25/02/2026
We're reaching out to our incredible community of Official Japan Exchange and Teaching Alumni Association (JETAA) alumni to gather stories and memories for an expanded spotlight series, celebrating the lasting impact of the JET experience and 40 years of the Japan Exchange Teaching Programme. These stories will be shared on our website and social media channels over the next few months in collaboration with the UK JET Programme and Embassy of Japan in the UK.
We'd love to feature your stories, especially if they touch on any of these themes:
​- Life-Changing Moments​: How did your time on JET fundamentally change your perspective, career path, or life direction?
- Professional Impact​: What are you doing now, and how has your Japan experience influenced your current career or opened unexpected opportunities?
- Multi-Generational JET Families​: Are you part of a JET family legacy? We're especially interested in hearing from parents and children who both participated in the programme or people who met their significant other on JET; what similarities and differences did you experience?
- Then vs. Now​: Did you serve in the same region as another JET from a different era? We'd love to explore how communities, schools, or daily life have evolved over the decades.
- Visual Memories Project​: Additionally, we're creating a photo compilation celebrating the diverse JET experience across regions and years. If you have memorable photos from your time in Japan that you'd be willing to share, we'd be grateful to include them in our visual storytelling initiative.
Whether your story is about a small moment that changed everything, or a major life pivot inspired by your time in Japan, we want to hear from you.
Contributions can be any length; from a few paragraphs to a longer reflection.
To participate​, message us directly for the link to submit your story, photos, or reach out to [email protected] with any questions. If you are already part of the jetaa.org.uk network, keep an eye out for your emails tomorrow for the submission link direct to your inbox! Thank you for being part of the JETAA-UK (JET Alumni Association of the United Kingdom) community and for sharing your experience with fellow alumni and future participants!
