Japan FAQ

Questions about Working and Living in Japan

Japan FAQ - Ask your question about Living in Japan!

Do you have a question about living in Japan?

Ask!

What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Japan FAQ: Can you make a lot of money in Japan teaching English?

No, not really. You can make a good living and have a good life but I don`t feel it is a lot of money. Frankly I think you become a teacher because you want to teach. Money should be secondary.

It is a myth that you can get rich teaching English in Japan.

A few have but they have gone on to start their own schools--with emphasis being on the latter--schools--a chain of schools. Or they have started some other venture in Japan.


Pictured: Garden in Japan by Richard Baladad

Japan FAQ: I don`t have any training, can I still teach in Japan?

Yes you can, most of the BIG schools have training programs and some of the smaller schools will hire you and train you.

Japan FAQ: I don`t have a university degree, can I teach in Japan?

I think it is very difficult to get a teaching job without a degree. There are so many native English teachers with a degree that schools have a lot of university educated people to choose from.

Japan FAQ: What should I bring when I go to Japan?

Japan FAQ: Will my apartment be really small and expensive?

It will be smaller probably than you are used to back home. In the biggest cities rent will be between 60-100,000 Yen/Mth.

You can pay less by living outside a very big city or by choosing to work in the countryside or a smaller city. Rent will range from 40-80,000 in the smaller cities and the countryside. We rented a small townhouse for 80,000/mth.

Should I get TEFL Training or an RSA Certificate?

Yes you should! The training will help you when you teach,and employers will look on it that you have some training and you are serious about teaching in Japan.

I recommend i-to-i for TEFL training. They are well respected and many of our readers have trained with i-to-i.

Learn More at the i-to-i Travel Homepage

How long will it take me to speak Japanese well?

That depends on you. I thought I would be fluent in a year and I am still studying Japanese off and on. I think it takes at least three years of very dedicated study to be very conversant in the language. It is much more difficult for an English speaking Canadian to learn Japanese than to learn French. Now I think, why did I ever think French was difficult.

Japanese really is ten times more difficult thanlearning French for an English speaker. Learn Japanese for free before you come and after.

Will I be able to save money on a teacher`s salary in Japan

It depends on you. Some people can save a lot--1,000 dollars or more per month, and others spend every last yen. It really depends on how often you go out and spend. But you can save a lot.

I think you should set yourself a budget once you get here and become familiar with what things cost, and stick to that budget.

If you want to save, put that money away up front into a separate account that you don`t touch, then send it home as soon as you have 1,000 dollars or more, so it is very difficult to touch it.

Pay yourself first in other words.

Japan FAQ: What should I read about Japan?

What are the first steps to going to live and teach in Japan?

Back from Japan FAQ to How to Teach English in Japan (Home)

How do I find a good school to teach for?

I feel small schools care more about their staff and students thanlarge corporate schools.

View our list of schools A-E

View our list of schools F-P

View our list of schools Q-Z

View our list of BIG schools