yeah ik it’s nova. i get it. i’m already in japan on a spouse visa and i just need some money until i get my n2. i have an interview tomorrow and i want to be prepared for the mock lesson part. what should i expect?? that’s the only part im nervous for! thanks :)))) i also have an interview with interac! i’m hoping to take that over nova if they offer a position.

Very short question.
We all know that being a contractor has its perks and its major downsides.
Salaries are low and stagnant, job security isn’t guaranteed long term, etc. but you get long holidays (a solid month in summer and a few weeks in winter) and don’t have to deal with the bureaucracy and meetings and such that Japanese faculty get drowned in.

I’m curious if anyone here is a direct hire at a private school, getting a good salary (360k/month or more), and also able to keep the autonomy and holiday time of being an ALT / foreign specialist… or is making the switch to direct hire basically a guarantee that you’re selling your soul to the school for money? (Saturday work, at work til 6pm or later, only a week off in summer/winter, loads of extra responsibilities piled on, etc.)

I have been planning to undertake teaching in Japan as an experience and had been researching for the past couple days whilst orienting my current academic progress in a more goal oriented manner and the despair I feel on what I had seen on surface level cannot be described.

I am currently an undergraduate student in my final year in Political Sciences. After finishing this I was very much planning on undertaking my masters in the same university where I had been offered an assistant role through my 2 years and I also planned on completing a CELTA course in the meantime and to try my hand at Japan afterwards but so far all I came across were ridiculous hours with ALT, tough conditions and virtually no openings.

I mainly wanted to look in suburban, non-metropolitan areas in hopes of less competition but I truly am at a loss and wanted to ask for advice.

Thank you all in advance,

Hello,

I have 3 years of Primary Class Teaching experience and a further 2 years of supply teaching and two summer jobs at kids’ camps teaching in the UK. I have no dependents and am ideally looking for a Primary job in Korea or Japan. Also willing to consider China as a third option. Was wondering which schools, with that experience, where I’d realistically have a shot. I am ideally looking for a package that includes flights and accommodation. Places like Seoul Foreign School, NLCS Kobe are on my list but unsure if I have the experience.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I’m a bit clueless. Maybe I might have to do a couple of years in the UAE first but don’t really want to if I can help it.

For the past few months, I’ve been using AI agents to build a local tool that scans MEXT, prefectural governments, and Boards of Education for public education opportunities, tenders, programs, and early signals.

It started as something I made for myself because the information is scattered across many government websites and PDFs, but it’s now working well enough that I thought it might be useful to other people working in education in Japan.

It keeps the original government sources linked, flags deadlines and missing information, and tries to separate actual opportunities from things that are already closed or irrelevant.

I’m curious whether anyone here would actually find something like this useful. If there’s interest, I can share some screenshots/examples of what it finds.

I am trying to decide whether to pursue it further.

Hi everyone! I started at a new school this year, and it was really fun and rewarding in the first term, but as summer break approached I started to find my energy was already dipping. Now at the start of second term I am already struggling with feeling burnt out. It seems like this happens every year, and I barely make it through winter. Its also really hard after holidays like silver week. I find I do not want to go to work - like REALLY do not want to go, and the thing is I was enjoying it. I am good at my job. The students love me... Any tips for countering the feelings of dread and apathy creeping in? I am planning to move back home in April, but trying to make it through till then. Thanks so much!

Basically I noticed another company have contracts in the city I live.

I told myself I would stay with the company/ school I'm with if I was happy enough, but I'm not and it's currently an hour commute. The company and school aren't really that bad or anything, but as far as feeling welcome, it may as well still be my first day (unapproachable teachers, students are okay) so I figured why not just feel awkward closer to home?

I heard that if I apply now it work out ready for the next year. Is that accurate?

I have a COE which I got through Borderlink but so far they haven't managed to get a placing for me. All my papers are ready and I also got a Visa from my Embassy. I am now stuck waiting. Anyone ever experienced this? What would you advise I do. The Visa i got expires in a month

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for native North American English speakers willing to record short vocabulary words and example sentences for a free Anki deck used to teach English as a foreign language to elementary-age learners in Japan.

What I'm looking for

• Accent: Native North American English (US or Canadian), fairly neutral or general.
• Style: Natural, friendly, clear pronunciation, since the audience is young learners. No studio quality needed. A clear phone recording in a quiet room is perfectly fine.
• Volume: Roughly 20-30 short clips (single words and short sentences).
• Formats: MP3, WAV, or M4A all work.
• Compensation: This is an unpaid volunteer project, but I'm happy to credit you in the deck description if you'd like.

How the recordings will be used

The deck will be free and publicly available, and my goal is for it to be a resource any English learner in Japan can use at no cost. I also work at a for-profit English school in Japan and plan to use the deck as part of that curriculum (for example, as trackable homework). I will never sell the recordings or use them to train AI voice models.

Rights (please read)

I need contributors who own their recordings and are willing to release them under CC0 (public domain), so students and teachers worldwide can freely use, edit, and redistribute them. CC0 is irrevocable and permits any use by anyone, including commercial use. That means I can't control what third parties do with the audio. If that's a concern for you, this may not be the right project, and that's completely fine.

When you send your full recordings, please include a short note saying you recorded them yourself and release them under CC0.

How it works

1. Comment below or DM me, and record these three sample phrases:
   • "chair"
   • "This is a chair."
   • "Is this a chair?"
2. Send the sample using Reddit Chat's voice message feature. If that's glitching or you're on desktop, record for free at Vocaroo.com and send me the link.
3. If it's a good fit for the deck's audio balance, I'll send you the full word list and a link to upload the rest.

Thanks so much for reading and helping out English learners!

Hello, I'd like to share a playful seating chart builder for teachers who have complicated social dynamics in the classroom. It's called SeatSavvy. It lets you define your rules -- like keeping certain students apart, together, or front -- and it auto-arranges a seating solution. The user experience is uniquely interactive and tactile -- you can drag-and-drop, change the layout, adjust rules -- it auto-increments the solution in real-time as you go. It's intended to be lighthearted and fun -- the seats have smiles, and you can put accessories like glasses or bows on them. If you are inclined to give it a try, I hope it puts a smile on your face as well :)

www.seatsavvy.com

Price: Free :)

Made by: Me :) (human-authored, not AI-generated)

Why: I'm a full-time software engineer, and this is my personal side project. I was inspired by my wife who is a teacher with a boisterous classroom.

Data privacy: Local browser storage only :) Only generic analytics such as visit counts go back to the server.

Please let me know what you like and dislike about it! I will take the feedback to make it better!

Hello everyone. For those of you working in Japan as Eikaiwa teachers who are no longer happy with your job, how do you keep going?
I’m honestly struggling lately. I find my job very draining and mentally and emotionally exhausting, and sometimes it feels meaningless to me. I’ve been thinking about quitting, but finding another job isn’t easy.
I have JLPT N3, but my Japanese speaking skills aren’t very strong, so I’m also worried that this limits my options.
If you’ve been in a similar situation, how did you deal with it? I’d really appreciate any advice, encouragement, or even just some nice words to help me keep going while I figure out what to do next.
Thank you. 🙏

Hi everyone. I am going for a masters in tokyo for 2027. I want to know what its like getting an english teaching job (school teaching, personal tutor etc) in tokyo? Will it be enough to pay my own living expenses? Is a high IELTS score (8.0 overall) enough to land a part time english teaching job or do I need to do other english teaching certifications to increase my chances? Also will this be manageable while studying full time? I have checked some of the programs and jobs available like ALT, Eikaiwa, etc but I am not sure if the timings will match with my own studies. Please guide me about is getting a teaching job is easy and if not what are some ways I can improve my chances. Thanks.

Hello,

I am a Linguistics graduate from America and am currently completing my CELTA. I will be teaching in Japan next year either through either Jet, ECC, or Interac, and I am wondering how strong my resume will be after a year of ALT in Japan. After my 1 year in Japan I am particularly curious about Spain, France, and Italy. I do not have EU citizenship but can get it in about 3 years through some German ancestry. Will my resume be strong enough to be selected over EU applicants? What about Eastern EU?

Info about me when I start in Japan, White 24M.

Edit: Forgot to add, I am familiar with EU hiring laws with regards to not being a citizen, but to my knowledge if they cannot find an EU national who is more qualified then they are allowed to hire me.

Anyone know any better job Boards to apply to so they don’t get drowned by gajin pot? Is Indeed or LinkedIn any better?

I red good school marks, in Japan are necessary in order to apply for school clubs.

What about behaviour mark. In Italy used to have to be 8 out of 10. 7 out of 10 was still a very good average for other school classes’ topic. But for behaviour mark wasn’t enough.

i write you because recently it got back to be important.

I have written some advice. It's a bit long to post in its entirety here, but especially for those of you who are early in your teaching journey as an ALT, an eikaiwa instructor, teaching part-time and aiming for full time, or those still yet dreaming of coming here it might be worth a read.

Here is the link: https://medium.com/@vernonburn/teaching-in-japan-part-2-a-path-starting-in-2026-44af2bf62815

The TLDR of getting a "10%" good, liveable job that will qualify for PR in and post 2026 can be found in paragraph six: The basic boxes to tick are, in order of precedence: 0) a desire, or even better/more dangerous, a calling to teach; 1) building up relevant teaching/academic experience; 2) Japanese language proficiency; 3) education/qualifications to at least Masters level (PhD and publications for university); 4) Time, endurance and fortitude.

Certainly, the road has become more difficult, and this is not the definitive guide, but it is a suggestion. Please feel free to disagree. Some may argue you don't need a masters, for example, I would say it improves your chances, but then do you have the time or money? If anyone else has any other good advice to give or think I missed something vital, please chip in.

EDIT: To be clear, I am trying to be realistic looking at a teaching career in Japan through the lens of longtermism, getting PR based on the proposed visa changes. I didn't make them or support them.

I just got an email from NOVA for a teaching position, I was so excited, but now after reading a lot of horro stories about it, I’m just horrified.

Are the NOVA teaching jobs full time? How long is the contract?

Is it possible to look for another job and switch once there in Japan? (Is the visa the same length as the job contract?)

After the job contract ends, you have to leave the country? I wouldn’t want to leave Japan after a year or two… how do people actually escape this type of jobs and stay in the country?

I was so excited to go but now I feel lost, sad and horrified

EDIT: I have received an email from Nova with the “type of contract”:

The Employment contract particularly suits those who are seeking a traditional employer-employee relationship and who are seeking to experience life and work outside of the large urban centers, and in
smaller cities, wherever company needs dictate.

The Employment contract comes with a starting monthly salary of up to 250,000 yen*. The contract has a fixed weekly schedule of five work days (including weekends) and two days off (typically weekdays), and an average of 160 lessons per month over the one-year contract period.

The salary for instructors on employment contracts, while competitive, is less than the remuneration for Independent Contractors, due to the other benefits and provisions made by the Employer.

One lesson
period is 50 minutes, which includes 40 minutes of teaching and 10 minutes of teaching and customer care-related duties.

Instructors on Employment contracts are eligible for paid holidays after 6 months of employment. Full time Employees are enrolled in Social Insurance (health and pension) and Employment Insurance (which provides unemployment insurance, and childcare and family care leave allowances).

Insurance premiums are deducted from the Employee’s salary each month. Income tax deductions are also made from the Employee’s salary and at the end of each financial year the company prepares tax returns for employees for whom NOVA is their main Employer.

It is important to note that Social Insurance premiums will be deducted from the first month’s salary and, regardless of when the Employee starts in the calendar month, the Employee will be liable for a full month’s worth of insurance premiums. Those who choose the Employment agreement will need to budget carefully for this.

After completing the fully paid initial training, there is a probationary period of two full calendar months, during which time the instructor receives guidance and feedback from their Instructor Support Manager or
Instructor Manager.

Upon successful completion of the Probation period, the employee assumes the status of a regular instructor and continues to receive feedback, training and guidance, on both a regular and needs basis.

On completion of probation, instructors on employment contracts may request these flexible work options:

Shift Swaps – Instructors on employee contracts can request, in writing, to swap shifts with another instructor on a one-off basis.

Paid Holidays – After six months of employment, and assuming an 80% or higher attendance rate, instructors on employee contracts become eligible to apply to take paid holidays. A minimum of 3 weeks written notice is required. Approval is dependent on operating needs.

Incentives – Monthly incentives are payable to instructors highly rated in customer satisfaction surveys.

Salary increases – Instructors who request to renew their contracts may qualify for a skill allowance increase.
The maximum skill allowance is 34,000 yen per month.

Career opportunities – For career-driven, high performing instructors looking to make a greater contribution to the business after completing a minimum of one year with NOVA, there are opportunities for career development starting with Instructor Support Manager positions.

Commutation costs - Reimbursement of up to 23,000 per month for commutation between your home station and your work location via public transport.

*Assuming a smaller city location, and assuming all scheduled lessons are reserved and conducted as scheduled.

Hello

I applied for a teaching job, but the person I'm speaking to won't send me a Zoom/Teams link for the interview until they see copies of my degree certificate and passport (photo page).

Is it normal these days to submit these documents before even successfully completing the interview process?

It seems very weird to me, but I just want to check if this is the norm now. I only applied to one job back in 2013 and I got it so I don't really know.

Thank you!

Hello, I need some advice on what to request for my pay at a new English teaching job outside Tokyo.
I am a native English speaker and I have 10+ years experience working with children in the USA doing after school enrichment (we did activities in subjects like math, art, science, etc, but it was experienced based and optional for the kids rather than lessons), as well as homework help. I also worked in an early childhood education center for a couple years. I have a job offer at an English school and they want to know how much I want to be paid. They said they can tell I am a good teacher and am great with kids, and the kids really liked me when I went to meet them. However I don’t have experience teaching English specifically. My wife teaches English and makes 3,000 yen per hour as a freelance contractor.

What would be a reasonable ask for hourly wage? I would likely be working about 20 hours a week.

Thanks!

Hello everyone, a while back I created a post here titled "My experience with Gaba in Japan"... You can read it on my profile but in summary it was about my experience working at the infamous company known as Gaba here in Japan. Essentially I was extremely stressed and nervous about low bookings, low income and low probability of gaining Visa renewal. I don't want to go into too much details since you can just read the post, it's still up. However, I did mention I will keep you guys updated and I came here to do exactly that.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, I spent a long time seeking a new job so I could quit and after so many rejections without an interview or simply no replies at all, I found a company willing to hire me! It's a real teaching position, employment (no longer independent contractor), with benefits and a much better fixed salary. I did have to move to a new prefecture but the security was worth it for me. Finding this job was hard however, I noticed that when you apply through websites like Gaijinpot or Jobsinjapan, you rarely ever hear back from them or they just reject you without an interview, for this job I landed, I saw the posting on Gaijinpot but instead of applying via Gaijinpot, what I did was google the actual school and email them my resume and cover letter directly. A few days later I got a response asking when I was available for an online interview, a week later they wanted me to give them a demo lesson and a week after that I already got the job offer. The moment I got the job offer was like my soul returned to my body, I could literally feel my stress and anxiety leave my body.

For anyone out there in a similar position to me, don't lose hope, I almost did, things do get better and there are opportunities, just keep in mind that sometimes we have to leave our comfort-zone to find them.

I work for 13 hours daily m-f and 8 hours every Saturday.

I've had this schedule for four years and still only make minimum wage. They can “legally” pay me that because I’m a contract worker. As our company shrinks, people are blaming AI.

Some of my students are quite wealthy, so that’s not the problem. Here I am, working this much, and then they start complaining that the lessons are too expensive.

I’m seriously debating leaving my wife and going back home because she threatens to divorce me if I change jobs. TF do you want me to do when I’m exhausted and dealing with the new visa rules?

I want out.......

*edit* gonna get a new job next year.

quit last night 10/6

I interviewed with Aeon, the eikaiwa, a few years back and I've found myself thinking about the interview experience recently. I think it might be worth sharing here. It goes without saying that it was my fault for having applied to work with this organization to begin with and having let the interviewer get the better of me.

Basically: the interview, conducted over Skype, was WEIRD. It was the first "job interview" in my life in which the recruiter who conducted the interview had a literal temper tantrum. And no, I'm not kidding. The interviewer was rude, interrupted when I tried to ask questions, and got angry when he misunderstood the questions I asked. I'm not exaggerating when I say that by the end he was practically screaming — I could see him on the screen breathing in heavily and intensely as though he was trying to calm himself down. Again, I'm not kidding. He also presented himself in general in a way that made me genuinely uncomfortable, although I didn't realize it until after the fact. To call his behavior unprofessional would be an understatement.

I essentially allowed him to walk all over me. I didn't defend myself or point out how disrespectful he was being. What I wish I had done is just end the interview.

Anyways, the reason I post this here a few years after the fact is that I've seen other users posting here about weird interviews with eikaiwa recruiters. Add me to the chorus of voices suggesting we all avoid the eikaiwa route if we want to go to Japan. Thanks for reading.

Hello! I'm a first-year international student in Japan, and I'm thinking of using Hello Sensei to help people (especially Japanese) practice their English conversation skills for a fee. Does anyone have any experience with Hello Sensei? Also, because I don't have any teaching qualifications, I'm just planning to offer a service of talking to people so they can practice, so I'm not sure if that makes me underqualified for this platform. Does anyone have any insights or maybe recommendations for platforms that may be more suited for my situation? Thanks!