# Introduction and Questions Regarding Expat LifeStyle



## Naes83

For those of you who have gone the expat life in Japan, I was wondering if any of you 
could share some advice they've gained over their journey. Firstly...

Hey I'm Sean, I'm presently losing ridiculous amount of sleep about just booking it Japan come the new year. A bit of background about me, I lived in Japan for a full year as an exchange student in Tokyo in '06 and returned to Japan probably about 12 more times since. I'm presently a full licensed high school teacher in Canada, with a master's in education but presently work in Corporate IT security and hate it passionately (TPS reports anyone?!). Getting into the education field in Canada is stupid hard at the moment and housing is a gong show, leaving me in quite a predicament.

The idea of relocating to Japan isn't new; it's been around for awhile and I just got scared of pulling the trigger due to some uncertainties and "making the wrong choice". Such a ******** thought. So here am I getting my ducks in line to pull this trigger but I'm looking for some advice from of you who've already gone this route.
I have some cursory knowledge of some differences/important elements, such as: clothing sizes, general life etiquette by in large, train systems, can pick up gr1 Japanese in a few months again, etc. 

1) What's 1-2 things you wish you knew prior to departing for Japan that isn't always thought of or obvious thing to look out for? 

2) Although I have my master's of education, I have barely any experience actually teaching, outside my practice/volunteer teaching; how difficult would it be to get into an international or private school? Ideally I'd be aiming for 200K/month salary with benefits. 

3) Is getting my TEFL worth it in my situation? If so, what are the benefits of it?

Thanks


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## myrrh

Do you have a teaching license? If so, you can apply to international schools here--though as it's extremely competitive, you most likely will need 2+ years of teaching experience in your own country as well.

Do you have Japanese language ability and 3+ publications? If so, with the MA also in hand, you can apply for full-time, tenured university positions. I don't think we can post job links here; do a search yourself for the JRECIN and Chronicle of Higher Education job boards and start applying. (Even if you don't have Japanese ability and publications, you can still try applying--maybe you'll get lucky.)

You can also try applying to the JET Program. Again, do a search yourself for the link. 

Quite frankly, these are your best options. Finally, while it might make you a better teacher, having a TEFL certificate probably won't help you much on the job market here. 

Good luck!


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## JamesInJapan

1) What's 1-2 things you wish you knew prior to departing for Japan that isn't always thought of or obvious thing to look out for?
*Unless you get a bunch of foreign friends, you aren't likely to have as many friends as you has back in Canada, and you certainly won't meet them as often!
I wish I had closed all my bank accounts in Canada before coming, it has been a pain the butt dealing with them internationally.* 

2) Although I have my master's of education, I have barely any experience actually teaching, outside my practice/volunteer teaching; how difficult would it be to get into an international or private school? Ideally I'd be aiming for 200K/month salary with benefits. 
*If you can speak Japanese at a moderate level, you aren't horrible looking, don't smell bad, and are personable, then it should be easy to get a job in a private one-on-one eikaiwa. Working for a public school is a different ordeal. 
If you can deal with the horror of teaching groups of kids, there are tonnes of private school jobs that pay decently and are easier to get than teaching adults.*

3) Is getting my TEFL worth it in my situation? If so, what are the benefits of it?
*I can't speak to this, I am only familiar with private schools, and I have noticed little to no difference in applicants with it.*


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## donpaulo

Naes83 said:


> 1) What's 1-2 things you wish you knew prior to departing for Japan that isn't always thought of or obvious thing to look out for?
> 
> 2) Although I have my master's of education, I have barely any experience actually teaching, outside my practice/volunteer teaching; how difficult would it be to get into an international or private school? Ideally I'd be aiming for 200K/month salary with benefits.
> 
> 3) Is getting my TEFL worth it in my situation? If so, what are the benefits of it?


I think the best approach is to decide to make the move. Once you commit to certain date many of these worries become less important. They will still be a concern, but you've already taken the plunge. At least that worked well for me.

Things I wish I knew.
Well for starters more patience, saving face and lowering expectations would be at the top of the list. These are all ego focused and not so dependent on being in Japan.

If the hope was for more of a physical aspect to the list, I'd say that I found things somewhat challenging but that has to do with my NOT living in one of the major cities. Costs for some comfort foods are too high, eating out and drinking at bars sucks the wallet dry relatively quickly too. Domestic travel is also not cheap. Its tough to save money unless one doesn't eat or drink out.

My wife and I cook. Our food tastes better than most restaurants as well. The foreign food here that doesn't cost an arm or leg is bland and tastes like cardboard unless its curry or ramen. 

Convenient stores are neither convenient nor healthy sources of calories. Avoid them whenever possible.

Shop at a supermarket like Seiyu (Walmart) or Costco. You will save money despite paying more per trip. In the long run the size and quality of the products last much longer and taste better.

Eat fish as often as possible. Its cheap, abundant and tastes great.

Find a family run sushi shop that doesn't charge high prices. They will know everyone in the neighborhood and it won't cost you too much if you budget for it. Spending some time there will allow you to meet all sorts of local people you wouldn't otherwise know. 

Find a hobby that is free, you'll meet Japanese people that way too. 

I was surprised at a lack of a true "free market". While there will be multiple prices for many similar items they tend to be all within about a 10% margin. Its almost as if companies simply cut and paste the price tags. There are always higher end options but if you are "slumming" it say for AC then the bottom 3 or 4 units are all about the same price.

Rent is high too. The quality of the apartments is also marginal. Insulation appears to be an afterthought here in the Tokai region. Walls are often 2 boards and empty space between. You are going to spend quite a lot of money heating your house in the winter and the hot air flows right through the walls. Yay !

Commuting can drive a sane person to lose their lunch. Living close to work and paying more is worth it imho.

You will need someone or somewhere to sponsor your visa.

I don't think the extra letters after your resume will result in more salary or better jobs. Being here on the ground and applying for work will get you some income.

remember that Spring is the start of the new year here, so you should be kicking doors now.

Volunteer for some teaching jobs in your hometown. Get some classroom hours experience.


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## xXEsPaNyoLAkoXx

2) Although I have my master's of education, I have barely any experience actually teaching, outside my practice/volunteer teaching; how difficult would it be to get into an international or private school? Ideally I'd be aiming for 200K/month salary with benefits. 

-It will easier for you to pursue your teaching career in Japan, you can be a teacher in school or be a tutor since there are Japanese that hire tutors to have better English. 

3) Is getting my TEFL worth it in my situation? If so, what are the benefits of it?

-It's worth getting a TEFL, it will be your advantage.


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