Not Recontracting: One Year in Japan

The decision of whether or not to recontract with the JET Program is complicated at its simplest. The decision must be made 6 months into your year, by February, about whether or not you want to stay for another year and a half, for me it would be until August 2014.

Everyone feels pressure: from your contracting organization, your friends, your family, and yourself. You must make an important decision about your future. Your career, your finances, your personal relationships, and your well-being are all at stake. We weigh the pros and the cons. We do a cost-benefit analysis.

People argue that they spent a year or more preparing and applying to come to Japan, so to spend only a year here would be a waste. The position is competitive, well-paying, and exciting. And after one year, just when things are starting to make sense and you start to finally understand what's expected of you and how to operate in society without actin’ the fool, how could you possibly decide to leave? 

Your friends say, “Can’t I convince you to stay another year?” Your contracting organization has jumped through so many hoops just to get you to where you are; to guarantee your happiness, safety, and legality in Japan. You’ve grown so close to your coworkers and you’ve carved out a place in your schools, in your town, and even in your prefecture. The transition back to your home country would likely be complicated and taxing. Plus, there's no guarantee of finding a job in the tough global economy.

Regardless of the decision you make, it feels necessary to give a justification. And for me, despite all the above arguments to the contrary, I have decided NOT to recontract. I will be a one-year wonder, a passing fancy, like Dr. Who, here one minute and gone the next. Here’s why.

I’m a twenty five year old woman. I’m married. This is my first international journey and I want more adventures. My puppy and my family are all back in America. I can’t speak Japanese and I don’t have a future in a Japanese company in America, nor can I see myself living permanently in Japan. Most jobs require 5-years experience or an advanced degree, and as well as I could spin my JET experience into relevant experience, it probably isn't. After one year, my student loans will be paid off!

It was painful for me to break the news to my supervisor: the kindest, hardest working woman you can imagine. I know how much she personally has done for me, granted, her job title is “ALT Supervisor,” but she is like my mother in Japan. I didn’t just check the box on the paperwork and say, “I’m not recontracting.” I expressed my deep gratitude, and said that is was a very difficult decision. I explained my personal reasons, and reiterated how much the BOE has done for me, how much I love this town, and how sad it will make me to leave. I was tearing up a little, which is not professional but I couldn’t help it.

I know that I’ll be looked down upon by the JET community, and probably by my coworkers, people who maybe don’t understand that people make decisions based on factors and situations that are much different than their own. I feel like being a JET alumni who worked for only one year is like a badge of shame. Like, “I’m inept and I don’t like Japan that much.” I’m not usually a super confident person, but I will say that I’m pretty good at my job. I work hard and my students always enjoy class and learn English. I love Japan. I fit into my community. It breaks my heart to go.

There is a greater truth here about the difficulty of decision making as a whole. How do people come to decisions? I’m sure there is a lot of psychological research that has been done, or philosophical theories, but usually we decide a thing without thinking about the deciding itself. On the Wikipedia page for Decision Making, there are about 50 links in the "See Also" list of related topics. Making decisions is really hard to do and understand.

I'll end with this quote that summarized my decision. The quote is by Victor Hugo, from his work which has been newly popularized by film, Les Miserables:

“The straight line, a respectable optical illusion which ruins many a man.”