Job Discussion Forums

[sweet 'n sour]

How's the job prospects on teaching in Kagoshima these days. What's the culture like. Has it changed much from 10 years ago. How's Namaste doing these days?

[hivans]

I was not in Kagoshima 10 years ago so it is diffcult to answer your question but I suspect one big difference you would notice is that what was nishi eki has become chou eki the terminus for the Kyushu shinkansen - although it only goes as far as Yatsushiro where you get back on the old train to fukuoka - it has cut the journey time down to 2 hours and 45 mins. There is a big new shopping mall/cinema complex with a ferris wheel on top of it next to the station building. In a fit of civic ambition stemming from the hope that the improved rail link woud have knock on effect on the city'S economy there has been a building boom on the outskirts of the city in places like Yoshino - but i think that for now the supply of hosuing has outstriped demand with the result that rents on the edge of the city are quite low.

There is a new out of town cinema/complex at Yojiro and a block of restaurants called Dolpin port on the waterfront by the Sakurajima ferry where they do fireworks in August. Amongst the restaurants is a Czech place with Czech beer as a speciality. Tenmonkan has not changed at all in the 3 years I have been here and it does not look as if has changed for many more years more than that although the arcade has a new roof since a typhoon blew the old one off.

I saw on the news that Sakurajima is due to be active this year but I cant say I have noticed the difference yet. Still have to clean soot out of the aircon once every of couple of months.

I dont know how the job situation here is for teachers. I know a few people who have started their own langauge schools so I wonder if that part of the maket is quite full. I have been told by a teacher friend that the board of education here recruits all ALTs from the JET programme and does not use dispatch companies. The JALT chapter was vary active until recently, it seems not be quite so active now but was closely tied to the jelly beans ELT bookshop http://www.jellybeansed.com/index.html They might be able to answer questions about the state of english langauage education in Kagoshima.

Was this the sort of thing that you were interested in? Apologies if it is not very useful. Please let me know if there is anything more specific I could help with.

[Shimmeringstar]

Ditto to what Hivans said...

What sort of teaching work are you wondering about? I'm teaching here in Kagoshima City at a junior college. I know the colleges in the area aren't hiring much at the moment, nor will they be hiring much this next year, since enrollment is dropping (but hey, there will be a couple openings at my place of work in another year and a half!). There's always somewhat of a demand for private lessons, but I doubt you could get enough students to survive just off that. You may just have to do some checking around at some different language schools or such.

Yes, Amu Plaza is quite nice (the new mall thing by Chuo Station w/ the farris wheel on the top). It's a bit expensive, but maybe you get what you pay for? Amu and Temonkan are "the places to be," according to my students.

[Betty Lou Jones]

One big difference is there is now a Starbucks in Kagoshima. The starbucks opened up about 3 years ago.

[sweet 'n sour]

Thanks to all for your information. It is good to hear about Kagoshima after all these years and thanks for the fine detail, Hivans. Thanks for the news on the Junior College - Tanki Daigaku.

There wasn't much going on the Sakurajima ferry side when I first started living actually way back in 1989 until moving to Kumamoto in 1993 to study Japanese intensively for a year in preparation entering Keizai Daigakui university as a graduate International Trade research student. Well, that never happened as I realized the difficulties doing anything "entreprenurial business-wise" outside of ESL.

Kagoshima back then ESL wise was very competitive for getting full time jobs. It was definately an employers market. Private work did go well back then.

I knew the original owners of Namaste Reggae bar well. I knew them from when they were considering openning up the bar way back then. I forgot their names. All I would ask for you is to get me a phone number so that I can call up Namaste bar and give my greetings.

Hope to make it back there one day for a visit!

Thanks again.

Sweet 'n Sour

[hivans]

I am sorry I dont know your friends bar. If you let me know where it is/was I will try to have a look if I am in the area. Bar turnover is pretty high though as I sure you remember so if it has the same name/owner or not after 10 years is difficult to predict.

[sweet 'n sour]

Many Thanxs Hivans...

Just did a search query on it and got this ...

Reggae Bar NAMASUTE
central bld. BF 9-2 higashisengokucho kagoshimashi Kagoshima
TEL : 09-9227-1446

It is down the Main Tenmokan Arcade - I think behind the Hayashida Hotel...

I know you cross the main street breaking off the arcade and it is in the basement B1 off the street in a small building.

Back then, it was near where this Fortune Lady used to conduct business as OL's in their 20's used to line up single file minutes before midnight to get a glimpse of their destiny. Seen up to 20 lined up even after coming back minutes after 2 from Namasute just a beat away.

Cool place. If you have time, check it out and just ask if they are the same owners that started it way back around 1990 or '91. Let me know what you think of the place.

If so, I will call them up and say hello.

Got alot of fond memories from the numerous bars around Tenmokan and miss that culture part of Japan.

Sweet 'N Sour

[sallycat]

wow! kagoshima sounds like it's changed a lot.