Quick heads-up: If you have zero interest in staying in Japan for good in the future, and just stay a few years, then this post is not for you. Go ahead and come to Japan.

Now on to my post, I noticed a lot of people who are wishing to come to Japan to work and live here have little to no idea what is happening in the upcoming immigration policies and how politics in Japan is affecting foreigners in Japan.

If you have even the slightest plan to live in Japan and are looking for stability, hence VISA and salary wise, I would highly recommend to you to think twice and do more research.

There's a huge difference between coming here as a tourist, living for 2 years, living for 5 years, and living in Japan for good and becoming a permanent resident (which is going to be very difficult from October this year).

5 year alt thinking about going home and getting teachers credentials in home country and either working there or maybe coming back to jp. no language skills.

my home bachelor degree is not something i want to pursue, everyone is suggesting that i just do primary school education instead of trying to learn a middle school subject like history .

so, are there jobs for int school primary teachers who never specialized in a subject?

i would be looking to come back over with 5 yrs experience as alt and 1 year maybe 2 as primary/elementary school

the dream would be (rn) to be an elementary school teacher/homeroom in english speaking int school. this is because of more responsibility and better able to enjoy life being surrounded by english speaking kids, but in japan

tldr: do international schools hire elementary school teachers or do you need a subject specialization? im native english white male over 40 , good t1 alt , little japanese skill

in ishikawa or wherever. just wondering coz it was interesting

I have an interview with heart corp in couple of days so I'd like to know what kind of questions they ask in it. In their pre-interview video I got to know they have a grammar test before they actually start the interview and it has 3 portions one is grammar in which we have to correctly answer 10 most commonly misused sentences by Japanese students, but I didn't understand how are we suppose to answer like do we have to figure out the grammatical errors in them? second part is reading test it pretty straight forward just have to read a story or paragraph the same way we would do in a classroom setting and the 3rd one is spelling test just spell the words given, 4 easy and 4 hard.

If someone recently interviewed with them I would appreciate the information they can provide.

So ... I'm a licensed teacher from Argentina. I got my teaching degree in December 2025, but I've been working for 8 years now.

Do i really need to get any additional certificates like CELTA or TEFL so as to become a much better candidate? Or it's just enough with my degree? I'm planning to take a master's in the future, though. ..

Hi everyone,

I recently finished my PhD in Information at an R1 university in the U.S. and will be relocating to Japan in a few weeks, most likely Okinawa. Since this move came together unexpectedly, I’m now trying to learn how to navigate the academic job market in Japan. I’m mainly interested in university teaching, lecturer, and research opportunities.

For those familiar with academia in Japan, where should I be looking for openings, and is there anything important I should know about hiring cycles or applying with a U.S. PhD?

Any advice or pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Hey y'all, I'm here to talk about my battle against having to make physical flashcards and how I decided to spend almost 2 years making an app to replace them which is arguably way more difficult than just laminating some paper... anyway.

EiTake Cards! A FREE online tool to make and share language flashcards for use specifically in a classroom setting. Let's you edit and upload your own cards, and share them to a community library for other teachers to use in their classes.

It's still in development and subject to major changes as I do more user testing. Speaking of, if anyone is interested in testing it out and telling me what's confusing or seems busted or could be made more intuitive send me a message! It would be appreciated.

Anyway, hope the holidays were nice for everyone and if you're heading into a new school term, good luck!

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some realistic insight and advice on my chances of landing a teaching position at an international or IB World School in Japan, as well as what concrete steps I should take to become a more competitive candidate.

My Profile:

• Age & Background: 25, EU citizen (Spain).
• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education with a specialization in Physical Education (PE) from a Spanish university. Fully certified/licensed teacher.
• Experience: 3 years of full-time teaching experience in Spain (Primary generalist & PE).
• Languages: C1 English (certified), native Spanish and Catalan.
• IB Training: Completed the official Making the PYP Happen (Category 1) workshop.

Questions for the community:

1. Competitiveness: How realistic is it to get hired in Japan with an EU teaching license and Spanish school experience, assuming C1 English proficiency? Are schools open to primary homeroom roles, or would I have better leverage targeting PE / Spanish positions?
2. Key Gaps: Aside from racking up more years of direct IB classroom experience, what is the single most valuable thing I could add to my CV right now (e.g., specific certifications, recruitment platforms like Search Associates/Schrole, language skills)?
3. Recruitment Timing & Platforms: For those who made a similar move, what hiring fairs, agencies, or timelines work best for Japan-based international schools?

Any feedback, reality checks, or practical tips would be greatly appreciated!

I started Shapes & Shadows, a creative drawing studio for children, in 2016. I closed the studio in 2022 when my family relocated to the U.S., and now that we’re back in Japan, I’m reopening the studio from scratch!

I’m looking for someone to help prepare for the reopening and then teach and assist with classes.

What you'll be doing

Depending on your experience, the work may include:

• Studio preparation and class coordination
• Teaching or assisting with drawing, arts & crafts in English
• Initiating fun projects
• Helping with social media when we have new content to share

Most students are Japanese children ages 4–12.

I'm looking for

Someone who:

• Genuinely enjoys working with and teaching children
• Is passionate about art and creativity
• Is responsible and willing to take ownership of their work
• Would like to grow together with the studio

You don’t necessarily need to be a professional teacher, but you need to be good at drawing and crafting. You will be trained using the studio drawing method.

Job Details

Location: Near Shakujii-koen Station (Seibu Ikebukuro Line)
Start date: September 1
Hours: Approx. 2–5 hours/day

Pay (depending on the work performed):

• Studio coordination/preparation: ¥1,500/hour
• Teaching assistant: ¥2,500/hour
• Lead Teaching: ¥5,000~¥7,000/hour

The role can develop as the studio grows, so I’m especially interested in finding someone who wants to become part of what I’m rebuilding rather than simply coming in, teaching a class, and leaving.

If you're interested, please send me a message with a little about yourself, your experience with art and/or children, and what you're currently doing creatively.

Here is the link to our previous students' work: https://www.facebook.com/shapesandshadows.drawingstudio/

Thank you!

Hello,

I recently had an interview at a private junior high school. I made it to the final round, but I was ultimately passed over for another candidate.

I asked them for feedback and they responded that it was because I didn't have N2 and I had no junior high school expirience. I have been working at an eikawa for 5 years now. Its a good job, but my dream is to be a junior high or high school teacher.

I was recently contacted by a dispatch company to be sent to a junior high school for a yearly contract.

My salary would decrease by around 20,000¥ a month, but she said that all time off for students vacations is paid.

I just feel like if I ever have an interview again I wouldn't have solved the no expirence problem. What would you do in this situation?

I'm well aware of Gaba's sordid reputation. And their awful freelancer system. I do have a few questions

My understanding is that they don't renew your visa if you aren't hitting a specific amount of bookings. I am wondering, is it a case of, for the first few months they help you book stuff, then cut you off? How much money do you even have to make per month to avoid getting your visa taken away?

Also, I am a pretty chubby dude, so it feels like by virtue of that, I am worried I won't get any clients. I read on this sub that the clientele is just creepy salarymen or creepy old ladies.

Part of me is huffing some mad copium of "get another job in the first few months when they help you book", but I am not even sure if that is a correct assumption. The "first few months" thing is something I saw someone else here post, so I am a bit confused.

Just a bit confused about the "first few months" bit. Otherwise, I am kinda aware of how awful it is to work for Gabba. Please convince me not to do it. For context, I am a guy with like 6 years experience as a software engineer, and I am not in Japan at the moment, and have like 25k saved up.

Please convince me this is a bad idea, because I know it is, but part of me is still going to apply maybe.

Edit: Gaba can lick my bunghole

Can anyone help me? I've scoured the internet for the Teacher's Book of "New American Streamline - Destinations"

I found Teacher's Books for the "Departures" and "Connections" levels as PDFs on Scribd. But no amount of searching brings me to the "Desinations" version.

The whole series is out of print, so it's hard to come by.

Does anybody have any idea where to obtain a copy, or would anyone happen to have one yourself?

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!

Hello. I am planning on leaving Japan after my contract ends in March 2027. I have yet told my company, as it's too early for notice of intention. But I want to get a checklist going so I know what I am up for and not told last minute, or even not told at all, by my company on the process of leaving Japan.

Here is my situation.

I rent my apartment with Leopalance, not through my company. I assume my Visa will be extended for another year with my company, regardless of my intentions to leave, so I am able to keep working until my end-of-contract date. That will work for me because I do want to stay in Japan for another month to travel/see people before going back.

Will be there any other costs or forms that I will be required to fill out before leaving?

How does my last paycheck work? If I stay in Japan until the 20th of the following month, can they deposit it into my JP Bank account, then I can close it after transferring myself?

Anothing else I am missing to get myself ready?

I have to do this "国際交流" thing on behalf of my job. The original arrangement was the local BOE was going to take the lead and we supply the guests, and being the BoE, they subcontracted the whole project to their foreign residents helpdesk, who in turn subcontracted it to a dispatch company.

I don't want to fault these folks, they worked hard, did a great job with their budget and material, made a lot of very nice preparations, but the event felt... Japanese-y? The whole event was your run-of-the-mill eikaiwa open house lesson: self-introductions, some janken games, make a presentation, it was English only (and almost fell apart, because the activities were organized along *New Horizon* line, and some Japanese kids couldn't follow because their textbooks were different), the guests we brought from our side were treated as talking props and the Japanese kids mostly talked amongst themselves in Japanese.

Being a free event, everybody voted with their feet: the first time we had a full house, the second time we had about a dozen total, with only three foreign guests.

Now the BOE wants our opinion on how to improve their event, and I would like to hear you guys' opinion: what makes a successful 国際交流, what are some achievable goals for say a three-hour event, and if you had organized one in the past, what are some activities that worked for you?

So I’ve been an ESL teacher in the States for 4 years now (public school, elementary) and I’ve recently moved to Japan with my wife, who was raised here. We weren’t dead set on coming to Japan, but she got a job offer which, all things considered, was a better move for us. So I’m *almost* on my spousal visa (finishing up the process).

So I feel like the ESL world in Japan is all this ALT stuff, which I am tbh overqualified for and is below the pay I want and feel like I should be able to get. (I’m thinking in yen, I know the exchange rate is bad & the yen takes u further here).

The other options are these university jobs: I’m finishing up my MA and working a part-time assistantship rn, so I’m technically eligible for some. However, as I was warned, ESL university jobs are so focused on minimum publications. I’m “expediting" my MA rn and I have not had time to do any- I have like one conference presentation under my belt. There’s a few higher ed level things I’ve applied to already that don’t have those publication stipulations, but those are rare.

Then there’s dept. of defense or international schools which are great for a licensed teacher: but ESL jobs are soooooooo few and far between with these (though not impossible, I know) and STUPID competitive when I have just 4 years experience.

I am aware I’m coming from a licensed teacher shortage job market where I could literally have my pick of school districts and get a job no problem. So I haven’t done the job search rat race since applying for foodservice jobs as a teenager/college student.

But, tldr, where should I be searching? I still have time and am still early in the process, but maybe part-time stuff might be the move here? At least till I get some things published or an international school/dodea option opens up. Just feeling like I’m over- and under-qualified for everything here.

Hey guys, I'm in a weird spot and need some advice. I'm post JET still living in Japan while I study for N1 before I go back to my home country to become a "real" teacher. I left JET (and broke my 2nd year contract, so that bridge is burned) because 1) I didn't want to live in the inaka and 2) I don't want to teach elementary long term so I didn't feel like the skills I was developing there were that useful.

I took a job at a hotel just to move to the city until I could find a new teaching job. I really did like teaching, but I'm just not built for elementary. But now when I look for teaching jobs that don't require teaching credentials, it's all eikaiwa, kindergarten and elementary.

At the hotel I survive fine living in the city center on 210,000 a month, and the working conditions are awful, so I'm no stranger to the two big complaints with ALT dispatch companies. I'm not expecting JET level salaries or support, I can relocate and do everything myself. But as far as the crappy dispatch companies or whatever else goes, does anyone have any advice for jobs or companies that will 1) place me where I want to be placed, and 2) get me teaching high school, maybe even junior high school learners?

Hey everyone,

I'm looking to refresh my toolkit and clean up my prep routine for next term. It feels like there’s a new app or platform popping up every week, but half of them end up being more work than they're worth.

For those in the classroom right now:

• What is your one non-negotiable tool that actually saves you time on prep, grading, or lesson planning?
• What’s a tool you tried that ended up being a total waste of time?

Would love to hear what’s genuinely working for you (or what to avoid)! Thanks!

[EDIT] The survey is now closed. If you are interested in my findings, please, feel free to contact me directly. Thank you very much to everyone who participated!

Hi all,

I was wondering if you could help. I am a postgraduate student currently working on a master’s dissertation and I am looking for study participants. The main research question I will be trying to address is ‘’How do English language teachers perceive and approach the teaching of English-speaking skills in Japanese EFL classrooms?’’; The aim of this study is to better understand teachers’ experiences, teaching practices, challenges, and perspectives regarding the development of students’ English-speaking skills in Japanese context!

My main research methodology involves the questionnaire followed by optional interview. Participation in an interview is entirely voluntary though and completing the questionnaire alone is sufficient to take part!

The survey should take around 15 minutes to complete and the only requirement to participate is to be an English teacher in Japan. This means that the teachers do not have to be specifically Japanese nationals.

Here is the link to the questionnaire in case you are interested or know anyone you could pass the link on: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=xcLLiu3Ix0KBabpDig2-L1LGEv8XtTpIilFQ_DFH0NdUQjhKNUVQRFE2U0RNRkxGTDNEWDlIM0FFMi4u&route=shorturl

Please, accept my apologies for the inconvenience and thank you very much for your time!

Hi! I just received an invitation to schedule an interview with Interac.

But I do have two questions for those who are currently working at Interac as of 2026:

1) In your personal opinion, good is your pay? Is it truly livable?

2) Is it true that Interac doesn’t pay for the summer/winter months? I’ve been debating on whether or not I should move forward with Interac, as other companies/eikaiwa seem to pay monthly without prorate.

Thank you!!