Secure or Not Secure Employment - There are pros and cons to both.  Do some online research and you'll discover the "Big Four" eikenawa (conversation school) companies.  Additionally, JET is a government sponsored program that has many benefits but is harder to hook up with.  These organizations all recruit overseas, and you can get with one of them before heading over to Japan without much hassle.  The benefit of doing so is security, obviously.  You have an income lined up before you go over, and most likely a company apartment and a network of other teachers to show you the ropes.  However, it's not uncommon to become disenfranchised with your employer for various reasons, so always read the fine print of the contract before you sign.  While it is possible to switch employers once you're in Japan, it can take a lot of time and energy.  Save yourself the grief.  If you get a job before you go to Japan, check out the company first.

 

If you don't have a job when you arrive, you need funds!  I've heard a basic ballpark figure is $5,000 USD to set up an apartment and feed yourself while looking for work.  However...once in Japan, with some looking and a bit of luck, you can get a job at a privately run school or English college.  You might find them more personable than the eikenawas, where some teachers find they're treated as employee numbers rather than individuals.

 

 

Money - No getting around this one.  Japan is one of the most expensive countries in the world.  Think small and twice as much.  In Japan, you can get anything you could back home - a pizza, your apartment, whatever - but I found that everything was half the size and twice as expensive.  The silver lining is the salaries.  Minimum wage for an ESL instructor is 250,000 yen (about $2400 USD).  I've seen a lot of guys support a Japanese family quite nicely on that amount, and that's just minimum wage.  You can often get a higher salary depending on experience and location.  Remember, there's a big difference between travelling through a country and living there.  With a salary of 265,000 yen, I had no problems paying the rent and having some fun while putting some money away.  With some planning, you should do quite well.

 

 

Where to Go -  If you're arriving without a job, or if making money is your top priority, go to Tokyo or Osaka.  I prefer Tokyo to Osaka because I found the locals very friendly and the city more exciting.  In any event, these are huge cities, with many opportunities to find work and to teach private lessons on the side.  The abundance of corporate offices in these cities means there's a high demand for business English, and boy the private lessons pay well!  You can do very good here, although they're more expensive than smaller cities and they are very crowded.

 

If you're not into the crowds, and you want to balance earning potential with a slower pace, check out some of the medium-sized cities.  I was in Fukuoka, in Kyushu.  I chose Fukuoka for its climate, affordability and cosmopolitan flair.  There are others, obviously, and other ESL teachers will have their own favourites.  Fukuoka was mine.

 

Check out these cities:

 

Tokyo - to make money, party like a rock star and to experience the Japanese engine at its most intense.

 

Fukuoka - a modern city voted Asia's second most liveable by Asiaweek magazine.  Warm climate, great baseball team, friendly locals and lots to do.  My home in Japan.

 

Hiroshima - don't be intimidated by its unfortunate place in 20th century history books.  This is a young, beautiful city that ESL teachers rave about.  Nice size, climate and nightlife.

 

Kyoto - the treasure chest of Japanese culture, Kyoto is arguably the most popular city in Japan.  There's a  long waiting-list of ESL teachers drooling to transfer here.

 

Kobe - much of what you see in Kobe is new.  Kobe began a massive rebuilding process after the 1995 earthquake.  Today the city competes with Fukuoka to be Japan's most cosmopolitan city.  Kobe is also home to the Hanshin Tigers baseball team.  This is important to know because Hanshin fans are certifiable!  All joking aside, Kobe is a beautiful city within a two hour commute of both Osaka and Kyoto.  If I were to live in Kansai, I'd go here.

 

Kagoshima - on Kyushu, Kagoshima comes with its own volcano and plenty of onsens (hot springs).  This place has a slow, friendly feel to it.  One of my favourites.

 

Sapporo - up  north.  Sapporo is the gateway to Hokkaido, the northern-most island.  Think Tokyo at about a quarter the size, minus the crowds and within striking distance of Japan's most beautiful nature.  A perrenial favourite with Japanese tourists and ESL Teachers alike.

 

 

 

You will notice how very different Japan is from western countries.  You'll experience it in the food, the streets, on TV, in the air and all about you.  Japan is very, very different.  This is undoubtedly one of the biggest reasons you should go to Japan.  But fair thee warned, you'll need to get use to Japan and it will take time.  From my experience, the biggest adjustment was the lack of privacy.  I found it hard to unwind after a long day's work.  Japanese apartments are much smaller than those in North America and the dividing walls are literally made of paper.  Mix these factors in with one or two room mates and you might find it difficult to chill out in peace.  Other cultural adjustments included:

 

noise (lots of it in Japan)

the food

banking

the language

the furniture

crowds

earthquakes (not as many down south, Fukuoka is pretty safe)

lack of open spaces (in the cities)

alcohol

 

I think the last factor is important to note because Japan is a society swathed in alcohol.  You will see drunken behaviour in Japan.  Office workers, who often pound a few pints with co-workers after work, do much of the drinking.  Beer is the most common drink, but sake and liquors like shochu are extremely popular as well.  Most of the drunken activity is light-hearted.  In fact, I found a lot of it absolutely hilarious.  One of my favourite encounters was with a tipsy silver-haired businessman who tried to dance a jig with me in the street. 

 

 

 

For whatever grief I went through adjusting to Japan, the experience was an incredible one with tenfold the rewards to problems.  In hindsight, my fondest memories come from my daily interactions with the Japanese people.  There are so many reasons to go to Japan, whether it's to teach English or just to experience the country, which I think is one of the most misunderstood nations in the world.  As I mentioned, I chose Japan over South Korea, Taiwan and China.  Here's why:

 

Japanese History - I've always been fascinated with feudal Japan, particularily with Bushido - the way of the Samurai.

 

the Technology - I'm a techno-freak.  I love cars, digital cameras, mp3's and the latest gadgets.  Let me say this, you WON'T find a more technologically advanced nation on the planet.  I've been to some contenders, like Malaysia and Singapore, but none compare to Japan.  This is a cutting-edge country.  If you're interested in electronics, I recommend  the Akihabara district in Tokyo.  You'll never see anything else like it.

 

Safety - Having travelled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and North America, I've seen many different countries and living conditions.  Japan is arguably the safest country in the world.  You can walk pretty much anywhere in Japan, day or night, with a fat wallet or a designer bag (which are very popular with Japanese women!) with complete peace of mind.  Some Japanese say the country's renowned safety is diminishing, but I felt very safe when I was there.

 

The Best Reason to Go to Japan, The People - So many memories.  So many random acts of kindness and polite curiousity.  When eating at a restaurant or izakaya (pub), a complete stranger bought my meal on four seperate occasions.  Six strangers offered me directions without my asking for help during a three day visit to Tokyo.  Six people in three days!!  As an ESL Teacher, my students were nothing short of incredible.  They were very kind and always eager to hear about my home country and keen to learn my 'Canadian' English.  The people of Japan are the single most important reason to go to Japan.  Are they shy?  Some are, others are definately not!  Polite?  Of course.  But come to Japan with an open mind, because just as North Americans value individuality, so too the Japanese are different and unique.