Foreigners have been teaching in Japan for decades and this country is still one of the most popular TEFL destinations in the world. Local people are very friendly, the country is very advanced and teachers are very respected.
Japan is a mecca for ESL teachers. Thought the heydays are long gone, the country still attracts a lot of students. The best ways to get a teaching job is to work with one of the four major English-teaching school chains, called Eikaiwa. Collectively, these schools employ thousands of conversational English teachers.
There is also another option for teaching English in Japan, which is to become an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT), where you would work side-by-side with a Japanese teacher in an elementary or junior high school. This program is aimed towards recent college graduates.
Japan really is one of the most fascinating countries to live in the world, and its easy to see why this has been one of the best TEFL destinations for decades.
Featured Opportunities
Top Reasons to Teach in Japan
• High salaries
• Students are very keen to learn
• Super modern technology
• Choice of locations to live
TEFL Courses in Japan
If you haven’t got a TEFL certification you could take one in Japan or book an online TEFL course.
Teaching Jobs in Japan
Demand for teachers is usually very high in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Kobe and Kyoto.
The main types of teaching are:
• Younger Learners: Conversational English, General English
• ‘Conversation Lounges’: Conversational English
• Vocational Schools: Conversational English, General English, ESP
• In-company’: Conversational English, General English
• ”Crammer Schools”: Conversational English, General English
Contracts run for 1 year. Work permits are arranged by the employer. Teachers must be native English speaker and university degree holders.
The busiest period is September to June. Salaries are typically ¥220,000 – ¥320,000 per month, with ¥250,000 being the average. Tax of 6-9% is deducted.
Japanese people of all ages eagerly sign up for lessons, especially evening classes, held in schools, town halls, and offices. “Conversation lounges” or “voice rooms” are popular among young adults who simply want to converse or socialize with a native speaker. These can have a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, though they do not pay well and are probably unsatisfactory for serious English teachers.
If you want to arrange a teaching job in advance, the best bet is the government’s JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program. Each year, more than 6,000 foreign language assistants from 40 countries receive 1-year renewable contracts to work in private and state junior and senior high schools. Anyone with a university degree who is under 40 is eligible to apply. The program is fairly competitive, partly because of the generous salary of ¥3,600,000 (about $29,000) in addition to a free return air ticket on completing a contract.
A number of large private organizations recruit abroad. Most pay at least ¥250,000 ($2,000 per month). A few of the major chains to look out for are GEOS, Nova, and ECC.
These companies are currently recruiting:
• AEON
Best Places to Work
These are some of the most popular destinations to find employment:
• Tokyo
• Osaka
• Kyoto
• Fukuoka
• Nagoya
• Yokohama
• Nagasaki
• Sapporo
• Sendai
Salaries
Salaries in Japan tend to be pretty uniform throughout the country. Typically, most people earn about 280,000 Yen a month ($2,800 USD). Sometimes one can find a job for 300,000 yen or if you have been in Japan longer, a little more. Though that may sound good, living expenses are not usually covered and the high cost of living in Japan. If you work in an international school, or do private tutoring, you can earn well over 350,000 Yen per month. The longer you stay in Japan, the higher your salary will get as most of the good jobs are by word of mouth only.
Requirements
To teach English in Japan, you will need a BA from an accredited university and need a TEFL degree. You don’t have to have experience for the JET program, which is the teacher placement program run by the government, or many of the language schools. Certified teachers will find getting a job at one of the international schools easy.
JET Program
The Jet program is the Japanese government’s teaching English program. You apply in your home country and go through an application and interview process. If chosen, you are assigned a place to live in Japan and are under contract for one year. You must be in your home country to do this as visas and interviews are required to be conducted from there. If you are looking for a good way to get into Japan and a guaranteed job for a year, the JET program is probably for you.
Visa
In order to teach English in Japan legally, you must have a work visa. In order to obtain a work visa, you must have a bachelor’s degree. Moreover, most schools and programs will only hire native English speakers, so you should also consider that a requirement. If you work in the JET program, you will be required to have an interview in your home country. You can’t apply outside of your home country.
Once you enter Japan, you have 90 days to register yourself to get an alien registration card at the city hall or local ward office. When immigration issues your working visa it will be for 1 to 3 years. The company that sponsors you has nothing to do with how long your visa will be good for. This is in the hands of immigration. Visa processing times vary but expect 2 to 3 months for everything to get processed.
FAQ
• Teaching programmes: Private, Public, Language & International Schools. Also JET Program, Bilingual Kindergartens, Universities, Freelance.
• TEFL qualification: 120-hour TEFL qualification minimum
• Degree needed: Required for most positions
• Term times: The academic year starts in April
• Currency: Yen(￥)
• Language: Japanese
• Age restrictions: Under 65
• Previous teaching experience: Beneficial to employment but not needed for a lot of recruiters
• Average salary for EFL teachers: The basic monthly salary for full-time positions is likely to be in the region of 220,000 – 280,000 Yen (£1,600 – £2,000 / $2,100 – $2,675) per month. International schools usually pay a lot more, around 600,000 Yen (£4,360 / $5,730) per month.
Costs & Budget
Japan has a very high standard of living and costs can be high. Everything from transportation to food to apartment rentals may be way over the limit of some individuals. A lot of foreigners work in big cities like Tokyo and Nagoya where there are higher salaries . In big cities, don’t expect to save a lot of money where living expenses can eat most of your budget, unless you are lucky and get accommodation included in your package.
The food in Japan can be expensive, especially fruits and vegetables, especially if they are imported. Moreover, drinking is also expensive. However, there are many cheap places to eat if you know where to look. One can find fair prices of noodles, bread, fruits and vegetables at markets and grocery stores. There are a lot of 100 yen ramen and sushi shops around.
Although Japan is an expensive to live, if you stay a long time, you’ll be able to save a lot and integrate one of the most interesting cultures in the world.
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