Year: 2017

Great meetings in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan

I am sorry that it took long time to write a new article. I am already in Japan and have passed mid point of my stay. I would say I have been extremely busy and time goes fast.

I am pleased to announce that my seminar in Tokyo and Osaka was VERY successful. I was able to meet with future au pairs in two locations. Several have already started and finished their au pair applications and now ready to match with host families. SO, if you are thinking about welcoming a Japanese au pair this year, please contact us.

Also, there are many Japanese au pairs who would like to become au pairs in the spring 2018. Few people already started their application process and trying to start early. Even though the next year’s applications cannot be published at this point, if you are planning to welcome an au pair early next year, please contact us.

Each year, I feel that the au pair program is getting popular in Japan. I have met many talented young Japanese nationals, and I am looking forward to introducing them to you soon!

Below picture is one of the Japanese future au pairs’ comment on ” how you could achieve your goal”

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Questions in Japan? Ask QuickQ

In North Dallas, school is now over and summer has begun. I am officially preparing for my trip to Japan.
If you have a Japanese au pair or interested in Japanese culture, you may also visit Japan regularly during the summer. If you have questions, but not sure who can answer use QuickQ.

You can ask any questions you mighty have in Japan, such as “which restaurant you would recommend in Shibuya?” ” my cell phone charger was broken, where I should go to buy one?” ” Which subway line I should use to get to Skytree from Roppongi?” etc.

Just like asking for your friend, QuickQ team will respond back to you in English.

How does it work?

Simply add QuickQ by using social media/messenger/Skype/LINE, and start asking questions.

A good thing is this service is free of charge. So, why don’t you give it a try?

For detailed information on how to use QuickQ, please access to the website and see “how it works” page.

Don’t worry, we have new au pair applications from Japan

If you are host families and looking for Japanese au pairs, you may be feeling that there are not enough Japanese candidates. If you feel that way, don’t worry. Au Pair Japanese Connection is working on new applications and hopefully, more profiles ready to match for you.

You may have felt that when you review au pair profiles, they have been already taken by other families. This is because host families can review multiple profiles at a time, and therefore, you may be able to review profiles, but cannot ask for an interview via the system.
Host families will select one au pair, and rest of them are released. So, you will then able to review their profiles and start talking with the au pairs.

In June, I will meet with prospective Japanese au pairs in Tokyo and Osaka, also several more cities in Japan. I would like to promote the au pair program and recruit Japanese nationals.

If you have questions about Japanese au pairs, please do not hesitate to contact us.

One more Au Pair Arrival date in August has been added

We are having a very busy matching season this year. When a new application becomes available, the profile is immediately viewed by a host family.
Japanese au pairs are constantly on-viewed by host families.

We are working hard to push new applications. If you would like to have a Japanese au pair but don’t see any available profiles, please feel free to contact us.

We had a great news from InterExchange that a new arrival date for au pairs has been added. There were originally three arrival dates in August, but now there are four. It means, au pairs will arrive almost every week.

I will organize two au pair seminars in Tokyo and Osaka in June. Hope I can recruit many Japanese au pairs.

Au Pair Japanese Connection is now the IAPA member!

I am so excited to tell you that the Au Pair Japanese Connection (AJC) is now a member of International Au Pair Association, IAPA. The other day I received the certification. IAPA is the international association and many au pair agencies, travel companies, international cooperators for au pair programs are the members of the association.

I have been thinking about joining the association for few years, and this year, I decided to take an action. Becoming a member of IAPA will give us many opportunities to talk with companies like us but in different countries. This is great to learn from others.

I am so proud that Au Pair Japanese Connection is the first company recruiting Japanese au pairs that became the member of IAPA.

IAPA_Certification

Currently available Japanese au pairs looking for host families!

We are having very busy time for au pair/host family matching this year.
I would like to introduce several Japanese au pairs who need to match with host families soon. If you are considering having a Japanese au pair, please contact us.

Chika is 26 years old with over 500 hours of childcare experience. She recently returned from her English study in Hawaii where she experienced 6 months of homestay. She experienced child and infant care. She is from Okinawa Island in Japan and is a daily driver, as driving a car is a major transportation on the island. She will have to arrive in the U.S. no later than April 18, 2017. If you are interested in communicating with Chika, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Miho is also 26 years old with over 700 hours of childcare experience. She is from Nagasaki, Japan. She had experienced studying abroad in New Zealand and Canada. She drives regularly. She even did 9-hour road trip to Osaka before. She will have to arrive at the United States no later than May 2nd.

Please check the list of currently available Japanese au pairs. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions about these au pairs.

We have a partnership with InterExchange Au Pair USA, and we have been assisting Japanese au pairs to become au pairs with the agency.  Host families will need to sign-up with InterExchange to host au pairs.

 

Planning a Japan trip for summer 2017

It’s still February, but I started planning my trip to Japan for summer 2017. As a fact, sometimes, hotel rooms are already full depending on the days. I figure taking a trip to Japan has been gaining popularity.

My trip is for sure for my business, and I am planning to organize several au pair seminars in several cities such as Tokyo and Osaka every year. But this trip also serves an important role for my daughter’s education. My daughter, who is bilingual in Japanese and English, enrolls Japanese elementary school in my hometown of Japan every summer for four weeks or so. This short four-week schooling in Japan plays such an important role to keep up her Japanese speaking ability, and also for her to understand and experience the Japanese culture.

At many of Japanese elementary schools, students clean up their classrooms by themselves. They also serve the lunch food that was prepared at their school kitchen. These are all considered as part of education.

Now living in the US as a Japanese national, I am proud of the Japanese school’s cleaning and serving food education. Even my daughter who was born in the US likes the cleaning time. Of course, she loves Japanese lunch time, called KYUSHOKU, hot and balanced food.

You may impress with the following video posted by AJ+

Valentines??

Valentine’s Day is approaching. If you have school-aged children, it means you will have to prepare valentines for the number of students in your child’s class. I remember I was so panicked and didn’t know what to do when I receive an e-mail from my child’s teacher asking to prepare valentines.

Valentines are small message cards to exchange with students at Valentine’s Day party. I learned we can buy the cards at stores everywhere in the U.S. It is common in the U.S. but absolutely not common in Japan!

If you have Japanese au pairs, please tell them what the Valentines are. Even though you can easily buy the cards, it may be a good project for the au pair and your children to make some Asian or Japanese style cards by using Origami papers. In the past few years, I did make some cards with Origami, and children loved it. Have your Japanese au pair use her creativity to make something unique.

Do not forget to make the BOX to put the valentines cards decorating with Origami papers!

It will be fun!
Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentines_Day