Job Discussion Forums

jenaya · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 13

hello, i know that the minimum salary should be 250 000 yen/month and only a naive newby would accept any less, BUT there is a job that offers 238 000 and rent is only 37000 (shared which I dont mind) so I figured the money is actually the same after rent..... all the other conditions seem good etc..... am I being really naive??????????? an opinion please.... Laughing

azarashi sushi · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 562 Location: Shinjuku

Where is the job and what are the hours and conditions? How big is the apartment?

A.S.

jenaya · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 13

In Kani, Gifu Prefecture...... the hours are 23-26 hours, with overtime kicking in at 108hours a month. six and half weeks paid holiday, the apartment is 3 wotever it is, ummmmmm, the founder is an Australian guy. What else??????? It seems alright I think... oh, they pay the bulk of health insurance (teacher pays 2 500/month i think) What do you think.....

azarashi sushi · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 562 Location: Shinjuku

I assume it's 23-26 contact hours... which is standard. 6 and a half weeks holiday is nice... Sharing an apartment with 2 others... OH MY GOD! Gifu ken isn't the most exciting place in Japan either... I think you could do better.

Do you know what the work hours are? Travel time to and from work?

Other people probably know more than I do on this... BUT I think 250 000 is the minimum you can earn in order to be eligible for a working visa. Others, please correct me if I'm wrong... but maybe with 238 000 you can't get a visa.

A.S.

jenaya · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 13

sorry, it was only sharing with 1 other, and also, is Gifu ken any less interesting than Hiroshima prefecture???????? at least Kani is near the mountains and not that far from Tokyo yes!!!! I know this is now taking a different slant, but what do Hiroshima prefecture have going for it Laughing

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan

If you are sharing then the rent is about what it should be. The "3" would refer to a 3DK apartment, meaning an apartment with 3 rooms (bedrooms) and a dining/kitchen. If it's a 3LDK add a living room to the above. I would hesitate to take the job as he (the boss) is saving by only supplying one apartment for 2 teachers and if he's too tight to pay the extra 12,000 a month to bring your salary up to par then what else will he be stingy about. Of course it all depends on how much you want to come to Japan. Holidays are good though, just make sure he isn't including public holidays in that. There's 10-12 public holidays a year in Japan. Also I'll bet you can only take the holidays at certain times of the year like the end of April (Golden Week), the middle of August (Obon) and around the New Year. Ask the boss directly why he isn't paying 250,000 yen a month.

Shonai Ben · Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 617

This sounds a little suspicious to me.The standard & basic wage is
250,000 yen/month.What you pay for rent has no bearing on your
monthly salary.You also must share the appartment with someone
else.
Personally, I would question your employer about the salary and
seriously think about this before signing a contract.
Be careful and good luck!

homersimpson · Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 569 Location: Kagoshima

jenaya · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 13

sorry, so does that mean Gifu is Kansas or California Confused

homersimpson · Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 569 Location: Kagoshima

Gifu would be the Kansas in this scenario. Smile

But, people do live in Kansas, so some like it. I just think Hiroshima has a lot more to offer, unless of course you're set on living nearer to Tokyo. [/i]

buffy · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 57

Where did you get the Hiroshima idea to begin with?
Check out
www.gethiroshima.com
Are you in Japan at the moment? If so go to Gifu and check it out for yourself.
6 1/2 weeks holiday seems good.

jenaya · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 13

there is another offer from bjclub in Hiroshima ken, thats why i threw that one in as well...... Wink

longtermteacher · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Posts: 1

I'm surprised people still believe that 250,000 yen is the minimum salary needed to get visa sponsorship. That hasn't been the case since 1997!!! Here are the reasons why I think it's a good offer:
1) The owner is a foreigner - that's a big plus, trust me.
2) The apartment - To live by yourself you'd probably pay 40-50,000 yen a month for a tiny 1DK, so living in a 3LDK for 37,000 (i.e. 74,000 yen rent split between two people), would be much better. Also, ask the employer if you have to pay key money, fire insurance and deposits. Also, is it furnished? If it's furnished and you don't have to pay all the customary upfront money, then you'd save yourself about 400,000 yen! In other words, you'd be saving money from day one - no need to be in debt for your first year like I was! Final note about the apartment, ask how near it is to the school. A short walk compared to a long train ride makes a lot of difference.
3) Health insurance for 2,500 yen?! That's hard to beat.
4) The holidays - regardless of national holidays, six and a half weeks gives you plenty of chances to travel, and is more than any schools I know of. If national holidays are on top of the six and a half weeks then you're laughing! And it sounds like you'd be on a salary which means you'd get paid for all those holidays!
5) The hours - 23-26 hours a week is better than most schools.
6) The location - Hiroshima is NOT like California! Sure, Hiroshima City is nice, but it's no California. If you like city life, then I'd go for the Gifu job. Gifu itself has a fairly big city, but more importantly, Nagoya (arguably Japan's third biggest city behind Tokyo and Osaka) is just a short train ride away. I live in Nagoya myself, and have popped up to Gifu many times - costs the same as a Big Mac meal.

Anyway, why don't you ask the guy if you can contact one of their current teachers?

Hope you make the right choice!

LTT