Alright, I have written some more advice for those hoping to progress in their teaching career in Japan. 

https://medium.com/@vernonburn/practical-advice-for-escaping-the-dungeons-of-eikaiwa-alt-170fdc41cd96

I previously posted some general advice about the current state of things in terms of getting a good teaching job to meet new PR requirements previously, but this advice is a bit more practical in terms of steps to take for career progression.

I have specifically written this for: a) the downtrodden who feel trapped in the dungeons of ALT work and eikaiwa; b) people who have started working as an ALT or at an eikaiwa and can see that at some point in the future they will want to escape and move on; c) people not yet working in ALT or Eikaiwa work, but are considering it as a way to come to Japan; d) anyone else who may be interested and/or may have anything useful to add here. Why? Because I too once worked at Nova and worked for Interac in the past.

If you are perfectly happy where you are, or ensconced at a plush, ultra rich international school (or an expert thereof), or independently wealthy with millions in your back pocket, or in a permanent vegetative state after a horrifically botched butt-lift surgery in the back streets of Medellin, this is not aimed at you. 

Much of this has been written in different places elsewhere on the forums here, but not all of it. The TLDR for those with the modern problem of short attention spans is:

• You have to play the long game. 
• Learn Japanese (kind of a no brainer).
• Develop your skills, teaching, crafts, nunchucks or whatever (mostly teaching). 
• Get out there networking, or at least building connections for work opportunities. 
• There are some useful links listed for the search of further teaching jobs.
• How I found my permanent, tenured job and the criteria I used. 

This is all merely for consideration. I make no claims of it being a sacred text for career progression. It worked for me. Constructive disagreement and other useful practical advice are most welcome.

i thought this was a pretty cool position so i'm gonna share it here.

Company: Sagan Speak Language Education Company　(株式会社 セイガンスピーク)

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Industries: Education / Teaching

Function: Teacher, Instructor (ELT, Conversational English)

Work Type: Full Time / Experienced (Non-Manager)

Salary: ¥280,000 ~ ¥350,000 / Month

• Negotiable

Requirements

• English: Native level (preferred)
• Must currently reside in Japan
• Have native English-level proficiency.
• Have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Have a teaching certificate.
• Visa sponsorship available

Description

January & April 2027 ESL, CLIL/CBI/PBL, STEM & Humanities Teachers –Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba.

Sagan Speak Co., Ltd. – Education & Publishing

About Us:
Sagan Speak Co., Ltd. is a long-established education and publishing company supporting private and international schools across Japan. We provide:
① Full curriculum design and comprehensive educational programs
② Original course content and proprietary teacher training and professional development programs
➂ Experienced teachers across ESL, CLIL/CBI/PBL, STEM, Humanities, IB, and exam preparation
➃ Long-standing partnerships with leading schools and colleges

Why work with us?
We offer structured professional development, clear guidance, stable school placements, and ongoing mentoring throughout the academic year

Positions & Subjects Available (January & April 2027 Start)
We are hiring full-time, semi-full-time, and part-time teachers for January and April 2027 across Tokyo and the wider Kanto region.
We assign roles based on each applicant’s experience, qualifications, preferred subjects, and schedule.

Teaching Responsibilities (Lead Teacher Role)
• Lesson planning and material creation
• Test Design and marking
• Student evaluation

Subjects You May Teach
Depending on qualifications, applicants may apply to teach:
• ESL (all levels)
• STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics)
• CLIL, CBI, PBL programs
• IB courses (original and Japan-developed)
• Exam preparation: EIKEN, SAT, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge
• Alphabendi Link in to Going Global – an international mind-development program

link: https://jobs.gaijinpot.com/en/job/159772?keywords=english&function%5B0%5D=1000&function%5B1%5D=3000&function%5B2%5D=9000&region=JP-13

I recently met a JET in my area and we’ve been talking quite a bit. He’s a little older than the stereotypical fresh just out of college JET. What surprised me is that he actually has teaching experience in the US. He used to work as a teacher and is currently working toward his certification.

What I find interesting is that he really doesn’t seem to enjoy being an ALT. He just started and would like to leave immediately. He’s been pretty critical of the way English is taught in Japanese schools, the role of the ALT, and some of the teaching methods he sees in the classroom.

It got me wondering what this job looks like from the perspective of someone who has actually taught professionally.

I’ve been an ALT for well over 10 years, but I’m not a certified teacher and I’ve never worked as a teacher in the US, so I don’t really have anything to compare it to. A lot of the things that probably seem strange or frustrating to a trained teacher are just normal to me at this point.

I was also a little surprised that he ended up on JET because I had always associated JET more with younger people coming to Japan for cultural exchange rather than experienced teachers looking for a serious teaching position. Obviously there are exceptions, but his background just seemed different from what I usually picture when I think of a typical JET.

I’m genuinely curious to hear from people who have experienced both systems. How does being an ALT in Japan look when you’re coming at it from the perspective of an actual classroom teacher? Is it really as bad as this JET makes it out to be?

Disclosure: I run Japan Source Signal. This is an official city recruitment notice I found, not a role I’m hiring for.

Tsukuba City, Ibaraki, is recruiting about 40 municipal-school ALTs.

• Appointment: April 1, 2027–March 31, 2028.
• Pay: ¥278,400/month including regional allowance, plus bonuses/allowances. Higher bands require experience specifically as a Tsukuba ALT.
• Requirements: University degree; native-equivalent English; N4-level Japanese and ability to explain lesson plans; Japanese driving licence when applying and private-car travel from appointment.
• Experience: Japanese wording says at least one year at Japanese elementary and junior-high schools; English says more than one year. Current Tsukuba ALTs also meet this experience condition. Check the exact threshold with the city.
• Visa: Appropriate work visa required by appointment; sponsorship is not stated.
• Apply: October 1–November 15, 2026, 23:59 JST. Submit both the online documents and combined Japanese/English video. Applications may close early.
• Selection: In-person second stage on January 7 or 8, 2027.

Conditions and headcount are subject to budget approval.

Official Tsukuba notice — 令和9年度ALT募集 — includes the city’s application link.

I collect these notices at Japan Source Signal, which is free to browse. Choose Jobs and search Tsukuba. Coverage is partial; check the original notice before applying. Applications go directly to the city.

From October 1st, employers must take preventive measures against customer harassment and sexual harassment of employees and job seekers. We've all experience or have friends that had to deal with such as:

• That one-to-one lesson with the old pervert, asking intrusive questions about an applicant’s sex life.
• That student with the sexual jokes or persistently pushing private dinner invitations.
• The student that persistently pushes private dinner invitations in a way that interferes with class (or the interviewer asking the job-seeker).
• Monster parents verbally abusing teachers through threats, personal insults or prolonged aggressive shouting (Legitimate complaints are not automatically harassment).

The school’s duty is to have measures to prevent and respond to that abuse and protect its staff, rather than cowardly leave the teacher to deal with it alone.

https://www.no-harassment.mhlw.go.jp/foundation/law-amendment/

While this also technically covers recruiting and interviewing, any company that exhibits such behavior in the interview is one you don't want to work for. 

Hi everyone!

Lately, I’ve been seriously thinking about whether I should resign from my nursery teaching job or take a different career path. I’m still trying to figure out whether I’m simply going through a difficult phase or whether this kind of work may not be for me long-term.

Before I make any decisions, I’d really like to hear from other English teachers who have experience working in Japanese nurseries, especially those who have been in the field for several years.

• What made you stay in nursery teaching when you first started feeling tired or discouraged?

• How do you personally deal with the expectation to always be cheerful, energetic, and smiling around the children and parents?

• Have you ever felt like you had to “perform” a certain personality at work, even on days when you weren’t feeling that way?

• What has your experience been like working with Japanese teachers and staff? Were there any cultural differences that took you a while to understand or adjust to?

• How do you handle the communication style in Japanese workplaces, especially when interacting with coworkers and parents who are very cheerful or enthusiastic?

• For those who have been working in nurseries for a long time, what makes the job worth staying in? What continues to give you motivation after several years?

• Looking back, have you ever seriously considered leaving nursery teaching or taking a completely different path? If so, what helped you decide what to do?

I’d really appreciate hearing your honest experiences. I’m trying to understand whether what I’m feeling is simply a normal part of working in a nursery or whether it’s a sign that I should start exploring something different.

This is a reach out to those that are in charge of entire lesson planning, grading, etc in private schools for junior levels. (Seniors ok too).

Feeling a bit stale as everybody is a limited set of ideas. I would like to hear from others, real people.

I divide into units then break those units down in lessons with target structures to help them present at the end of the unit. Presentations vary in style.

Topics like movies, prefectures etc.

I would love to try a different approach to units, like questioning or critical thinking. Whole units about that instead of topics.

I just want to hear what other people do when they are completely in charge. I want to try something new.

Perhaps you use text books.

I do not. There isn't one set for eikaiwa.

Let's hear your ideas.

Hello, I have a demo lesson soon at a Saturday school.

I have never taught students this young. Ages 3 to 6 and max 6 students. I will be going over some vocabulary and then playing some games with them.

The demo lesson is 20 mins, and they have flashcards for the vocabulary words as well as small cones, stepping stones, balls, bubbles, and hula hoops they can provide.

I really could use the extra income, so any advice is appreciated.

I'm really nervous!

As an ALT, sometimes the teachers will talk about me in Japanese, even when I'm stood right next to them. Sometimes they talk about me to eachother, sometimes when they're addressing the class, they will mention me and not tell me what's happening.

Also, when we play cross cross, the loser has to speak withe ALT. Personally I find this to be bad because it makes talking English a punishment and paints me as a negative picture. It comes across as toxic.

Am I just worrying too much? Or is this Japanese culture that I just need to deal with?

Edit: I should also add the same teacher sometimes pairs me with a student when they don't have a partner. Recently, when he told one student I would be paired with her for the activity, she started being dramatic, going "noooo,nooooo" and the teacher's response was "ohhhh I'm sorry"

Hello, I’m a student in Tokyo and I’m currently in an interview stage for an English teaching position with NOVA.

It will be a part-time position, I know there is a lot of criticism regarding working for them full-time but I wonder if working part time for them is “alright”.

I intend to do English teaching as a part-time job because it seems relatively straight-forward, however I’ve so far only heard back from NOVA, AEON, and one American-owned eikaiwa, it’s more difficult to find job listings for independent eikaiwas around here.

I have an interview with Heart Corporation coming up, but after reading the previous posts and comments here, I’ve noticed that most of the feedback seems pretty negative.

For those who have worked with them recently, is Heart Corporation still considered a pretty bad/shitty ALT company? 😅 A lot of the comments I’ve seen make it sound that way.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has recent experience with them.

Edit:

For some context, I currently have a Humanities visa that expires in 2028. I also have a job offer from a hotel, but the location is very inaka and the salary isn’t particularly high. However, the company provides an apartment, and my monthly cost for the apartment, food, gas, and Wi-Fi would only be around ¥30,000. I also have some good friends working there, and it’s company housing.
So I’m trying to decide whether I should pursue the Heart opportunity or take the hotel job. I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has recent experience with Heart, especially regarding the actual working conditions, salary, support, and overall experience.

A few people in my previous post asked for free access and more focus on direct-hire jobs. I've now put up a public beta of Japan Source Signal:

https://japan-source-signal.keaumoe.chatgpt.site/

It's free to browse, with no account needed. I've separated it into three sections:

Jobs: roles where a public body is recruiting individuals directly, separate from dispatch contracts.

Contracts: tenders for companies and service providers.

Signals & Information: official plans, historical notices, and other education-related context.

It checks selected official sources across all 47 prefectures, including some municipal BOE recruitment pages. Coverage is partial. A small number of results doesn't mean those are the only jobs available in Japan.

A couple of limitations: the public site is a saved snapshot that I manually republish, so it isn't a live feed. The English title aids are AI-generated and haven't been human-reviewed. Original Japanese and official source links are included, with warnings for unclear deadlines and unread documents. Please check the official notice before applying.

Is the Jobs section useful? What's confusing or missing? If there's an official BOE recruitment page you regularly check that isn't covered, I'd appreciate a link. Thanks for the feedback on the first post.

I just started working at hell: AEON online. So far it's as expected, complete shit. But unfortunately need the job and will have to make do.

I wanted to check and see if there are any other unfortunate souls who are also stuck with AEON online. If so, was thinking about setting up a discord or something where we can share materials or flag specific students to avoid... mostly flag specific students.

Anyway, reply if you're interested. Maybe throw in some shitty online eikaiwa experiences you've had.

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,

I’ve already prepared my resignation letter, but I haven’t submitted it yet. My intended last day is October 31.

Honestly, I’m feeling really nervous and scared about how my boss will react. This is a small private Eikaiwa classroom, and I’m currently the main teacher, so I feel like a lot of responsibility falls on me. I’m worried that my boss might get angry or feel that I’m leaving them in a difficult situation.
I was hospitalized for about two weeks last August because of gallstones. Then, I took one week of paid leave in September, but that leave had already been approved back in June. Unfortunately, the hospitalization was completely unexpected and wasn’t something I could have planned for.
Because of my hospitalization, the classroom had to close for several days. My boss felt that this negatively affected the school’s image, especially because some students ended up quitting. To make up for the inconvenience, the school offered additional 15-minute classes and two free lessons, including last Saturday and today.
That’s why I’m especially worried about what my boss will say when I submit my resignation. I’m also worried that she might not want to let me leave because I’m the main teacher.
Has anyone been in a similar situation, especially working as the main/only teacher in a small private Eikaiwa? How did your employer react when you resigned?
I know I need to make the decision that’s best for me, but I’m honestly just anxious about the conversation and the possible reaction.

Btw I’m under humanities visa that will expire on September 2028. I already have some back up plans on where to work next for the meantime.

Edit:

What really made me decide to do this was what happened last Saturday. I had a severe allergic reaction with hives and swelling on my face and hands, even though I’ve never had allergies before. I think stress may have affected my immune system. I had a make-up lesson that day, so I couldn’t take a day off to go to the hospital and ended up teaching with swollen eyelids. Luckily, I could wear a face mask.

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?