You will be interviewed by a panel of around 3 people. One person was kind of the "bad cop" who would ask tough questions, so be prepared for that. The main interviewer will ask you about your professional and educational background, and be sure to highlight any activities that involve cultural exchange or involvment in the Japanese community, rather than strictly interest in Japan. Another interviewer will try asking you questions in Japanese, but this is usually only bonus points for the interview.
Interview questions [2]
Question 1
Can you describe a lesson plan using "blank" grammar point?
There were three interviewers. They asked different kids of questions about my intention and why I wanted to go on the jet program. It wasn't so difficult, but in the end i decided to take a different job somewhere else.
I applied online. The process took 6 months. I interviewed at JET Program (Houston, TX) in Feb 2019
Interview
There were three different people who interview you. They will mainly go off of your SOP for questions, but the one they will probably for sure ask you is the "Why Japan?" question. Took about 25 minutes total. In the end, they ask if you want to do a Japanese test for extra credit.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why Japan?
Who does ___ mean to you?
Would you be able to work as the supporting teacher?
What do you think is the relationship between Japan and the U.S./Taiwan (I had stated that I had often been to Taiwan).
Being Asian, you will often have different experiences from other JETs. How do you feel about that?