JET Programme Series: Through success and failure, let your passions lead the way forward – Cheyenne Hosein
2026/7/2
I’m sure many can relate to their first exposure to Japan being anime in their childhood. I remember staying up late in the night to catch reruns on Toonami and bonding with my brother over the currently airing shows. Being a bit of an introvert, I have always loved the immersive stories from Japanese animation. It allowed me another world to explore myself and new ideas. I immediately wanted to draw those cool and flashy scenes. This spark of inspiration led me to pursue my degree in animation studies at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. But another element of animation is sound. Animation is made with moving still images, but you can’t tell a compelling and engaging story without music to pull you into the world it’s trying to show you.
Music has always been something dear to me. From hearing radio tunes with pop hits in the early 20s, bonding over favourite songs in secondary school with my best friend to eventually wanting to play music myself. It has always been something I loved. This was no exception to Japanese music. I expanded my horizons to anything I could get my hands on, and with my immersion into Japanese music, I fell completely and totally in love. I heard many songs from the anime I watched growing up and a few trending songs here and there, but I realized over time I had learnt so much about the culture and people behind the lyrics and the drawings. It became much more than an anime opening or an original soundtrack piece.
The JET Programme was something occasionally mentioned in some articles as a way to experience the culture first-hand as a foreigner. It was an idea rooted in my head by many content creators and then later something encouraged from within my family. At first, I didn’t really consider it despite my fascination, as it seemed too far-fetched and out of reach. I was too scared to even think that something so grand was possible. I do not have much experience as a teacher, far less the confidence to talk and connect with people. And I am still only 23 years old. My background being in animation and music is heavily influenced by Japanese content. Yes, but it still didn’t feel like a real option for me.
Still not having graduated yet, I decided to take Japanese Language Classes at CLL. This was the true starting point really. Pushing through my initial fear and sticking with it, from 1A to 3B. I met wonderful people in my classes and an even more patient and warm teacher. I learnt so much about Japan through them and I definitely made sure to talk about animation and music in every other presentation I have had. But throughout this, JET was always brought up again. This time, feeling more confident, I applied in 2023.
And I got rejected!
At this point, my graduation got pushed back further into 2024, and I couldn’t possibly be ready in time for that year. After all that anxiety and nervousness, I was met with failure! I remember spending my late nights drafting my SoP that I still did not feel confident in, reflecting deeply upon myself and my intentions regarding Japan, but it was all for naught. At least I thought so at the time.
Despite this, I took another crack at it for the following year, in 2024. I skimmed through so many websites for tips and phrases regarding the SoP, but nothing ever felt right for me. After all, not many people come from the arts, far less something so ingrained in Japanese society like animation. Many of the advice said not to mention anime altogether, which frustrated me. I wanted to talk about my passion for the things I loved, so I did. I distinctly remember in my interview being asked “So you’re all about music and animation,” and I said, of course I am, without shame.
It was really only after the interview that I realized how much the initial rejection changed me. I traveled to New York in that year and expanded my worldview by meeting new people and experiencing new things. (I even saw one of my favourite Japanese bands live!) I realized there is no point in being so caught up with embarrassment over your passions. Let that flame burn brightly as that is what you will be remembered by.
Which reminds me that I have yet to introduce myself! I am Cheyenne Hosein and I grew up in the south of Trinidad. I will be working as a JET in Kyoto City very soon, and I was fortunate enough to get one of my three placements. In my years of being fascinated with Japan, Kyoto was always a place that kept coming up for me, (the Fushimi Inari Taisha has been on my vision board for the last 3 years.)
I will miss my family, my wonderful friends and everyone else who supported me, but I hope to share all my experiences when I come home. I am also incredibly grateful for this wonderful opportunity to go to Japan through the JET Programme and I can’t wait to share what Kyoto City has in store.
"'Now, look forward and say with love and a fearless strength, that there’s nothing to regret, nothing more to fear.'" - World is Yours by Mass of the Fermenting Dregs.
JET Programme Series: Through success and failure, let your passions lead the way forward – Cheyenne Hosein
Music has always been something dear to me. From hearing radio tunes with pop hits in the early 20s, bonding over favourite songs in secondary school with my best friend to eventually wanting to play music myself. It has always been something I loved. This was no exception to Japanese music. I expanded my horizons to anything I could get my hands on, and with my immersion into Japanese music, I fell completely and totally in love. I heard many songs from the anime I watched growing up and a few trending songs here and there, but I realized over time I had learnt so much about the culture and people behind the lyrics and the drawings. It became much more than an anime opening or an original soundtrack piece.
The JET Programme was something occasionally mentioned in some articles as a way to experience the culture first-hand as a foreigner. It was an idea rooted in my head by many content creators and then later something encouraged from within my family. At first, I didn’t really consider it despite my fascination, as it seemed too far-fetched and out of reach. I was too scared to even think that something so grand was possible. I do not have much experience as a teacher, far less the confidence to talk and connect with people. And I am still only 23 years old. My background being in animation and music is heavily influenced by Japanese content. Yes, but it still didn’t feel like a real option for me.
Still not having graduated yet, I decided to take Japanese Language Classes at CLL. This was the true starting point really. Pushing through my initial fear and sticking with it, from 1A to 3B. I met wonderful people in my classes and an even more patient and warm teacher. I learnt so much about Japan through them and I definitely made sure to talk about animation and music in every other presentation I have had. But throughout this, JET was always brought up again. This time, feeling more confident, I applied in 2023.
And I got rejected!
At this point, my graduation got pushed back further into 2024, and I couldn’t possibly be ready in time for that year. After all that anxiety and nervousness, I was met with failure! I remember spending my late nights drafting my SoP that I still did not feel confident in, reflecting deeply upon myself and my intentions regarding Japan, but it was all for naught. At least I thought so at the time.
Despite this, I took another crack at it for the following year, in 2024. I skimmed through so many websites for tips and phrases regarding the SoP, but nothing ever felt right for me. After all, not many people come from the arts, far less something so ingrained in Japanese society like animation. Many of the advice said not to mention anime altogether, which frustrated me. I wanted to talk about my passion for the things I loved, so I did. I distinctly remember in my interview being asked “So you’re all about music and animation,” and I said, of course I am, without shame.
It was really only after the interview that I realized how much the initial rejection changed me. I traveled to New York in that year and expanded my worldview by meeting new people and experiencing new things. (I even saw one of my favourite Japanese bands live!) I realized there is no point in being so caught up with embarrassment over your passions. Let that flame burn brightly as that is what you will be remembered by.
Which reminds me that I have yet to introduce myself! I am Cheyenne Hosein and I grew up in the south of Trinidad. I will be working as a JET in Kyoto City very soon, and I was fortunate enough to get one of my three placements. In my years of being fascinated with Japan, Kyoto was always a place that kept coming up for me, (the Fushimi Inari Taisha has been on my vision board for the last 3 years.)
I will miss my family, my wonderful friends and everyone else who supported me, but I hope to share all my experiences when I come home. I am also incredibly grateful for this wonderful opportunity to go to Japan through the JET Programme and I can’t wait to share what Kyoto City has in store.
"'Now, look forward and say with love and a fearless strength, that there’s nothing to regret, nothing more to fear.'" - World is Yours by Mass of the Fermenting Dregs.
JET Programme Series: Through success and failure, let your passions lead the way forward – Cheyenne Hosein