Job Discussion Forums

[mikeinitaly]

Hi all,

I have looked a lot through the threads just to get an idea but I still need to clarify a few things. I have been teaching for 15 years, 12 in Italy and 4 in Saudi Arabia. I am tired of working here now and me and my wife would like to spend a year in Japan before going back home. My questions are purely from a father perspective. I have made enough money to be happy with in Saudi Arabia, and from Japan, we were looking for a chance to simply experience the culture and live there for a year.

1. My qualifications add up to MA, CELTA, DELTA. I am native English with a British passport.
2. Realistically, what kind of salary would I get and what kind of job would be available to me? I am 38 years old.
3. I understand that my visa would be 2, 3 or 5 years and my wife and child could get dependent visas and my wife could work as a teacher's assistant as she is doing now. They have Italian passports.
4. How much do international schools cost there (on average). My son is 4.
5. Are rents normally included in the package or is that something we have to pay for? How much is rent (again, I know it depends, but on average)
6. We are not interested in saving or making money, and are even willing to eat into our savings just to live there for some time.
7.Could I get 5 or 6 hours of privates?
8. Where are the best places to live for families?

Is this a realistic thing to do in terms of finance, visas, and possibility?

Thanks to everyone who can give their thoughts. I know my questions are vague but I have to start somewhere.

Thanks
J

[rtm]

2. Realistically, what kind of salary would I get and what kind of job would be available to me? I am 38 years old.

Depending on what your MA is in, you would likely be a good candidate for a university position. The biggest complaint about university positions in Japan is that they are often fixed-term (e.g., 2-year contract, non-renewable), but it sounds like you aren't planning on staying after your first contract. I'm not sure what would be the impact (if any) of quitting a, e.g., 3-year contract after only 1 year. My understanding is that university positions pay, roughly, from around 5,000,000-7,000,000 yen/year, give or take a bit on either end. Your potential hurdles would be that many universities want people who can speak Japanese (for administrative purposes, e.g., meetings), people who have a number of academic publications, and people who have experience teaching in Japanese universities. The academic year starts April 1 in Japan, so you're too late for this year, although there might be a few openings for September. Check the JREC-IN and JACET sites for advertisements. On JREC-IN, there are more ads on the Japanese version than the English version.

You would also be a good candidate for the entry-level positions at a private conversation school (company) ("eikaiwa"), or as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in a public junior high or high school. These pay roughly the same (around 220,000-250,000 yen/month), though I have heard more often recently about ALT employers skimping and cutting wages during summer and other school holidays. For ALT positions, the JET Programme is the best -- it's a program run by the government. There are also 'dispatch' companies that hire ALTs and farm them out to local schools (but the ALT remains an employee of the dispatch company). JET pays more and offers more benefits than dispatch companies, but is more competitive, the application timeline is long (applications in December for a July or August start), and you need to interview in your country of citizenship. Some dispatch companies and eikaiwa schools will hire from abroad, though some can find enough people already on the ground in Japan (and who already have a visa).

3. I understand that my visa would be 2, 3 or 5 years and my wife and child could get dependent visas and my wife could work as a teacher's assistant as she is doing now. They have Italian passports.

Visas are 1, 3, or 5 years. It depends on your contract, but you would likely get a 1-year visa to start. Your wife could possibly get some part-time teaching hours teaching Italian and maybe some teaching English at a language school. Part-time work as an ALT might be possible.

4. How much do international schools cost there (on average). My son is 4.

Real international schools cost quite a bit -- upwards of 2,000,000 yen/year, but could be a bit more or less, depending on where in Japan you are.

5. Are rents normally included in the package or is that something we have to pay for? How much is rent (again, I know it depends, but on average)

Rent is usually not included. I'd say a rough estimate would be around 70,000-100,000/month for a place for you, your wife, and a small child. Again, it could be more or less, depending on where you are.

7.Could I get 5 or 6 hours of privates?

Probably. It would take a little time to get them (maybe a couple months), and you would likely need to keep it secret from your employer (most employers would include a clause against this in your contract).

8. Where are the best places to live for families?

I'd recommend living outside of the big cities, but that's just me (and I have no children, so I can't really say).

[Solar Strength]

[mitsui]

Nursery schools or kindergartens are expensive if the staff are bilingual but probably cheaper than international elementary schools.
Some kindergartens are for kids aged 3-5 years old.

Not sure what your wife would do. On a dependant visa she can work part-time.
Not much for teaching Italian but I met one woman from Napoli who does quite well in Kanagawa.