We are re-starting our Alumni Spotlight series!
For February 2025, we welcome Anthony Madry as our newest inductee into our Alumni Spotlight series. Please read on for Jeffrey’s experience working in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, playing the okoto in Hikone Castle, and what he is proud to have accomplished during his time as a GLJETAA officer.
Are you from the Great Lakes area? What is your experience in the Great Lakes Area?
I’m from Detroit, Michigan and I have lived there all of my life except for the time spent living in Japan.
What is your favorite Japanese snack?
My go to for many years in Japan was Black Thunder!
What is the biggest difference you see between Japanese and American culture? What do you believe these two cultures could learn from each other?
The biggest difference I see is the mindset concerning obligation. In America, obligation is almost always seen as negative and avoided. Whereas in Japan obligation to one’s family and community is seen as a virtue. I think America could learn to have more of a sense of obligation to our communities. If we did, I’m sure our cities would be cleaner and safer. On the other hand, I know the mental strain that obligation can put on people in Japan, especially those who truly care and take responsibility. Therefore, I think Japan could learn how to make one’s own mental health a priority from a culture more slanted towards individualism like the US’s.
How did you become interested in applying for the JET program?
I was a Japanese major in university and even after getting my degree I knew I would have to live in Japan to truly improve my Japanese.
Were you an ALT, a CIR, or an SEA on the JET Program? How long were you on the program, and where was your placement?
I was an ALT for 3 years in Akita prefecture.
Would you please tell us more about your placement? For ALTs, what were your schools like? For CIRs and SEAs, what sort of work were you involved in?
Akita is a very rural prefecture of Japan. I feel very blessed that it was my placement because I feel like I got to experience a more traditional side of Japan that many people who only live in major cities may not experience. I feel like I had good schools. The staff was very friendly and the students were in general good and interested in English. Of course, it wasn’t a perfect experience but overall, I had more things to be grateful for.
What is a memory you have from your time on JET that sticks out to you?
I have so many memories from my time on JET. Most of them good, some not so good and some that I want to forget. The memory that sticks out the most to me is when some elementary school students who lived down the street from my apartment saw me coming home one day and asked me to play with them outside. We played and talked and the four of us (they were two brothers and a sister) ended up forging a great bond and we spent time together often. Especially during COVID we would hangout a lot. We’d go hiking, go to the park, go to the beach. We just spent a lot of time together. We are all very close to this day. Their mom invites me to stay with them whenever I am in Akita.
What has your career path been since leaving the JET Program? How has JET influenced your journey?
Immediately after leaving JET I did sales for a Japanese manufacturing company based in Tokyo for about 3 years. After that I decided to move back home and start a landscaping and property maintenance business with my father (we even chose a Japanese name! https://hozen-os.com) I did that for a year which was a good experience and now I just recently accepted a full-time position to teach at FLICS in Detroit. JET was the introduction to teaching and while I really enjoyed it, I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue in it. But after trying a handful of other careers and thinking about my personality and values, I think teaching really suits me which is why I decided to return.
Do you have any advice or other support that you can give to current / future JET applicants? How about your fellow alumni?
My best advice to future, current and former JETs alike is to have a positive attitude and growth mindset. No career or lifestyle is perfect and without its challenges and setbacks but having the right attitude will propel to success no matter what you do.
Where can we reach you for networking?
Feel free to reach me via email at .
Please do reach out if you have any questions for our alumni. Thank you, Jeffrey Glenn, for sharing your own story.
Alumni Spotlight is an outreach activity through the Great Lakes JET Alumni Association seeking to build stronger connections between alumni and to provide bridges for networking. If you or an alumnus you know would like to be featured in an installment of Alumni Spotlight, please email Lily at .
