Over 100 Midwesterners depart for Japan to participate in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program

The Consulate General of Japan at Chicago is proud to send off over 100 new participants of the 27th annual Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. 109 of them will depart for Japan on July 27 and a few others on August 20. All participants will work in Japan as English teachers or coordinators for international relations for a minimum of one year. The program provides an exciting opportunity for mutual enrichment between the participants and their host communities.

The JET Program aims to promote grassroots internationalization by inviting young college and university graduates from overseas to assist in international exchange and foreign language education throughout Japan. This year, the JET Program will welcome approximately 1,661 new participants, bringing the number of JET participants in Japan above 4,300, from a total 40 countries. Since its inauguration in 1987, the JET Program has welcomed 58,000 participants from 63 countries. For more information about the program, visit http://www.jetprogramme.org/.

Chicago is one of the world's largest points of recruitment and departure for JET. At the Pre-departure Orientation on Friday, July 26^th 2-4 pm, Mr. James Kennedy (JET alumnus and author) will make remarks followed by a send-off reception from 4:15-5:30 pm. Consul General Masaharu Yoshida will attend the reception. On Saturday, all participants will leave O'Hare around noon.