YETI Ski Trip 2012!!
07 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
Hello Chiba JETs and affiliates, and welcome to the king of winter events in Japan. It doesn’t get better than this, escape the winter doldrums with some skiing, snowboarding, and gregarious socializing in Nagano! This trip has been organized previously by Yamanashi JETs but has expanded to us in Chiba. To top it off, you can get an awesome shirt to commemorate your experience. You’d be crazy not to go!!
Here’s a break-down of the details;
The event dates are: January Friday 20th, Saturday 21, Sunday 22nd 2012. Longer stays are available for those wishing to take holiday leave from work. There also will be a party Saturday night.
This is happening at the Lady Diana and St. Georges hotel, Hakuba Goryu Resort, Nagano
http://ladydiana.jp/e/index.html
http://www.hakubagoryu.com/e/index.html
Costs:
Basic package:
2 nights accommodation ¥13000 yen (Friday night & Saturday night),
2 day weekend Ski pass ¥6500 (Saturday and Sunday).
Per day cost
1 night ¥9500
1 day ¥4000 (weekend pass),
1 day ¥2500 (weekday pass)
One 4 bed room is available for ¥4000 yen extra (¥1000/person).
Saturday night’s party is included in the the fees.
1000 yen returnable ski pass deposit
Rooms are ensuite ryokan style with heaters, towels, shampoo and body soap. Lady Diana has separate sex onsens that will be open for the duration of the trip.
Rental Gear
- Skis/Board/Blades + Boots – ¥1800/2800yen for one/two days
- Ski/Board trousers and jacket – ¥1800/2800
- Goggles – ¥500/1000
- Gloves – ¥500/1000
- Lessons – ¥5250yen for a half day lesson (9am to 12pm) or (1pm to 4pm)
Please let us know your level with 0-6 with 0 being total beginner and 6 being advanced when RSVPing. The classes may come down to majority rule.
Here’s a breakdown where the fees are going:
- Friday and Saturday night accommodation
- Discounted lift passes
- 3 meals (breakfast Saturday and Sunday, dinner Saturday)
- Saturday night party with some alcohol provided.
For a little extra…
Rental gear and lessons are available for the above prices.
The package can be changed depending on how many nights you want to stay. However, let us know in advance so that we know, especially if you have dietary restrictions.
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The Plan:
Friday PM January 20th
• Arrive in Hakuba
• Check in and pay
• Socialize
Saturday January 21st AM
• Breakfast
• Collect your pass and rental gear
• Meet the instructors and hit the slopes
Saturday January 21st PM
• Onsen, dinner, relax
• PARTY TIME!
Sunday January 22nd AM
• Breakfast
• hit the slopes
• Or do whatever you want
Sunday January 22nd PM
• Return passes and rental gear
• Head home unless you’re staying an extra day!
Monday January 23rd
• Enjoy your extra day on the slopes
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How to get there:
By Car:
- Carpooling is usually the cheapest option. Be forewarned, snow tires are a must, and could be a slippery issue in Nagano.
- Also, be sure to check the webcam on route 148 prior to leaving to see real time weather conditions in the area.
http://www.snowjapan.com/e/daily/webcam/nagano/hakuba-road4.html
- It is possible, and highly recommended to rent a vehicle from Toyota, and carpool there. This option has been the cheapest in the past since you can rent a large van, and also get it suited for winter driving.
By Chartered Bus.
- departs from Shinjuku and runs straight to Hakuba Goryu
- cost is ¥8500 per person roundtrip
http://www.alpico.co.jp/access/express/hakuba_shinjuku/ {3rd and 4th table are the winter schedule}
- Private bus: if there is enough demand, and it is early enough, it is entirely possible to book a private bus. However, for this we need numbers, and there can’t be, at any rate, last minute drop outs, since the booking price is quite high.
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I DON’T LIKE TO USE CAPS, BUT FOR YOUR SANITY AND MINE READ THIS
Have we caught your interest yet? When you RSVP, please tell me the following.
1. Name :
2. Gear Rental: Yes / No? If yes, please say what: (skis,board or blades / boots / clothing) Shoe size: **cm Height: **cm (if you require board / skis) Clothes sizes – if you know them in Japanese sizes. Gloves/Goggles?
3. Which package are you taking? (i.e. 2 nights and 2 day pass). PLEASE SPECIFY EXACTLY Double room (limited availability)?Quad room (limited availability) ?
4. Transport Situation ?
5. Lessons? Boarding or Skiing? Level? (See below for more details)
6. Do you want a polo shirt? A hoodie? What size and name (20 characters max) ?
7. Other Information: (planning to stay only one night / vegetarian meals required / etc)
8. Do you have a Japanese Driver’s license or IDP? We rely heavily on people who do! If we can’t get enough drivers, we can’t go!
Please RVSP on the event page AND send me the aforementioned information to your local coordinator, that’s me, Jesse Moore, jam16(at)ualberta.ca
2nd Annual Chiba Thanksgiving Dinner!!
26 Oct 2011 1 Comment
Welcome to our 2nd Annual Chiba Thanksgiving Dinner sponsored by AJET! Here are the details!
What: Thanksgiving Party
Where: Chiba Lifelong Learning Center
When: November 23rd (Wednesday), 12pm-8pm
Who: All ALTs, CIRs, and friends alike who want to get together to enjoy some Thanksgiving Grub!
Cost: Approximate cost will be between 1500-2000 Yen per person. Depending on the number of people and the supplies we need, the price will vary.
Please RSVP by November 13th!
Please let us know via the facebook wall event page if you would like to help cook and we’ll sign your name up! 
Don’t worry about recipes or supplies as those will be available.
We have some members who have shown interest in being chef captains, but it’d be great to have many cooking teams in charge of certain dishes to help out. Those who will help out to cook should also be available to come a little earlier than the listed time to help prepare and get things started.
Below are the main things that we will need: (we have recipes from last year for most of these!)
• Turkey
• Dressing/stuffing
• Green bean casserole
• Mashed potatoes
• Gravy
• Yams
• Cranberries
• Fruit salad
• Persimmon salad
• Deviled eggs
• Kabocha, spinach bacon saute
• Glazed carrots
• Daigaku imo
• PUMPKIN PIE from Costco!
We will have soft drinks/juice
*Unfortunately alchohol is a no-no at this location, so no booze (until the afterparty…harharhar)
☆Cancellation Policy
We now have a cancellation policy. Those who cancel after the RSVP deadline, for any reason, must pay a deposit fee to cover any costs incurred because of their absence. That cost will be determined at a later date.
National AJET Fall 2011 Surveys
11 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
If you teach elementary school, have ever wondered about the different kinds of support available to JETs, or are a PA, take the AJET Surveys and share your thoughts! Data collected in these surveys are shared directly with CLAIR and the three national ministries that run the JET program, so every voice counts!
The surveys close on 10/17, so hurry and voice your thoughts to National AJET!
Click here to go to the surveys: http://ajet.net/2011/10/04/fall-2011-ajet-surveys/
Camping in Otaki 2011!
21 Sep 2011 1 Comment
Let’s get touched in nature in touch with nature! AJET is organizing an overnight camping trip in Otaki, October 8th-9th.
This is a great chance to get outdoors and socialize with fellow JETs. We’ll sleep in cabins so you don’t have to worry about bringing a tent, and there are bathing facilities so you don’t have to worry about people being funky. There’ll even be a campfire…anyone up for kumbaya?
No?
Ok, yeah, I didn’t think so.
But the bottom line is camping, bonfires, and acting silly in the woods with your friends are always a ton of fun. The 3500 cost covers food, snacks, lodging, campfire supplies, and dessert! (There have been s’mores in the past…) Alcohol is BYOB, but AJET will provide non-alcoholic drinks.
After camping, everyone can explore Otaki, visit Otaki castle, and the head over to the festival that will be taking place that weekend. Or, just go home. Your call.
The Otaki campgrounds are only a 15 minute walk from Otaki station on the Isumi Rail. There is only about 1 train per hour on this line, so IT’S IMPORTANT THAT YOU ARRIVE EARLY because everyone has to check in at the same time. (Stay tuned for the check-in time.) For many of you, driving may be your best option. If you clink on the link above you can find the address to the campgrounds and driving directions in Japanese.
You will need to bring a copy of your passport for ID purposes. I recommend making a copy of your passport in advance instead of bringing it and running the risk of your passport being lost or damaged.
Please RSVP by WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28TH. You can RSVP by sending an email to elizabeth.burnett@city.minamiboso.chiba.jp with your name, address, job type (ALT or CIR, or if you’re bringing a friend, their job), age, sex, where you will be before and after the camp (as in, your house, a hotel, etc), your phone number, and your nationality. It may seem crazy but we’ll need that information to check-in.
Please know that if you RSVP as attending, you are responsible to pay your 3500 share whether you show-up or not. Please don’t flake at the last minute because we fronting the $ to buy your share of supplies and it is f-ed up to leave someone else to foot the bill. You are, however, more than welcome to just come on the 9th to hang out in Otaki.
Who’s in?
The 2011 Yamanote Marathon is ON!!
07 Sep 2011 2 Comments
Last spring, five JETs from Chiba set out to walk around the entireYamanote line in 12 hours. 14 hours later, they turned up at the finish line, having made friends with a pirate, consumed 8 coffees each, and completely exhausted…
How fast can you complete the trek?
This charity event raises funds for Oxfam Japan, and gathered 1,027,501 yen in October, donated to relief efforts in Tohoku. It’s a great way to meet new friends, team-build, and see parts of Tokyo that you’d never see otherwise! If you’re interested in forming a group with other Chiba JETs/WI-ALTs, try asking on the Chiba AJET Facebook Page!
See http://www.tokyo-yamathon.com/ for more information on registration and race day details!
Overnight Tours of Chiba Prefecture for ￥5,000!
06 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
Japan Travel Company (日本旅行 Nihon Ryoko) is offering four different tours through Chiba Prefecture that highlight many of the historic and scenic highlights that Chiba has to offer! It’s been over a month since many new JETs and WI-ALTs have taken the reins in new jobs, and it’s probably そろそろ a good time to get out and see what else Chiba has going on!
Tour courses are ￥5,000 per person for a two-day, one-night trip to either Kamogawa, Sawara, Choshi, or Tateyama/Chikura. Meals and accommodations are included in the price. The only requirements are that you take photos of your trip and share them with your friends on facebook, etc. and that you help Japan Travel make their tours even better by filling out a survey at the end of your trip.
Course details are listed on the attached PDF. To sign up for a tour, download the word document attached here, and send your information directly to the contact listed at the bottom of the page!
Participants will only be accepted until Tuesday, September 20, so if you’re interested in going, sign up soon! And Happy Travels!!
Chiba AJET Welcome Dinner at the Pirate’s Kitchen!
17 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
New, current and former JETs and WI-ALTs are invited to join us for an evening of fine dining at the Pirate’s Kitchen (a mere 5 minute walk from the Chiba Station East Exit).
Grub will be served at 5:00 p.m. and will last until the grog runs out at 7:00 p.m. After that, we can decide where to take the night, be it karaoke, drinks, billiards, or something totally different! So bust out your pirate gear and come out for the first AJET event of the year!
Cost will be: ￥3,980 per person for a full course dinner and all you can drink for two hours!
RSVP on our Chiba AJET Facebook Event Page by Friday, August 19! Only those listed as “attending” will be included in the headcount. Maybes will not be counted, sorry!
Volunteer with Peace Boat in Tohoku
19 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
Peace Boat and AJET are Teaming Up for The Tohoku Summer Volunteering Project
Please read this letter from Founder and Director of Peace Boat, Yoshioka Tatsuya.
As we settle into the summer months that signal the end of contracts and/or natsuyasumi (summer vacation), many of us are starting to map out vacation plans or return tickets to our respective home countries. The summer months carry JETs to a wide range of places, but this year AJET would like to offer an opportunity to go to the Tohoku region and get involved with relief efforts via the NGO, Peace Boat.
Peace Boat is a well established organization that has been doing relief work in Ishinomaki-shi, Miyagi Prefecture since the first weeks after March 11. AJET has always encouraged volunteers to work with reliable organizations, and Peace Boat has both the support and resources to make volunteering a safe, meaningful experience for everyone.
As this year’s Volunteering and Aid Director on the National AJET Council, I went with Peace Boat to volunteer in early June. Over the course of one week, my team helped clean gardens, houses, parks, and gutters, always working closely with the local community. We met and spoke with many people, and listened to their experiences of the devastating earthquake and tsunami. I have no doubt that our work and presence made a difference to the people we met, but the amount of work that remains to be done is staggering, and volunteer are in critical need.
Because the JET Programme has such a strong community, Peace Boat has asked for our help in supporting Tohoku this summer. Together, AJET and Peace Boat have streamlined the application process, and are now ready to send as many volunteers as possible over the coming months, with a simple, three step process:
1. Form a group of four to six* volunteers and sign up at: vol.aid@ajet.net
*One person must be a [u]bilingual team leader[/u] (Japanese and English speaking). If you cannot find a full group or a team leader, we will do our best to put groups together, however, we cannot guarantee that there will be enough people who have the same preferred departure dates. Please be aware that if there are not enough people in your group and AJET cannot form a full one for you, your departure will be cancelled.
2. Receive pre-departure materials and submit necessary information. You should purchase supplies, insurance, etc. in your area during this time.
3. Arrive in Tokyo for Orientation (around 11 a.m.) and Departure (same evening)
If you are interested in volunteering, please send your group’s contact information and the Friday you would like to depart from Tokyo to: vol.aid@ajet.net . The first departure date that JETs can sign up for will be Friday, July 22nd and will continue throughout the summer. Departure days may change from Friday to another day beginning in August, so please check the AJET website for updates before you purchase any tickets to arrive in Tokyo prior to/after your trip. For more information on the application and orientation process, feel free to send an email at any time to the same address, or see Peace Boat’s volunteering website for general information at http://peaceboat.jp/relief/ .
Once your group information has been received, AJET will send you the pre-departure information packet, with instructions on what to prepare, purchasing volunteer insurance, and the forms you will need to submit in order to officially register. Participants will be required to pay for their own transportation fees, including ￥2,000 for the bus from Tokyo to Ishinomaki and back. Supplies for work, boots, waterproofs, and food for lunches and dinners will be provided.
Volunteers will then gather in Tokyo for an Orientation session at 11:00 a.m. on Friday (team leaders will have a separate orientation meeting after the general orientation) and the entire group will depart that evening, to return on the following Saturday.
Please be sure to also read the volunteer safety information posted on AJET’s website at http://www.ajet.net and discuss volunteering with your contracting organization prior to signing up. We also ask for your understanding note that departure dates, preparation materials, and orientation procedures are subject to change as the needs in the affected areas shift rapidly.
Your invaluable help as part of the international community can show the people of Tohoku that they have not been forgotten by the rest of the world. Tohoku needs you, and Peace Boat and AJET can help you make a difference.
The Farewell Party
06 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
It’s that sad time of the year once again when people finish up their contracts and decide to return to their home countries. But don’t fret just yet! We have a perfect opportunity for everyone to meet one last time before we lose our fellow ALTs and CIRs!
When and What: Sunday, July 17th
- Part 1 (Pizza in the park, games, zoo) 11:30am to approx 4pm
- Part 2 (Drinking Shenanigans) After 4pm, Happy Hour at the Hub)
You can go to both or just one, we want it to fit your schedule : )
Where: Chiba city. Meet at JR Chiba Station’s East Exit
Cost: Approx 900-1500 yen for pizza and a small fee for the zoo (under 500 yen)
RSVP: Friday, July 15th – Please tell us if you will come to both part 1 and 2 so we can order the correct amount of Pizza!
