One way you can take advantage of your time in Japan is to get involved in some of the structured leadership positions available on JET. Several opportunities exist to build leadership experience at both the local and national levels, from becoming a Prefectural Advisor to taking on responsibilities through Hiroshima AJET or National AJET (Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching). These can be excellent resume builders and networking opportunities. I talked to many of the people in these leadership roles to learn more about how they got their position and what they do. For the first-year folks, this article will be a bit of a primer on what opportunities are available, and for everyone else this may clear up how things work and what the jobs actually entail.

The Wide Island View is now accepting submissions for its first ever Autumn Haiku Collection!

Courtney Coppernoll tells us everything we need to know to get a 50cc scooter license in Hiroshima.

Find out how to access Japan-only iPhone applications as well the Japanese iTunes Store.

Want to share your JET experience with the world but don’t want just any old Blogger blog? Wide Island View Webmaster Joshua Zimmerman shows us just how easy it is to set up your very own slick-looking custom blog with a custom domain name. The best part? It only costs ¥1,000 to get started. This helpful little guide will have you up and running within an hour, minimal computer skills required.

Life sucks without a car, especially if you live in the inaka. If you plan on living in Japan for at least a year and know you must get a Japanese driver’s license, don’t do what I did and wait till the last minute. Getting my Japanese driver’s license was one of the most stressful things for me as a JET. It was July, a busy time for the licensing center. My International Driver’s Permit was expiring in a matter of weeks, and I only had three days of nenkyuu left, which wouldn’t be enough if I failed more than three times (which I did).

Following on from the great success of the Tyler Battles the Cactopus gig in July, Jimo Cafe and PEPY present a live performance from JindaLee Lehmann. The event will be 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, at Jimo Cafe in Hatchobori, Hiroshima city. The event was organized by Hiroshima city JET Laura Graham. JindaLee is musician from Montreal, Canada, and currently a JET in Fukuyama.

Japan never fails to provide fantastic photo opportunities. Show off your best pics by joining the Hiroshima JETs Flickr group!

It’s been almost a year since I climbed to the summit of Mt. Fuji (富士山), an unforgettable journey I made alongside my fellow Hiroshima JETs in early September. To those JETs considering the climb this year, I’d like to offer a little background on the significance of the mountain, as well as some friendly advice about the climb, should you decide to take the challenge (and I hope you do!).

With a new JET year upon us, Hiroshima’s three Prefectural Advisors have taken the time to introduce themselves (or re-introduce themselves, as the case may be) with the Wide Island View’s new super-duper survey. This year Daryl Sato takes the reins as the new PA for Hiroshima City JETs, while Greg Beck and Natalie Oram remain the PAs for Hiroshima Ken JETs. Read on to learn more about them — you’re sure to discover a thing or two you didn’t know!