Comments by "" (@earlysda) on "What Teaching English in Japan is REALLY like" video.

  1.  @mztokyo7630  mz, That used to be the case. However, starting around 2015, the rules changed so you had to show 3 most recent consecutive years of over 3,000,000 jpy income each year. Then in 2019 they added the rule that you have to show most recent 2 years of National health and pension payments. Then later, they extended the income rule to 5 years. . Japan does not want foreigners to stay permanently.
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  2. bambino, agreed 100%. Children are great to teach - IF they aren't being forced strongly against their will to learn English.
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  3. Kansai, thanks for your long post explaining things. I've lived in Kansai for nearly 3 decades, and what you write sounds similar to what I've discovered. With the current usd/jpy rate tho, 100,000jpy is only around 700usd. The average salary in Japan now is about half what it is in America. However, there are many ways to save, as you don't need a car if you live in a city, you can get cheap apts under 40,000jpy/month, etc. . My big problem is that the Japanese govt. is getting stricter and stricter regarding permanent visas, so unless one gets hired by a big company (or university), or else marries a Japanese, the prospects of obtaining a PR visa are slim.
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  4.  @ethanpope410  ethan, that's great that you are considering coming to Japan to teach English. You will need a 4-year degree to get a visa. Be prepared to understand that most English teaching jobs in Japan pay roughly 20 - 24K (usd) per year.
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  5.  @Giminy  Thank you for that explanation.
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  6. Asking all English teachers in Japan. Having lived here nearly 3 decades, it seems that the number of adults who want to learn English is decreasing. Of course the number of children is decreasing too, reducing that pool of potential students also. . I would like to know if it is because I'm getting older and not out and about as much to make new contacts, or if this is a country-wide phenomenon.
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  7.  @Giminy  Giminy, I have heard it is impossible to hold both US and Japanese passports. Specifically, I've been told Japan does not allow that. . Is this something you got a long time ago, or recently, or can you possibly give more information?
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  8.  @BreezyE-d3n  Thanks for the info. My over 80s are dying off...
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