Job Discussion Forums

[IamtheWalrus]

I am never able to decide, so Please help me!

Why is Taiwan better than Japan??

[surrealia]

Read the articles and information at:

http://www.geocities.com/allhou/taiwan.htm

http://www.geocities.com/allhou/japan.htm

[jason_seeburn]

][][

[IamtheWalrus]

True, true...Wrong phrasing!

So why do you find Japan better, can you explain some?

Thanks!!

[Aristotle]

Claustrophobia, I couldn't walk through a doorway without hitting my head. My bed was so small I had to sleep sitting up. Rent was astronomical. Of course in the two years I spent in Fukuoka, I was always paid on time and correctly. I made a heck of a lot more money than in Taiwan. My boss and the schools I worked for were very professional and they appreciated that I was too. That is a stark contrast to Taiwan where you often will have to file a law suit just to get your pay check.

[matchstick_man]

Food......Chinese food has it over Japnese and Korean food. I hate most seafood which is a staple in all these countries.

[jason_seeburn]

][][

[MissusFish]

Try not to agonize over the decision-both countries are fine. You will have an experince no matter which one you choose.
You were leaning more towards Taiwan in the first place, weren't you? Just go for it-now's the time.
Although after just coming back from a blissful, one month vacation in CA I have to reiterate my first advice to not ever leave it! (Ok, not really, but if nothing else-weather wise you're in for a shocker!)
Good luck!

[Pop Fly]

I would have automatically said Taiwan from a purely financial point of view as Japan is so expensive...but the parity of wage is getting further and further apart where it is becoming more sensible (finacially speaking) to work in Japan. Avg wage in Taipei is 55,000 NT whereas Japan is 250,000 yen which works out to about 78/79,000 NT....

I may consider Japan next year as you can still find jobs that include a housing subsidy....which, in my mind, greatly undercuts the cost of living, ya?

Good luck....

[TaoyuanSteve]

Cost of living includes more than housing which, considering the size of the city, is actually quite reasonable in Taipei (really cheap where I live, though I'm outside of Taipei). You also have to consider all the other factors. Take food for example. In Taiwan, you can eat quite well extremely cheaply (assuming you don't go to expensive western restaurants too often). Most consumer goods are reasonably priced as well. I think the overall lower cost of living is a big equalizer in terms of finances. Actually, I think it tips the scales in Taiwan's favor. And lets not forget that it isn't very hard to do alot better than nt55000 per month here.

[nasigoreng]

I'm considering Japan because my 2 years in TW were AWFUL.


[-] Traffic/ Noise.

[-] Pollution (Hey, I'd gladly lose a little money every month for some clean air and quiet). And it's not just air pollution ... there's garbage everywhere.

[-] The Taiwanese BEAT their children for not being perfect - so how can you teach someone (child or adult) who is AFRAID to speak because they think if they speak incorrectly they'll be beaten or ridiculed ?

[-] The students never learn the correct grammar even when I've corrected them 5 times . (example: "Yesterday I go ..." ).

[-] Profit: A lot of English schools are run by businessmen who don't speak English. Their expectations (and the parent's) are not always
practical or possible. The boss will put as many kids in that classroom as possible and doesn't care about quality and making the teacher's job harder.

[-] (ITF) It's always the Teacher's Fault: If Johnny fails a test: ITF. Johnny is loud and disruptive: ITF. The school is losing students: ITF. There is too much homework: ITF. Johnny doesn't want to speak English: ITF.

[-] NOTHING TO DO BUT DRINK :0 [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

[Vince]

[Frankie Knuckles]

Hello Aristotle, I was just wondering if you could explain to me how it was that you were able to save a heck of a lot more money in Japan than in Taiwan. It is just that from my experience and research I have come to the conclusion that it is probably easier to save more money in Taiwan than it is in Japan. I previously lived and worked in Japan and while I was able to save a fair amount of money the cost of living there was very high. I mean you could save quite a lot if you didn't go out drinking, didn't go to the movies and didn't eat out but if you did this for too long I think you would probably go crazy. I have yet to work in Taiwan but I have spent about 4 weeks there last July. I found in that time I didn't really spend that much money and found costs were very reasonable and in some cases very low. Lets say as a rough guide the average wages of teachers in Taiwan are between 60,000-70,000NT per month compared with the average wages of teachers in Japan being between 250,000-270,000 Yen per month. If you take into account all the costs of living in Japan compared with Taiwan I am surprised that you are able to save a heck of lot more money in Japan. For example my Taiwanese girlfriend who lives in Taichung pays about 4,000NT per month in rent for a better shared apartment than what I payed 58,000yen for near Kyoto 3 years ago. 58,000 yen works out to be more than 1/5 of the average salary in Japan. 4,000NT works out to be about 1/16 of the average teaching salary in Taiwan. When you consider that the cost of food in Taiwan is generally very low I am just curious to know why you can't save as much money in Taiwan. Assuming that you are working for a reputable school in Taiwan that pays you on time which granted they seem harder to find than in Japan, I would assume that it is not very difficult to save more money in Taiwan. Cheers , Frankie

[Aristotle]

It all comes down to how you play the game. I lived in a house in a little faming village outside of Fukuoka. It took me 45 minutes a day by train to get to work. I paid roughly 500 us per month. You can find a house in Taiwan in remote areas for less than that. The problem is there is no train or much other infrastructure outside of Taipei. You have to have a motor cycle and risk you life on a daily basis.
The key is to maximize income while minimizing expenses. I did this in Japan by having parties in my house. The nightlife came to me.
Pay in Japan is almost double what it is in Taiwan. The key is taking vacations. I got 30 days paid vacation a year in Japan. I hoped a ferry to Manila and spent a lot of time on the beach.
Life style plays an important role in savings.
The only advantage Taiwan has over Japan is that Taiwan is much more of a head game. You can do a lot better here in Taiwan if you know how to play the game.
A.

[Frankie Knuckles]

The thing is I don't think the average full-time pay in Japan is almost double what it is in Taiwan. The average pay for big private schools in Japan like NOVA, ECC, GEOS and AEON is approximately 250,000 Yen a month. 250,000 Yen works out to be about 74,000NT. I have been told by several teachers that once you have become established in Taiwan it is quite easy to earn up to 80,000NT per month. If this is true or even if 70,000NT is a more realistic target then surely you are better off in Taiwan. If you are earning close to 250,000 Yen in Taiwan and your dinner costs 3 or 4 Aus dollars and your rent is approximately $250 a month I think it is reasonable to expect that you will save quite alot more than you would in Japan. I am looking forward to hearing from anyone who wishes to agree or disagree with what I have said. Frankie