Eight Jamaicans selected for 2025 Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme

Eight Jamaicans, including Olympian Christine Day, have been selected to participate in the 2025 Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme. The group includes seven assistant language teachers (ALTs) and, for the first time, a sports exchange advisor (SEA).

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The participants were recognized at a send-off reception held on Thursday, July 24, at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in St. Andrew. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, congratulated the cohort — the 25th from Jamaica — and praised the long-standing ties between the two nations.

“JET stands as a testament to the strength and longevity of the bilateral ties between the countries,” said Johnson Smith, noting more than 60 years of Japan-Jamaica cooperation in sectors like education, culture, climate change, and ICT.

Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Yasuhiro Atsumi, also lauded the participants for their skills and potential. He noted that one ALT has already been in Japan since April, while another newly selected participant will leave in August. Since 2000, nearly 460 Jamaicans have served as ALTs through the programme.

“This year’s reception is special,” the ambassador said, highlighting the departure of the first SEA. He also thanked Senator Johnson Smith for her role in adding the sports component to the programme.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, in remarks read by Senior Strategist Floret Blackwood, said the addition of the SEA role reflects the power of sport to build bridges across cultures.

Christine Day, who will serve as the inaugural SEA, said she was honored to take on the role and is committed to laying the groundwork for future advisors. ALT participant Amani Cooke thanked both governments for their support and said the group looks forward to learning from their time in Japan.

The JET Programme offers university graduates the opportunity to work in Japan as assistant language teachers or coordinators for international relations, fostering global partnerships and cultural exchange.