Join the annual Bowlnenkai this Sunday!

Strike up some fun with JETAA Chicago this Sunday, February 1!

Don't miss our annual, cosmic bowling event this weekend! Join your fellow alumni to connect, network, and enjoy a little friendly competition. All skill levels are welcome, so don’t worry if you’re not a pro bowler. It's $5 to reserve your spot and JETAA Chicago will cover the rest! Two hours of bowling, shoe rental, pizza and soft drinks are all included!

Event Date: Sunday, February 1, 2026

Event Time: 2:45 PM - 5:00 PM CST

Location: Waveland Bowl

Address: 3700 N Western Ave Chicago, IL 60618

Sign up here!

Questions? Contact us at info@jetaachicago.com or president@jetaachicago.com.

This event is for JET alumni only.

Survey response request from people who lived in Japan

Have you visited or lived in Japan and experienced cross-cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan? Your experience could help improve Japanese language education!

My name is Maayan Barkan, and I am the director of the Japanese Program and a Japanese language instructor at Hunter College of the City University of New York. I am conducting research on cultural differences between the United States and Japan, and I would love to hear about your experiences.

Who Should Fill This Survey Out?

Please fill out the following survey only if you are someone who:

• Grew up in the U.S.

• Has the experience of visiting/living in Japan

• Had any kind of cross-cultural experience while visiting/living in Japan

  
  

Survey Link:

https://cunyhunter.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8jDw9fdvHeTnVz0

How Your Experience Helps:

Your cross-cultural experiences provide authentic, real-world examples of how Japanese and American cultural norms differ. This information will help us:

• Identify specific situations where cultural miscommunication is likely

• Understand which aspects of Japanese culture are most surprising to Americans

• Develop Japanese language teaching materials that raise students' awareness of these differences and equip them to communicate effectively within Japanese sociocultural norms and expectations

• Create a curriculum that addresses real cultural challenges, not stereotypes

  
  

What's Involved:

• One anonymous online survey

• Estimated completion time: 10 minutes

  
  

Share With Others:

If you know other Americans who have visited or lived in Japan, please feel free to forward this survey. The more diverse experiences we collect, the better we can support Japanese language learners.

IRB Approval:

This study has been approved by the Hunter College Institutional Review Board.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this research, please contact me at: Maayan Barkan at mbarkan@hunter.cuny.edu 

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. Your insights will make a real difference in how we teach Japanese language and culture!

Best regards,

Maayan Barkan

Japanese Program Director

Department of Classical & Oriental Studies

Hunter College, CUNY

mbarkan@hunter.cuny.edu 

Bilingual Sales Representative (Japanese / English) Position in Schaumburg, IL

This job opportunity was obtained courtesy of JETwit Jobs.

Job Position: Bilingual Sales Representative (Japanese / English)

Organization: iiicareer/interesse international inc.

Salary/Hourly Rate: U.S. Assignment: $85,000 – $150,000 annually, Japan Training Period: ¥7,000,000 – ¥16,000,000 annually

Where: Training Period: Tokyo, Japan(onsite) / Post-Training Assignment: Schaumburg, IL, USA(onsite)

Visa Sponsorship: Yes

Description:

Employment Flow

1. Training Period in Japan

・Location: Tokyo area, Japan

・Duration: 6 months – 1 year (depending on experience)

・Work visa for Japan will be sponsored

・Onsite work required

・Working hours will follow U.S. time zones (Night shifts required, e.g. 10:00pm / 11:00pm – 7:00am)

・Monthly business trips to the U.S. (approximately 2 weeks per trip)

2. Post-Training Assignment in the United States

・Full-time position based in Schaumburg, Illinois

・Continued involvement in sales activities for North American clients

Job Description

The primary responsibility is sales activities for a SaaS product focused on engineering drawing management and order processing for manufacturing companies.

Key responsibilities include:

・Sales activities for North American clients

・Interpretation during business meetings and sales visits

・Preparation of sales materials and documents

・On-site interpretation during client visits

・Assistance with creating documents and materials in local languages as needed

Apply at: https://iiicareer.com/applicant/en/detail.php?recid=63454