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Teach English in Japan

Teaching English in Japan used to be a way for young Westerners just out of university to make $40,000 a year. The responsibilities were low, the people were friendly, and everything was new. The place, of course, was Japan and these times are now fondly referred to as 'the bubble years' after the country's once over-inflated economy.

Japan's tremendous economic success in the period of high economic growth saw the 1980s defined by conspicuous consumption, inflated real estate prices, and extremely high dollar-value salaries for English teachers in Japan due to the pumped-up value of the Japanese yen.

Salary

Although the bubble years are over you can still make and save decent money by teaching English Japan, contrary to popular belief. Salaries for English teachers at most private English academies start in the 250,000 yen per month range. The Japanese government sponsored Jet Programme pays 300,000 yen per month.
International schools pay between 3,000,000 and 6,000,000 yen per year but generally require a teaching license from your home country. Click here for more information about international schools in Japan.

Benefits

Although some large companies may pay on your behalf, you will most likely be required to contribute about 10,000 yen per month to the National Health Insurance system. 70% of all costs for visiting the hospital, dentist, acupuncturist, etc. will be covered by your insurance and, compared to costs in the US, health care in Japan is significantly cheaper.
Many of the larger private English academies also offer teachers a bonus after signing a contract and/or upon its completion. This severance bonus starts at around 80,000 yen for completing a one year contract. If you work at a school for 2 or more years, you may get up to twice that amount.
You will also have to pay about 20,000 yen per month into the National Pension Program. When you leave Japan, you will fill out a form and this money will be returned to you.

Housing

Unlike teaching English in Korea, you will have to pay for your housing when teaching English in Japan. If you live in a big city and don't want roommates, this could run you as much as 70,000 per month or more. Most likely it will be in range of 50,000 - 60,000 yen per month, less in the countryside.

Travel Expenses

Many Japanese companies will pay your travel expenses to and from work, which is good since taking the train to work in Japan can get expensive. However, some schools require that you must live a certain distance from the school to qualify so make sure to clarify the issue before signing a contract.
Click on the currency converter to find out the current exchange rates for your salary.

Want to teach English in Japan? Check out our Japan TEFL Jobs

Just a comment

Im just wondering why people in the Philippines are not qualified to teach english in Japan or Korea where in fact we are not going to have the cvourage to apply if we know for ourselves that we are not qualified for the job. In fact Filipinos are gramatically correct English Speakers. Its not the accent that should be the first requirement but also grammar because it is very important especially in written english.

You should practice your

You should practice your grammar, then. Especially the use of commas.

In the case of Korea, it's

In the case of Korea, it's simply the law--period. Last time I heard, there's an attempt to change this law to allow non-native speakers of English--e.g. Indians, Singaporeans, and, yes, Filipinos--to be brought in on whatever visa it is that allows citizens of the so-called "inner circle" of English speakers to work in Korea as English teachers. But until that law's changed, you just have to wait. (By the way, guess who are very much against amending this law?)

In the case of Japan, though, I personally know of several Filipinos who work there as ALTs, and I've come across a website of a university in Japan that includes a Filipino professor in its English department (his colleagues are either Caucasians or apparent African-Americans). There's no legal restriction that discriminates against "non-native" English speakers as teachers. I think the principal barrier is that most Filipinos can get a visa of up to two weeks only, and the ALT agencies and the conversation schools like the defunct Nova find it difficult to obtain a working visa for Filipinos, either because it takes too long or it's such a hassle because of rules here in Manila. The Pinoys that I know who teach in Japan are nikkei-jin, that is they have a Japanese ancestor (like one of those plantation workers in Davao, or the guys who built Kennon
Road, which is why most Nikkei-jin are either from Mindanao or the Mountain Province), which entitles them to a working visa. A Filipina I met there got a working visa from a Japanese friend who has his own business, then allowed her to look for a job as an ALT instead of working in his store. So in Japan it's a catch-22 situation: they won't hire you because you don't have a working visa, and you can't get a working visa because nobody will hire you.

Oh, and by the way, both the Pinoy and the non-Pinoy but non-"inner circle" ALTs I've met in Japan have atrocious accents. At least definitely not so-called standard AmE or BritE.

just wanna know

i have been teaching english for many years...i know myself and my qualifications.. i have handled different students different nationalities.... yet when i apply to some foreign countries like korea, china, taiwan and japan, i wonder why filipinos are not qualified to teach english, were in fact we are also degree holder though we are not native speakers still i believe filipinos posses something that i am sure these students will surely love. we could also offer same as they could.. these countries also look for someone who has CELTA certificate though they are not a degree holder or even have experience.. isn't experience is the best thing one employer has to look for if one is looking for a good teacher? and there must be a demonstration so they would see if we are qualified or not.. i have korean, chinese, japanese, libyan, turks tutees.. and ihave succesfully taught them speaking english. their feedback? we are the best teachers, patient, loving and most of all God fearing people... they easily understood us compared to the native speakers.. well that's their comments i just like to share and hope this will be an eye opener for them..

Let me put it this way--if

Let me put it this way--if you signed up at Alliance Francais, wouldn't you be disappointed to learn that your teacher isn't French, but, say, Cambodian? (Remember that Cambodia was for a long time a French colony, and many members of their elite--at least those who survived the Khmer Rouge--grew up speaking French perfectly.) What if you signed up at Instituto Cervantes and discovered that your teacher isn't from Spain, or even from Latin America, but is maybe someone you even rubbed elbows with back in college but whose family still speaks at the dinner table the language of Madre Espana?

That's the same thing with the Koreans, Chinese, etc. who sign up at English-language academies in their countries. Remember that, for them, English is primarily the language of a foreign country--well, make that several foreign countries--and these countries are primarily inhabited by whites. They don't consider the Philippines as an English-speaking country (and having taught English in Philippine colleges and high schools for several years, even I don't (just like to add, though--I'm Pinoy)). So it may be unfair but that's the way it is. You have a better chance working abroad as a caregiver or as a factory worker than as an English teacher. I'm sorry, kababayan, but some dreams just don't come true.

But your English is simply

But your English is simply not good enough to compete with native English speakers. Your grammar is pretty bad and what's more, Japanese are not Christians! What makes you think that your Christianity makes you a better person?! In my experience teaching in Japan, I found Japanese students to be very open-minded and part of their desire to be taught by a 'foreigner' - ie. adventurous/travelling/Westerner, is to enable them to escape the restrictions of their own cultural binds, for just a moment. They want to enter the Western mindset, that is, the open-minded one that their youth is increasingly embracing.

And actually, having returned to my country, NZ - and having taught many Japanese English here since (and a few Filipinos too!) I can assure you that correct grammar IS very important to Japanese, and it's one of their serious weaknesses, so being taught it by another non-native English-speaking group member who also struggles to master English grammar (unlike European non-native speakers such as the French and Germans) would be very second-rate. Sorry, that's how it is. Nothing to do with God, either.... Just the Japanese desire for perfection, which, actually, comes from both its Buddhist and Shinto religious traditions of the past

JET Programme

Definitely, if you can get onto the JET Programme, it is a great option. In addition to having a higher base salary, the earnings are also tax free. This means that the net salary ends up being significantly higher than other competitors. On the downside, they only do intakes once per year (Jul/Aug), so it can involve a lot of waiting. So if you don't want to wait, it makes sense to consider other private schools and agencies.

Why some nationalities aren`t considered for jobs in Japan.

@ Karla Mae.

I am shocked that you would have the front to consider yourself an English teacher.

Your subject included the slang word `wanna` and your grammar and use of upper case letters for proper nouns was an atrocity. How would you ever expect to assist a student to take a Cambridge test, TOEIC, IELTS, TEOFL etc if you yourself can`t use English properly? You are exactly why some nationalities are not considered for employment in Japan.

The standards of education in some countries is clearly much higher than in others and the Japanese are not going to pay good money to people who are incompetent. I know for a fact that the Tokyo Board of Education never employ English teachers from anywhere other than those countries where English is the first language and the teacher`s degree is in English. I also know some Filipinos in Japan and their English certainly isn`t up to the required standard to teach.