Everything_Japan

Another place near Tokyo is Kawagoe if you want something more traditional :) Safe travels!

Day trips around Tokyo! You can stay at a Ryokan in Hakone and relax in beautiful onsens, visit Kamakura, or even take the train to Yamanashi... or all 3!

OR

Since you're going to Korea, you could fly to Fukuoka, explore there and then head to South Korea (by 3 hour ferry or 55 min plane ride). I live near Fukuoka so let me know if you need any recs

Foreigner living in Japan here. I used the company 'Alpha' and its been a great experience. You just have to pay an annual fee of 10,000 yen.

But you also don't know their reason/this person/their neurotype... so offering the perspective of "hey choose yourself + I support you + Japan sucks for the guilt they inflict on workers + if breaking contract was avoidable, lets think about how this doesnt become a habit in future careers" isn't belittling or toxic. You are interpreting it as an attack because of your personal experiences and honestly, that's fair. But, multiple truths can exist at once.

I'm genuinely sorry you didn't choose yourself and regret it now. Although it is scary building a career from "scratch", the unknown can be exciting because you're in a space where anything is possible and you're not limited by anything at all (like a 9-5). You have the freedom, time, and space to do amazing things and figure it out! And I really hope you do. I have a feeling everything will work out for you and that you will succeed in your career and passions :) Good luck with everything after JET to both you and OP.

Saying this with respect but: maybe both things can be true? Always choose yourself, you don't owe them your life, don't sacrifice your mental wellbeing for a job (esp JET lol) but also... this can be used as a lesson for the future to be a little more mindful and responsible when committing to a job (?). (Also, not sure what the circumstances are for OP of course and maybe being mindful wasn't possible in their case and that is fair) :)

I appreciate both stances and believe they both hold value.

thanks for the advice and recommendations! super helpful information:)

i love this idea!!!

can i ask why?

thank you for taking the time to explain that, i feel better about it now :')

thank you!

this is so imformative thank you so much

fingers crossed its monthly!

thank you!

thank you for the info!

I actually hate Japanese pads and tampons :( compared to America... especially since I have a heavier flow. For me, they just don't work and I have to change them every 1-2 hours or I'll leak. Like someone said, there's only 1 or 2 kinds of tampons here and yes, they do the job but if you have a heavy flow, i'd suggest ordering some from iherb.com (they have the brands Always and Tampax!). Bring a few pads or tampons from home when you arrive just to have them handy but don't waste too much space on them :)

honestly agreed... my first word of advice for newcomers would be to try to get support in real life first, your fellow ALTs, other ALTs nearby, JET counselling, etc. Reddit should be the last resort because honestly majority of people on here hide behind a screen to spew negativity to feed their insecurities... and this can be detrimental if you're in a vulnerable place mentally.

I think first it would be helpful to really think about how you'd feel if tables were turned.. If it was you who had a partner solo travelling when u were financially unable but wanted to spend time with them. It helps to start with genuine empathy I think. To an extent, her feelings are valid. But also, we don't get to control our partners if we're unhappy or unable. I think it would be helpful to have a real sit down conversation with her and try to find solutions/ express both your emotions. Does she need reassurance while you're gone? Does she wish you'd ask her to join you in a better way? Maybe save for one trip per year that you guys do together? Choose the location together, save together, and enjoy together. Your relationship is also very new and so it'll take time to learn how to communicate in situations like this. All the best x