Going Home!

Most of us have to do it eventually... here's how to do it as painlessly as possible.

One-way flight:

Top tips and ideas of how to get the best deal...

• Look at flexible routes. Search on Travelocity using the 'flexible dates' option for August and choose a stop-over. Eg, a one-way to Seoul (app US$500), then a one-way to America (eg O'Hare app US$800) - you could save yourself some money by taking a short layover vacation in one or more city. http://www.travelocity.com
• Travelocity will ship your tickets to you in Japan (for an extra fee), while other sites like Expedia won't.
• Another site to check out is - http://www.aviatravel.com/journeys.html
• Try using companies that let you purchase tickets online (STA, Expedia.com, etc.) then tell your travel agent. They are often able to match it.
• If you buy a return ticket, you may be in trouble if you don't take the trip back to Japan (or maybe not...). Check out this website for details http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2002/0809.htm Apparently, if you lay low you may be able to throw away half of a round-trip ticket, but if they catch you, the airline will try to charge you or punish you (cancel your frequent flier miles etc) unless you have the mettle to try and sue them!

Travelling on the way home:

If you want to see the world on the way home, here are some important things to remember...

The trip home is classed as a business trip and there are restrictions on where and how we can travel. The official rule from CLAIR is that our Contracting Organizations are only obligated to send us directly back to the airport we left from within 30 days of the end of our contract. The provision is clearly outlined in the General Information Handbook and is written in most JET contracts (according to the CLAIR model). Even if we didn`t realize at the time, we all implicitly agreed to the rule when we started the Programme.

It's common for JET participants to have to get 2 quotes for flying to the same airport they left from, purchase the flight themselves and the Contracting Organization will reimburse them shortly before the end of the contract. If you choose to make plans other than going straight back to the airport you left from - to stay in Japan longer or to stop somewhere - your travel expenses are not guaranteed. In fact, some CO`s interpret the rule to mean they are not allowed to pay anything if you don`t go straight back. It`s not necessarily that CO`s or supervisors are being heartless - they may just be honestly trying to follow the rules. Remember that your BOE/school tend to like to do things by the book and doing things that sound dodgy to them are a little difficult to digest. Also they may automatically assume your travelling involves them finding all the flights. No is often the answer when they simply don't understand and don't want to admit it. So go prepared. Take the translated Jet Programme book and have the section on return air-fare highlighted. They can read in the book that they are allowed (i.e. it's not dodgy) to give the equivalent in money. You may need to get someone to translate onto paper exactly what you want.

In short, if you can negotiate some alternate arrangements, take your ticket or the cash and count your blessings. But keep in mind that you can't actually expect to get the travel expenses if you don`t follow the rules. The thing that is flexible is the home designation. It can be different from the airport you came from, but you have to plan to make the new location your place of residence and work.

Often the BOE get bids and buy the tickets in bulk. They are non-refundable, non-changeable, non-cancelable; those are the cheapest, after all. You might be able to cancel or change the date slightly for a hefty fee plus the difference in price (if any). However, you won't get any money out of the transaction.

Around the world trip:

Basically a way to stop at several cities while on your back to your final destination. In the end, your ticket could actually end up being cheaper than a one way back to the airport you left from. Here's an article explaining it a bit: http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=9&category=6

More sites to check out (these are just a few of them):

http://www.airtreks.com/index.html

http://www.airbrokers.com/index.html

http://www.bootsnall.com/tripplanner.shtml

http://www.travellerspoint.com/round-the-world-tickets.cfm

http://www.cheapflights.com/useful-links/around-the-world.html

http://www.gonomad.com/transports/0011/miniguide_around_world_tic.html

http://flyaow.com/aroundtheworldairlineticketsat.htm

Notes to remember:

• The money should cover you from your doorstep to the airport you left from.
• The procedure and amount of details you are required to divulge is completely different from place to place.
• Your visa is cancelled when you leave Japan because you are no longer on the JET Programme, even though it has time left on it. If you return, you need to get either the standard 90-day tourist visa or another work visa if you have a new job with a new sponsor.

Sending luggage ahead:

• If you want to send a crate, check out JetSetJapan. They've a link to a moving company that deals with JETs. Ideal if you have loads of stuff. http://www.jetsetjapan.com/dealzone-economove.shtml
• Japan Luggage Express - charge by the cubic meter and it's about ï¿¥60,000 for the first one. You have to call to start the process and then just ask for an English speaker who will probably call you back shortly thereafter. They need a decent amount of forewarning and there is paperwork you have to fax to them before you do anything else. http://www.jluggage.com
• http://a-cross.jp/sea.html
• http://a-cross.jp/mv.html (if you're taking your car with you!)
• Check in your area for companies who take clothes for charity - why take them all home?
• Post Office - not the cheapest, perhaps, but it can be done. Ship your winter clothes home by boat, it'll be really cheap, and they'll still get there before winter if you're Northern Hemishpere. Check out the "10 box deal" - a discount if you have 10 boxes or more so friends can share and different destinations still count! They can even arrange to pick up the boxes from your place. Parcels ususally have a weight limit and a '3m limit'. This refers to the total of the length of the box and the sides of the other 4 sides which make up the circumference. Packages for the US have a 2m limit so please check it out before you try to send it. Also, your local post office may not realise this and you may get the parcel set back to you - a pain if you have already left the country. You can also pay about double for the EMS service, which has a 2.75m limit and will get there quicker. For a comparitive list of prices for various weights and services offered by Japan Post: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english/fee/intel/parcel.html or http://www.int.post.japanpost.jp/index.php?page=guidance/i_parcel The phone number for the nationwide English post office line: 0570-046-111. They can answer all your questions in English. It costs more than a regular call, but worth it. Open everyday, 8am-10pm Mon- Fri; 9am-7pm Sat, Sun and holidays. Main home page in English - http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english/index.html
• Consider buying special bags from a 100-yen shop which you can use with your vacuum cleaner. These allow you to pack much more as they suck all the air our of your packing and Japan limits by size, not weight.
• You can get a special book bag to mail up to 10kg. This must be books only. Usually only available at main branches. Costs (for the US): ï¿¥9000 for airmail；￥8100 for SAL；￥4450 for Surface (Sea) Mail. Enquire at the Post Office for rates to your country.
• Useful site with links to main shippers - http://www.answers.com/topic/yamato-transport-co-ltd

Note: - don't forget to fill out a customs declaration form and attach it. It needs to be very detailed in respect of the contents or the customs officials may open it and charge duty and vat on every item. If this happens, more money will be charged in admin too so it may be worth telling the person receiving it for you to send it back. This will be a problem if you are no longer in Japan... There are also limits on importing new stuff (gifts) - and this will be in the currency of the receiving country and the customs officers decide the exchange rate so you will have to check the site for your country!

Taking things home

electrical goods:

Be careful about taking electric goods back with you because the amount of electricity is different. Electronic goods (e.g. pcs) are an exception because they are made to accept a huge range of electricity. Even if the plug fits, the current here is less than most western countries meaning you are going to give it a lot more electricity than it was designed for. You might find that it doesn't work correctly or at all and it could burn out. So unless your favourite ricemaker/hairdryer/coffee maker etc is made for export or has the big block on it to allow it to accept various wattages, don't bother.

Converters are also available that will allow you to use your Japanese appliances at home. Check in the stores that cater to immigrant populations or people who travel. Some are only plug adaptors - they're really cheap. The ones that change voltage are more

expensive and generally larger.

swords/weapons/etc:

You should be able to stow weapons in your luggage with no problems. Just make sure it isn't combustable, it's checked in (NOT in hand luggage) and the airline know what's in there. Always check with the airline first.

You could also mail it using the post office. Fill out the description form, pay the cost and sign it. You can also insure it.

Cancelling your phone

Soft Bank users can easily cancel their cell phone service at Narita Airport. There are service counters in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

If you want to pay your bills using cash, the processing time may take about 1 hour, but if you want to pay via credit card, you won't have to wait. They will just charge your card when they've processed everything. Keep in mind that if you cancel your service when it isn't your renewal month, you may have to pay a termination fee of around ï¿¥3,000-4,000. If you have any further questions call them (free, in English) on 157 on your keitai.