Teaching English in Japan
If you are up to the challenge of working in Japan then it could be most rewarding and exciting time of your life. The Japanese are generally eager to study English. Therefore, there are many opportunities for those looking to teach English. There is high demand for English teachers in Japan as Japanese students aren’t currently being taught English with any degree of success n the public school system. If Japanese students are being taught in local schools at all, the quality of their English education is not meeting the goal of being able to effectively communicate in English. Some pilot programs have started and public schools have started implementing daily English at the elementary school level. This has led to an increase in the need for native speaking English teachers. Job opportunities and teaching opportunities are on the increase in Japan. There is an abundance of English teaching job opportunities for qualified applicants.
Experience potential
Japan has many language conversation schools (Eikaiwa's) to cater for both children and adult classes. One can easily teach full-time at the one school, or part-time at different schools. Many teachers take on private students to supplement income from their regular teaching jobs which, depending on the particular school and contract signed, may be permitted or not. Even when teaching private students is specifically forbidden, many teachers still seem to take on a private student or two.
Cost of living
Your salary should be sufficient for living expenses in Japan. Whilst the cost of living in Japan is quite high, so too is your salary to offset these high costs.
If you can 'go local' and eat local foods and noodles, your food cost should not exceed ¥1,500 a day. On the other hand, you can spend a lot more if you decide to go to fancy restaurants and western watering holes.
Japan has an endless supply of restaurants - both western and traditional Japanese style. In larger cities, it's common to wait up to 1 hour before being seated as eating out is a favourite pastime amongst the Japanese. Many restaurants have a row of seats outside for patrons to wait on.
Prices vary from ¥1,000 and up. For ¥1,000 you can go to a local Japanese restaurant and eat tonkatsu (fried pork), with unlimited helpings of rice, miso soup and shredded cabbage. In train stations, you can enjoy a bowl of noodles from ¥300 to ¥800, depending on the amount of ingredients you request. There are also many lunch-time buffets serving a wide variety of flavours from Indian to Thai to Italian. These are very good value at ¥1,000. Expect to pay around ¥2,000 for dinner in an average restaurant. Alcoholic beverages will cost around ¥500 per drink, and up to ¥900 in a nightclub.
Fast food is popular and can be found in all cities throughout Japan.
Supermarket's offer reasonable prices on processed foods such as pastas, sauces, breads etc. Fresh fruit and vegetables however are expensive. A tomato will cost ¥50 each, an apple ¥50, and a punnet of strawberries ¥300. Traditional Japanese fruit and vegetables will offer the biggest savings. A large Japanese white radish will cost about ¥200. Supermarkets and department stores open at 10am and close at 8pm.
A reasonable food budget if eating at home is ¥1,500 per day.
The Country
While retaining its time-honoured culture, Japan rapidly absorbed Western technology during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the USA. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990's following 3 decades of unprecedented growth.
Japan's population is just over 127 million. Most Japanese reside in densely populated urban areas. Japan's capital city is Tokyo. The population of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area including the city, some of its suburbs and the surrounding area is approximately 12 million.
Northern Japan has warm summers but long, cold winters with heavy snow. Central Japan has hot, humid summers and short winters, and south-western Japan has long, hot, humid summers and mild winters.
Japan's rainy season usually starts in early June and ends in middle July except in the Hokkaido region.
5 or 6 typhoons pass over or near Japan every year from early August to early September, sometimes resulting in significant damage. Annual precipitation, which averages between 100 and 200 centimetres, is concentrated in the period between June and September.
Travel
Japan has an efficient public transportation network, especially within metropolitan areas and between large cities. Japan's public transportation is characterised by its punctuality, its superb service, and the large crowds of people using it.
Trains are used by the majority of commuters as opposed to cars. Scooters are a popular means of getting from home to the local train station. Trains tend to start from about 5am and run until 12:45pm. Train costs are ¥150 for the next stop. ¥270 for approx. 25 minutes.
Buses in Tokyo, Osaka and some other large cities serve as a secondary means of public transportation, complementing the train and subway networks. In cities with less dense train networks like Kyoto, buses are the main means of public transportation. Major cities are furthermore, linked by highway and long distance buses. Buses cost ¥220 for approx. 10 minutes.
Taxis are expensive to the average cost conscious traveller, and an unattractive alternative to the efficient public transportation system of Japan's larger cities. Taxi costs ¥660 per zone. Approx 6 minutes.
Contract Conditions
Contract: One year
Base pay 220- 280,000 yen per month.
Accommodation included if needed
Free furnished housing
Paid holidays.
Resigning bonus,
Health insurance subsidy,
Flight reimbursement.
Requirements
Must have a 4 year degree from an accredited University- (any subject)
Must have a valid passport (with more than 1 year validity left)
Native English speaker.
Experience preferred.