Hi everyone
I’m a secondary school teacher in the UK and I lived in Japan from 2015-17. At the time, I worked as an ALT and my reason for moving back home was that I wanted to get a teaching license so that I could have an actual career in teaching and not just be an assistant forever. I’m almost 5 years into a teaching career, and the goal has always been to move back overseas because with the right international school, it’s a job you can do anywhere in the world.
At the time, there were things about Japan that seemed so backwards to me and frustrated me to no end (and still do whenever I go back to visit), so I’m not under any illusion of it being some perfect utopian culture. I’m well aware that it can be pretty closed off at times and that foreigners can face discrimination and a heck of a lot of red tape, but there are things I still miss about it. Having grown up in the UK, it’s obviously ‘easier’ to live here, but life here is extremely expensive on a single income and honestly, my general health is much worse here than it was over there with better quality food etc. One thing I definitely miss is the financial stability I had, even on an ALT salary, of never worrying about money. For context, I did not live in a major city. I’m also very aware that it’s been several years since then and that costs of living do change.
I’m in my 30s now, I have an established career, and I have a cat who I absolutely refuse to leave behind if I move anywhere. Has anyone in a similar situation made the move back? How is the cost of living, housing market etc? And, if you have school experience, what are international schools actually like there? Reviews seem to be extremely varied and the last thing I want is to move for something worse than what I have now.
Any advice is much appreciated!
by kitsune_chan29