Elena, CIR PA ・佐賀市

Hello! My name is Elena, and I’m the CIR PA here in Saga. My life story (in Japanese) can be found on the CIR profile page, but some shorter and more relevant sentences about me follow here:

I’m from Finland but work as an English-speaking CIR at the prefectural government, where I started in August 2024. What people usually know about me is that I speak semi-many languages, as I love language in general more than anything, and have really dedicated most of my life to it. For someone who theoretically speaks so much, though, I’m not very good at talking to people even in my first languages (=I’m shy, and not very outgoing).

However, I have been told that I’m adequate at listening, and understanding (and being understanding of) what I’m being told, so even if I might not seem outwardly approachable, I’m always here as a PA to listen and try to help if you have any worries! Reach out on LINE or through email (my in its length nightmarish work email is rauri-erenamaritaemiria @ pref.saga. lg.jp, I recommend copy-pasting and deleting spaces). I’m also here to help with things that require Japanese language.

I like languages, sweets and stories, and for hobbies I love tree-climbing and have been doing aikido for ten years (it’s really very fun, though my motivation for starting might have been to be able to wear a hakama).

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Cyrus, ALT PA・鳥栖市

Hello, I’m Cyrus (サイラス), a prefectural ALT from the North West of England. I arrived in August 2024 and live in Tosu (鳥栖) city.

I primarily teach JHS, but work across elementary to high school – which keeps me on my toes! I have a background in dance, linguistics, and corporate compliance (with some pedagogy training.)

As ALT PA I also work at the Board of Education in Saga city. Mondays 8:30~16:30 are my official office hours. However, if you have any concerns outside of this time, you can feel free to contact me via LINE or my gmail and I will do my best to accommodate you.

In my free time, if I’m not at the gym or ballet class, I’m often curled up writing or playing games. I love finding new shrines and temples to visit and will never say no to a day out shopping!

I really love my life here in Saga, and I hope that the 2025 PA & DR team will provide you with all the support you need to make the most of your time here too!

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