Working on a tourist via in Japan

Irishguy16

I was recently thinking about teaching in Japan. I must finish my contract here in China first and then I can get going. I have all of the right qualifications, degree, TEFL, and teaching experience.

Is this common? Do English teachers usually teach on a tourist visa, and do they get away with it?

If i'm not mistaken, I can get a 6 month visa on arrival

I know a lot of teachers doing this in China, and for the most part they get away with it.

Also, what is the job market like in Japan right now?

shindig-jp

Irishguy16 wrote: »

I was recently thinking about teaching in Japan. I must finish my contract here in China first and then I can get going. I have all of the right qualifications, degree, TEFL, and teaching experience.
Is this common? Do English teachers usually teach on a tourist visa, and do they get away with it?

No

If i'm not mistaken, I can get a 6 month visa on arrival

3 months waiver

I know a lot of teachers doing this in China, and for the most part they get away with it.

thats great

Also, what is the job market like in Japan right now?

The recruiting season for April starts end of Feb and for September starts end of July .

Konata

Yea, it's a definite no go. The tourist visa is 90 days and no legitimate teaching position will hire a foreigner on a tourist visa anyway.

Your options are:

1. Apply for a programme like JET. If you get accepted you'll be eligible for a working visa and will have a job in Japan.
2. Apply independently for teaching positions. You won't find many outside of the recruiting season mentioned above though. If a school hires you, again you can then get a working visa.
3. Apply for a Working Holiday Visa (if you're Irish, under 30 and haven't had one before). This lasts a year and lets you go over to Japan without having a job already sorted. You can then apply to work at English conversation cafés and the like who take on employees throughout the year. You can also try and get private students to get more money.

As for the job market, well there's always a need for English teachers. However, imo the market is fairly saturated already. The JET programme is very popular and can be difficult to get on to even with all the right "qualifications". As for private students - tbh, it seems a lot easier to get them if you're woman. I just spent a year in Japan studying but some of my friends did private conversation exchanges etc. on the side. Girls had no problem getting (male) students whereas the boys seemed to have a bit less luck. In fact, my boyfriend was there on a WHV and didn't get a single contact about teaching despite being a teacher himself, having a degree in English, charging next to nothing, living in Central Tokyo and willing to travel anywhere and setting himself up on several websites... If you look at those sites though you'll see there's already hundreds of foreigners offering lessons so I guess the Japanese have plenty to choose from. Just be aware that getting private students is definitely no guarantee of an income.

osarusan

Irishguy16 wrote: »

Also, what is the job market like in Japan right now?

There are language schools which hire year round, but I'm not sure of their hiring policies.

Look at the websites for companies like Berlitz, Shane, Nova, Aeon.

You could use them to get into the country on a working visa, and either stay with them if you liked the job, or be able to get a different job with other schools.

You won't get away with that in Japan, sunshine. You have to do things legally because employers and authorities here are VERY thorough about checking these things.
Apply for a company, get them to sponsor your visa, and get in like every other person here. Honestly, it's not that hard.
And I DO NOT RECOMMEND BERLITZ. Absolute joke of a company.