, has been kind enough to prepare a digital version of the information he covered at the Returner's Conference last month, including copies of the forms you'll need to collect your pension refund. I'll be posting this page shortly, so look for it to appear on the "quicklinks" section to the left. As well, don't forget that the Korinbo Flea Market is coming up soon on the 19th of June and is a great opportunity to get rid of all that stuff you don't know what to do with!

Well, that's it for now! To all new JETs, welcome again! And to all of you staying with us for another year, have a safe trip and I'll see you in Tokyo!

-Panda