Teaching English in Japan

[Alchy]

I've heard far too many bad things about this to think about doing it myself, but a good friend (and Japanophile) is giving it some serious thought. Anyone here got anything to say about whether this is a good idea or not? Pros/cons etc?

[Survival Tobita]

Give this a read: http://www.peterpayne.net/Merchant3/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PP&Product_Code=P04&Category_Code=BJ

[Yakumo]

Teaching English in japan isn't that bad as long as your company is fine. I did it, Gaijin Punch did it and I'm sure most people who start off life in Japan did it also. Mojor companies that you should not work for are NOVA and I belive GEOS. Nova are known to be right gits and have so many pointles rules that you'll wish you had not taken the job before you have even started your first day. AEON on the other hand is meant to be ok. Oh, make sure you actually know about English. Speaking it is one thing but knowing why and how English is, is another.

Yakumo

[ccovell]

I recommend staying away from NOVA, that's for sure. But I've been working for G**S for over 3 years now, and am still enjoying myself a lot. G**S and A**N are both pretty good because they used to be the same company!

All commercial language schools need to make a profit at the end of the month, but I've always felt that I was treated with respect by my manager and superiors even during crunch times, so I can say it's been a positive experience.

Of course, the easy life is the JET teaching program, but if you don't like kids (like me!) then an eikaiwa is not bad.

[AntiPasta]

I talked about this with a Swedish English teacher I ran into in Nishi-Funabashi while searching for Hard-Off. He said that having a passport from an English-speaking country gets you in without much hassle, but it gets more complicated if you're from another country (suits me fine, I have dual US-NL citizenship :p)

[Paulo]

arg might have to get a stupid british passport then... can you have 3 passports?

[ASSEMbler]

It's good if you don't mind being a financial slave.

[GaijinPunch]

It's more like being a pornstar. The company makes out the best, obviously, but they're taking on the most risk. The teacher, if ambitious enough can make a very hefty salary, and doesn't have to pledge allegience to the company. FYI - my sister in law has worked for Geos forever.

3500 yen/hour lessons are not hard to score. As you get more experience, you can get upwards of 5000 and maybe even higher. I had a friend that taught for so long he could basically pick his students and was making $100k USD a year. Of course, having one rich psycho student that paid 10,000 yen per hour 5 hours a week helped.

[ASSEMbler]

Yeah, but tell them how much of your time it'll eat up.

[oceanfr]

you mean like a Jet program?

[Yakumo]

Jet is a very easy life. from what I've heard from people on the Jet program is that they do almost sweet FA. The only proiblem is that you can't choose where you want to go so you could end up in the middle of no where.

yakumo

[WanganRunner]

Eh, you can make an ass-ton of money on the side regardless, so long as you know what car parts to put up on US ebay....

I mean, with the shipping, in general, games are only *sort of* a good racket, but car parts are insane. You can go to Up Garage or Hot Garage or one of those stores, buy like a 180sx rear center section for maybe 750 Yen, and then ebay it in the US all day for $100USD + shipping. Nardi Steering Wheels, used Work Wheels, blah blah blah. The used parts inventories are so huge in Japan because there's sort of a stigma against using used parts, so it's all dirt cheap. No stigma in the US, so you can sell them for a ton over here to all the JDM-wannabe Initial-D drift-kiddies.

PS: If anyone in Japan wants to work out a steady arrangement, lemme know. We can try 1 or 2 bulk shipments of goodies, I'll pay you a set %margin over cost up front, and then sell the stuff here. PM me.

[JTI2K]

What about teaching spanish? I could do that :-D

BTW, whats the average income a new guy gets? 30K U$S a year?

[Yakumo]

hmm, a new teacher (English) would get about 220'000 to 250'000 a year depending on where you live. A Spanish teacher may get more.

Yakumo

[JTI2K]

A Spanish teacher may get more.

TO THE AIRPORT!!! :smt023 :smt045

Anyways, how many euros/dolars are 220000 yen?

[PrOfUnD Darkness]

220,000 Japanese Yen = 1,997.46 US Dollar

http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

I wonder if a portuguese teacher can get anything near that :-)

[Funk Buddy]

How on earth could you live on $2K a year?

[Paulo]

At a guess they meant another 0 at end end. 220,0000 Japanese Yen

[Funk Buddy]

Yep, $20K might be doable if you didn't have to pay a car payment or health insurance.

[Yakumo]

That's 220'000 yen per month, not per year. Most Japanese males around my age are on about that plus 2 bonus payment a year if their company can afford it. I'm on 265'000 yen a month plus 15'000 transport expenses and unemployment benefit but I only get a bonus once a year and even that is pretty low :( Still, better than not having a job at all. I got more being an English teacher but then again I'd have to go back to working really crazy hours.

Yakumo

[JTI2K]

2K a month? I dont know what one can do with that in a country like japan. Eat ramen the whole time? pimp yourself? :-D

Honestly, i was expecting something above the 30K a year mark.

Anyways, theres the hope that us (spanish) may get a better deal :p

[Funk Buddy]

That's 220'000 yen per month, not per year. Most Japanese males around my age are on about that plus 2 bonus payment a year if their company can afford it. I'm on 265'000 yen a month plus 15'000 transport expenses and unemployment benefit but I only get a bonus once a year and even that is pretty low :( Still, better than not having a job at all. I got more being an English teacher but then again I'd have to go back to working really crazy hours.

Yakumo

Well you did put per year in your post.

Don't feel bad, I get paid less than that and work 8 - 6:30 or 7 M - F and 8 - 1 Sat.

[JTI2K]

Just to know funkbuddy, whats your job?

[Yakumo]

Japan isn't as expensive as you may think you know. Living here is probably easier than the UK unless you live in Tokyo that is. When I wenthome last year I thought everything was way over priced.

Yakumo

PS I'm on 2330 US dollars a month or in "real money" :p 1350 pounds which isn't really that bad. My apartment which is only two years old and a good size is 630 USD / 362 pounds per month including car park spaces (2) so as you can see there's quite a lot left for saving, food, wasteful spending and so on.

[JTI2K]

For what im hearing from the Uk, everything is better outside. No ofense, but your countrys actual situation is a product of rampant and out of control speculation. I heard that a lot of british are leaving the country (mainly to spain and australia) becos of the real state prices.

Anyways, how big is your place?

[Funk Buddy]

Just to know funkbuddy, whats your job?

I work in the family business selling janitorial supplies and I'm on salary. I also work on top of those hours (when needed) in the other business, which is commercial office cleaning. :angry Needless to say I should have never moved here because my old job was 35 - 40 hrs a week for the same money plus free food and cute teenage girls!

Yakumo -

That's cheap rent alright, a great deal IMO.

[Yakumo]

Anyways, how big is your place?
My place for Japan is a good size. Many Japanese apartments just have one room that leads to another by sliding a door but my place actually has a corridor. Here's a few pictures that I just took. These pictures make the place look smaller than it really is plus it's a little messy but it's Saturday morning so that's ok :)

The Entrance
http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/5811/hoentrance2ni.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

The hallway. From here you can see where the rooms come off it.
http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/8964/hohall6sg.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

The Bathroom complete with washing machine (in the UK this is normallyin the kitchen)
http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/9004/hobathroom2yp.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

The Livingroom (Where most of my time is spent)
http://img348.imageshack.us/img348/6524/holivingentrance9ta.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/7776/holiving19mb.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

the closert is easilly long and wide enough to sleep in plus over 2.5 meters in height.

http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/8899/holiving21wy.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

The Dinningroom and Kitchen
http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/4999/hodinning13yh.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

as you can see, the bed room leads of the dinning room.

http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/8232/hodinning24sp.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

The Bedroom. This is pretty small. Only 6 tatami mats in size but it does have a brand new airconditioner in there :D )
http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/1057/hobedroom2ar.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

The house has two air conditioners. One in the living room above the PC next to the window and the other in the bedroom which is powerful enough to cool the dinning room and kitchen as well. As you can see the house has all wooden floors apart from the bedroom and bathroom, so it gets very hot in summer.

Yakumo

[JTI2K]

Not bad, not bad at all :smt023

In fact, most places in europe had become smaller than that (or at least thats some guys from spain told me) but not cheaper

Suddenly i want to go to japan, how expensive is the beef there? (by Kg)

[Yakumo]

Not bad, not bad at all :smt023

In fact, most places in europe had become smaller than that (or at least thats some guys from spain told me) but not cheaper

Suddenly i want to go to japan, how expensive is the beef there? (by Kg)
Err, I have no idea how much beef is by kg. I just buy it :p Probably pretty much the same as anywhere I guess. It's not that expensive.

Yakumo

[JTI2K]

Cool, cuz everybody in the west complains about the price of the meat in japan

It appears its just an urban leyend :D

[ccovell]

Bear in mind that most of the "mince" for sale in Japan is a mix of pork to beef (7:3), or something like that. Sometimes when I want good beef for making hamburgers, I buy the 100% stuff, which is more expensive of course. But not too bad...

Though when I had my taco party and I bought like 1.8kg of minced meat (pork/beef) it cost me like 3000 or 4000 yen. (!)

[Yakumo]

bloody hell ccovell, where do you go shopping? that's expensive !! Do you live in Tokyo or somewhere like that? Here the only expensive meat is Miazaki Chicken or Hokaido Beef. All the rest is pretty much standard. I normally get me meat from the butcher inside of Yume Town Itsumi Department store / supermarket. It's cheaper than the ready packed stuff you can buy in any super market and tastes better, too :) I mostly but Australian beef these days.

Yakumo

[JTI2K]

Bear in mind that most of the "mince" for sale in Japan is a mix of pork to beef (7:3), or something like that.

WUT??! PORK AND BEEF?! THATS AGAINST MY RELIGION!! :smt100

Of the Great Order of Beef Eaters :smt043

Anyways, i dont like pork, so I better get a good job there, cuz my diet is: 70% beef, 20% pizza, 10% Ice cream and Lays :happyhap:

australian beef? do they sell the kanguro one too? Al least they did in australia:smt045

[Kotodama]

Ha, I'll confirm that Tokyo is expensive, but you can still find some decent deals there if you look, Shimokitazawa was nice. If you do JET you'll be away from the center, so it does get cheaper as a trip to Sapporo proved to me.