Many JETs cannot speak a word of Japanese when they arrive. But do try and study a little of the local language before you leave, simple phrases will get you a long way and help people warm to you. The JET language course provides a good basis. Learning to say hello and thank you will usually result in an astonished smile in a Japanese stranger and this always helps start off any exchange, even if you don't understand a word that follows. You will have plenty of opportunity to study during the JET year and Japanese language classes are fairly easy to locate.

Try and learn a little about Japanese culture and customs prior to departure, your JET handbook is full of useful cultural information. Another good source of information is the Japan Lonely Planet as well as our extensive Japan links section.

It can be a little unnerving coming to Japan for the first time, it may be your first time abroad and Japan has very different cultures and customs. As long as you show respect for these differences you will have no problems irrespective of how many errors you make.

You may have been pumped full of ideas as to how to bow, how to hold you chopsticks, when to take off your shoes (important one), how to accept a business card, what to wear etc etc, but you may end up freezing up trying to remember all of the 'rules'. The good new is that you are not expected to 'understand' when you first arrive. So relax and learn as you go, your hosts will be more than understanding and willing to show you how things work.

You will quickly find out that working practices in Japan differ hugely to those back home. Imagine not taking your contracted holiday time or using it when you take a day off sick. The notion of the 'group' is a reality here and you will be working for the group ahead of your individual benefit. This is a reciprocal thing as your working group will often look after you when you yourself need help.

However, as much as you sacrifice for the group, you will most probably never truly be accepted as you are a newcomer and a foreigner. It takes a long time and one to two years is not long enough. So why play by their rules? Well for the sake of harmony and respect at the very least. You are not expected to play by these rules because as a Western gaijin you simply would not understand the notion of sacrificing for a group as we are only about ourselves and individual gain. Its your call, but you can surprise them a great deal and challenge their pre-conceptions by playing it team.

One thing that is a universal and even more important in Japan is punctuality. It is considered very rude to be late in Japan so try to be on time for everything. Probably out of sheer concern for the foreign teacher in a new country if you are more than 5 minutes late for school, there will be a search party set up, flashlights, helicopters and all.

So save being late for when you are meeting westerners, they will understand. Also, rushing anywhere in Japan in the summer is not cool, quite literally, unless you want to arrive in a sweaty mess then make good time for getting to places you need to be.