Now that we’re getting into the full swing of the new JET year, the beginning of the second semester, and finding the balance between work and play,  Connect’s got a new issue aimed at helping you get caught up with what’s been happening during the summer break until now and helping you to look forward to your future plans!

Find out how to be the best PokéMon trainer with the most fashionable threads (umm, being the very best can be time-consuming, right, Ash?); small talk about the future Japan Olympics 2020 with your co-workers as you while away at your desk; easy, no-excuse-to-your-concerned-mother, recipes to make; and magical memories from both newcomers and returners made at a treasured Japanese cultural event, Japanese matsuri.