Samantha Sodetz (Kagoshima, 2018-2019)

Rural communities in both Japan and the United States have much to learn from one another as they seek to address rural depopulation. In a globalized world where many people, especially young people, are driven to metropolitan areas in pursuit of economic advancement—think, Osaka, Tokyo, and Fukuoka in Japan and coastal cities like New York and Los Angeles in the United States—often-neglected rural communities in both countries are facing cascading problems.

JETs on Japan: December, 2025

This December, Japan Society of Boston featured Jennifer Sherman (Mie, 2012-2016), in their JSB meets JET Alumni series.

Cara Lam's journey into the JET Program and Japan was inspired by her multicultural upbringings and her undeniable passion for adventure. She credits the JET Program for transforming her sense of adventure into purpose. Representing the United States at the Dragon Boat World Championships in the summer of 2025 in Germany and reconnecting with her former students in Japan, Cara's adventures are still going strong, even after Japan. 

American University is hosting a virtual info session on Friday, December 5, 2025⁠ at 8:00 PM ET.

Join us on December 5 at 7PM ET to read another essay by Itsuki Hiroyuki from his collection 捨てない生き方 (Living Without Throwing Things Away).

Join us for a session with JET alumni who now recruit for Japanese companies, sharing how they’ve built on their JET experience and found their next path on December 11, 2025.

Join us on Tuesday, Dec 9th, 7 -8:30pm ET to explore pathways into Japanese language education, from credentialing and certification to navigating career opportunities in K-12 and higher education.

This November, Japan Society of Boston featured Anise Overton (Fukuoka, 2023-2024), in their JSB meets JET Alumni series.