Teaching English in Japan

by Mark Edwards

In the autumn of 2001 I found myself at a loose end. I was thirty, with no proper job, no property, no kids and not even any pets. Like Nelly Furtado, I was like a bird, free to fly to away, to roam the world and have adventures - to do all the things I couldn't do in Tunbridge Wells. My girlfriend was in the same position, and after spotting an ad in The Guardian offering teaching jobs in Japan, we decided to fly away together.

Japan. Land of miniature gadgets and people dropping live scorpions down their trousers in the name of light entertainment. The country that brought us sushi, karaoke and the mythical schoolgirls' knickers vending machines. For a long time, I had been fascinated by and drawn to anything Japanese, from Haruki Murakami to Pikachu. I pictured Japan as a vibrant mix of skyscraping energy and Buddhist calm. The moment the idea was in my head, I had to go. I was going to live in one of the most exciting countries in the world - and all I needed to take with me was my mother tongue. English was my passport.

Because English is big business in Japan, and for anyone who wants to spend time living abroad, earning decent money and having a great time, this is a blessing. Conversation schools are nearly as prevalent as pachinko parlors, and thousands of people spend thousands of yen improving their grasp of the international language that we take for granted and mangle daily.

Anybody thinking of working for a private conversation school in Japan - as opposed to applying to work on a JET scheme - can choose between numerous companies: Nova, Geos, Aeon, Shane, Gaba, Saxoncourt and Berlitz to name a few. Nova is the biggest of these companies, with nearly 600 schools across Japan. In fact, with its bright blue and yellow sign, there seems to be a Nova outside every station in Tokyo. (Nova schools are always located beside train stations; it's company policy, so that students can pop in for a lesson on the way home from the office or on their way into town.) Geos is huge too, with 550 schools.

teaching in Japan next, this article is long but juicy.

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