WS: Past Passive "Were drawn by" 3rd G JHS

This is a third graders' version of the first grade sheet I posted last week.


One side of the paper is the drawing areas, the other the lines for text.

Instruct students to listen carefully to your key words. They have 30 seconds to draw your key word as many times as possible in the appropriate box.

I chose simple things like socks, bananas etc to start with, then threw it some hard ones like Kappa Sushi Hello Kitty Grape Juice, 2005 Nissan Cube etc. near the end.

After drawing, get them to flip over the sheets, make pairs, and ask each other "How many _______ did you draw?" Armed with that information, they write two sentences. One in the past as "I drew six buses", and one as the past passive "Seven buses were drawn by Tomoya."

Here's the sheet.

Expect to fill around 15 minutes.

Health Insurance Guide #5: Do I Need Insurance At All?

Now for the final installment of our health insurance series, where we will address the monetary and moral dilemma of whether or not you really need insurance.

The Dilemma

First and foremost, not everyone has the luxury of choosing whether or not they enroll in a health insurance scheme. However, for students, self-employed, or those working for small English schools or dispatch firms, the choice to go down to the city office and enroll in NHI is all yours.

The main pain of NHI is that payments will be deceptively cheap only to jump drastically after your first year of paid salary. Depending on your income and number of dependents, this can be a significant expense, generally more so than those who are enrolled in EHI. Moreover, you have the added chagrin of knowing that a large portion of your premiums go to covering the cost of low-cost insurance for the elderly. Therefore, it is tempting to just keep that 15,000-30,000 or so yen a month that would go to health care and save it for a rainy day.

Lets look at the pros and cons health insurance

Pros

• Living (relatively) worry free-- This is probably an obvious point but being insured can assure you a great deal of freedom by providing a social safety net. You don't have to fret about one dehabilitating and potentially costly injury ruining your life savings. Obviously, there are out of pocket costs associated with health care but when you have to get that super expensive operation it will seem like a bargain

• Planning for the Future-- As a young, virile individual, its easy to dismiss health care as a service for old fogies. However, we are all doomed to become geezers sooner or later and, more importantly, you never know what the future holds. Many people come to Japan with the intention of only staying a year or two and then end up settling down and making a family. When you have neglected to pay insurance premiums for all those year, singing up will cost a bundle in back payments which cash strapped municipalities are unlikely to forgive.

• Being a Good Citizen-- Public health insurance is, by its very nature, a cooperative effort where in neighbors pool together to help those who have fallen on hard times. More than just not sorting your garbage or refusing to pay neighborhood association fees, not having health insurance is not only a violation of the law (albeit an unenforced law with no punishments), but you are also failing to support your fellow citizens. That said, there are more than a few Japanese who don't pay into the system but nuts to them.

Cons

• Cost-- While Japanese health insurance may seem like a steal for Americans who are accustomed to being ripped off for health care, Japan is unique amongst many other countries insofar as health insurance is not paid through general wage taxation. NHI in particular can be extraordinary expensive for those on a limited budget and who have multiple dependents. Although the cost of EHI is rising as well, NHI tends to be a bit more expensive for those who don't qualify for exemptions.

• The Old Folks Factor-- The truth of the matter is that, as an NHI insurance, the lion's share of your tax and "elderly support fee" go to support Japan's massive geriatric community who are by far the biggest users of public health care. Those 75 and over entitled to extremely cheap insurance wherein they only pay 10 percent out of pocket and pay a very low monthly premium as well as low limits on high medical care. The fact that the septuagenarian crowd eats up so much of your insurance fees while paying so little is enough to make people opt to not join the system.

• Administrative Hassle-- Since NHI fees are based on the previous years earnings, you have to make sure you properly file taxes resulting from non-full time and/or part time work. If you are student, you have to make sure to file for a student reduction every year at the town hall as well as submit all your withholding slips to town hall. If you are self employed or work multiple jobs then this can be an extra hassle.

While not everyone has the option to avoid the system, the choice to join public health insurance is ultimately your own. In this author's own opinion, joining the NHI is not only the socially responsible thing to do, it is a great boon in the odd event that your Iron Man body fails you. Having insurance is precisely for those times that you can never possibly predict. Yeah, the cost sucks but in the end you have peace of mind and you are one step closer to being a productive member or Japanese society.

Well, that about does it folks! Thanks for taking a look at our Japanese health insurance super feature.

Other posts in this series

• The Fundamentals [part 1] [part 2]
• National Health Insurance
• Employee Health Insurance
• Optional Insurance
• Do I need Insurance at all?

Being an ALT #17: What To Wear?

Do you need a suit? Can you wear sandals in the summer? Is it Okay to not wear a bra?

All this and more answered within.


This information is for Junior High and Elementary. I don't yet know the details for High School. Please leave us a comment if you do.

First of all, yes you do need a suit. You will be expected to wear it for the big ceremonies and enkais. TIP: Don't wear a black tie, because it symbolises death.


I would recommend keeping a suit at school if you can, as you never know when someone will forget to tell you about a teachers' photo etc.

For general, everyday wear, a pair of smart trousers (skirts reserved for special occasions) will do. They don't need to be suit trousers at all. Many teachers wear tracksuits, which is perfectly acceptable. I wear black coloured sports trousers. No denim.

Your top half wants to be at least short-sleeved, covering any cleavage you may have (men or women) and not showing your lower back at all (in any position). Generally, print T-shirts are not acceptable (expect in elementary school), but polo-necks are. Sports "dry" T-shirts seem to be fine. And you should probably wear a bra.

In cold weather you may want to wear a jacket at school. You can do so if it's not huge. A sensible, thin jacket may be worn.

Footwear
It seems that you can wear sandals, but flip-flops are a little too casual. And most people wear socks, too...

You will need indoor shoes for school, which can be pretty much any style you want. I'd steer away from luminous coloured trainers, but even that may not be a problem.

If in doubt, ask.

Being an ALT series: 

Part #1: Teaching English in Japan 

Part #2: Your Role

Part #3: A Typical Day

Part #4: Planning Classes 

Part #5: Getting Drunk on Duty (the Enkai) 

Part #6: 4 Japanese Teachers You May Have to Work With

Part #7: Physical Resources

Part #8: Making Activities

Part #9: Hopping Between Schools

Part #10: More School Hopping

Part #11: Getting Molested At School

Part #12: It Is Really This Easy?
Part #13: Brushing Your Teeth At School
Part #14: Demo Lessons
Part #15: Elementary Lesson Plan Example
Part #16: School Lunch
Part #17: What to Wear

International Supermarkets and Other Home Comforts

I have written before about getting your Japan fix in the UK. But what about getting your home comforts whilst in Japan?

I have learned to live with (and sometimes love) the Japanese alternative of most things: teabags, chocolate, shampoo etc.

But there are certain English (and presumably other nationality) products which are just better than the Japanese counterpart! Mainly toothpaste, deodorant, HobNobs and face-wash. I know there are some sites out there bent on convincing would-be ex-pats into thinking that the toothpaste and deodorant problem is just a rumour... well it's not! I have not found a single brand of toothpaste which doesn't make me gag (my students use a toothpaste in a fetching gray shade...yuck), and the deodorant is like sprinkling flavoured water on yourself.

To get these home comforts, and a few other luxuries (e.g. a good, spicy curry paste) we have mainly been relying on few and far between home visits, friends and family on holiday or other ex-pats willing to bring back things when they are on a trip back.

There are however many international supermarkets in Japan; stocking everything from English biscuits to American root beer, a range of international liquor, not to mention the hundreds of things you didn't even know you missed!

Beware: Japanese toothpaste

This informative website, exploring all the delicious things Japan has to offer also features a list of international supermarkets in the Tokyo area and beyond.

Another way to get these home comforts is by ordering online.

However this can prove difficult, if not impossible for some food items. The meat guy stocks some of the things you might be craving, such as couscous and specialities like pumpkin pie to meet your thanksgiving needs (and proper size and shape steaks).

The flying pig, and yoyomarket, also stock imported food including frozen and chilled goods,  as well as electrical items, books, and personal items, as does The Deli, which will also order in an extensive selection of American produce.

Finally, you can find shops outside of Japan who deliver here. This is slightly more difficult as there are, of course, customs regulations preventing the import of certain items (cheese for example, and certain medications). I have used Direct chemist in the past to purchase toiletries and vitamins (which can be incredibly expensive in Japan), and as noted in a previous article, Health Span UK and Nature's Best also ship vitamins and minerals.

If you can recommend anywhere else to buy food and toiletries online (and which deliver to Japan) please let us know in the comment box below.

Peach out.

WS: "How Many?" Drawing Game 1st G JHS

This is a simple activity I found on Englishpedia. It's good, but like virtually everything on there needs updating for the 21st century. I've done that, and play it slightly differently.


One side of the paper is the drawing areas, the other the lines for text.

Instruct students to listen carefully to your key words. They have 30 seconds to draw your key word as many times as possible in the appropriate box.

I chose simple things like socks, bananas etc to start with, then threw it some hard ones like Kappa Sushi Hello Kitty Grape Juice, a bike, or a teacher etc. near the end.

After drawing, get them to flip over the sheets, make pairs, and ask each other "How many _______ do you have?" Armed with that information, they write two sentences. One for "I have...." and one for "You have...." (they don't know "has" at this point).

Here's the sheet.

Expect to fill around 15 minutes.

I've also converted this for the third grade grammar point of "Were drawn by". Check back next week for that.

September Roundup

Forgot all about this this month. Sorry for the delay.

What did you miss in the last four (well, five) weeks?

Well, first of all you missed the August blog roundup - wouldn't want to fall behind there. Missing an AJ blog is like missing a train, except for the vital difference that with a train, an almost identical copy turns up shortly after. And, trains kill people; never forget that. AccessJ never killed anyone (in fact, as you will find out next month, we actively help out those with suicidal tendencies.) In short, next time you miss a train, thank your lucky stars it wasn't one of our entries.

Anyway, not content just with the roundup, we then went on to post some other stuff:



Dan finished his Credit Cards series and then started anew with his Health Insurance Mega-Guide (which finishes next week).

Laura filled you in on how to get tickets to the Studio Ghibli museum in Tokyo. She also told us all about clothing sizes in Japan, and how to find things that will look normal on your massive foreign body. She then showcased some beautiful works of art actually growing in rice fields across Japan.

LP dropped by to deposit a few excellent articles on Renting a Car in Japan, the crazy varieties of potatoes over here, and an example of an Elementary School Plan for new JETs and such who are drowning in the flood of unfamiliar responsibility.

In September I went nuts and wrote 20 or 30 blogs, most of which you won't see for the next 月 or two, but some which were:

• Japanese online radio stations
• Turn Your Books into eBooks for 100yen!
• How the New Kindle Affects Your Japanese eBooks and Manga
• Being an ALT #16: School Lunch
• Buying ZMA in Japan
• And a documentary my friend Rob put together about teaching English in Japan

And let's not forget it was our bloody birthday in September! AccessJ is more than one year old now. Thanks for the cards and chocolates you bastards!

Health Insurance Guide #4: Optional Insurance

Today's topic is optional health insurance, which covers hospital fees and doctor fees that are not covered by your regular insurance.

The Basics
Supplemental insurance is usually known as "medical treatment insurance" (医療保険 iryo hoken) and is sold by numerous different agencies including Japan Post, Aflac, Metlife, and so on.

Unlike the one-size-fits-all insurance schemes, supplemental insurance comes in a variety of flavors. Since most doctors visits will only drain you of a bit of pocket money, optional insurance is usually aimed at prolonged hospitalization (入院 nyuin), cancer treatments (がん gan), surgery (手術 shujutsu), or "advanced medical treatment" (先進医療 senshin iryo)--which is usually defined as cutting edge recently approved treatment methods that might not be fully covered by the public insurance system.

Coverage
Most companies divide their insurance products into two main categories which include the aforementioned treatment insurance, and cancer insurance (がん保険 gan hoken). Many companies offer a comprehensive package that covers both cancer and medical treatment with various yearly and monthly payout limits.

When shopping for cancer insurance, make sure you look at the fine print. Many companies have multi-tiered plans and lower cost options often do not include treatments for certain types of common and/or invasive cancers. One of the big restrictions is for cancers of the digestional tract (消化器がん shoka-ki gan) due to the fact that there is significantly high occurrence of this form of cancer in the Japanese population. If you want "full coverage" you will have to pay a higher monthly rate.

Furthermore, there are two basic types of coverage: fixed term (定期 teiki) and life-time (終身 shushin). Fixed term is set for a given time (usually measured in years) and life-time, as the name implies, is good until you kick the bucket. Many life-time plans include survivor benefits in the result that you die of medical complications or non-natural factors over the course of treatment

Eligibility and Shopping Around
Since medical treatment insurance is a private concern, companies reserve the right to turn down your application based on factors such as health problems and having an overly hazardous line of work. Many companies do not require a doctors exam before signing up, although this can vary based on age and other factors. In addition, insurers reserve the right to request a check-up and any necessary information from your doctor if they have any doubts about your insurability. Pre-existing conditions generally are not covered by optional insurance.

Luckily, due to Japan's bountiful supply of medical insurance providers, you can shop around for plans of all shapes and sizes. Many insurers have monthly premium calculators on their website and major shopping sites like Kakaku and Yahoo Japan have insurance comparison websites where you can look at a variety of quotes all at once.

Cost and Reimbursement
Cost for optional insurance is almost entirely based on age. Therefore, a healthy 20 or 30 year old can get insurance for as little as 1000-something yen a month while an individual in their 50s or 60s can expect to pay double or triple the price depending on the benefits offered.

Once you start paying for your plan (usually in monthly or yearly installments), your insurance company will send you an insurance certificate (保険証券 hoken shoken).


Your insurance will not kick in until after your first payment. Payouts are generally made in the form of reimbursements where in you send the insurance company your receipts and paperwork and, after an employee reviews your eligibility, the company will transfer you the money to either your bank account or the account of your medical provider. Make sure to check with your provider about what sort of forms are required before you submit a claim.

Some hospitals may allow you to defer out of pocket payments for treatment so long as you designate the hospital as the recipient of the insurance money. However, this is by no means universal so make sure you check with your medical provider. The hospital or doctor may require proof that you are current on your insurance payments and that your plan covers your treatment.

If you plan on getting your own plan and you don't know much Japanese, it is advisable to bring along someone who does, as most forms are not available in English.



Pop by again next Friday for our feature on the moral and monetary quandary of enrolling in Japanese Health Insurance.

Other posts in this series

• The Fundamentals [part 1] [part 2]
• National Health Insurance
• Employee Health Insurance
• Optional Insurance
• Do I need Insurance at all?

Being an ALT #16: School Lunch

We've posted before about school lunch, several times. But to be more comprehensive we've decided to update our old entries and incorporate them into the Being an ALT series.

So, let's explore the wonders of school lunch time in Japan.

In my school (and most other elementary and junior high schools in the region), the children of my weekly host class come and collect me and my food from the teacher's room. Then we go to their class and I wait until the children have finished serving each other (food is served from large vats at the from of the class by those students whose turn it is to do so).

If you don't have one, I suggest buying a lunch mat (see the images later in this post). All students have them, and will be excited that you have one too.

Then we say the customary いただきます (itadakimasu) and eat. This usually ends well before the "end of lunch" chime, and we must wait for that before washing and returning our dishes. In this time, you can talk with the students or sit in total silence. Often the kids are either scared still of communicating with you, or just don't want to.

Don't get me wrong, I love my kids. But if they ever work up the courage to speak to me it's just to ask what my favourite colour is, how tall I am and if I have a girlfriend. I've taught them for years, they know this stuff already.

Talking Japanese to them just makes them laugh... :(

When the bell rings we say our いただきました (itadakimashita) or ごちそうさまでした (gochisousamadeshita), "wash" our plates and bowls with 100ml of water and a pair of chopsticks and then go our separate ways. Then the students and teachers brush their teeth.

The food
If you're vegetarian, either forget it, or bring your own lunch. Japan isn't welcoming to your kind. Generally lunch always consists of milk and rice (replaced once a week with bread or noodles depending on the time of year), and will come with some kind of soup (usually containing small piece of meat), a piece of meat or other source of protein, and a salad (often very, very pickled). Here's a sample from my 5 Random School Lunches post from last year:


Wednesday

• Rice with yukari. Not sure what that is but it turned it purple and tasted similar to umeboshi (pickled plums),
• Tomato omelette,
• Fried sweet potato slithers, cucumber and lettuce,
• Sumashi soup with wakame, mushrooms, reformed fish and indeterminate bits of vegetable.
• Calories: 734
• Review: Cold and miserable. 2/5

The combinations of food are often quite strange. In fact, so strange that a book was written on it. You can check out all the odd combinations with glossy, full-color photos in the book on Amazon; a smattering of the funny ones are listed here:

• White Bread + Rice Cakes
• Brown Sugar Bread and Miso Soup
• Toast with Jam and Vinegared Pork
• Steamed Strawberry Bread and Kitsune Udon
• Curry Tofu Stirfry and Chocolate Deep-Fried Bread
• Curry Udon and an American Hotdog
• Yakisoba and a Donut

To be fair, when interviewed, the nutrition experts at offending school districts defended their position, saying they are required by the national government to provide a certain number of calories and amount of vitamins and minerals in each lunch. But, Japanese kids are (in my opinion) some of the pickiest eaters in the world. So, the nutrition experts continued, its necessary to choose high calorie foods kids are willing to eat and pair them with a smattering of other stuff to meet the vitamin requirements. 

Being an ALT series: 

Part #1: Teaching English in Japan 

Part #2: Your Role

Part #3: A Typical Day

Part #4: Planning Classes 

Part #5: Getting Drunk on Duty (the Enkai) 

Part #6: 4 Japanese Teachers You May Have to Work With

Part #7: Physical Resources

Part #8: Making Activities

Part #9: Hopping Between Schools

Part #10: More School Hopping

Part #11: Getting Molested At School

Part #12: It Is Really This Easy?
Part #13: Brushing Your Teeth At School
Part #14: Demo Lessons
Part #15: Elementary Lesson Plan Example
Part #16: School Lunch

Turn Your Books into eBooks for 100yen!

If you have a physical book you would prefer to have as a digital book, then we have the perfect service for you.

Read on for more details and the link!


ScaNow.jp will scan your 350 page or less book for 100 yen. Not only that, but their website is in English (sort of).

You will have to pay (a little) extra if you would like the .pdf on a disc instead of downloaded, want the cover scanned too, etc. but most people will be happy with the 100yen option.

Process

• Fill out the online form and pay (they accept PayPal, amongst other methods).
• Send the company your book, or get an online shop to deliver directly to ScaNow.
• They scan it and send you the file within 1-3 working days.

More

• If you want your book back again, you'll need to pay postage and may find that it just isn't worth it.
• Files are watermarked, presumably to prevent piracy. So watch your back if you share with friends.
• Most of the other pay-option are things you can do yourself for free, such as changing the file name, or scanning the front and back covers.

The New Kindle and Japanese eBooks and Manga

Well, the new Kindle has come out! In fact, three have. The original version with the keyboard has been replaced by one without a keyboard (still eInk), the same device with a touchscreen, and a new, full colour Kindle rival to the iPad.

How will this affect your manga and Japanese reading??? Let's find out.

Well, the good news is that nothing has really changed on the keyboard-less version (or the touchscreen version of that) except the price, which now starts at 79USD, so head to our guides for

Studying Japanese on the Kindle
Reading manga on the Kindle
and Japanese eBooks on the Kindle

for that info.

More good news is that they all ship to Japan, except the Fire, which would require a friend in the US to be a middleman.

The Kindle Fire, however, is totally different. It's basically an iPad for much less money (199USD). You can read manga in full colour as regular images, so no need to convert with our guide (although you still can, which will save a lot of the somewhat limited disc space). You can also now watch movies and TV shows. No need for a guide for that, as the Kindle Fire comes with one.

Although I don't have a Kindle Fire, I am sorely tempted to pre-order one. It seems pretty flashy for the very low price tag. check it out on Amazon.

Readers in the UK aren't lucky enough to have an announced date the Kindle Fire yet, but you can still get hold of the new keyboard-less device: Check out the Kindle on Amazon.co.uk. I bought one last year, and it genuinely changed the way I read both books and manga. Can't praise it enough.

In fact, check back on Monday for our guide on how to change your physical books into eBooks for only 100yen!

Health Insurance Guide #3: Employee Health Insurance

Welcome to part 3 of AJ's Japanese health insurance extravaganza! Today we will be covering the second part of the Japanese public health system, the Employee Health Insurance (EHI) scheme.


What is EHI?
Employee Health Insurance does not refer to a single system so much as it does as set of semi-public/non-profit entities operating under a single framework. The main components of the system are as follows:

• The All-Japan Health Insurance Association (全国健康保険協会 zenkoku kenko hoken kyokai) -- A relatively new government designated non-profit that has taken over the responsibilities of the old Social Insurance Agency (社会保険庁 shakai hoken cho)
• Mutual Aid Societies (共済 kyosai) -- Government sponsored or non-profit entities for designated professions such as civil servants, public school teachers, police officers, etc.
• Union Managed Insurance (組合管掌健康保険 kumiai kansho kenko hoken) -- Insurance plans managed by large corporate unions. Sometimes these unions can cover specific industries (IT workers, etc) while other times they are exclusive to very large companies (NTT, Panasonic, etc). Membership depends on union rules, company policy, and employment status. 

The Social Insurance Agency no longer exists, having been shut down after a series of mismanagement and gaffs, although many websites still use the phrase "social insurance" (社会保険 shakai hoken) to refer to the system. The term "various types of social insurance" (各種社会保険 kakushu shakai hoken) often pops up on job postings and it usually refers to health insurance in addition to employment insurance, worker's compensation insurance, and so on. 


Benefits
Regardless of what institution acts as your insurance provider, benefits are very much the same as NHI. EHI covers health, dental, specialists, and just about every approved treatment so long as its non-elective. Special health check up vouchers are available for those in their mid 40s but most basic check ups are covered by school or work.


Also, like NHI, pregnancies are not covered directly but rather in the form of a 420,000yen lump sum reimbursement.


One important benefit is the ability to recoup 2/3rds of your salary after 3 consecutive, non-paid sick days. Naturally, you need to submit proof from work and a doctor that you are not at work and not earning a wage for your sick leave. Consult your work or insurance institution regarding how to claim your benefits.


Eligibility
As we have covered in the previous section, companies and organizations are obliged to enroll their employees in an EHI scheme if they have 5 or more full time employees and/or you work at least 2/3rds the hours of a regular employee.


To avoid the extra costs associated with EHI, many dispatch firms and ALT companies classify their employees as contractors or state that mandatory work hours are just below the 2/3rds limit. Therefore, even if you work for a big company, you may not be covered by EHI insurance. 


EHI is also available to immediate family members including spouses and children as well as grandparents directly related to the primary insuree (i.e. not your wife's parents etc) so long as they are under 75 and live in the same household. Children or spouses making over 1,300,000 yen a year (1,800,000 if disabled) must enroll in their own insurance scheme. 


Costs
EHI rates differ by institution but the rates are generally a fixed portion of your pre-tax salary. For instance, the All-Japan Health Insurance Association's rates are set by individual prefectures, although in theory they don't differ too widely. You can look at all the rates by prefecture and salary level here.  Costs are shouldered equally between you and your employer so you are technically only paying half of the full fee.


The right side of the table covers insurance rates which is broken down into salary (標準報酬 hyojun hoshu) by month (月額) and day (日額). The two rates represent regular insurance rates (the lower percentage) and insurance rates with nursing insurance (only for those 40 and over). There may be small adjustments for children and spouses depending on your insurer. Contact your work place's HR department or insurance group for exact rates. 


Out-of-Pocket Costs
Like NHI, all procedures are billed with the "insurance point" system and insurees must shoulder 30 percent of all out of pocket costs. Children 6 and under only need to cover 20 percent of costs. 


Also, like NHI, there is a maximum cap on out of pocket expenditures of 81,000 yen + (Total Medical Bill - 267,000) x 1% or 44,000 if you receive multiple procedures in a short period of time. This applies if you earn less than 530,000 yen a month. Those who fall in the high earner category have their maximum expenditure cap calculated 150,000 + (Total Medical bill - 500,000) X 1% with a recurring treatment cap of 83,400. Low income earners have a fixed 35,000 yen cap and a 24,600 yen cap of recurring treatments.See the NHI article for more details.


Changing Jobs and Unemployment
Since EHI is directly linked to your employment, quitting or being otherwise terminated means that you have to change insurance. 


If you quit, are fired, or otherwise rendered unemployed, then you have two available options: the first is continuing your coverage for up to two years. The other option is to join the NHI. 


In the cast of the All-Japan Health Insurance Association, you must pay for both your own portion of the premium as well as the portion covered by your work. If you opt to go to the NHI system, your health insurance organization will send you a card in the mail (usually called a 被保険者資格喪失届 hihoken-sha shikaku hoshitsu todoke) within 20 days of your termination. You can take this to the city hall and use it as proof of unemployment to apply for NHI or bring it to your new work place in the event you are enrolled in a different insurance group. 


The ability to continue you insurance while not working may differ between insurance groups so make sure to consult your EHI provider in the event that you become unemployed.




Well that about covers the important points of the EHI system. Check back to AccessJ soon as we look at optional medical treatment insurance.

Other posts in this series

• The Fundamentals [part 1] [part 2]
• National Health Insurance
• Employee Health Insurance
• Optional Insurance
• Do I need Insurance at all?

Being an ALT Special: Documentary

This is a documentary a good friend of mine made this year. It covers many of the day-to-day activities of an ALT in Juniour High/Elementary school in Japan.

He lived way out in the countryside, quite close to where I am now. The scenery alone is worth watching for.

It's a little long (50mins), but it captures a lot of the atmosphere of rural Japan.

Enjoy.