July 2025: Meg Worden
Hello, and welcome back to the JET Alumni Spotlight! Today we feature Meg Worden. Please read on to learn more about her time visiting beaches in Toyama Prefecture, and her fulfilling career post JET.
Are you from the Great Lakes area? What is your experience in the Great Lakes Area?
Yes! I was born and raised in Metro Detroit. I don’t think I realized how much I loved it here until I moved to Japan and was introducing my students to this area. Between the cultures here, nature available, and incredible vacation spots just a few hours away, I’ve gotten good at making people jealous of where I live.
Which do you prefer: the mountains or the sea?
I’m going to cheat a little here. Sea is the answer but my favorite beach is Amaharashi Beach in Toyama–one of three beaches in the world you can see 3000m tall snow capped mountains from.
What is the biggest difference you see between Japanese and American culture? What do you believe these two cultures could learn from each other?
Communal harmony versus individual needs. Both are incredibly important things, but swing too far one way or another and you have discord, I feel. I think seeing how smoothly Japanese society functions is something Americans are envious of, but forget that the smallest deviation from established norms can cause major disruption. It leaves a lack of adaptability to sudden change, something I think JETs butt up against frequently at work.
On the flipside without an eye out for those around you, everyone ends up their own kingdom and castle. Basic needs can go unmet if community isn’t valued, and systems can change so frequently there isn’t any consistency. We see it in production quality checks and even in education.
I think we in the US could learn to extend our view of self to include the community around us, and Japan could use some practice in flexibility.
How did you become interested in applying for the JET program?
My Japanese teacher in high school. She had so many stories and such a love for Japan and Japanese she inspired me to both be a JET and ultimately a Japanese teacher myself. I owe a lot of where I am now to that inspiration.
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?
ALT for 2 years in Tonami City, Toyama Prefecture from 2013-2015.
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?
I was in a smaller town and worked at the smallest middle school in the foothills. Toyama is very “inaka”, but we all swear there’s something in the water there. From the sprawling valley full of rice fields, to the breathtaking view of the spine of the Japanese alps, the whole prefecture is stunning. The people are kind and welcoming, and most importantly the food. We all know how important good local food is, but Toyama knocks everywhere out of the park. I could wax poetic about it for pages but my single example is going to Himi and eating fresh caught fish from the same haul that was making its way to Tsukiji fish market. The cheapest sushi in Toyama tasted as good as the high price places I’d go in the Tokyo area.
What is a memory you have from your time on JET that sticks out to you?
Driving to the beach I mentioned in the middle of the night. It was March of my first year and I hadn’t seen the beach yet. I think growing up on a lake created a love of water in me, and with the Bay of Japan so close it felt sacrilegious to not have visited it yet. Maybe it was the Michigander in me missing a large body of water, I still don’t know, but I got out of a late dinner at a coworkers house and just said screw it. I drove out and parked along the harbor, slid open the door of my kei-van, and sat there and just watched the midnight sea. It’s still one of my favorite memories.
What has your career path been since leaving the JET Program? How has JET influenced your journey?
I came back and got my masters in education and now I teach Japanese in downtown Detroit at Cass Technical High School. I love my job more than words can convey.
Do you have any advice or other support that you can give to current / future JET applicants? How about your fellow alumni?
Every moment you have is an opportunity for growth. Break away from the camera app and view the moment through your own eyes. Soak slowly in moments, collect them, reflect on them, and keep going.
Where can we reach you for networking?
Facebook (find me through the GLJETAA page!) or email. I’d love to say LinkedIn, but I honestly do not recall the last time I opened it.
Please do reach out if you have any questions for our alumni. Thank you, Meg, 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 us at .