Job Discussion Forums

[spinelli35]

I thought about how expensive Japan was so I ruled out Tokyo, but there are cheaper cities to live, but I also have to consider the number of teaching opportunities as well. I did all my research already but I want to get a second opinion. So I will share in my research based on my findings and maybe the folks living already in Japan can tell me if this is true or not.

Before I begin please take this post seriously, if you are just a troll or have nothing nice to say please keep it to yourself. I really need an honest opinion as it can really determine my success in my second stint in Asia. Thank you

So I have a few questions and was wondering if anyone can shed some light here.



1) What's the cheapest city in Japan

I found out that Fukuoka is the cheapest city to live...and Okinawa was reasonable?

Is this true or not?

2) It is hard to get a public school position in Japan.

My research indicates that they don't advertise these type of jobs, but they are out there, you have to go in person and meet with them directly.

3) Japanese accomodations are generally not equipped with bath tubs.

My research indicates that the more expensive accomodations actually do have bath tubs (sorry this is my biggest form of relaxtion)

4) Japanese women are generally more open to dating and being friends with foreigners than Koreans.

My research indicates yes.

5) Japanese kids are easier and more keen to learn English than Koreans.

My research indicates that this is true.

So basically my two options were Taiwan and Japan and I felt if I wanted to make more money and have a better lifestyle and standard of living than Korea I should go with Japan, even if the costs are higher I should take my chances and hope for the best.

The reason I didn't choose Taiwan was because

1) It was very polluted, and I heard that althoough they are more open to foreigners than Koreans they can be quite rude.

2) They own your visa which means they have the same power over you as Korea.


3) Although it is cheaper to live it's almost just the same as Japan when you consider pay ratio and cost of living.

4) You are mostly likely going to end up stuck teaching kids.

5) Typhoon seasons can be very deadly

6) Parents can come and peek or walk into your classes whenever they like.

These are my findings I hope someone out there that knows the ESL/EFL industry well can lead me on the right track because at the moment I am still a bit confused.

Thank you

[Khyron]

I used to live in Korea, and now I'm in Tokyo. Maybe I can answer a few of your questions.

[Glenski]

Khyron, you make no sense with your first statement. First you say that Tokyo is as expensive as one makes it, then you say all cities are expensive here. Totally screwy to me.

[ironopolis]

I understand why glenski queried the apparent contradiction of those statements, but at the same time I think I know what khyron means. Tokyo, like all Japanese cities, can be expensive, but Tokyo, like the rest, is only as expensive as your spending makes it - is what I thought he meant. Even if not, that's what I think!

OP, at present exchange rates you'd very, very likely find that your starting salary in Japan is a bit lower than what you got in Korea; and when you factor in accommodation that probably won't be paid for in Japan, you're going to be considerably worse off financially on pay days.

But having said that, those current exchange rates together with Korea's inflation vs. Japan's long term DEflation do increasingly mean that there are starting to be quite a few things that are now cheaper in Japan than in Korea. Be warned that some of your Japanese students mightn't be very happy to be told this and probably wouldn't believe it either!!

[spinelli35]

I gotta be honest..these posts are very discouraging. I thought Japan was the place to be to make money and it seems like it's worse than Korea. Meanwhile in Korea the jobs although plentiful if you factor in the amount of bosses that are likely to screw you is 9 out of 10. So what am I getting really?

If I have to pay rent and living expenses i'm not going to save a dime in Japan unless I work at a Uni and get a higher salary but as a basic teacher making something like 250,000 to 275,000 yen it's not going to be much difference than Korea.

If I go to Taiwan the cost of living will be lower but i'm gonna get stuck teaching kids and the pollution is eventually gonna make me sick.

So as far as Asia goes there's nothing really happening here except xenophobia.

If anyone has any other country in mind besides the arab emirates please do feel so inclined.

[Khyron]

[markle]

[Khyron]

[Glenski]

[Khyron]

Just a reminder about JET. The hiring period for them is only ONCE a YEAR, and you MUST be In your HOME COUNTRY. I can't stress that enough. So, unless you are prepared to go back home and apply for a job, during the small hiring period (February, did someone say?), that you MIGHT get, forget about it.

If you do actually go back to your home country in hopes of a JET position (and I think it would be a stupid idea, due to cost of flights, lost working time, etc.), it's not worth it at all. Add to that the fact that you should not be working at home*, and you'll just be losing money.

*if you work at home, then you are paying taxes at home. If you're paying taxes, then, depending on your home country, you go back to being a resident of your country. That means that you will have to claim your earnings from Korea and/or Japan!!! You will be taxed on them!!! Well, if your boss in Korea actually paid tax, that is. If you're from Canada, for example, that could literally mean you'll be owing thousands of dollars to the government. However, if you've been living in abroad for a few years, you can declare non-residency in your home country for that time (as long as you have minimal ties back home). Therefore, you don't have to pay tax on your money earned abroad. For anyone working abroad, if you plan on moving back home one day, you ought to read up on this stuff.

[cafebleu]

As others have pointed out, your research has turned up some wrong 'facts' but I am not slating you for that. Just pointing it out.

I lived in Kyushu and yes, Fukuoka the chief city there is cheaper than many other cities. You can have a good lifestyle there in terms of living space etc if you live in inaka - the rural area. The downside?

The Japanese are just as nosey as the Koreans yet less forthcoming about admitting it. Their wish to invade your privacy is usally wrapped up in a number of excuses which do nothing to hide the xenophobia of much of this invasiveness.

In rural areas you might very well get fed up with having no interesting neighbours who are relatively young but instead get stuck with harridans who have little to do except bitch about you and slag you off for having a sex life when you are not married. Oh yes, these people watch you and your partner's comings and goings just as carefully as the Koreans do!

If you are a male then the xenophobia/racism will be less overt in Japan. As a woman I could appreciate why foreign men prefered Japan as it is virtually unheard of for them to be pursued in Japan by nasty pieces of insecure work who accuse them of stealing our women and slag off their girlfriend. That kind of behaviour is a very ugly aspect of Korean culture.

The Japanese are also less puritanical in their behaviour and their females are much freer to have a lifestyle in every respect of the word that doesn't depend upon their reputation and their being seen to wait until marriage. That is another disagreeable aspect of life in Korea. There is however a lot of hypocrisy in Japan and older people especially in rural areas can be obsessive about other people's lives.

As for baths - they are everywhere in cheap, middling or expensive Japanese accommodation. A lot of places lack showers, not baths. A relative few lack bathrooms but the rent is dirt cheap for Japan and it is assumed you will go to a public bathhouse.

As for money - Japan will shock you after Korea. You're on a great financial wicket in Korea as an English teacher unless you are really being cheated. If you want to have a good social life and do a lot of things you are going to have to scrimp in other ways. And public transportation is shockingly expensive compared to Korea and other places I've taught in such as Australia.

Korea Rail and the bus companies beat Japan anyday for price and have just as good service.

[Glenski]

[ironopolis]

[Khyron]