Congratulations on getting your placement! There is a strong possibility that you have never heard of Fukui Prefecture, but rest assured it is a wonderful place. On behalf of the Fukui JET community we would like to welcome you to your new home! We are the 2008-2009 FJET Co-Presidents, Chris Redd and Lauren Stockhausen.

FJET, the Fukui Chapter of National Association of JETs, exists to help you and all Fukui JETs by being the informational hub of a strong community of more than 100 teachers. We strive to achieve this goal by writing useful documents (like this Pre-Departure Handbook), helping with Fukui Orientation, and organizing various events and trips to help keep you involved during your time in Fukui.

Over the coming weeks you will receive a surplus of information from Japan. However, this handy document should always be at the top of your reading pile. We recommend that you read it, digest it, read it again, and put it under your pillow when you sleep. It will prepare you for your upcoming adventure in Japan. Hopefully it will answer some of your questions about living and working in Fukui on the JET Program. If you lose this guide you can view it on this website. Also, you can always email us at FJETpresidents@gmail.com.

You are about to embark on an exciting adventure that could quite possibly change your life, but it won't all be easy! This handbook has been revised yearly and contains the distilled thoughts of many an FJET committee member. We'd like to thank all contributors for their hard work. We'd also like to thank Melissa Avis and the Fukui Board of Education for their hard work and advice. For now, sit back and let FJET share their words of wisdom!

Sincerely,

Chris Redd & Lauren Stockhausen

P.S. Please come visit us in our FORUM to introduce yourself and ask any questions.

P.P.S. Another great source of information is the FJET Yahoo mailing list. Many community announcements are posted there that may not make it here, so please go ahead and sign up for that. YAHOO GROUP