Support NeoGAF

[Aizo]

Are any of you in Chugoku? I've been in Shimane for the past couple weeks, and I've been searching for work in the region. I've looked for jobs with JET, Interac, Nova, Aeon, and PKC, but most of those won't offer work to anyone on a tourist visa.

I'm aware that it is hard to find a job that will take the risk of hiring someone on a tourist visa, but I'm just looking for anything (preferably foreigner-run eikaiwa) that will sponsor my work visa in Yamaguchi, Shimane, Tottori, Hiroshima, Okayama, Hyogo, Kyoto, or Osaka. I suppose that I'd be willing to look into jobs in Shikoku, too. If anyone has a connection, please let me know.

 

[Raide]

Are any of you in Chugoku? I've been in Shimane for the past couple weeks, and I've been searching for work in the region. I've looked for jobs with JET, Interac, Nova, Aeon, and PKC, but most of those won't offer work to anyone on a tourist visa.

I'm aware that it is hard to find a job that will take the risk of hiring someone on a tourist visa, but I'm just looking for anything (preferably foreigner-run eikaiwa) that will sponsor my work visa in Yamaguchi, Shimane, Tottori, Hiroshima, Okayama, Hyogo, Kyoto, or Osaka. I suppose that I'd be willing to look into jobs in Shikoku, too. If anyone has a connection, please let me know.

The majority won't go near Tourist visa's unless you have a good few years teaching backing you up. The smaller schools are probably your best bet if you can manage to contact them and get an interview to convince them you're worth all the paperwork for processing a visa.

 

[Porcile]

Just about to finish up my Interac application. Do I have to upload the photo alongside the initial application form, or is uploading the photo and other documents something which comes later after I've submitted my application?

 

[Valkerionseven]

Just about to finish up my Interac application. Do I have to upload the photo alongside the initial application form, or is uploading the photo and other documents something which comes later after I've submitted my application?

Wondered that too, no clue. Might need to call them and ask.

Though I had weird trouble getting in contact with them again myself :/

 

[Porcile]

Wondered that too, no clue. Might need to call them and ask.

Though I had weird trouble getting in contact with them again myself :/

Yep, I ended up phoning them. Got through to their main desk, they put me hold for a couple minutes and said there wasn't anyone available and to leave a message. I left a message with my phone number but didn't get a call back, so I sent an email instead. I haven't heard back yet. I've been sitting on this application for ages now, so rather than wait I just decided to send through the written part anyway. I can't see it being a huge deal, since you can upload documents anytime. Hopefully I'll hear back about my application within the next two weeks or so.

 

[Valkerionseven]

Yep, I ended up phoning them. Got through to their main desk, they put me hold for a couple minutes and said there wasn't anyone available and to leave a message. I left a message with my phone number but didn't get a call back, so I sent an email instead. I haven't heard back yet. I've been sitting on this application for ages now, so rather than wait I just decided to send through the written part anyway. I can't see it being a huge deal, since you can upload documents anytime. Hopefully I'll hear back about my application within the next two weeks or so.

Similar situation here. I filled out the application aside from a few spots since I was not sure if I wanted to send it in, a few days later they called me, told me to finish it and gave me a spot in the group interview or w/e. Finished filling it out cause why not, never got anymore information or anything even emailed and called lol. Funny thing is the email they contacted me from initially did not exist anymore :/ Don't know if they switched, hired someone new or what but all is pretty lame.

Maybe they are just super busy lately.

Been mulling over retrying with them or just moving on and planning to re-apply to jet, which I will probably do either way.

 

[Porcile]

Similar situation here. I filled out the application aside from a few spots since I was not sure if I wanted to send it in, a few days later they called me, told me to finish it and gave me a spot in the group interview or w/e. Finished filling it out cause why not, never got anymore information or anything even emailed and called lol. Funny thing is the email they contacted me from initially did not exist anymore :/ Don't know if they switched, hired someone new or what but all is pretty lame.

Maybe they are just super busy lately.

Been mulling over retrying with them or just moving on and planning to re-apply to jet, which I will probably do either way.

I just dont have the energy to apply for JET again. Not sure what i'll do if Interac doesn't pan out. Although, I've only heard good things recently about them in regards to their professionalism. I figured if I apply now I'll miss the late 2015 intake and get in reasonably early for Spring 2016 intake. On the other hand, it's still summer holiday season so they are possibly understaffed. I don't think there's anything to panic about...yet - haha.

 

[Valkerionseven]

Welp, JET called about 2 hours ago and offered me an upgrade. That happened lol.

Harsh reality has not set in, more happy to finally have a job than to go to another country in all honesty haha. But yeah a bit excited and overwhelmed at the thought to do this now that I mentally moved on months ago. Have no money, a bunch of paperwork to fill out, and no idea where I'm going. Hopefully no driving cause all I got is a motorcycle license (which I told them) but... -shrug-

 

[morch]

I just dont have the energy to apply for JET again. Not sure what i'll do if Interac doesn't pan out. Although, I've only heard good things recently about them in regards to their professionalism. I figured if I apply now I'll miss the late 2015 intake and get in reasonably early for Spring 2016 intake. On the other hand, it's still summer holiday season so they are possibly understaffed. I don't think there's anything to panic about...yet - haha.

On a tangent, yeah jet was such a long waiting game and exercising patience with tedious paperwork and juggling time off work to get references. I don't know how people apply more than one year in a row. So I got a safe legit job in China via a Skype interview

 

[littletran22]

Welp, JET called about 2 hours ago and offered me an upgrade. That happened lol.

Harsh reality has not set in, more happy to finally have a job than to go to another country in all honesty haha. But yeah a bit excited and overwhelmed at the thought to do this now that I mentally moved on months ago. Have no money, a bunch of paperwork to fill out, and no idea where I'm going. Hopefully no driving cause all I got is a motorcycle license (which I told them) but... -shrug-

Wow...I just read all of your posts up til now congratulations!

 

[shanshan310]

can't believe a year's passed already. huh

Are you continuing on with Jet Jint?


I'm just sitting here checking the embassy site everyday waiting for the Australian JET 2016 applications to open ><

 

[Jintor]

just for the next year, but i'll be going home next year. &#22823;&#22793;&#12391;&#12377;&#12424;~

 

[littletran22]

Are you continuing on with Jet Jint?


I'm just sitting here checking the embassy site everyday waiting for the Australian JET 2016 applications to open ><

Oh you're from Australia huh

I'm also from Australia preparing for the next application, guess we're competing.

Good luck to both of us though!

 

[Jintor]

you'll be fine for places. it's the yanks that need to worry - but they get a lot of places in compensation i guess!

 

[Porcile]

UK also has it tough *grumble*...

Do many JET's stay in Japan after their placement is up? It seems like most return home even if they are enjoying it. Not it matters to me, as I probably wont be applying but curious as to why many choose to not stay on for longer in Japan. I take it your visa, and JET's stipulations wouldn't allow you to spend time looking for another job?

 

[BigDes]

Moving to Shenzhen in a few.....whenever my Visa gets here, to teach at an international school.

Anyone else in the area?

 

[Jintor]

You can't technically but like that's gonna stop you lol. My friend was working a weekend job for an entire year before he finished and he managed to secure another private job afterwards. (He does intend to stay + marry here though so that probably helped with the impetus).

if I had to guess it's because probably not a lot of JETs come here with the aim of staying on afterwards, and for those that do, they probably decide against it after experiencing the reality of actually living here (at least compared to home country/places where you are more likely fluent).

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

UK also has it tough *grumble*...

Do many JET's stay in Japan after their placement is up? It seems like most return home even if they are enjoying it. Not it matters to me, as I probably wont be applying but curious as to why many choose to not stay on for longer in Japan. I take it your visa, and JET's stipulations wouldn't allow you to spend time looking for another job?

Jobs aren't necessarily easy to come by after JET. If you want to continue teaching after JET, the other companies in the same line with whom you can apply actually offer less pay and your salary doesn't tend to rise regardless of how long you stay. The entire job is set up to dissuade people from continuing it as a career.

Which is probably fine, as most of the people, at least in my prefecture, hardly treat the job of teaching with any real ambition or respect. Outside of ALT jobs, if you were intending to stay in Japan I don't know what you'd do really. I live in a rural place with a population of some 50,000 and there are a few former JETs who still live here but the continuing employment opportunities are so scarce that they ended up just getting married to locals and becoming rice farmers.

As for your last question: as a JET you're generally disallowed from seeking outside employment during the duration of your contract, but this is different for companies like INTERAC who do allow you such freedom. Also, the length of your visa isn't exactly tied to the contract with your employer. I would have a valid instructor visa for three years even if i had quit my job with JET within the first year of that period. After the termination of your contract you are also permitted a six month period (I believe. It may be longer, not shorter) to leave the country during which you may pursue continued employment/endorsement of your visa.

 

[Porcile]

I ask because it's quite hard to find realistic daily life videos, blogs and information about being a teacher in Asia, and everything that comes with that. Stuff which I imagine would form the backbone of anyone's anxieties like looking for employment, visas, stress, language barrier, homesickness etc is usually never really talked about in any great length. The Japan video blogging scene on Youtube is so overwhelmingly positive about their experiences, as if none of them suffer from any of these anxieties, that I find it hard to not think of them as basically being recruiters. Most, if not all them, without really realising it.

 

[Jintor]

The negative experiences are all on ITIL forums lol

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

Living here sucks, ask me anything you want.

 

[Porcile]

Living here sucks, ask me anything you want.

Why does it suck? haha

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

On a tablet right now, so briefly: I live on a island of 50,000 grandpas and children (everyone between leaves for the mainland when they hit 18) that's a three hour boatride from the nearest city, with the last boat setting sail at 7pm, so I don't get to travel ever. You have to drive to live or work here and car upkeep costs a ton that I'm not reimbursed for, all of us ALTs on the island had to take at least 6 days of our yearly 20 days of vacation time to travel to the mainland for driving lessons and testing for our driving licenses, with the aforementioned restrictive boat times meaning we had to stay at a hotel for every visit, which all adds up to about $1000 in costs (considering you pass on the first try) in addition to those lost vacation days, so I'm broke and I just sat around the apartment all my free time during summer vacation (which I had to work anyway). The supervisor at the BoE never answers our e-mails, the other English teachers on the island are dead boring, all the Japanese teachers hate being here and are counting the days for their contracts to be up so they get transferred, and that is reflected in their performances, I feel. Many of my kids are violent. A third grade elementary school student punched me in the dick on Friday.

On the plus side, my students like me and I like teaching, so most of the actual working is fine (aside from the violence), and none of my Japanese coworkers have the slightest interest in English so I have complete freedom over the lessons and really feel like I'm accomplishing something.

 

[Banjotanooki]

On a tablet right now, so briefly: I live on a island of 50,000 grandpas and children (everyone between leaves for the mainland when they hit 18) that's a three hour boatride from the nearest city, with the last boat setting sail at 7pm, so I don't get to travel ever. You have to drive to live or work here and car upkeep costs a ton that I'm not reimbursed for, all of us ALTs on the island had to take at least 6 days of our yearly 20 days of vacation time to travel to the mainland for driving lessons and testing for our driving licenses, with the aforementioned restrictive boat times meaning we had to stay at a hotel for every visit, which all adds up to about $1000 in costs (considering you pass on the first try) in addition to those lost vacation days, so I'm broke and I just sat around the apartment all my free time during summer vacation (which I had to work anyway). The supervisor at the BoE never answers our e-mails, the other English teachers on the island are dead boring, all the Japanese teachers hate being here and are counting the days for their contracts to be up so they get transferred, and that is reflected in their performances, I feel. Many of my kids are violent. A third grade elementary school student punched me in the dick on Friday.

On the plus side, my students like me and I like teaching, so most of the actual working is fine (aside from the violence), and none of my Japanese coworkers have the slightest interest in English so I have complete freedom over the lessons and really feel like I'm accomplishing something.

You live on Shikoku? lol

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

Nah.

I should say I actually like a few aspects of where I was assigned. It's absolutely gorgeous, for one, and none of these people give a damn about formalities--I majored in Japanese back in college so I will regularly draw a giggle and a "relax" even from my bosses if I sprinkle some keigo/advanced Japanese into my conversation.

There are aspects of my previous post that might seem entitled? I don't know, but in a job purposefully set up to not be a career, in addition to us being in a foreign country and being supposedly ASSISTANT teachers, I feel there should be concessions made here. My base school was closed for a week of summer vacation, just a straight up week off as if it were a national holiday without taking vacation time, while I, as a BoE employee, had to sit around in the BoE office where they didn't even have a desk for me for the entire workdays during that time. I only got to sit at a desk one day when someone else called in. Come the fuck on, man.

 

[Porcile]

I put down in my Interac application that I can't drive and would not be willing to drive/learn how to drive. Not being to get around anywhere by train? Yeah, that sucks pretty bad. I would certainly not even want to live in Japan, or any other country for that matter, if I couldn't use public transport.

Although I have done it. Where I used to live in the UK was single track country roads in both directions about five miles both ways. Closest VILLAGE was a one and a half hour walk from home. Don't know how i'd cope surviving that Japan though.

I've heard a lot of dick punching, dick grabbing and ass fingering stories...

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

I put down in my Interac application that I can't drive and would not be willing to drive/learn how to drive. Not being to get around anywhere by train? Yeah, that sucks pretty bad. I would certainly not even want to live in Japan, or any other country for that matter, if I couldn't use public transport.

Although I have done it. Where I used to live in the UK was single track country roads in both directions about five miles both ways. Closest VILLAGE was a one and a half hour walk from home. Don't know how i'd cope surviving that Japan though.

I've heard a lot of dick punching, dick grabbing and ass fingering stories...

There are two people here on this island who also put down that they'd be unwilling to drive. They live in the center of the island near the BoE and are driven to their workplaces occasionally if a bus (which are very sporadic here) isn't available. One of them has a thing for this island and specifically chose to come here, so she's fine, but I feel the other girl isn't as thrilled by her situation. She's young, into pop culture stuff and likes to travel, but she's at least a 30 minute bus ride from the boat harbor. She only just got here, though. We'll see how it goes!

Anyway, I hope I was able to give you the compelling counterpoint to all of the glowing reviews of the JET Program that you were looking for.

 

[Porcile]

There are two people here on this island who also put down that they'd be unwilling to drive. They live in the center of the island near the BoE and are driven to their workplaces occasionally if a bus (which are very sporadic here) isn't available. One of them has a thing for this island and specifically chose to come here, so she's fine, but I feel the other girl isn't as thrilled by her situation. She's young, into pop culture stuff and likes to travel, but she's at least a 30 minute bus ride from the boat harbor. She only just got here, though. We'll see how it goes!

Sounds like the real life version of the film, Twenty-Four Eyes...

Well, I'm not naive to any potential horror situations which may arise should I get the opportunity to teach in Japan. This is the type of experience you'd never get a Youtube channel or blog about, and what makes me suspicious about that whole scene. Like I say, they're just proxy-recruiters at this point. I'm certainly not oblivious to the fact that a huge amount of any potential enjoyment is going to based on luck of placement. I would say, I'm probably the type of the country-living person who could salvage something from that sort of experience though, or at the very least slog it out for year. Seems like a raw deal if you are used to city/town life though.

 

[Valkerionseven]

I'll definitely give impressions if I end up being able to figure out this paperwork for going lol. IRS needs to be burned to the ground.

But yeah only a few hours after saying yes I'll go, the reality of the situation is slowly setting in haha. Really curious as to why I was upgraded a month after they sent everyone out. Really REALLY hope it's not because the placement is a nightmare and the previous person just freaked out lol. Hope my ship out time is mid October rather than right at the end of September too, told my mom I got accepted but not that I would have to leave in a month so I'm sure that will be a whole thing too...

mind is abuzz right now and can't focus on anything lol.

 

[Jintor]

honestly i'm pretty good off where I am. 10 minute bike ride to my local line station and 30 minutes to the nearest JR, and it's an hour half from there into Osaka, Kyoto or Nagoya; or I could bike 25 minutes to the centre of town and catch a bus without having to worry about changing trains. My local BOE decided not to bring local ALTs to school during the summer vacation so I basically get the month off paid, which I used to go to Tokyo and Sendai.

It's the work situation that's more problematic - I honestly don't feel useful in the slightest, and while the kids are nice enough, if you don't feel like you're doing anything it all just feels a bit shit really. It was better last year when I had a different supervising teacher, but she took ill suddenly and it was all heaped on this really old guy who, while his english is pretty good, is a pretty classic lecture-teacher who doesn't really let me do anything and only assigns my schedules week-by-week (when he remembers) so I spend a lot of time either not doing anything work-related or doing EVERYTHING work related on a Monday.

Oh and I understand more Japanese than I speak, so conversations are very difficult

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

I'll definitely give impressions if I end up being able to figure out this paperwork for going lol. IRS needs to be burned to the ground.

But yeah only a few hours after saying yes I'll go, the reality of the situation is slowly setting in haha. Really curious as to why I was upgraded a month after they sent everyone out. Really REALLY hope it's not because the placement is a nightmare and the previous person just freaked out lol. Hope my ship out time is mid October rather than right at the end of September too, told my mom I got accepted but not that I would have to leave in a month so I'm sure that will be a whole thing too...

mind is abuzz right now and can't focus on anything lol.

I don't think a month is long enough for the "this place is a nightmare" freakout to kick in; I think it would more likely have just been a general "this is too different" freakout. Which could be blamed on the people he/she worked with not being helpful or accommodating, etc., or could be not a reflection of the location at all. Last year we had a single high school teacher drop out the day before they were to fly to Japan and the replacement didn't arrive until mid-September, so it's possible the person you're replacing never even got on the plane.

As for the unwelcoming bit, that also reflects upon my placement. After the orientation, we all took the bullet train to our prefecture's capital city, were told to wear a suit because you'll likely be met by one or more people from your school or BoE and they might want to go do things with you, etc. Pulling up the platform there were a bunch of Japanese people in suits holding up "WELCOME ________" signs and shit, and as I stood around watching all of those people leave, I started getting pretty anxious about this job. Ultimately, I had to stand around on the empty platform for 30 minutes with no way to contact anyone/ask for help when my supervisor eventually showed up. We went straight for the boat to my island and he sat on the complete opposite side of the boat from me. We didn't talk at all. When he finally dropped me off at my apartment (which I had to pay $2000 for up front, since it's not a BoE owned property), I had no clue what to do. I wasn't introduced to any of the other English teachers, not even any grocery stores, etc., so I didn't get to speak to anyone or do anything but stroll around my street for a week. No internet either.

I didn't mind it all too much as it happened because I'm actually quite used to being isolated and doing things on my own, and I didn't appreciate then quite how different my situation was from most ALTs, but most of the things about this placement sound like a huge bummer when you write it down to explain to someone/a potential predecessor.

 

[Banjotanooki]

Jintor and Bubble, we seem pretty alike, lol.

I also feel underused at my school, where I'm pretty much a human voice recorder. I try to get more involved yet my teachers say it's fine and that they'll let me know if I can help.

My city's boring as hell though but I can't complain when I'm only 30 minutes from kyoto and 1 hour from Osaka.

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

Well, I'd like to reiterate that I completely plan and teach all of my elementary classes on my own, as well as a considerable chunk of my junior high classes, because I'm pretty proud of it and that work is probably the only thing keeping me sane.

My island's pretty boring but if it were only slightly easier to leave I think I would be much happier. Like, if the last boat were at 10pm rather than 7pm, for example. If I go to the mainland I have to finish anything I want to do prior to about 6:30pm or I have to find a hotel. It's a huge discouragement. Aside from when I had to go the mainland for prefectural meetings (twice) or driver's license lessons/tests (six days), I only left this island one day during the whole year I've been here...

 

[shanshan310]

Speaking of driving, I'm not sure if anyone is able to answer this but do you need an open licence in your own country to drive in Japan? I'll still be on a provisional licence by the time I apply/leave if I get in. I hope that doesn't mean I need to go to driving school there :/

Oh you're from Australia huh

I'm also from Australia preparing for the next application, guess we're competing.

Good luck to both of us though!

I guess it depends which position you're applying for. I'm hoping to get a CIR job, so I guess maybe this might not be the right thread for me ><
Good luck anyway, might see you over there!

just for the next year, but i'll be going home next year. &#22823;&#22793;&#12391;&#12377;&#12424;~

Oh cool
Well, I'm sure we'll bump into each other eventually.

 

[CorvoSol]

My internship in China ended in July, and now I kinda want to go and teach in Japan. I've heard of the JET program (but it looks like they're not accepting applications till October?) but are there other programs I might consider as an International Relations major?

/Technically/ my ideal would be working with Japanese Brazilians, since I spent a lot of time on Latin American studies and in Brazil, but eh.

 

[Jintor]

I have more of the style where generally my teachers would give me a 20-minute chunk in the middle of lessons to do an activity in, which I was fine with. Oh and I plan my elementary lessons too but I only have them once a month so really it's closer to just playing with the kids than anything

 

[bluethree]

I don't think a month is long enough for the "this place is a nightmare" freakout to kick in; I think it would more likely have just been a general "this is too different" freakout. Which could be blamed on the people he/she worked with not being helpful or accommodating, etc., or could be not a reflection of the location at all. Last year we had a single high school teacher drop out the day before they were to fly to Japan and the replacement didn't arrive until mid-September, so it's possible the person you're replacing never even got on the plane.

As for the unwelcoming bit, that also reflects upon my placement. After the orientation, we all took the bullet train to our prefecture's capital city, were told to wear a suit because you'll likely be met by one or more people from your school or BoE and they might want to go do things with you, etc. Pulling up the platform there were a bunch of Japanese people in suits holding up "WELCOME ________" signs and shit, and as I stood around watching all of those people leave, I started getting pretty anxious about this job. Ultimately, I had to stand around on the empty platform for 30 minutes with no way to contact anyone/ask for help when my supervisor eventually showed up. We went straight for the boat to my island and he sat on the complete opposite side of the boat from me. We didn't talk at all. When he finally dropped me off at my apartment (which I had to pay $2000 for up front, since it's not a BoE owned property), I had no clue what to do. I wasn't introduced to any of the other English teachers, not even any grocery stores, etc., so I didn't get to speak to anyone or do anything but stroll around my street for a week. No internet either.

I didn't mind it all too much as it happened because I'm actually quite used to being isolated and doing things on my own, and I didn't appreciate then quite how different my situation was from most ALTs, but most of the things about this placement sound like a huge bummer when you write it down to explain to someone/a potential predecessor.

Man being in a bad JET placement is the worst. I just got off 2 years as a CIR, and while I like my location well enough (or grew to at least, hated it at first) the actual job was brutal (we're talking about massive invasions of privacy and physical assault levels of shittiness).

Told about most of it to my successor and he took it in stride and didn't let it scare him off necessarily, thankfully.

That above post about limited post-JET opportunities is right on the money too. It's not impossible to find something, but it's been hard dealing with the fact that most jobs don't pay so well and opportunities in rural areas are slim to nonexistent. (Recently I had to turn down an interview invite in a nearby prefecture because the salary was only like 200k a month).

I'm hanging around my prefecture to collect unemployment insurance, but I'm almost certainly going to have to move to a bigger city or back home if I do eventually get a job offer.

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

I actually kind of wanted to go to the inaka, but I feel this place is a bit of an extreme in terms of isolation. This island actually has more land area than the capital of the prefecture, but there's just nothing in it for miles. Even within the island I have to drive thirty minutes or so to hit the only bookstore that sells more than manga.

I just took this today. This is maybe a five minute bike ride from my apartment. Everywhere here is really gorgeous, if that's enough for you. Chilling on this beach by myself (none of the locals care about the beach so it's dead outside of summer vacation) is how I end up spending all my free time.

 

[Jintor]

had a really good time with my local e-circle summer bbq (in the light drizzle lol) so I guess I'm back to loving Japan again

you know a &#23567;&#23398;&#29983; or younger thinks you're cool when they keep trying to punch you in the balls at inopportune moments

 

[Porcile]

I'd quite like to work with &#39640;&#26657;&#29983; or &#20013;&#23398;&#29983;, but I figured there really wasn't any point in putting preference down, especially since I have no prior experience. Not that I have any real basis for that preference, besides hoping that middle school kids are less prone to ball punching, which is probably not true at all.

 

[Jintor]

speaking as a middle school duder elementary school or high school are probably the best to teach. Elementary school they haven't yet learned to be cynical and are still enthusiastic about things for no good reason. High school they've finally adapted to the crushing reality of an education system that doesn't make much sense where everything is inexplicably centred around entrance examinations that test things that aren't in the course syllabus. But in middle school they've only just awakened to the concept of cynicism and also don't really care very much about things

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

My middle school students are less prone to ball punching, but are apt to wanting to arm wrestle or normal wrestle me on occasion.

I don't teach at high school, but based on my conversations with the local high school teachers, if you want to spend a lot of time in the office doing nothing and feeling expendable, high school is the way to go. At my 4 elementary schools and 1 middle school, I teach a minimum of 17 classes a week while I might occasionally talk to a high school teacher who's only taught 2 classes during that same period due to any number of factors, like school trips, school tests, the teacher wanting to focus on writing wherein the ALT is unnecessary, etc.

But high school is non-compulsory here, so generally speaking all of your kids in high school will be interested in learning, or at least smart, if not exactly well-behaved due to whatever their circumstances are. There's one particular high school here that is only visited by the high school ALT once a month because it's for kids who've been kicked out of all the other high schools on the island for one reason or another, but still have grades good enough to justify trying to work with them.

 

[Wubby]

/Technically/ my ideal would be working with Japanese Brazilians, since I spent a lot of time on Latin American studies and in Brazil, but eh.

I worked for a while at a Brazilian run English school (Fisk) after I first moved here. Was a fun place! Shizuoka/Aichi ken are the places to be if you want to work with Brazilians. The girls are super friendly as well! But you've been in Brazil I'm sure you know...

As for me after 5 years of teaching I just gave my notice last week. Felt good but also feel bad in a way to be leaving it... But really can't do it forever! I had my fun. I'm staying in Japan but moving on to an industry I really love and have been wanting to be part of.

 

[shanshan310]

I actually kind of wanted to go to the inaka, but I feel this place is a bit of an extreme in terms of isolation. This island actually has more land area than the capital of the prefecture, but there's just nothing in it for miles. Even within the island I have to drive thirty minutes or so to hit the only bookstore that sells more than manga.
I just took this today. This is maybe a five minute bike ride from my apartment. Everywhere here is really gorgeous, if that's enough for you. Chilling on this beach by myself (none of the locals care about the beach so it's dead outside of summer vacation) is how I end up spending all my free time.

oh really? I'd kind of like to work in the inaka too, I'm not much of a big city person (I found living in Tokyo really stressful) and it does look beautiful. Would you not recommend it?

 

[Valkerionseven]

Welp looks like I'm Kagoshima bound in 4 weeks. No details were exactly but I'm down for this I think.

Aside from realizing I only have $300 (sort of) in paypal to my name and no clothes/need a new laptop, figuring out how to make online purchases over there, and what not. Trying to find out where all these documents are that they were nice enough to not link me to that happen to be on several different sites I guess (seriously condense JET for godsake.)

This whole thing feels, as gametrailers would say: "Fast and Loose"

 

[WoodWERD]

Aside from realizing I only have $300 (sort of)...

You should really figure out how to scrounge up some more cash before you go. Do you at least have an emergency credit card or something? Being totally broke in another country is not somewhere I'd want to be. You never know what kind of expenses might pop up as a first timer abroad.

 

[bluethree]

Kagoshima is awesome, you'll have a great time.

And yeah, figure out a way to get some cash over the next few weeks, the more the better. JET recommends something like 250k JPY but I got by with 800 USD in my first few weeks just fine.

I was also really broke when coming on JET and had to take out a cash advance on one of my cards (not really a good option, but it's something to consider). Maybe check the internet work thread and see if you can earn a bit too, though those sites take a while to get started on so it won't be much at first.

 

[Scarecrow]

Where do you guys go to get activity ideas for larger classes? Around 40ish students?

 

[Jaffaboy]

Where do you guys go to get activity ideas for larger classes? Around 40ish students?

Can't really see how much different that would be compared to a class of 25-30. What's the level and age you're teaching? I'd suggest a lot of partner and group activities, maybe team role plays and games.

 

[Bubble Metropolis]

I dunno what age range you mean, but I teach at an elementary school where every class is 32-38 students and it's no different from any 8-30 student sized class, though it might be less wise to ask them to get up and move around.

I find classes of less than 8 students, of which I have an entire school, are a bit different though.