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

2026 Virtual Career Development Workshop with Emily Frank

Join us Saturday, February 21st, from 11 am-1:00 pm CST, for the JETAA Chicago Career Development Workshop! If you are a JET alum currently navigating the job market after JET, considering a career switch, or simply pondering what’s next for you, your attendance is welcome! This event is designed to bring together JETAA members seeking career advice at all stages of their career trajectory.

Our speaker will be Emily Frank from The Career Catalyst, who will be able to answer your questions about finding a new position. The workshop theme is その後: Navigating Life After Japan—In the US Job Market. The workshop content will focus on the following:

• A new position is more than skills - common paths after JET

• Challenges in today's job market

• Resumes and applicant tracking systems

• Dealing with uncertainty

• Dealing with and leveraging AI

The first ten people to sign up AND attend the event will receive a one hour one-on-one session with Emily, free of charge, on the topic of their choice. Preference will be given to JETAA Chicago members.

Please join us for this free workshop, which will offer invaluable advice to help advance your career after the JET Program.

Sign up here! 

This event is for JET alumni only.

Questions? Contact Joe at networking@jetaachicago.com