On Tokyo Orientation

Let me get straight to the point and tell you what no one else wants to say: Tokyo Orientation is a huge waste of time, if you’re a JET going to Tokyo orientation, don’t spend your limited time in Tokyo going to vague, general meetings, go out and see Tokyo. God knows you’re likely placed no where near Tokyo and may not get the chance to see Tokyo again for a long, long time.

Now, some people will say, “This is your job, you are getting paid to be there, you should do the responsible and mature thing, and go to the meetings.” I would tend to agree with this, if the meetings had any use or value. But they don’t. Don’t let the guilt get to you, skip them and explore Tokyo.

JETs spend Sunday-Wednesday (morning) in Tokyo, make the most of it (read: don’t go to the meetings).

Let me explain a little further.

First, I would definitely suggest going to the opening ceremony, not only because they take attendance, but also because it will make you feel good. After that, don’t step foot back in the hotel until the next semi-mandatory meeting, your prefecture meeting. This meeting is actually important, as you find out when you’re leaving for your prefecture, how you’re getting there, and other useful information.

Throughout the day Monday and Tuesday are a series of workshops that you get to pick-and-choose from according to your interests, they do not take attendance at these meetings (hint hint). Though I was tricked on Monday by workshop titles that sounded useful, but Tuesday I learned my lesson.

In every session I went to Monday, the information was so vague and useless all I could think about was all of the action going on in the biggest city in the world, just outside the hotel, and there I was stuck listening about how to use chopsticks.

Which brings me to another reason why Tokyo Orientation is so useless: JET is definitely a learning-on-the-job type of job. And that includes learning how to use chopsticks. Sitting through a few 50 minute sessions is not going to make you instantly prepared. If you don’t speak Japanese, learning how to say ‘konnichiwa’ isn’t going to save your ass.

You may have noticed that I have not included Sunday on this schedule. That’s because it’s basically a lost day. JETs arrive sometime late Sunday afternoon, and no matter where you’re coming from, it’s a long flight. By the time you get to the hotel (around 7-8pm) you will have been up for at least 24 hours and the day is basically over. Unless you’re a true warrior, I would suggest getting settled, eating, and going to bed early to regain your strength for Monday’s, ahem, meetings.

Don’t listen to any lies you may have heard, attendance is only taken for two of the sessions (the two I mentioned), and no one is keeping track of your whereabouts. It’s a little difficult to keep track of 1000 people. If you feel nervous about walking through the lobby to ditch, here’s a hint—take the main tower elevator to floor two, turn right, walk out the door, and BAM! the underground tunnel to Shinjuku station, and your freedom.

And that’s where I stand on Tokyo Orientation.