Bored? Here’s a collection of links submitted by Saga JETs to help you pass the time. Please note that neither the JETs who submitted them or the operators of SagaJET.com are responsible for any content linked to from this page.

There are currently links in the following categories:

Current Events

ZNet
Articles and opinions by “a community of people committed to social change.”
The Guardian
The online version of the British publication touts itself as the “best daily newspaper on the world wide web”
The Nation
Offering “unconventional wisdom since 1865.”
In These Times
“In These Times is a magazine of news, opinion and culture, committed to extending political and economic democracy and to opposing the tyranny of the marketplace over human values.”
MoveOn.org
Move On works “to bring ordinary people back into politics.”
Common Ground
An independent Canadian magazine “dedicated to health, wellness, ecology and personal growth.” All articles are posted online and viewership is free.
Environmental Health News
Website “published daily by Environmental Health Sciences, a not-for-profit organization founded in 2002 to help increase public understanding of emerging scientific links between environmental exposures and human health.”
Mother Jones
“Mother Jones is an independent nonprofit whose roots lie in a commitment to social justice implemented through first rate investigative reporting.”
The New York Times
Online version of the American daily. A free basic subscription needed for viewership.
MichaelMoore.com
Personal site of the maker of “Bowling for Columbine” and “Fahrenheit 9/11.”
Michael Moore’s Today’s Must Read
“A quick dose of some important news” complied on MichaelMoore.com.
Truth Out
Features and opinions on everything from voting rights to indigenous survival.
Human Rights Watch
News on human rights issues from around the world.

Entertainment

Fukuoka Now
Fukuoka’s English-language magazine featuring an event calendar, restaurant and club reviews and Kyushu news.
Yamato Movie Theatre
Movie listings for Saga’s Yamato movie theatre (in katakana).

Fun

Sinfest
Internet comic to help you pass the time.
Red Meat
Dark humor, subtle wit, and a myriad of drug induced scenes make this comic a gem.
The Quotations Page
Looking for inspiration or merely some interesting perspectives? Check out this database of quotes from famous individuals throughout history.
The Onion
This “news source” parodies everything from the President of the United States to the logistical nightmare of throwing a sex party.
IQ Test
Think you are smarter than the rest of us? Take this test and see what you score.
It’s Your Turn Online Games
This free site includes such classics as chess, checkers, backgammon and GO along with variations of each. Log in is required.
Fotolog
This is a great website that lets people upload a picture a day to their own website. It is really simple to use and includes such features as a guest book so that others can leave their comments/criticisms of your shots. Best of all, it is free.
Calvin and Hobbes Comics
This is a bunch of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons. Besides being hi-larious, they can also be used in class for writing activities.

Japanese Language

Why do students write “si” instead of “shi”? Article on Wikipedia about the Kunreiseki (vs. modified Hepburn) system of romanization.

Jim Breen’s Japanese Dictionary
Search for both English and Japanese words in a variety of dictionaries. Now with Japanese interface option for your students and friends.
Nihongo: Japanese Language
trussel.com’s Japanese language page with a plethora of information, including a dictionary.
Kantango Japanese Dictionary
Creating an account lets you create your own wordlists, share them, mark words for review, make quizzes and more.
Kanji Practice
Dartmuth Univeristy’s kanji practice site features QuickTime
movies of stroke order.
Japanese Proficiency Exam Kanji
Learn the kanji tested in levels one, two, three and four of the Japanese Proficiency Exam.
LanguageTapes.com
Sells Pimsleur audio courses in Japanese and a variety of languages.
MLC Meguro Language Center
Language school in Tokyo with info about proficiency tests.
Japanese Language Links
A giant list of Japanese language study sites.
eLanguage School
Learn the basics of Japanese online.

JET Information

Jetset Japan
“A comprehensive lifestyle and community website, exclusively serving the needs of the members of the Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) Programme in Japan.”
JET Alumni Association Job Bank
Looking for a job after JET?

JET Websites (by region)

Chubu

Chugoku

Hokkaido

Kanto

Kinki

Kyushu

Okinawa

Shikoku

Tohoku

News (Japan)

Daily Yomiuri
English-language section of one of Japan’s largest newspapers.
The Japan Times
Japan’s major English-language newspaper, printing “all the news without fear or favor.”

Service/NGOs

GoMAD (Go Make A Difference)
Go mad, go krazee! Heading abroad? Check out a GoMAD project in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal and elsewhere and lend your support!
Child Rights Information Network
“A global network that disseminates information about the Convention on the Rights of the Child and child rights amongst non-governmental organisations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, inter-governmental organisation (IGOs), educational institutions, and other child rights experts.”
Oxfam International
Doing their darndest to alleviate poverty and injustice.

Shopping

Amazon.com Japan
Japan-based version of the online superstore (it has an English section, too).
Guide to ordering from Amazon Japan
Gives “a basic overview of the core features of the Amazon Japan website.”
The Flying Pig
Order from Costco online and have it delivered to your home!
Tengu Natural Foods
Order organic foods and other items including books from the only online health food store in Japan (that we know of).

Teaching

Discovery School’s Puzzlemaker
Great for making crosswords and word search puzzles.
English Flash Cards
A collection of “English conversation illustrations.”
ESL Kidstuff
Flashcards, worksheets, games, etc. Some for free, some require a membership fee.
Three Wise Monkeys
Collection of games, activities and teaching ideas by language teachers in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
JHS Englipedia Project
ALTs veteran Patrick has put over 1000 hours of work into a site that integrates with common JHS textbooks. Also has games and activities for elementary students.
Out of Sight Japan
Founded by Kagawa JETs, Out of Sight’s mission is to educate about and fundraise for dire causes that are ignored by the Western media and by key international figures. Out of Sight will provide you with background information and lesson plans (in English and Japanese). These resources can then be used in class, elective English, English club or whenever the JET sees fit.
Japanese Association of Language Teachers
Website for the Japanese Association of Language Teachers with everything from research articles to teaching resources to special interest groups.
Boggle’s World
Boggle’s World ESL worksheets and lesson plans.
ABC Teach
Some stuff you have to be a member for, but the other content is good, too.
Starfall.com
Good for early readers. You can actually order classroom materials for free.
Pratt’s Educational Links
Links to dozens of teaching-related websites.
Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab
Handouts and exercises on a number of ESL topics.
RHL School
Reading comprehension stories and worksheets.
edHelper.com
Random educational worksheets; some are members only.
TeAch-nology
A lot of educational resources, including puzzle makers.
Teachit
Library of free English teaching resources
Christmas Songs
A quite comprehensive list of Christmas songs and lyrics. Good for holiday activities.

Translation

Translation Aid
A page which helps you translate Japanese text from a WWW page.
Babel Fish
Free service from Altavista that provides a (sometimes very rough) translation among many languages.

Travel (abroad)

Pacific Island Travel
An interesting site about traveling in the pacific

Travel (in Japan)

Kyushu Connection
A web-based personal and business network. KC provides access to the people, places, events and parties in all of Kyushu. It’s free!
Kyushu Travel Guides
Various Kyushu Tourism brochures in e-book format.
JR Train Timetables in English
Enter your departure and arrival stations, and find out how to get between them without all that crazy kanji getting in your way.
WWOOF Japan (Willing Workers On Organic Farms)
A WWOOF host establishment invites people to come to their establishment and work (usually about four to six hours a day) in return for their daily food, boarding and the experience of sharing daily life with the people who live and work at the host establishment.
Japan National Tourist Organization
Good site for travelling all over Japan; info on accomodation to walking tours.
Japan Travel Calculator
A “calculator” where you type in departure and destination areas and get choices on how to travel between the two places with different modes of transportation.
Japanese Guest Houses (Ryokans)
Reserve a room at a Japanese ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) anywhere in Japan.
Japan Cycling Navigator
A general site about cycling around japan run by a japanese guy who can answer all your questions about bike shops, tricks, etc.
Airport Bus Schedule from Saga Bus Center
Select the eleventh box down and then click the third red button from the left to view the timetable. The green schedule is weekdays, the yellow is for Saturdays and the red is for Sundays and holidays.
Pacific Island Travel’s Japan Section
A site with all kinds of info about Japan and travelling in Japan.It even mentions Saga!

Weather

Japan Meteorological Association
Comprehensive and in English, especially great for monitoring typhoons and other severe weather.

Weather City Forecast Information for Saga
Good for your bookmarks. Auto-refreshes, so it’s always current. You can switch to Imperial measurements (degrees Fahrenheit) if you like.
Yahoo! Japan Weather
Weather for all of Japan (all in Japanese, though, so brush up on your kanji).
Yahoo! Japan’s Saga Weather
The weather in Saga-ken (again, all in Japanese).