News

photo by  Giuseppe Milo  Working holiday visas are fantastic. It was what I used to decide that I didn't want to just holiday in Japan, I wanted to properly live there for a number of years as an English teacher. When researching it online, I was advised to call ahead as there were only so many given out each year. It wa...

By Matsuyuki     70 g glutinous rice flour 65 ml water 60 g sugar 2 tsp cinnamon powder Mix 70 g of your glutinous rice flour with 65ml of water, ensuring there are no lumps. Add 60 g of sugar. Once combined, the...

By OCDP   Dorayaki, a great snack, or possibly a replacement for those who like scotch pancakes for breakfast. 2 large eggs 80 Grams of Caster Sugar 10 grams of Honey 100 grams of flour 2 tbsp of baking powder 50 ml of w...

 Jonathan Longden was a Shiga Prefecture JET in 2016 but is now a project management team leader in the pharmaceutical industry. He sat down to chat with us about his time in Japan and the transition back into that industry.  How did you become interested in the JET Programme, and where did you go? Every time s...

London . .   JETAA London had a great time seeing the stage adaptaion of Garden of Words, and are hoping to see more theatre shows in the future. Spirited Away - London Coliseum, 2024 - 30th April to 20th July 2024 If you haven't already sorted tickets for this, ...

School-Centred Initial Teacher Training Information Day for Applicants   

    JET Video Contest Now Accepting Submissions!   CLAIR is very happy to announce the long-awaited return of the JET Video Contest, being held for the first time in 7 years! All JET Programme alumni as...

Speech Contest for Spoken Business Japanese at at SOAS 7th November 2023 The purpose of the Awards is to deepen the understanding of Japanese business culture by businessmen and women of the UK and the European Union through the study of the Japanese language, and to contribute to goodwill and mutual understan...

London . .   JETAA London had a great time seeing the stage adaptaion of Garden of Words, and are hoping to see more theatre shows in the future. On Thursday 28th of September we are planning to watch the Japan Vs Samoa Rugby world cup game together from 19:30 til 22:30 at The Hercules Pillars, 18 G...

Philip Harper is a successful sake brewer and author. He is the first non-Japanese person to earn the title of Toji 杜氏 or master sake brewer. He is Toji of Kinoshita Brewing Company in Kyoto. He wrote The Insider's Guide to Sake (1998) and The Book of Sake: A Connoisseurs Guide (2006).    How...

Haruka Kuroda is CEO of the A Thousand Cranes Theatre company. She was kind enough to tell us about her "Anglo-Japanese theatre company that creates shows for young people using the Japanese language, culture and storytelling styles, such as Kamishibai." She is also quite a prolific actor, ...

Photo by Masahiko Satoh Japanese cabbage roles, or ロールキャベツ, are a great food to tide you over though these autumn months. You'll need mince for this, but it can be any kind, Quorn, beef, pork or turkey are all fine for this recipe.  250g mince  6 cabba...

• Returning or considering a move to the UK after your JET experience? • Uncertain about finding work or contacts after your arrival? • Or simply want to keep in touch with the JET community and Japan? Join us for this year’s JET ALUMNI CAREERS FAIR ONLINE, organised by the Japan Local Government...

***JETAA volunteers are needed to help with London pre-departure meet-up for outgoing JETs!*** The new JETs have recently been given their placements in Japan and will be attending their pre-departure orientation on Friday 7th July. We would like to invite JET Alumni to join us at a pre-departure meet-up following their orienta...

Nick Bradley’s second book, Four Seasons in Japan, is a moving story covering a range of topics including grief, loss, relationships and seeking fulfilment, all with a beautiful backdrop of the country vividly described by the author. The structure of a book within a book is beautifully crafted, it pulls the reader into a novel difficult to pu...

Hi all, I’m Naomi And I have just become the Chair of the North-East chapter. I was on the JET Programme as an Irish JET 2008-2011 and was an ALT in Umaji-Mura, Kochi.  I was involved with the JET Programme in Ireland upon my return in 2011 and have got involved with the North-East Chapter through our many online events. I also happen to live...

James Gamgee is a Learning and Development manager at the Scottish Government, has been studying Psychology since 2017, and is one of the main organisers of the Fuji Festival. The Festival is an educational project to promote fun study days on Japanese culture in schools.

Photo by Lovejsc     Melon Pan is my favourite Japanese bread,  and it comes from such a simple recipe. We have a step-by-step recipe for those just wanting a quick and fun treat, and one for those who have a bit more time on their hands   Part 1, The Outer L...

This is a great recipe if you've got any leftover curry. You could make some fresh curry just for this recipe, but make sure it's not too saucy. 200G of strong white flour 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of sugar 1/2 teaspoon of salt 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil 120ml of milk 1 teaspoon of instant yeast 2 e...

London . .   We are having an informal gathering in the upstairs room at the Marquis Cornwallis near Russell Square Station from 7pm after JET orientation on Friday the 7th of July. JETAA volunteers are needed to help with London pre-departure meet-up for outgoing JETs! Sign up using the Even...

Image by Abhi Sharma   Love at Six Thousand Degrees by Maki Kashimada A psychological romance exploring PTSD and taboo that won Kashimada the Mishima Yukio Prize�...

Image by Katherine Lim   Karaage seems to be the staple of many JET diets. If you're hosting a party, at karaoke, or looking for a last minute meal in the konbini, karaage has your back. Fried chicken from the UK just isn't the same, but with this recipe you should be able to recapture some of the magic of Japanese ...

Image by Daremoshiranai In my opinon, cripsy tofu is the best kind of tofu, and you can get a wonderful crisp in an air fryer. To make crispy tofu you will need potato starch and cooking spray. It's really important to drain the tofu, then wrap it in a piece of kitchen roll to absorb any excess water. Mois...

Dr. Will Farr is an academic, currently a Senior Teaching Associate at Cambridge University, who specializes in autism in education. His career has developed a lot since he was a JET in Tottori in 1998; he sat down with us a discussed some of his best experiences and how it led to his current career.  Will Farr has always been intereste...

we have linked up with the Japan Foundation to give you the chance to win one of 3 pairs of tickets to see a film of your choice as part of their 2023 Touring Film Programme. You have three chances to win: Like the JETAA London Facebook page (if you haven't already) and the promotional post which will appear there. Follo...

London . .   JETAA London are planning to see Japanese comedian YURIKO KOTANI: KAIJU ABOUT at Soho Theatre on Thursday 23rd March at 8:45pm. BBC New Comedy Award winner, Japanese Londoner Yuriko Kotani, was about to make a change and have a fresh...

Photo by: Brisbane falling      Japanese bakeries are filled with light and fluffy cakes that always appeal to those who want a not-so-filling snack between meals. Rarely do you find something so decadent and filling as this recipe.  You may recognise a version of this choco...

London . . Join the London chapter on Monday 12th for a night of KFC and Karaoke! We'll be meeting at the Lavender Hill KFC at 18:30, which is a short walk from Clapham Junction station.and after feasting on fried chicken in that time-honoured Japanese tradition, we'll be making our way to the Four Thieves pub for chr...

photo by taylorandayumi   Also known as Candied Sweet Potato, Daigaku Imo (大学芋) are an inexpensive and tasty dessert. Daigaku Imo, as you might have guessed from the name, has always been pop...

The Royal Shakespeare’s production of My Neighbour Totoro (となりのトトロ) is a love letter to Miyazaki’s animation, but realised with puppetry. The stagecraft is simply epic. From the opening animated credits (yes you read that right) with crawling insects to Oki-Totoro and an illuminated Catbus the production is simply brilliant. T...

We recently sat down with JET Alumni Gavin Hugh. Gavin runs his own digital media business called MidgieBite Media, which offers video production, photography, and aerial drone services. They do projects for businesses and charities, as well as events coverage and music videos.   "I've been running my business for around five ye...

Recently, brand new JETs all across the country have been welcomed to leavers events to wish them well before they head off to Japan. The pub where people met in London was packed with outgoing JETs, all chattering excitedly as they found people headed to similar prefectures, swapping experiences, wondering what the future held. The weat...

The  JET Careers Fair is returning again this year and will take place on 28th September 2022 (11:00 to 16:30 BST), in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in the UK and Japan Local Government Centre (CLAIR in London). Whether you are looking for information on finding a job after returning to the UK, or just want to kee...

Sushi Me Rolling is a Cosy Newcastle restaurant that serves delightful pun-based, fusion dishes. They have two locations, one in the centre of Newcastle and the other on the coast in Whitley Bay.  Whilst the set meals aren't exactly traditional; they do offer some exciting and delicious dishes that cater to a wider audience than traditi...

The annual international Farnborough airshow was held from 18-22 July 2022. Professionals across the aerospace industry discussed future plans for aerospace, ranging from Low-emission air travel to military defence.  One of the Key takeaways was that the UK government is working towards a deal for Japan to help build the UK’s next-gen...

London . .   JETAA London will be hosting a charity pub quiz in central London on the evening of Thursday October 27th. Compete against teams of up to 6 in order to win prizes, earn the respect of your friends and, most importantly, support a worthwhile cause. Details to follow, so make sure to look out for th...

I am currently the executive director at the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ). I initially joined the BCCJ in January 2020 as the associate director and began my current position in April of this year.  The BCCJ is a nonprofit organisation based in Tokyo, with a mission to help its member companies and individuals make conne...

One thing that I miss about living in Japan is having that Mochi texture in all sorts of other foods. Whilst you can buy mochi at import shops in the UK, there are very few bakeries or restaurants that bake things to have that soft and squidgy texture.  Here is an easy vegan recipe to have that same experience at home. More than just mo...

National  . .   ​​​There will be national event this summer that everyone is encouraged to go to. The North West chapter will be hosting a Matsuri at Tatton Park (Knutsford WA16 6SG) 

We had our AGM in March and had a lot of new faces taking over JETAA Roles. Ryan Keeble, previously head of the London chapter, is now the National chair. You can read his thoughts here. Joining him is Kay Webber, taking over as national treasurer. The...

  Dr. Tomoko Lisa Kate Kitagawa (who usually goes by kate) is the newly appointed director of the Space Education office of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. She helps inspire students from Nursery to High school to get interested in the cosmos, as well as organise events for adults. In the past she has also been a writer, histori...

I currently serve as CEO of Ashinaga Association in the UK. Ashinaga Foundation is one of Japan's largest charities and has supported over 110,000 students who have lost one or both parents. Ashinaga UK was established in 2017 and registered as a charity as 2019. We predominantly support the Ashinaga Africa Initiative. This program aims to recru...

QUAD in Derby will hold a celebration of Japanese culture in June. Japan Fest is a brand-new event organised by Otaku World in association with QUAD. Besides Anime film screenings there will be performances of Kendō, Japanese drummers and a Japanese Folk dancer and sin...

Meat or quorn- 200g  Potatoes - 5  Carrot - 2  Onion - 1  Dashi powder - 1tbsp  Sugar - 3tbsp  Mirin - 3tbsp  Soy sauce - 3tbsp  Sake - 3tbsp First, peel and chop your potatoes into quarters. Then chop your carrots and onions into large chunks too. Cook all the vegetables in...

image by Ma Shimaro Pancake day is one of the most fun and universally loved UK holidays. When I was in Japan, Japanese people loved to hear about the holiday and always wanted to have a go at joining in with the cooking (or just the eating). If you're not be able to introduce pancake day to Japanese students this year, why n...

Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan is a fascinating and exciting documentary series about the unification of Japan.    Netflix has gathered a large group of historians from Japan, the UK, and America to tell the tale of the Nobunaga and the feudal lord's who used his conquest to try and gain power for themselves. One of...

Please give us a brief introduction to who you are and what you do I’m a writer, historian, speaker and occasional broadcaster, focussing on Japan, and also a freelance journalist with a much wider brief. I’ve written some 14 books on Japan and fronted two television programmes on 

JETAA UK is a volunteer organisation, and thus we depend on people getting involved to keep things running.  Every March, at our AGM, we vote for who will take each role. Anyone can run for any role, but some roles are going to become vacant soon.   Each chapter has at least a Chairman and a Treasurer. These roles require ...

Japan and the UK are united in their status as constitutional monarchies. Whatever your opinion on the royal families in modern times, they were profoundly crucial in history.    The relationship between the British and Japanese royals informed the relationships between the two nations. The first official contact between them w...

Newcastle has a lot of great places to eat, but down Leazes Park Rd, just a couple of minutes walk from Haymarket or Monument metro stations, you can find Tea Sutra.  Run by a Japanese tea enthusiast this tea house bends Japanese cooking with vegan styles from all around the world. From the moment you enter, you're hit with an ai...