Job Discussion Forums

rikai · Joined: 06 Feb 2010 Posts: 13 Location: Tokyo

Hello,

I'm half Japanese and I recently moved from London to Tokyo. I'm 22, have Japanese nationality, a Masters degree and a Cert.Tesol, but my Japanese is not so good (about halfway between JLPT3 and JLPT2). I'm starting to look for work and I was wondering if you might be able to answer the following questions:

1. Do you think that my Japanese nationality will cause problems if applying to Eikaiwa's/ ALT Dispatch Companies?

2. Will my Japanesey appearance drastically reduce my chances of finding work?

3. Would you recommend an alternate course of action? I've been thinking that maybe the best approach would be to get myself established as a private tutor, or maybe try to land a direct hire ALT job.

Many thanks.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Inflames · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 486

I knew two dual nationals, one of whom worked for Nova and the other worked for Interac. They got hired to do the exact same job I did and didn't have a problem.

Some places might find it problematic, but those would be places you wouldn't want to work at.

I can say that looking Japanese wouldn't be a problem. I've known numerous people of east Asian descent and half Japanese people who had no problems.

I'm not sure what experience (and what field your Master's is in) you have, so it's hard to give advice. I would recommend what I do to almost everyone: study Japanese like your life depends on it, because some day odds are your job will. I worked for Nova when it collapsed and there were people who had been there 7 or 8 years and made a lot of money per month. Those people went right back to Nova and last year got hit with huge paycuts. The ones with language ability to get another job did and the others took their paycuts and literally make less money than when they first started.

Speed · Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 152 Location: Shikoku Land

Being half-Japanese has never been a problem for me here in Japan in either the ALT or eikawa business. As long as your employers know you have native level fluency in English, you won't have any problems.

rikai · Joined: 06 Feb 2010 Posts: 13 Location: Tokyo

Thanks very much guys, this is encouraging to hear.

Speed, did you get those jobs on a japanese passport? Because if so that's very good news.

Mr_Monkey · Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 661 Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu

If you have a Japanese passport, you don't need to worry about a visa, which will give you an advantage in that you aren't restricted to companies that will sponsor one - many smaller schools do not.

Imseriouslylost · Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 123 Location: Tokyo

Oi, how did you finish an MA at age 22? Most people don't finish their BA until age 22-23.

Mr_Monkey · Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 661 Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu

A BA in the UK is three years.

If they went to university straight after leaving school, they would graguate when they were 21, leaving a year to obtain an MA.

Imseriouslylost · Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 123 Location: Tokyo

rikai · Joined: 06 Feb 2010 Posts: 13 Location: Tokyo

yeah I actually did a four year physics degree straight after school which nets you an MPhys.

I Oughta Know · Joined: 28 Jan 2010 Posts: 9 Location: Tohoku

I think the answer to your situation is a bit more complicated than those offered here. Your citizenship is Japanese? Then, under Japanese law, you must renounce your (British?) citizenship prior to your 21st birthday. If not, you run the risk of the Japanese government cancelling your Japanese citizenship....this is a very complex issue!

Make sure you enter Japan with the right passport- you really can't live here as BOTH. You have to act as either one or the other. It is a totally different system from the USA or Commonwealth.

Second, what type of employment you are seeking? For how long, at what level, and at what type of institution?

If you are looking for 1 to 2 years of temporary employment at a language school, then (assuming you are a Japanese citizen), you should easily find work- though some operators might discriminate, I agree that these are not worth considering anyway. Not having to go through the visa process will be a great benefit for your future employers. This also gives you the freedom to change jobs, even change type of jobs, without immigration watching over you. You should see your dual language abilities as an asset.

If you want to be hired as an ALT in a school (public or private), then you must hold a foreign passport in order to qualify for a foreign language teacher's license. If you only have a Japanese passport, then you will fall into a different category and not be qualified as a teacher.

So you should think about what your goals are....

If you need more advice, PM me and I will try to help.

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

I oughta know, can you link to one actual case where someones Japanese nationality has been taken away because they didn't renounce their other nationality?

Lyrajean · Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 109 Location: going to Okinawa

You have to renounce Japaense citizenship to join the JET programme. I think we have an ALT in my prefecture who did just that.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

rikai · Joined: 06 Feb 2010 Posts: 13 Location: Tokyo

woah woah woah, I didn't say anything about dual citizenship. I'm a Japanese national only.

Ioughtaknow, thanks a lot for the advice about needing a foreign passport for ALT work, that'll save me a lot of wasted applications.

I guess my best approach would be to hit some of the smaller language schools, or maybe just stick to private tutoring since I'd like to spend most of my time studying the language anyway. ALT work is clearly not an option.