The beer garden, with its beautiful scenery featuring the Matsuyama Castle and cozy interior, provided the perfect atmosphere for the evening’s festivities. The dinner featured an array of dishes, allowing the new JETs to experience local cuisine while also enjoying familiar comforts. After back-to-back meetings and activities at the Ehime JETs orientation, ending the day with sunset views and the sounds of glasses clinking made the official welcome to Ehime even sweeter. 

 One of the highlights of the evening was the welcome speech which emphasized the importance of cultural exchange and staying connected. While Ehime may be big and the placements far apart, staying involved with this amazing community of JETs is what makes living in this prefecture so special. Both individually and collectively, by sharing every one’s journey and helping one another adapt to this exciting new life, we get to experience the best of what the program and Japan has to offer.

 As dinner came to a close the evening transitioned into a lively karaoke session under the hazy glow of a neon-lit venue. Everyone had their turn at the mic with seasoned singers and newer voices alike performing their unique renditions to hit songs. From pop, rock, indie hits, and even Japanese classics, the diverse selection of music reflected the mix of cultures at the event. A few brave ALTs even got to flex their language ability with songs that included both English and Japanese!

 Even though many had just met for the first time that day, it was great to see how quickly the walls of unease fell down to the sound of good music and laughter. The karaoke session wasn’t just about entertainment; it served as an icebreaker, allowing everyone to bond with each other and start to feel truly at home in Ehime. Sarah (a new ALT placed in the city of Shikokuchuo) said of the event, “What a privilege to all be in the exact same place at this time in life and to enjoy it thoroughly together.” By the end of the night any sense of uncertainty was replaced with a feeling of belonging and excitement for the year ahead.