Job Discussion Forums

[leosmith]

I�m looking for a nice place to work in Japan. Let me give you a little background. I�m quitting my job (yippee!) here in the US in July, and getting my CELTA a few months later, at a location tbd later.

I want to go to Japan for several reasons. I�ve been studying the language very hard on my own now for over 2 years. I feel the only way for me to achieve advanced fluency in a reasonable amount of time is to live there and continue to work on it. I visited Japan last summer and really liked it. I�ve taught before, in the Peace Corps, and really liked it. When I get a job there, I�m going to give it a good effort. But I don�t want to exceed 40 hours per week total, including lesson plans, etc. Money is nice, but I�d be happy to be just above the break even point.

Ideally, I�m looking for a job away from the huge population centers. I�m a cyclist, so I�d like to be able to ride a bicycle in relative safety. I�d like to be within walking distance of my school, or a short train commute. I don�t want to drive a car or motorcycle. I picture my daily routine as teaching, lesson plans, cycling or walking, meeting with a tutor and studying. I�m 45, so my party days are pretty much over.

I�ve been to Takayama, and just loved it. Of course, that was summer. I think I can handle several months of snow though. The warmer climate of Okinawa also appeals to me, although I�ve never been there.

So my question is, do you know of a location that fits my needs and has regular job openings?

[markle]

There really no magic answer for what you are looking for, there are literally hundreds of places that would fit your needs, but don't always have jobs. Perserverance is the key. You seem to have a pretty clear idea of what you would like so it's just a matter of waiting for he best situation to come along.

Good Luck.

[leosmith]

[partialtone]

Nice! What country did the PeaceCorps put you in?

Anyway, it sounds like it'd be easier to tell you where not to go than where to go. If you want to stay warm and away from larger population centers but still have access to the larger island maybe you should look around Chugoku or Kansai prefectures (avoid Osaka). It sounds like most of Japan suits your needs though. I wouldn't worry too much about spending a lot of time on lesson plans and grading in the beggining. It gets much easier and faster the more you do it.

[leosmith]

[rai]

[markle]

[ironopolis]

If the warmer climate of Okinawa appeals to you, there's obviously Okinawa itself or you might want to consider the next best re warmer climate - southern Kyushu. Both Kagoshima and Miyazaki are fairly similar to what you seemed to be after, being a bit away from major centres of population, having cleaner air for cyclists although still not totally inaccessible. No snow though. Miyazaki especially, doesn't get much in the way of foreign tourists and your language immersion requirements would probably be fairly well catered for.

[leosmith]

[japanman]

If you like real cities then DONT live in Osaka. Osaka appeals to country types who are easily impressed by tall buildings and flashing lights.

[dove]

I don't understand your comment, Japanman. I am a city person (Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Madrid, Tokyo and Sao Paulo are where I have lived) and while I have never LIVED in Osaka, I have visited there and I found it impressive. I loved the friendly people and the fun neighborhoods. In fact, during Golden Week, it rejuvinated me and kind of turned me on to Japan again after experiencing some recent unpleasant (racist, but let's not go there) incidents in Tokyo. Hmmm. To each his own.

[japanman]

I'm just taking the p*ss. But I do find that Osaka is exactly like a lot of ithe residents. Loads of make-up but nothing inside. Easy to fall for a girl with lots of make-up but when the mascara fades and the lips go grey it becomes very easy to see what's inside.

[rai]

[J.]

Sorry to be a downer but I live in Shikoku and I can't recommend the cycling 'round here. There are so many cars that you had better have lungs of iron, and the streets are narrow with no shoulders, mostly forcing people onto the sidewalks. Those have curbs every few feet so you had better get a mountain bike; the roads are bumpy. And cars' manners are not that good. You can't take your bike along the big highways where there are trees and long stretches of road.

There are back roads where you can ride away from traffic but through little residential neighborhoods not open roads.

You can of course use a bike for transportation, and many people do, including me, but my road bike is sitting on the porch collecting dust.

I hear Hokkaido is good for longer bike trips, and the air is bound to be cleaner up there, outside the big cities.

Maybe some others know some good places to ride.

[leosmith]