We are former Japan Exchange Teacher Program participants who have returned to the US and settled in Minnesota. The organization itself is part of the alumni network of chapters worldwide that offer events and networking opportunities for current and former JETs.

Board members are all former JETs living in Minnesota. There is no official election process to be on the board, but you do need to have the drive to uphold the mission of the chapter. If you’d like more information on the positions, or want to see about becoming a board member, check out our Board Members page or send us an email with our Contact page.

That’s easy! Follow this link to get on our list! And make sure you’re also getting our newsletters!

Part of the mission of JETAAMN is to be a support hub for past, present, and even aspiring JET participants. We want to be able to connect you with the vibrant Japan-related community here in Minnesota. We won’t SPAM your inbox with hundreds of emails, but we do provide information on the following:

Networking events hosted by JETAAMN

Community events of interest for Japan-related content

Discounts and free event opportunities limited to just our network

And more!

By signing up as a member of JETAAMN, we are able to gain grants to help fund the various events we host and continue to build our reach in the community.

We love to hear about new programming opportunities! So please suggest an event by connecting with our event coordinators. We’ll get you connected with support, and funding (depending on what you propose) if you need it to have a great Japan-related event!

We love volunteers too! Sign ups for some of our signature events will be posted to the website and in the newsletter. If you want to be a ‘professional’ volunteer and help with monthly events and more, contact our event coordinators! We also love to reward our volunteers with snacks and cool JETAAMN swag! Win-win!

Check out our calendar for a list of upcoming events. In the past we have always added or shifted programming, but the following are usually annual events:

Lantern Lighting Festival (August)

Shinenkai (January)

Bonenkai (December)

Hanami (April/May)

New JET Q&A Session(s) (June)

New JET Send Off Party (June/July)

Welcome Back Party (July/August)

We have also set up info tables at events like AnimeDetour, and participated at career fairs with local universities.

We do our best to have at least one full cultural event like an ikebana class, or Japanese cooking workshop as well.

Friends of JET are always welcome to join our events!

The majority of our events do take place in and around the Twin Cities. Should you live in other parts of the state, we are more than happy to take a road trip to you and enjoy the sights! Just let us know when and where!

In most cases, there can be funding to help with renting of space, and other cost-sharing needs. We have also been able to help pay for honorariums for special demonstrations like Japanese cooking teachers, ikebana experts, and guest lecturers. Please connect with the treasurer at treasurer@jetaamn.org for more funding details.

Our annual budgets are created in April, so feel free to reach out then and let’s collaborate to get a new event funded through grants!

Please note that JETAAMN’s grant funding CANNOT pay for alcohol.

Here is the newsletter signup link!