Job Discussion Forums

Shimokitazawa · Joined: 16 Aug 2009 Posts: 458 Location: Saigon, Vietnam

The thing is, there are gaijin teachers here who are making US $75, 000 - $120, 000 a year teaching English. So, if you can land a job like that, then yes, it's worth it.

But for 90% of the TEFL'ing positions in Japan, it's a real hard slug at JPY 190, 000 - 250, 000 a month. Not nice.

With luck, more luck, and knowing the right people and having the right degrees and experience, you can make a lot of money in Japan - and possibly enjoy your job.

Nothing is really standardized in Japan, so you will find such a variety of positions and conditions for EFL teacher s- and they do not always go to the most qualified. Again, luck and being at the right place at the right time and knowing key people are very important in this "business".

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

Although I am very interested in Japan, I have realized that there's little point in living there, at least in the current market conditions.

I could simply live in Busan, which is a grand total of 31 miles away from the Japanese islands of Iki and Tsushima, with additional ferries that go to Osaka, Fukuoka, Kobe, etc. Take a cheap (<$100) round-trip ferry to Izuhara and back whenever I feel like it.

Why compete to the death with thousands of other gaijin for jobs that pay minimum wage, so I can live in a country that then forces me to wait ten years for permanent residency?

Why not simply live in relative comfort and luxury 31 miles away from said country and visit whenever I feel like it?

Seems a lot easier.

When I was a kid, I lived in Fairfax, Virgina, 25 miles outside of Washington, D.C. and could visit whenever I wanted just by hopping on the Metro and riding it for a couple of hours. It wasn't a big deal -- I could visit whenever I wanted. I never had any urge to live IN Washington, D.C.! And similarly, I don't see how living 31 miles away from Japan is THAT different from actually living IN Japan.

Spend the weekends in Izuhara. Spend the weekdays attending Japanese language classes at language schools/unis in Busan, watching Channel J, and interacting with Japanese expats.

If it tastes like chicken, smells like chicken, looks like chicken, and feels like chicken, does it matter if it's not technically chicken?

Bread · Joined: 24 May 2009 Posts: 318

Yes, some random island in Japan is certainly representative of the whole country. Why live in New York City when I can live in Butte, Montana and take the bus to Helena on weekends? As a bonus, its name looks like "butt". Which is what foreigners are treated like in Korea.

MOD EDIT

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

Mr. Kalgukshi · Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 8:29 pm Post subject:

Insults and contentious bickering just got this thread locked. If you were involved in such behavior, assume that you are now reading a final warning as to your tenure here.