Our Photo of the Month comes from Mark Lamb (Ehime, 2024-Present) sharing a peaceful time on the Uwajima Unyu Ferry.

The NEXT JET Group Mentorship Program gives departing JETs the chance to connect with JET alumni, current JETs and 2025 departing JETs to get advice and have a safe space to ask questions and connect. 2025 JETs are welcome to join at any point, although this group is typically most active through the end of July.

A certain object — one that many people consider outdated nowadays — planted a seed in Adam Lisbon that ended up shaping his life.  “The thing that really made me want to travel and see the world — and Japan sort of filled that gap of where to go in the world — was, believe it or not, CD-Roms,” Lisbon said.

This April, Japan Society of Boston featured Bianca Sanchez Alvarez (Hiroshima, 2016-2018). In their JSB meets JET Alumni series. Bianca reflects on her journey inspired by her great-grandfather’s Japanese roots. She shares insights on Hiroshima’s culture, from okonomiyaki to Peace Memorial Park, and the lasting connections made with students and colleagues.

Join us on Friday, April 18 from 7-8:30pm ET for a discussion and demonstration of one of Japan’s most iconic performing art forms along with an inside peak at the makeup application process.

USJETAA is excited to congratulate Valerie Stewart, Vivian Chen, and Jennifer Sherman on being elected as the 2025–2026 JETAA USA Country Representatives!

In April, we have a short and engaging reading! We'll be reading the first installment of Atsukawa Tatsumi's novel Before Escape Bride on April 11 (US) / April 12 (Japan).

USJETAA’s Bobby Nawbary took some time to hear how current JET, Michelle Barajas Perez, found herself making sugar skulls with her students in Japan. Michelle’s path to Japan was not typical. With roots in small-town, rural California, her hometown of Los Banos is not a town where its people venture far from in their lives.