I’ve been trying to find solid information about what teaching as a married couple in Japan looks like/what companies would be the best to apply to. I’ve heard a lot about how some companies can’t assure placement in the same city/apartment (JET, for example). I’ve also heard varying opinions about how much a couple can save. Long story short, we’re trying to ascertain whether jumping from hagwon life in Korea to a job in Japan would be a worthwhile venture as a couple. Any thoughts?
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A common story I’ve heard is after trying to accommodate the couple and going through the cost and hassle of setting them up together, shit hits the fan for one reason or another and one or both of them want out. Hence it’s hard to find decent companies willing to risk all that bs when they could just hire singles.
As for money, if you have no other big expenses and don’t go out a lot, anything over 250,000 yen per month will allow you to save to a certain degree. The problem is that there are many people gagging to fulfill their lifelong dream of living in animeland, and therefore will accept a salary well below that, sometimes 200,000 or even less. Employers know this, and as they dgaf about the quality of their staff, the bar is ever-lowering.
I’m part of a married couple on JET. We both got accepted and placed together, everything was smooth sailing. Saving potential is amazing because we live in cheap teacher housing.
I have seen Japan destroy so many foreigner on foreigner marriages that I would strongly advise against it. The only ones that seem to stay together are the rich expat couples that earn over $250k. Can you really trust each other in an environment where cheating is the norm not the exception and where prostitution is legal and literally everywhere?
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As for the job, you will not save any money unless you get real teaching jobs in an international school or upper ranked university. The ALT and eikaiwa jobs pay less than what first year new graduates earn.
Saving money wise, I’d stay in Korea, but aside from that Japan has everything else. I know a married couple that both work for Gaba and they both love it there. They have different schedules but so far so good.
Japan’s eikaiwa and ALT dispatch market is dominated by exploitative employers and salaries are shrinking. Apply to the JET Program if your passport country participates.
A question for you – what are your qualifications? You need education degrees and licenses to work in international schools or recognized TESOL qualifications or MA to work in private schools or universities (plus publications for the latter).
Disclaimer: this was true to the best of my knowledge 10 years ago. I dunno about now. Ask in the JET sub or email someone from the JET Programme if you want to confirm.
JET will sponsor a spouse visa if either of you get into the program. I knew a guy who came over to Japan this way with his JET wife. As for a joint placement for two JET teachers – I dunno, but at least one comment here says it’s possible so give it a shot!
>I’ve also heard varying opinions about how much a couple can save.
This should really be this sub’s banner image or something – JET is the most lucrative option as far as entry level teaching jobs go. You live in subsidized housing and JET salaries are higher than dispatch company jobs. If you and your partner are both working as JETs, you can save quite a lot.
If you’re not doing JET, I wouldn’t even bother.
> I’ve been trying to find solid information about what teaching as a married couple in Japan looks like/what companies would be the best to apply to.
“Companies” that employ foreigners, whether eikaiwa or dispatch ALT outfits, are problematic due to labor issues and poor salaries and often no benefits. Best to steer clear.
The JET Program is not a company. It places people from participating countries in prefectural or municipal school boards. There are FB groups for couples and families on the JET Program who could advise you.
> I’ve also heard varying opinions about how much a couple can save.
This depends on so many factors – qualifications which determine your position and salary, location, your lifestyle.
Eikaiwas are pretty much hagwons, but the cost of living is a bit higher. JET is solid as a long standing, government-sponsored program–it is very selective and applicants need to apply 9 months to a year in advance. If you have a teaching license, there’s options at international schools–although many schools prefer those on special visas and with experience teaching in Japan: spousal visa, student visa, long-term residency visa.
Otherwise, the other entry-level positions are not so great and require couples to apply separately and don’t really have any accommodations…so you could potentially both get the job and be placed across the country. I just wrote a post about the declining wage. Instructors can put up with a lot if they have a decent wage and benefits. But that’s not the case anymore.
It’s really freelance work in disguise– no subsidized housing, very little benefits if any, most instructors are domestic foreigners on special visas (and these companies pretty much expect overseas applicants to pay for everything out of pocket), and then the typical shenanigans you’ll find across language centers/hagwons/eikaiwas: on site all the time, split shifts, no paid prep, placed in an undesired location, etc. etc.