Teaching in Japan

A teacher who wishes to practice in Japan may choose from teaching private students, getting a job at an English school, teaching in elementary or high school, or gaining employment at a university.

Teaching private students is often made a “sideline” of teachers because of its high rates, even though some schools prohibit them to do so. The rates are usually at 3,000 to 5,000 Yen per hour. What’s great about this set-up is that you don’t have to advertise your services as most Japanese don’t feel comfortable having someone whose name they just saw on an advertisement to teach them or their child. You can just pass the word that you are currently looking for a private student to tutor, and wait for someone to call you.

Private English schools rate is usually somewhere between 250,000 to 300,000 Yen per month. There are also available part time positions which offer around 2,000 to 6,000 Yen per hour. Private English schools teach a variety of people: from children and high school students, to business people, to housewives.

Working hours depends on the school, but different schedules are enforced in every school. Getting a job in a private English school may be difficult as fewer English schools accept applications from another country. However, large English chain schools in Japan such as AEON and NOVA still hire foreign teachers and arrange their placement in Japan. The qualifications that these schools are looking for will be a university diploma. You will be surprised that this isn’t for scholastic reasons but rather for you to be able to qualify for a visa.

Being a teacher on the public educational system will firstly require patience, above all things, as you would be tasked to teach large classes of 30-40 students who don’t care much about the subject you are teaching. However, if teaching is your passion, this might work for you. To be able to teach in an elementary or high school, you will need to pass the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme), a program, sponsored through the Japanese government.

One of the most prestigious jobs in Japan is to be a university professor, where you can get 5 months vacation with pay, lighter work loads, and lots of benefits. As these jobs are so undemanding, they are usually not advertised and often move around through contacts and introductions. To get a university position from abroad, your home university should have a kind of sister school ties with the Japanese university. However, if you are a prominent figure in your field of expertise, you can directly send your resume to them and you can almost be sure that they will call. To qualify, you should possess a master’s degree and a minimum of 2 academic publications. For part-time positions, a master’s degree will suffice.