Your Chapter
AFS chapters are made up of volunteers who coordinate AFS programs, sending & hosting, in a certain geographical area. The volunteers often include former AFS participants, parents of former AFS participants, former host families, school teachers, etc. These volunteers spend a lot of time working for you without pay, just out of their good will. Chapters arrange families and schools to host you, organize fun events for you, and have processes to support you and keep you safe and happy during your stay. AFS students should always appreciate their time and effort, and respect their guidelines to avoid causing problems for them.
Your Liaison Person (LP)
Every AFS participant will have an LP, usually a member of your chapter. Your LP is there to give suggestions to you, your host family and host school build a great relationship, so that everyone has a positive and rewarding experience. It is important to keep in regular contact with your LP by visiting, phoning, texting and meeting them at chapter events.
AFS has a policy of contacting all participants at least once a month and so your LP will contact you regularly, even if just to say hello!
Your chapter and LP will support you, your host family and your host school through the good times and the hard times. Don’t hesitate to ask your LP or chapter members for help. LP and chapter members are experienced, know about cultural differences and can give you suggestions about how to cope with issues. Sometimes it is better to let the LP investigate a problem for you. When you act on advice from your parents or others back home, the situation may become worse because they probably do not fully understand Japanese culture, don’t know about your host family, your school, and other details of your situation.
The AFS National Office is in Tokyo.
AFS Intercultural Programs, Japan
Toranomon Sugai Bldg., 6th floor
18-16, Toranomon 3-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001
TEL: 03-6206-1914
Emergency afterhours number: 090-4540-5180
Arrival Orientation (2-3 days)
AFS Japan will meet you at the airport when you arrive in Japan and take you to the arrival orientation. There you will be able to relax after your flight and meet other AFS participants from around the world.
AFS volunteers will give you lots of information about life in Japan that will help you make a good start and enjoy your program.
After the arrival orientation it is time to meet your host family! They will either pick you up at the orientation or meet you at a station or airport in their area. Don’t worry, AFS Japan will give you detailed instructions at the arrival orientation.
Local Orientation (1 day)
This is organized by your local chapter, about one month after your arrival. It is a time to talk about your experiences in the first month. You will probably find that you are not the only one facing challenges in your new lifestyle.
Pre-return Orientation (1 day)
This orientation will help you start thinking about going back to your home community and family, and the challenges you will face.
Your Chapter or other AFS volunteers may plan informal get-togethers, picnics or weekend exchange activities. These are to help you make friends, give you the chance to share your experiences, and give you an opportunity to ask questions so that you can get the most out of your program.
These events are focused on you and your needs and take a lot of effort to plan and present, so please prioritize participation in them over other individual activities you may plan. Chapters operate independently, so don’t be surprised if an AFS friend has different chapter activities than you.