JET Programme Series: From St. James to Sasebo - Meagan Smith
2026/7/17
If you’d asked me two years ago whether I’d ever see myself living outside Trinidad and Tobago, especially in a country that doesn’t have English as its first language, I’d have replied, “Widdy jail? For wa?” Yet here I am, living in a city miles away from the life I once knew, from my family and friends, in a country I’ve dreamed of visiting for years.
See, I have been obsessed with Japanese culture since I was ten years old, when I began reading Manga such as Detective Conan at the St. James Public Library (NALIS) with my friends. We would draw comic strips together and binge on Naruto (yet never finish) and watch Full Metal Alchemist between study breaks.
However, I fell in love with the cuisine during the pandemic when I would watch YouTube and TikTok videos out of boredom, which resulted in me experimenting in the kitchen and starting my own foodie channel. Creating my own sushi rolls and potstickers from scratch instead of purchasing them saved me a lot of money. Not to mention, it was easier than I thought! Because of my interests, my friends would send me the JET programme application form every time it opens in September. I’d promise them that I would, but I’d either forget or second-guess myself out of taking it seriously.
So why did I decide to finally apply to the programme? It was October 2024, and the awards ceremony for the school I’ve been a teacher at for five years just ended. My Form Five Class was talking about their lives when they graduate next year, which made me realise that I couldn’t see myself staying in this job for an additional five years. Not to mention, seeing a lot of my friends making bold advances in their lives by getting married, having kids, buying homes or even migrating made me realise that it might be time for a fresh start. I didn’t want to be stagnant when everyone else was moving forward. This thought process is exactly what inspired me to apply to the programme.
Sasebo City reminds me a lot of my own hometown, with the friendly people and the unpredictable events held there. Stirring up conversations with the old ladies at the bus stop to practice my Japanese is always entertaining to me. As for my new teaching job, experiencing a different variation of education in another country, where students are excited to learn about my culture and inputs, as well as learning about theirs, is so rewarding. I am aware that education is a continuous adventure of learning new strategies to capture the hearts of your students, which I welcome with open arms.
Going from barely making ends meet from paycheck to paycheck back home in Trinidad, to being able to make trips through prefectures and within Asia as often as I want, is also a plus. So far, I’ve visited Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Okinawa prefectures in Japan, and South Korea and Thailand in Asia. Living in Japan changed my life for the better in so many ways. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for me while I’m here!
JET Programme Series: From St. James to Sasebo - Meagan Smith
See, I have been obsessed with Japanese culture since I was ten years old, when I began reading Manga such as Detective Conan at the St. James Public Library (NALIS) with my friends. We would draw comic strips together and binge on Naruto (yet never finish) and watch Full Metal Alchemist between study breaks.
However, I fell in love with the cuisine during the pandemic when I would watch YouTube and TikTok videos out of boredom, which resulted in me experimenting in the kitchen and starting my own foodie channel. Creating my own sushi rolls and potstickers from scratch instead of purchasing them saved me a lot of money. Not to mention, it was easier than I thought! Because of my interests, my friends would send me the JET programme application form every time it opens in September. I’d promise them that I would, but I’d either forget or second-guess myself out of taking it seriously.
So why did I decide to finally apply to the programme? It was October 2024, and the awards ceremony for the school I’ve been a teacher at for five years just ended. My Form Five Class was talking about their lives when they graduate next year, which made me realise that I couldn’t see myself staying in this job for an additional five years. Not to mention, seeing a lot of my friends making bold advances in their lives by getting married, having kids, buying homes or even migrating made me realise that it might be time for a fresh start. I didn’t want to be stagnant when everyone else was moving forward. This thought process is exactly what inspired me to apply to the programme.
Sasebo City reminds me a lot of my own hometown, with the friendly people and the unpredictable events held there. Stirring up conversations with the old ladies at the bus stop to practice my Japanese is always entertaining to me. As for my new teaching job, experiencing a different variation of education in another country, where students are excited to learn about my culture and inputs, as well as learning about theirs, is so rewarding. I am aware that education is a continuous adventure of learning new strategies to capture the hearts of your students, which I welcome with open arms.
Going from barely making ends meet from paycheck to paycheck back home in Trinidad, to being able to make trips through prefectures and within Asia as often as I want, is also a plus. So far, I’ve visited Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Okinawa prefectures in Japan, and South Korea and Thailand in Asia. Living in Japan changed my life for the better in so many ways. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for me while I’m here!
JET Programme Series: From St. James to Sasebo - Meagan Smith