JetThrive — Real Support for Your First Months in Japan
JetThrive turns your first months in Japan into a questline.
Each stage is a level with missions, artifacts, and power-ups you can unlock along the way. From orientation to recontracting season, you’ll collect real tools, boost your resilience, and face the Boss Battle with confidence — all while traveling the map of your JET journey alongside peers and mentors.
Holiday Pilot: Nov 15–Jan 15 • Main: Jan 15–Mar 15
~3–4 hrs/week • Virtual • Optional live sessions recorded
WHO IT’S FOR
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First-year JETs feeling the “honeymoon crash” or winter isolation
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Any current JET seeking community, structure, and clarity about recontracting
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Returnees are welcome (space for reflection and renewal)
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Open to all current JETs
What Makes JetThrive Different
JETs already receive valuable orientations and advice. JetThrive builds on that foundation, transforming preparation into an ongoing questline. With levels and missions 🎯, you’ll complete artifacts 📜, unlock power-ups 🔑, and gather alongside peers and mentors. Think of it as the next stage in your journey — turning what you’ve learned into lived confidence and clarity, and helping you prepare for the Boss Battle 🛡️ — your recontracting decision.
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🌏 Nationwide Cohort (Your Guild): Extend the connections you’ve begun locally and join a guild of peers across Japan for broader support.
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🤝 Peer-Based (Party System): Build on your existing networks with structured spaces to share wins, challenges, and encouragement.
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🎓 Alumni Mentors (Guides): Add guidance from those who’ve already cleared the levels, complementing the advice you receive on-site.
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⏳ Flexible Format (Choose Your Path): Quests are designed to fit your schedule, supplementing what you’ve already learned without adding stress.
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🛠️ Real Tools (Artifacts & Power-Ups): Beyond advice, you’ll create concrete artifacts and gain power-ups that make your growth visible and usable.
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🗺️ Travel Cohorts (Bonus Levels): Optional in-country gatherings that expand your questline, bringing community and reflection into real-world settings.
JetThrive
(Virtual Program)
JetThrive is a guided, community-based program for your first months in Japan. Through short, practical lessons and reflective prompts, you’ll build belonging and wellbeing habits, navigate winter and the holidays abroad, and use a clear framework to approach recontracting—designed for first-years, open to all JETs.
What you’ll gain:
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Each step comes with artifacts to collect and power-ups — practical boosts you can use right away in daily life.
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A belonging & resilience toolkit for winter
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A personal connection map and simple daily routines that actually stick
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A recontract decision framework (values → options → action)
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A supportive peer/mentor community and guided reflection prompts
Cohorts & Dates:
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Holiday Pilot (Virtual): Nov 15, 2026 – Jan 15, 2027
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Main Cohort (Virtual): Jan 15 – Mar 15, 2027
Join the interest list to get reminders, pricing, and early access to seats. -
Peer-to-peer fundraising toolkit available to help cover program fees (friends, family, or community support).
Holiday Questline: Support Timeline 🎄
Each stage is a mission — complete your artifact, gain your power-up, and prepare for the next level.
HOW IT WORKS
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Asynchronous micro-lessons (10–15 min) + guided reflections each week
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3 optional live sessions per cohort: Holiday Circle • Recontract Workshop • Final Celebration
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Mentor/peer circles & office hours (optional)
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Certificate of completion
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Time commitment: ~3–4 hours/week
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Format: Online (learning hub + Zoom)
Boss Battle Toolkit: Recontract Decisions 🛡️
Face the challenge with maps, planners, and stories from alumni who’ve fought this battle before.
Allies & Mentors:
Your Support Party 🤝
Your allies walk beside you, helping you unlock resilience and confidence along the way.
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Small peer circles for check-ins and accountability
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Optional mentor chats and alumni Q&A
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Clear community standards: confidentiality, curiosity, and care
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Your peers and mentors walk beside you—not above you—creating space for honest reflection and real support
Bonus Levels: Travel Gatherings 🗺️
These Bonus Levels don’t replace your main questline — they’re optional expansions that take you beyond the screen and into Japan’s living map.
Reconnect with JETs across Japan during key holiday windows — travel that complements your virtual program and brings the quest to life.
Estimated cost: ¥90,000–¥130,000 per person (twin-share). Single-room supplement available.
Includes: hotel with breakfast, intercity and local transport, one group dinner per day, listed activities, facilitation.
Excludes: travel to/from start city, lunches and drinks, personal expenses, travel insurance. Apply ~10 weeks before start (earlier for peak seasons). Programs run pending minimum enrollment (most trips min 10).
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New Year’s in Okinawa (Dec 29 – Jan 3)
Beach sunrise, hatsumōde, island food crawl, and shared reflection circles.
Resets your energy for the year ahead, reinforces winter wellbeing routines, and builds community for the months to come.
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Golden Week Festival Tour (Apr 29 – May 6)
Festival nights, neighborhood walks, shared meals, and reserved seating with zero logistics stress.
Boosts momentum mid-program, deepens friendships, and celebrates Japanese culture at its liveliest.
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Silver Week in Hokkaido (Sep 19 – 23)
Nature and harvest, onsen evenings, cozy dinners, and guided gratitude prompts.
Helps you recharge, reflect on your first-year journey, and prepare for next steps with a supportive cohort.
🌟 Alumni Voices: What They Wish They’d Known
Hear directly from those who’ve been there—real stories from JET alumni on navigating Japan’s challenges and joys.
Stephanie S, JET Alum
“The spotlight is always on. So you have to know how to take a break."
Dana B, JET Alum
"I did really learn to love winter… there’s a wintery coziness there."
Michael L, Jet Alum
“It kind of felt like… the end of the earth, but meeting people changed everything.”
Player’s Guide (FAQs) 📖
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How much does this cost?
Pilot Cohort Price: $200
Future cohorts: expected $250 as we add mentors, live workshops, and travel options.
Add-ons (optional): travel meet-ups and city weekends priced separately.
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What if I can’t afford the fee?
We provide a Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Toolkit to make joining accessible. Just 10 friends contributing $20 each can cover your full fee.
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Do I need to attend live sessions?They’re optional; recordings provided when possible.
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Is JetThrive only for first-years?
It’s geared toward first-years but open to all current/returning JETs. -
Can I get academic credit?
Credit may be available with a partner university (pilot). Credit options require additional time and fees—ask us for the current details. -
How much time should I plan weekly?
About 3–4 hours/week (mix of micro-lessons, reflection, and optional live). -
What if I’m still undecided about recontracting?
Perfect—Thrive is designed to help you weigh options and choose next steps you feel good about.
Think of JetThrive as your player’s guide — complete quests, unlock artifacts, and level up your JET journey.
🌟 Want to Contribute?
We’re looking for alumni and returnees to share their voices and help shape JetThrive for future participants. Whether you’d like to mentor, co-host workshops, or simply share your story, there are meaningful ways to get involved. Show up for your peers, lean on your mentors, and build a circle that lasts beyond your first year.
