So, I’m about to uproot my life in America and move back to Japan with my family. I have the job lined up as a high school English teacher for a private high school. My Japanese isn’t perfect, but according to my wife (whose Japanese IS perfect), I would be officially working for the prefecture – days off and all the benefits would be the same as the Japanese teachers.
I’m considering to make a YouTube channel about selling our house, belongings, and the whole moving process. It just might be good enough to monetize someday. I also make a bit of money from Etsy, and a current YouTube channel. My hope is that I could keep that money in a U.S. bank account and put it into my retirement funds (all U.S. based). I know I wouldn’t be “allowed” to make money from a second source of income once I sign the contract, but if I don’t ever bring it to Japan, would I need to claim it? Could I get fired for it? Anything I’m missing here? TIA!
15 comments
Chill. You have a LONG way to go before monetizing
I thought by law that you can have other incomes, even if the contract says you cannot?
You need at least 1000 subscribers to monetize. After that you need a lot of views to make even a small amount every month. But if the money (if/when you make it) is paid to a US bank account there is no need to tell the Japanese tax authorities.
IDK about Japan, but I think that the US has some specific language differentiating
what is normally called “moonlighting” from just having a second job.
In the States, while you can be fired for the content of your YT and/or the school simply decides you’re officially more of a liability than you’re worth, they have options – BUT – the act of having a YT or something similar is neither illegal nor forbidden. Moonlighting on the other hand is a little trickier, parleying your skills, resources. or connections acquired from job A to perform job B.
So bear in mind that AFAIK, *everything* you do that is job related is potentially proprietary IP of your employer. Does that include documenting your move? I don’t see how any reasonable person could think that. Does that mean your employer can’t complicate your life if they find it and are looking for any excuse to fuck with you? It does not.
In terms of keeping your YT states based? AFAIK they can get fucked.
No. You can’t be fired from a job you don’t even have for a youtube channel that doesn’t exist.
Also, what about just having a vlog in Japan? Content would be around life as a foreigner in Japan. I know there are lots of those out there, but if mine is about general life stuff and not about teaching, is it likely that the school could dismiss me or just not renew my contract if they find it because they don’t like their teachers’ private lives to be made public?
Monetizing on YouTube has gotten much harder than it used to be. “I’m moving to Japan” isn’t a novel approach for YouTube—there are a lot of “foreigners in Japan” YouTubers and TikTokkers and the chances of your channel being one that will break through all the noise to even earn the right to monetize, let alone be popular enough for any significant amount of money, are incredibly small.
So no, you don’t have to worry about what money you make from the channel. The larger risk is in people from your city or school finding out about your videos and objecting to something in them.
Bro youre asking like “what to do with my $1m dollars?? Oh no I don’t have it yet but I will in the future”
Lol worry about getting there firsf
If I were you, I’d be more worried about parents finding out your YouTube channel and complaining that it’s unprofessional or whatever crazy moms do before you even worry about making money out of any of it.
The last thing Japan needs are annoying youtubers vlogging their boring lives and breaking laws (all the westerners coming here and videotaping/photographing on trains, buses, taxis, in stores, in restaurants, or people without consent is against the law in Japan based on their privacy/portrait laws and can open you up to a 100,000 yen fine and sued by the business/persons). With all the negative stuff going on in Japan with Youtubers, youre better off not bringing that shit here.
With that being said, when I worked for people they would tell me not to drink in front of the station at the 7/11 three blocks from the school or that I couldn’t help my friend with his school on Saturdays, I told them what I do on my off time is none of their business and they can’t tell me what to do outside work hours.
Lots of people have extremities. It’s a don’t ask don’t tell policy.
Unless there’s a specific prefecture that does this (anyone?) when you’re working for a private school you’re not working for the prefecture. You don’t get the same salary and benefits, but whatever.
The big thing is making your YouTube in a way that you’re not recognizable. Best of luck, and unless you’re working as an alt for this private school, you may be off on how much time you’ll have. Get the job. Work at the job. Figure out if you can do anything above and beyond that. Baby steps.
Laaaaaaaaaaaaaame
There was one Interac ALT who got fired cos his students found out about his YouTube channel. Can look up older threads. You won’t get fired for passive income unless you’re raking in $$$ and haven’t been filing your taxes.
Nobody gives a shit about your boring, shitty life. And I’d be much more worried about supporting a family on a high school teacher’s salary, and maybe doing some research on what happens to dudes who can’t support their families in Japan, and what their wives tend to do once they realize that.