Naturally people are quite nervous as, I will personally attest (and my friend Matthew, too, perhaps - he got married there!), that the experience in japan is life-changing for the better.
Vincent asked me about my own personal recollections regarding the waiting and interview process, and so... you ask, I do...
After giving the lust of my college life a lift home one evening, she mentioned that she wanted to go to Japan to teach English on something called the JET Programme. I had never heard of it, and had never given much thought about the future except to hope that one day I might actually get laid for the first time.
She also mentioned that she was going to apply to the Toronto Star Summer Internship Program - we were both in our second-year of a two year journalism program in college after we each graduated from university - and while I had heard about this, I never gave it much thought because what were the odds the best newspaper in Canada would ever hire students from a community college when there were so many respected journalism schools in our Canadian universities.
So... over the next few days, I pumped her... unfortunately only for information, though I was still trying for the other.
JET Programme. I told my mom about it, and she actually found all the information for me, and even requested the documents to be sent to me, but the Japanese consulate in Toronto said it would be best if I picked them up, as time was running out.
Now... this was in 1989 and before e-mail and the Internet became everyday things. And, since I was in school and my mom worked reasonably close to the consulate, she picked it up for me.
The key things needed for the initial application were that I had to be a Canadian citizen - check; have graduated from university - barely with a BA in Political Science - check; and be between the age of 18-34 - at the time of my application, I was 25, so - check.
I filled out the required information, got transcripts from my university and some from the college, noted that I had coached women's soccer for seven years, taught piano and clarinet for three... and added a photo and had some people swear I was a decent person: a neighbor; the Dean of Humber College Squee Gordon; and a adult female piano student.
And then came the tough part. I had to state WHY I wanted to go to Japan.
Despite my new-found penchant for telling the truth (since I turned 18), telling the Japan Consulate of Toronto that I wanted to go to Japan because a girl I liked was also trying to go and I desperately wanted to get laid - was out of the equation.
So... I got creative.
I had never, ever wanted to go to Japan. Never. Even now I was doing this because I felt the effort would appease my folks. I had only ever wanted to go to see the pyramids of Egypt, and check out the temples of the Aztec, Maya and Inca. That's it.
I never had a dream about Japan. Never knew anything about the place except from the somewhat racist, but incredibly funny episodes of Gilligan's Island (Japanese soldier played by Vito Scotti - who certainly didn't have a Japanese name!), and an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati - where I learned that OHIO - where Cincinnati is located means 'good morning' in Japanese.
Okay, I also knew about that line: Domo arigato, Mister Roboto from some group I didn't really listen to (at the time) - Styx.
That was the extent of my knowledge of Japan. Pretty sad, eh?
Well, I did know some stuff about Japan and World War II because I loved to learn a few things about history. I knew all about the atomic bombs (not really... I knew that two were dropped, and that the Enola Gay dropped the first one over Hiroshima thanks to a Revel plastic model airplane kit I built).
But... rather than go to a library and read up on Japan, I decided to be raw and honest. Since World War II was what I knew most about Japan, I thought I would work that into my response about why I wanted to go to Japan.
The exact words are lost the files of the Japan Consulate of Toronto's filing, but essentially I said I wanted to go to Japan to meet and talk with people about World War II. I know that history books are always written by the winners, but I wanted to go to Japan to talk to people about their experiences of the war.
Pretty naive, I'm sure.
I had my mother type up my statement and correct all my spellers and bad grammar - my mother was a saint - and mailed it off. Okay, my mother actually dropped it off in person. Saint, I tells ya!
Now, unlike most of the other people applying to the JET Programme, I didn't really have that much a vested interest in the whole thing, and could have cared less if I made it or didn't. I still wasn't getting laid and had moved on to some other fruitless pursuit (insert whatever woman's name you want HERE).
So... I wasn't worried or fretting over a damn thing.
The same with my application to the Toronto Star Summer Internship Program. I just didn't care. I just wanted to get laid.
So... imagine my surprise five weeks later when I was informed that I had an interview with the Toronto Star, who were coming to our school for the chat. Apparently they only interviewed five people from the journalism program.
A day later, in February, I received notification that the Japanese Consulate wanted to interview me.
Awwwwwww crap.
Since going to Humber College for the journalism program, everything had been coming up Andrew.
Excluding not getting laid, I was like Ferris Bueller - I was winning. First time ever. Not bad for a kid nearly two years younger than everyone else in high school and who was bullied so much he wanted to kill himself or kill everyone else. But... this being Toronto, getting guns, at that time, was difficult. And I was just frustrated and angry, not certifiable.
So... I had my interview with the Toronto Star. I told them I was also being considered for a teaching position with the JET Programme in Japan.
The next day I went to the Consulate offices and told them I had just had an interview with the Toronto Star for their prestigious Summer Internship Program.
I played one off the other.
Each was impressed that the other thought highly of me, and perhaps they each liked the ambition I was showing. Or maybe they liked my ability to communicate.
Being bullied for years, I learned to bullshit people. I also have a BA in BS, also known as Political Science. I know how to talk, and I know how to sling it. Still do.
At the Consulate, they brought up the written statement of WHY I wanted to go to Japan and suggested that the people of Japan may not be so open about their role in the war. I asked why and turned it around asking my questioners about whether their parents had served - and lo and behold, they started talking... they answered my queries about the war and their parents. I expressed my belief that while I am not a forceful person, I can talk to anyone about anything... from farmers, businessmen, kids, adults, seniors, rich, poor, men, women, whatever...
I think they believed I really could. I could. I can. I think that part about being a good journalist-in-the-making was showing here.
Being in the JET Programme, and indeed in life, is all about communicating effectively. If it's not, it bloody well should be. I did see eggheads in Japan who knew everything about Japan, had always wanted to be in Japan, and were super smart - book smart... but they were the most boring people I had ever met.
Me? I might be an egomaniac to some, confident to others, but I am NOT boring. I'm not stupid either, but at this time I was only just getting over being a lazy bastard.
So... with the newspaper and teaching interviews out of the way, I did what I in Toronto. I went to school and excelled at editing newspaper articles written by others, I wrote my own stories, I was the nice, friendly guy that would talk to anyone anywhere anytime about anything, I helped anyone who needed help, I did my school internships (got fired from one after the girl I liked - the one who told be about JET - got there and stole a full-time job from me and was a bitch about it), put out the school paper, partied heavily with the journalism students, coached the women's college soccer team, tried to date a gorgeous athletic director, dated a couple of other women, taught piano to eight students, clarinet to one, and excelled at school.
I was a busy guy and my parents were proud that I was no longer being a punchline to a William Shatner Saturday Night Live skit (Hope THIS works), as I lived in my parent's basement.
Then came the news that I was accepted in the Toronto Star Summer Internship Program, becoming the first Canadian community college student to be accepted into it - ever.
The next day, I found out I was accepted by the JET Programme to go and teach in Japan.
Let me tell you something... the Japan thing scared the crap out of me. Here I was accepted to be a reporter for the best newspaper in Canada and I was going to have to cut it short to go and work in Japan - a place I still didn't want to go to.
What if I never got a chance to work for the newspaper again? As well, they often hired interns to work full-time once the summer was over.
I really didn't want to go to Japan.
But... this time it was my Dad who calmed down. Do the newspaper internship and then quit to go to Japan for the one year contract - and then, when I get back to try to get back into the newspaper business.
Right up until the very last night when I was to go to Japan, I had to be convinced this was the right thing to do. I really didn't want to go to Japan.
I stayed in Japan for three years and pretty much loved every minute of it. I had highs and lows, but I was constantly learning - and you can't beat more knowledge. Ever.
And, as it turns out, there was a major recession that hit Canada in 1990... the Toronto Star didn't hire any interns to work full-time that year. The recession continued the next year, and when my one-year contract was up for renewal, I knew that job prospects in Canada were slim - thanks Dad - so I signed up for a second year. I signed up for a third and final year - the most one can do on the JET Programme - without consulting anyone but myself, because I was really enjoying learning.
So... I suppose I was the exception and not the rule as per the average JET applicant. I didn't want to go except to get laid, and they took me anyway. After one month in Japan I finally did get laid, by the way... and I never worked as a newspaper reporter again. And it didn't bother me one bit.
Go with the flow, people. Go with the flow. If you get in - great - enjoy how ever long you decide to stay. If you don't get in this year - apply again next year. And the next, if you really want to go. Or... just go to Japan and try and get a job teaching English at one of their many teaching schools. I know of at least four people who did that and had a great time. But please - have some personality. One should be enough.
And, just so you know... I did ask a number of Japanese people about Japan and World War II. Despite being private and shy, people would open up to me and tell me everything. A bottle of shochu (the real term for rice wine - that everyone mistakenly calls sake) is a great ice breaker, by the way.
Somewhere writing about Japan 22-1/2 years later,
Andrew Joseph
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