A certain object — one that many people consider outdated nowadays — planted a seed in Adam Lisbon that ended up shaping his life.  “The thing that really made me want to travel and see the world — and Japan sort of filled that gap of where to go in the world — was, believe it or not, CD-Roms,” Lisbon said.

This April, Japan Society of Boston featured Bianca Sanchez Alvarez (Hiroshima, 2016-2018). In their JSB meets JET Alumni series. Bianca reflects on her journey inspired by her great-grandfather’s Japanese roots. She shares insights on Hiroshima’s culture, from okonomiyaki to Peace Memorial Park, and the lasting connections made with students and colleagues.

USJETAA is excited to congratulate Valerie Stewart, Vivian Chen, and Jennifer Sherman on being elected as the 2025–2026 JETAA USA Country Representatives!

Join us on Friday, May 9th, 7 -8:30pm ET to explore pathways into Japanese language education, from credentialing and certification to navigating career opportunities in K-12 and higher education.

Join us on Friday, April 18 from 7-8:30pm ET for a discussion and demonstration of one of Japan’s most iconic performing art forms along with an inside peak at the makeup application process.

In April, we have a short and engaging reading! We'll be reading the first installment of Atsukawa Tatsumi's novel Before Escape Bride on April 11 (US) / April 12 (Japan).

USJETAA’s Bobby Nawbary took some time to hear how current JET, Michelle Barajas Perez, found herself making sugar skulls with her students in Japan. Michelle’s path to Japan was not typical. With roots in small-town, rural California, her hometown of Los Banos is not a town where its people venture far from in their lives.

For many JETs, Japan is a memorable chapter in their lives—one filled with late-night konbini runs, local festivals, and just enough office formalities to make them fluent in the art of the polite nod. But for Andrew Ou, who is currently the U.S. Consul General in Okinawa, it was just the beginning of his career in diplomacy, though he didn’t quite know it at the time.