JET Programme Series: Journey to the Land of the Rising Sun - Kosi Regis
2022/8/17
JET Programme Series: Journey to the Land of the Rising Sun - Kosi Regis
My name is Kosi Regis and at the tender age of 21 years old, I will be beginning a new chapter of my life, leaving the humble town of Whiteland and journeying to the land of the Rising Sun. I very recently completed my days as a student, having completed my degree in July 2022, this year. I attended the University of the West Indies where I pursued an undergraduate degree in Accounting (Special) while simultaneously taking Japanese language classes at the University’s Centre for Language Learning.
The question of applying to become an Assistant Language Teacher through the JET Programme was less a matter of ‘if’ and more a matter of ‘when’. As a child I always possessed a strong fascination with Japan which led to a deep appreciation for various aspects of Japanese culture. When I first heard about the JET programme over a decade ago from past participants, I strongly believed that the programme would not only be a tremendous opportunity to experience Japanese culture first-hand but an opportunity to share Trinidadian culture with persons who may not have ever heard about our twin island nation.
On a related note, having two University Lecturers as parents allowed me to gain a lot of exposure to the teaching process which blossomed into an appreciation and love for teaching. This was a major factor in my desire to one day become a teacher and another reason why becoming an ALT stood out as such an amazing opportunity. As a result, the minute I was able to apply for the programme there was absolutely no hesitation.
I was placed in one of Japan’s quainter megacities, Yamagata City; which is the capital city of the Yamagata prefecture, located in Northern Japan. The prefecture itself is known for beautiful hot springs, picturesque scenes of spring cherry blossoms as well as impressive ski resorts and snow-covered fir trees that resemble snow monsters. Yamagata is also famous for its cherries with cherry picking being a popular activity in early summer at one of its many cherry farms. These past days my Google searches have been filled with questions about Yamagata and all its different amazing sights and cuisine that only compound my excitement to start this new chapter of my life.
In appreciation for this achievement, I would firstly like to thank God for granting me this amazing opportunity. My thanks also go to my family, my girlfriend and my friends who supported me through the entire process and stayed by my side through times where I was nervous about my application. I would also like express my appreciation for the staff at the local Japanese Embassy, the NTA travel agency, CLAIR and my future colleagues at the Board of Education in Yamagata who were always patient and understanding with me and my situation and provided me with any assistance I required. Thank you very much and I will always be grateful for this wonderful opportunity. I hope to represent our beautiful country well.
JET Series: Journey to the Land of the Rising Sun (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives
The question of applying to become an Assistant Language Teacher through the JET Programme was less a matter of ‘if’ and more a matter of ‘when’. As a child I always possessed a strong fascination with Japan which led to a deep appreciation for various aspects of Japanese culture. When I first heard about the JET programme over a decade ago from past participants, I strongly believed that the programme would not only be a tremendous opportunity to experience Japanese culture first-hand but an opportunity to share Trinidadian culture with persons who may not have ever heard about our twin island nation.
On a related note, having two University Lecturers as parents allowed me to gain a lot of exposure to the teaching process which blossomed into an appreciation and love for teaching. This was a major factor in my desire to one day become a teacher and another reason why becoming an ALT stood out as such an amazing opportunity. As a result, the minute I was able to apply for the programme there was absolutely no hesitation.
I was placed in one of Japan’s quainter megacities, Yamagata City; which is the capital city of the Yamagata prefecture, located in Northern Japan. The prefecture itself is known for beautiful hot springs, picturesque scenes of spring cherry blossoms as well as impressive ski resorts and snow-covered fir trees that resemble snow monsters. Yamagata is also famous for its cherries with cherry picking being a popular activity in early summer at one of its many cherry farms. These past days my Google searches have been filled with questions about Yamagata and all its different amazing sights and cuisine that only compound my excitement to start this new chapter of my life.
In appreciation for this achievement, I would firstly like to thank God for granting me this amazing opportunity. My thanks also go to my family, my girlfriend and my friends who supported me through the entire process and stayed by my side through times where I was nervous about my application. I would also like express my appreciation for the staff at the local Japanese Embassy, the NTA travel agency, CLAIR and my future colleagues at the Board of Education in Yamagata who were always patient and understanding with me and my situation and provided me with any assistance I required. Thank you very much and I will always be grateful for this wonderful opportunity. I hope to represent our beautiful country well.
JET Series: Journey to the Land of the Rising Sun (Japanese Embassy's Facebook)
JET Programme Series Archives