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Importing Diversity: Inside Japan's JET Program
In 1987, the Japanese government inaugurated the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program in response to global pressure to "internationalize" its society. This ambitious program has grown to be a major government operation, with an annual budget of $400 million (greater than the United States NEA and NEH combined) and more than six thousand foreign nationals employed each year in public schools all over Japan.
How does a relatively homogeneous and insular society react when a buzzword is suddenly turned into a reality? How did the arrival of so many foreigners affect Japan's educational bureaucracy? How did the foreigners themselves feel upon discovering that English teaching was not the primary goal of the program? In this balanced study of the JET program, David L. McConnell draws on ten years of ethnographic research to explore the cultural and political dynamics of internationalization in Japan. Through vignettes and firsthand accounts, he highlights and interprets the misunderstandings of the early years of the program, traces the culture clashes at all levels of the bureaucracy, and speculates on what lessons the JET program holds for other multicultural initiatives.
This fascinating book's jargon-free style and interdisciplinary approach will make it appealing to educators, policy analysts, students of Japan, and prospective and former JET participants.
How does a relatively homogeneous and insular society react when a buzzword is suddenly turned into a reality? How did the arrival of so many foreigners affect Japan's educational bureaucracy? How did the foreigners themselves feel upon discovering that English teaching was not the primary goal of the program? In this balanced study of the JET program, David L. McConnell draws on ten years of ethnographic research to explore the cultural and political dynamics of internationalization in Japan. Through vignettes and firsthand accounts, he highlights and interprets the misunderstandings of the early years of the program, traces the culture clashes at all levels of the bureaucracy, and speculates on what lessons the JET program holds for other multicultural initiatives.
This fascinating book's jargon-free style and interdisciplinary approach will make it appealing to educators, policy analysts, students of Japan, and prospective and former JET participants.
- GenresJapanNonfictionEducation
348 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 12, 2017
Solid 3.5 - 4
As a current JET participant and one of several advisors to an entire prefecture of JETs, I believe that the information contained in this text would be helpful to any new JET participant, as well as any current participants who find themselves "stuck in a rut." Though the information could now be considered "outdated," I believe the in-depth look at the JET Program's roots can lead to an understanding and acceptance of the program's shortcomings and a deeper appreciation of its successes. I also gained a new appreciation for and understanding of my own position at a prefectural board of education from reading about the early exploits of foreign program coordinators.
My only complaint is that while critical and supportive stances on the program from both the Japanese and foreign perspectives are present in almost equal measure, they are sometimes distributed unevenly, which could lead some readers to infer that McConnell is choosing sides on certain issues.
As a current JET participant and one of several advisors to an entire prefecture of JETs, I believe that the information contained in this text would be helpful to any new JET participant, as well as any current participants who find themselves "stuck in a rut." Though the information could now be considered "outdated," I believe the in-depth look at the JET Program's roots can lead to an understanding and acceptance of the program's shortcomings and a deeper appreciation of its successes. I also gained a new appreciation for and understanding of my own position at a prefectural board of education from reading about the early exploits of foreign program coordinators.
My only complaint is that while critical and supportive stances on the program from both the Japanese and foreign perspectives are present in almost equal measure, they are sometimes distributed unevenly, which could lead some readers to infer that McConnell is choosing sides on certain issues.
April 6, 2022
Excellent history of a very interesting and unique program. Thoroughly researched, so the book is quite dense. Not for the lightly interested or slightly curious! This book takes a deep look into the history of the JET Program and the results and impacts it has had since its inception in 1987.
February 6, 2017
While not a JET participant myself, I am fortunately acquainted with some current and former JETs, which makes perusing this research into the inception of the JET program both captivatingly intellectual and deeply personal. And David McConnell answers that expectation by delivering an exceptional opening and an impeccable epilogue, plus carefully articulated chapters that humor an outsider such as myself about the reality of "Importing Diversity" in Japan.
The book asks some very important questions: What kind of rationale went into the formulation of one of the biggest exchange program to date? How did such diverse expectations, between the (mostly Western) ALTs and the Japanese hosts, and among the various Japanese actors themselves, about the overall purpose of the program play out into conflicts at both national and local levels? In such process, how did individual players (except for the Japanese students themselves, oops), whose life are permanently altered by the emergence of JET program as the premier exchange and teaching (English) in Japan, react to such expectations and re-conceptualize their roles in this giant undertaking? As no two JET experience is the same, what has this massive top-down initiative achieved and not achieved during the first ten years, and to a certain extent, what does such (non-)success imply about the future of diversity as well as identity politics in Japan (and elsewhere)?
In the end, there is no correct answer to what "accommodation without assimilation" means , and there is no question that "diversity" has to be experienced firsthand. That a very abstract concept of "internationalization" can be turned into a reality which is the current JET program, with people tasked to define it in concrete policies and re-define it in the constant struggle for change, is already remarkable. As efforts towards "internationalization" and improvement of Japan's self-image are likely to intensify in the rush towards Tokyo Olympics 2020 (my company included), the important lessons about the clash of values during the early days of the JET program shall serve as a stark reminder that we all need to become understanding, respectful and above all, tolerant of the differences of the other sides, whether it is the group-mentality or the multicultural individualism.
What I like the most about this book, is the uncovering of the should-have-expected. Of course there are homosexual JETs. Of course there are suicide and drug and sexual harassment problems in the program (though more discussion on the bafflement of the host and the resulting policy cushion than the tacklement of the issues themselves). Of course there is teacher union, and of course there is a quasi-union of JETs (after all, JET is uh, a job). I would love to hear my JET friends elaborate more on what has (not) changed since the first ten years.
The book asks some very important questions: What kind of rationale went into the formulation of one of the biggest exchange program to date? How did such diverse expectations, between the (mostly Western) ALTs and the Japanese hosts, and among the various Japanese actors themselves, about the overall purpose of the program play out into conflicts at both national and local levels? In such process, how did individual players (except for the Japanese students themselves, oops), whose life are permanently altered by the emergence of JET program as the premier exchange and teaching (English) in Japan, react to such expectations and re-conceptualize their roles in this giant undertaking? As no two JET experience is the same, what has this massive top-down initiative achieved and not achieved during the first ten years, and to a certain extent, what does such (non-)success imply about the future of diversity as well as identity politics in Japan (and elsewhere)?
In the end, there is no correct answer to what "accommodation without assimilation" means , and there is no question that "diversity" has to be experienced firsthand. That a very abstract concept of "internationalization" can be turned into a reality which is the current JET program, with people tasked to define it in concrete policies and re-define it in the constant struggle for change, is already remarkable. As efforts towards "internationalization" and improvement of Japan's self-image are likely to intensify in the rush towards Tokyo Olympics 2020 (my company included), the important lessons about the clash of values during the early days of the JET program shall serve as a stark reminder that we all need to become understanding, respectful and above all, tolerant of the differences of the other sides, whether it is the group-mentality or the multicultural individualism.
What I like the most about this book, is the uncovering of the should-have-expected. Of course there are homosexual JETs. Of course there are suicide and drug and sexual harassment problems in the program (though more discussion on the bafflement of the host and the resulting policy cushion than the tacklement of the issues themselves). Of course there is teacher union, and of course there is a quasi-union of JETs (after all, JET is uh, a job). I would love to hear my JET friends elaborate more on what has (not) changed since the first ten years.
December 26, 2025
Importing Diversity by McConnell is an engaging and critical examination of the JET Programme, revealing how national goals, local politics, and cultural expectations shape participants’ day-to-day realities. McConnell cuts through promotional narratives to explain what JET actually is: a complex blend of language education, soft diplomacy, and rural revitalisation. For prospective JETs, the book offers valuable preparation by highlighting mismatches between expectations and practice, the challenges of integration, and the organisational structures that influence placements. It equips readers with a realistic understanding of what truly happens on JET, enabling them to approach the experience with clarity, awareness, and adaptability.
June 16, 2008
I enjoyed reading this study of clashing cultures and the development of the JET program. I recommend it, especially to people who are going on the program as well as to those who have already gone. If you are looking for light stories of JET experiences, though, this would not fulfill your expectations.
February 8, 2013
well-researched, packed with statistics, has gentle humor. the quintessential reference book for the JET Programme.
information about early days, details about all aspects of the program.
information about early days, details about all aspects of the program.
December 4, 2013
Well-researched but decade-old insight into a relatively niche programme. Nonetheless extremely interesting and useful.
December 27, 2022
My one sentence review: This has been on my reading list for years and I was worried that I wouldn't get much out of it because it was already 10 years old when I was on the JET program, but since it covers the early years of the program I didn't find that to be the case; it is interesting too see how much has changed in Japan and yet how much still remains the same.
December 25, 2014
I'd probably give it a 3.5 if I could. Did a good job of covering the early years of the program, though I was disappointed to see that except for some high-profile incidents a lot of the specifics about experiences came from one prefecture. A limitation inherent in the research method, I suppose.
The text was scattered with Japanese, which helped give a better sense of what some of the Japanese were saying than could be expressed in translation. There were some errors, however, which was annoying.
The text was scattered with Japanese, which helped give a better sense of what some of the Japanese were saying than could be expressed in translation. There were some errors, however, which was annoying.
June 11, 2007
A very detailed examination of Japan's JET Program. The focus is set on the evolution of the program as well as the specific cases that lead to more defined directives of the language teachers working with JET. Recommended for anyone who is interested in Japan's attempts at internationalization and also discovering what that term actually represents to the Japanese.
June 15, 2011
Read this to find out what I am getting myself into.
August 5, 2016
Eloquent and balanced. I feel far better educated about Japanese society and the realities of the JET program than I did before.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews