16f, planning on moving to matsumoto, japan. can i make a living off of ¥252,000-¥280,000 a month?

6 comments

1. This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.

   —

   **16f, planning on moving to matsumoto, japan. can i make a living off of ¥252,000-¥280,000 a month?**

   i’ve had a passion for teaching my whole life but i’ve never been interested in teaching in america. i’m amazing at english and i can learn languages really quick, i love japanese culture and i think it would be a good experience to get away from the US for a few years, but the teaching apparently pays pretty low in japan. it says i’d earn between ¥252,000 – ¥280,000 a month teaching english in matsumoto, nagano. first of all, i don’t know if this is accurate. second of all, if it is, is this possible? will i still have enough money to spend on things i like, like clothes or necessities like a mattress and whatnot?

   also 16 (soon 17) sounds a little young to be planning this but i’m actually going to college early LOL so before i pick my classes and stuff i wanna know if this is realistic or not
   thanks!!!!

   *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/movingtojapan) if you have any questions or concerns.*

2. Probably not accurate, no English teacher gig pays that well. Also, is English your first language? (No need to answer, but ‘I’m amazing at English’ implies that you’re not an native English speaker.) If it’s not, there’s a slim chance of you being hired as an English teacher.
   If it is accurate, though, you can definitely live off 252k/month in Matsumoto. Most new grads don’t earn that much, even in Tokyo.

3. [removed]

4. I wish I started my planning as early as you are, to be honest. Would have saved me a few years of existential crises.

   I am assuming you are talking about an ALT position. Typically the salary range is 250k-280k so this seemed in line with that.

   Yes, you can definitely live off 250k in Matsumoto (going off of today’s current cost of living – who knows what will change in 4-5 years). That being said, you need to learn how to make a budget and having the self-discipline to live within that budget. I say 250k because you should always plan your life around receiving the low end salary of any listed position. Never daydream about the 280k and definitely don’t build your budget around that number. Be realistic and practical. Then, if you get the 280k you’ll have an extra 30k for emergencies and savings. (That being said, if you’re only planning on staying for a year or two, you can splurge more and worry less about savings. Just make sure you have enough for a plane ticket home.)

   I would suggest you start learning Japanese if you haven’t already. It will definitely help you make friends and acclimate easier. Personally, my university offered Japanese courses. If yours does, definitely take them. I got a Minor in Japanese, only took 6 semesters (2 of which were during summer school so that’s 2 years.) Easy right? Do it.

   And if you want to teach long-term, speaking Japanese will only benefit you and oftentimes is a requirement. Typically N3-N2 but if you take the Japanese courses at university then this will be nothing.

   Also there are apps you can get in order to text/talk to people in Japan so you could potentially get a head start on making friends and practice your speaking/reading/writing skills. I use Langmate. Just be careful with those. There are bound to be weirdos anywhere online.

5. [deleted]

6. So there are basically two tiers of English teaching in Japan.

   There are ALTs and Eikaiwas, which are geared for young people looking for a gap year after university before starting their lives. Pay is pretty flat, and basically the minimum that immigration would consider to be livable.

   The higher teir is “real” teachers at international schools. These positions pay more and are highly competitive. Generally for these positions you’d need to have at least a teachers license from your home country and ideally a master’s degree and a few years of classroom management experience.

   If you love teaching and want to be a real teacher, then get yourself a masters of education where you are and spend a few years teaching there. Then start looking for work at international schools or universities here.

   The worst thing you can do is sabotage your future by trying to speedrun the “in Japan” part of your lifes goals.