RWC England 2015, Looking to 2019 in Japan
September and October were a very busy couple of months for JLGC this year with Rugby World Cup 2015 being held in England and much interest from Japan about the organising of the event, after Japan being chosen as the next host nation. A variety of events took place in the UK as Japan looks forwarding to being host in 2019, including the opening of the ‘Japan Pavilion’ in Westminster inviting people to get a taste of Japanese culture and traditions during the 2015 tournament. JLGC also helped by supporting various missions of the 2019 Host Cities, in the UK for RWC England 2015 to inspect the organising and managing of the games.
After the Japanese team’s win during their most successful Rugby World Cup campaign in 24 years, attention turns now not only to the delivery of Asia’s first Rugby World Cup, but also how host cities can maximise the economic impact it can offer. Learning from 2015 UK Host Cities will see JLGC utilise its role and location to provide this, with concerted efforts already under way to support Japanese local authorities in their research and study visits after the tournament.
JET Programme University Visits
JLGC was again in October involved in the annual recruitment for the JET Programme, one of the world’s largest exchange programmes, sending UK and European graduates to work in schools and local authorities throughout Japan.
This year JLGC returned to Exeter, Kent and Warwick Universities in the UK, as well as University College Dublin and Trinity College, Dublin. Recruitment for JET is currently under way for the summer 2016 cohort, with the applications currently being screened for interviews in the New Year. Recruitment and selection is organised by the Embassy of Japan in London for UK participants, while Irish participants are recruited through the Embassy of Japan in Dublin. Placements and relationship management while on the Programme in Japan is the responsibility of CLAIR, JLGC’s HQ in Tokyo.
In summer of 2015, 185 new JETs travelled out to Japan to work as Assistant Language Teachers in Japan’s elementary, junior high and senior high schools, as well as Coordinators for International Relations in city halls and prefectural government. The UK makes up one of the largest groups of JETs by nationality, with 410 UK nationals currently working on JET in Japan. Participants live and work in Japan from one to five years on the programme. Currently, approximately 1,000 local public organisations, including all of Japan’s 47 prefectures and 20 designated cities governments are participants in the JET Programme. Over 10,000 UK citizens have taken part in JET, with a total of over 12,300 from participating European countries. In 2016 JET celebrates its 30th Anniversary when various events will be held in Japan and participating countries. The JET Alumni Association of the UK, supported by JLGC and the Embassy of Japan, has regular updates here on networking and social events for JET alumni, with chapters all around the UK.
JET for Japanese Business Seminar: 9 December – limited spaces left
Japan Local Government Centre will hold a ‘Employing JETs’ Seminar, which is an opportunity for former JETs looking to work in Japan related employment in the UK. The event will be on 9th December at Swedenborg Hall, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, London, WC1A 2TH, Closest Underground: Holborn.
The 30th anniversary of the JET Programme will be celebrated in 2016, and with an increasing focus on post JET links in business and citizen diplomacy, this event will explain how JETs use their Japan experience for work, with contributors from companies who employ people who have been on the JET Programme, as well as former JETs employed by them. This is also an excellent opportunity for JETs to network with representatives of Japanese business in the UK. Companies confirmed attending so far include: Marubeni, Mitsui, Shinsei International, Japan England Insurers, Chubu Electric Power, Nomura International and others to be confirmed.
Contact mailbox@jlgc.org.uk for more information about remaining places.
CLAIR Tokyo Interns’ Research
Two Japanese local authority staff visited the UK as part of their one year secondment to the Council of Local Authorities on International Relations (CLAIR) HQ in Tokyo. Shohei Yata and Hiroshi Nanya, from Saitama Prefecture and Arakawa Ward in Tokyo respectively, were based in London during September and October while researching the role of technology and foreign language teaching in UK schools as part of their international training. These programmes of study are part of local government personnel development, which CLAIR coordinates as one of its roles as a membership organisation of Japanese local authorities.
Many thanks to all those who helped arrange the visits including colleagues at Flintshire County Council, and host schools in the London Borough of Brent, London Borough of Havering and the London Borough of Harrow.
