TEFL Job
in Japan

Details

• Salary: 250,000 Yen ($2600*) per month.
• Accommodation: Full support and assistance given to find an apartment. A flat is 40,000 – 80,000 Yen per month
• Arrival: This varies from city to city but in the vast majority of cases you will be met at the airport when you arrive. When this service cannot be provided you will be given clear instructions telling you how to get from the airport to the hotel where the training will be held.
• Locations: Mainly Fukoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Hamamtsu, Yokohama, Chiba City, Hitachi and Tokyo (not central Tokyo).
• Contract length: August 7 months, September 6 months, October 5 months, November 4 months, January 2 months.
  Due to visa regulations, US and Canadian applicants can only apply for positions in the main intake months of March and August.
• Student age range: 6 - 18 years old
• Japanese lessons: Free Japanese lessons provided for all teachers
• Cost of living: Approximately 70,000 Yen ($730*) per month

*Currency conversion accurate at time of publication.

Requirements

i-to-i's Overseas Partner requires that all candidates meet the following criteria:

• Native English speaker.
• 12 years of education in an English speaking institution.
• TEFL qualification (100-hour or 120-hour TEFL course recommended).
• University degree holder.
• Minimum age requirement 21 years of age.

Teaching and Employment

• What age and level of students will I be teaching? You will be teaching students between 6 and 18 years old.
• How many students will there be in each class? There will be 30 to 40 students per class
• How long are the classes? Most classes are 45 minutes long
• Are there any teaching resources? There will be plenty of resources available to you.
• Will I be teaching alone or team teaching? You will be team-teaching with the Japanese English teacher.
• What kind of school will I be teaching in? Teaching is in state schools. You are also welcome to undertake your own private lessons outside schools hours.
• How much will I be paid? You will be paid a monthly salary of 250,000 Yen ($2600*) per month, before withholding taxes which average 10%. The monthly salary includes an attendance bonus component which is paid in full each month if all professional responsibilities are executed. There are a number of positions that pay between 250-260,000 Yen per month. These special positions are dependant upon certain specific criteria such as your Japanese ability, teaching experience and willingness to accept an isolated assignment.
• Do I receive a bonus or flight re-imbursement? Bonuses vary with positions.
• How many days holiday will I receive per year? You are entitled to school holidays and public holidays of which there are 19 days throughout the year.
• When will my teaching position begin? Exact start dates will be provided later on in the application process. Teaching placements start approximately five to ten days after arrival, once candidates have undertaken the training and orientation programme. Applicants that wish to start at the beginning of September should travel to Japan by mid to late August for training. Applicants that travel after August are alternates (ALTs) and will cover positions, so the exact date that you will start teaching will depend on when a teaching position is available. In this situation, the contract will start after the training, even if there isn't an immediate teaching position, so the salary is guaranteed. You may be required to do some admin tasks in the branch office you are assigned to until a position comes up.
• What are my working hours? Working hours are Monday to Friday and between 8am and 5pm.
• Can I renew my contract? Your contract can be extended; you would need to discuss this with the agent.
• What happens if I need to break my contract? As the work visa has been applied for by the school, to break the contract would directly cause your stay to be illegal. You would lose your bonus and any other related payments.
• What will my accommodation be like? You will be given full support in finding your own apartment, often teachers take on departing teachers’ apartments.
• Can I be placed with somebody else? While one time is was possible to be placed with a friend or partner, it is now highly unlikely that you will be placed in the same area or school if applying with a friend. If you still wish to go ahead and apply with a friend / partner it is best to apply in March or September (the two main intakes). No requests can be guaranteed.
• What is the application process? Once you have completed the application form, our partners will contact you for a telephone interview. If successful, you will be invited to attend a seminar where you will be required to complete certain tasks and attend an interview. You will be required to present a demonstration lesson as part of the interview process. More information about the demonstration lesson will be made available at the time of the interview confirmation. All information will then be forwarded to our partners in Japan and a final decision is made. On acceptance, our partners will apply for your Certificate of Eligibility. Once you have received this, you should convert this to a Working Visa at your local Japanese Embassy. This process can take one month to two months depending on the country of residence.
• When should I book my flights? It is your responsibility to book and pay for your flights, and to arrive in good time for your flight. We advise you refrain from booking your flights until you have signed your teaching contract.
• Who is my contract with? The contract you sign will be with the language school or institute that you will be teaching at, not with i-to-i or with our overseas partner.
• What visa do I need? Our in-country partner will advise on the visa process and requirements for this. It is important that you meet all the requirements outlined for the placement as some or all of these may be essential requirements to get the correct working visa.

*Currency conversion accurate at time of publication.

Recommended TEFL Training

While you can find a teaching job with basic TEFL skills, our in-country partners recommend our top-level courses in order to find you the best job abroad!

• 100-hour Online TEFL Course
• 120-hour Weekend TEFL Course

A top level course will increase your prospects, as you’ll qualify for more specialised and challenging TEFL jobs with higher salaries.

Please note: The job placement service does not guarantee that an applicant will be offered a position. A job offer will be made providing you meet the initial requirements, successfully pass any interview process and that a suitable position is matched to your profile.

i-to-i UK Limited is acting as an employment agency for the purposes of the job placement service.