Finally, you have made it on JET… whether it be shortlisted or upgraded you did it!
Soon you will know your placement after a month or two of waiting, and then eventually you will know your predecessor!
Perhaps… you don’t have one ;(
Finding out your pred is more exciting than talking to your BOE because they will tell you about your apartment, school life, teachers, rent, and housing goodies!
However, you might not get anything at all because they are a cheap bastard and will sell everything before your arrival.
Possibly, you might get some beat-up appliances and broken shit that they didn’t want to get rid of before your arrival, even though the BOE told them to do so, and they were too busy “packing,” but they weren’t and just didn’t give a shit and were out partying.
Or…
You might be charged an arm and a leg for busted furniture they will leave you.
Successor: “Please send me some pictures?”
Predecessor: “I did. That was all I had time to send. My phone and internet are canceled tomorrow. You should have contacted me sooner!”
Successor: “But these photos are blurry. What do I get for free with my place?”
Predecessor: “Take it or leave it. Please Paypal me $1000.00 or 120,000円 beforehand, or else I will sell everything. BYE!”
Yes, some preds can be straight-up bullocks (I’ve met some of these leavers).
I’ve heard all kinds of horror stories where incoming JETs paid thousands of dollars for a beat-up car and extremely used household items that they could have bought brand new for the same price or less.
On top of that, they moved into a messy place that wasn’t cleaned beforehand. This happens so often with leavers!
Incoming JETs need to be vigilant.
It’s elementary for preds to play up someone on the other side of the world who doesn’t know much about living in Japan, let alone shopping for goods.
Actually, it’s super easy and happens all the time with incoming JETs buying broken and worn-out items.
Many leaving JETs don’t save money and hope to earn some from their successor just before leaving. It happens every year!
I bought a f@#%ing old microwave that was cold garbage, not even hot garbage, from a leaver. Thank goodness, not from my pred!
Yes, I want to tell you how to protect yourself!
You shouldn’t be tricked into buying something that is really old or something you don’t need/want.
Do you really want a toaster oven for 5,000 yen that is dirty AF and that you can replace for 3,000 yen easily?
First, you need to determine what items you will be getting.
Hopefully, your pred will tell and provide some photos. This is usually the first exchange between leaving and incoming JETs.
Remember, BOEs furnish most apartments they rent JETs.
Your apartment will probably have a bed, table, chairs, fridge, aircon, and washer, all provided by the BOE at no cost… unless you have to buy them for a new, unfurnished apartment.
Ask your BOE what they furnish your apartment with. They will have an itemized list because they make discarding those items an impossible task for current JETs
Moreso, some shady JETs will find a way to act like they own those items and “sell” them to you.
All BOE furniture is labeled with property tags.
Often, JETs will share a price tag of the original item with the now worn-out item, or they will share a screenshot of the item off Amazon or Rakuten, but not of the original item in their place.
If you don’t get pictures of the current items that they want to sell you, take a pass on it!
If they threaten to throw everything out or sell it all, f@#$ it, let them!
You can buy all appliances again from a recycle shop that are slightly worn and kept in excellent condition. Or, you can find those items new online for a bit higher price than used.
Amazon, Rakuten, Nitori, and Daiso sell all household goods for cheap!
Just to let you know, less is better!
I’d rather have less furniture than more.
When you eventually have to move, you can’t take everything with you. If your pred sells a lot of stuff, less shit you’ll have to deal with, overall.
Reducing the number of items is a lot of work.
Getting rid of stuff is expensive in Japan. Some items you can’t sell and they need to be disposed of like an old couch or bed. That ain’t free!
Know when to say “NO.”
There is nothing wrong with refusing to purchase stuff you do NOT want.
Say “NO” if it’s something you believe you don’t need. If you need it, later on, use that JET salary to buy it!
If your pred gets angry, that’s not on you. It’s on them to work it out.
If anything, seriously, if they can’t sell an item they want to make money off of or give it away, you’ll get it! 100%
It’ll be in the apartment when you move in.
It’s not worth the trouble or aggravation for stuff you are unsure about buying.
Advice for JET Successors and Leavers
Some incoming JETs do play up their preds.
For example, a successor will say they want to buy an item, but they will get back as late as possible with them.
By the time they reply back, their pred will have already left Japan and out of money because their successor “said” would buy those items.
Or…
Also, preds will price gouge the items they plan to sell to their successor. And, it’s possible that the purchased items will be “missing” once the incoming JET arrives.
Or…
A successor plans to purchase said items, but they cannot figure out how to transfer money into yen or send dollars to the pred’s bank account. I think it’s a common occurrence.
“I tried to send you the money, but the transfer was denied, maybe I can pay you once I get to Japan? Sorry, I was going to send you the money, but I forgot. Maybe next paycheck?”
Several months go by and the predecessor forgets about the money and doesn’t even bother wanting it.
#1 Advice – Hand down all your stuff!
If you don’t need it, give it to your successor, free of charge!
My predecessor and his predecessor’s pred and me, we all handed down our goodies and got rid of what we wanted to sell to local JETs before the successor arrived.
We left all the housing essentials and made life fantastic for our incoming JET!
By doing so, we saved our successors time, headache, and money for them to enjoy themselves right when they moved in!
Be humble and surprise your successor or predecessor.
It’ll save everyone time and money ;)
#2 What to ask your JET Predecessor!
- What items are you giving me?
- What items are you selling me?
- What items belong to the BOE?
- How much money do you think I should have to buy a, b, c, and d?
- What do you wish you had brought to Japan?
- What items should I replace?
- What items are missing?
- Is it necessary to bring a, b, c, and d?
- What are the best shops or stores near you?
