Quick answer: You can teach English in Japan with a bachelor’s degree (required for the standard work visa) and a TEFL/TESOL certificate – no Japanese needed for most jobs. New teachers typically earn ¥250,000–330,000 a month in 2026, and the JET Programme pays around ¥3.36 million in your first year. Start with our Japan fact sheet, then read on for advice from Global English graduate Mike Konig, who has taught in Japan for over two decades.
How do you get your first teaching job in Japan?
There are two main ways in. The first is to line up a job before you fly: the JET Programme recruits once a year through Japanese embassies, and the big eikaiwa (conversation school) chains such as ECC and AEON interview overseas candidates year-round. The second is the job-board route – GaijinPot, Japan’s biggest English-language jobs and classifieds site, lists hundreds of teaching posts at any one time. Either way, demand is steady in 2026 and hiring has fully recovered since the pandemic, so a qualified graduate with a decent application has a genuine choice of roles.
Whichever route you take, you will need a bachelor’s degree in any subject. That is not an employer preference – it is what qualifies you for the standard Instructor or Humanities work visa, so there is no way around it for a normal teaching job. A TEFL/TESOL certificate is not a visa requirement, but employers use it to separate serious applicants from gap-year chancers, and it is what stops your first week in the classroom feeling like a shipwreck. It is also worth reading the gov.uk travel advice for Japan before you commit, mostly for the entry and visa notes.
One thing our graduates tell us again and again: personal connections count for a lot in Japan. Mike, whose interview you will read below, got his first job in 1998 through a colleague’s recommendation to a school owner – and 25 years later he still credits that introduction with changing his life. If you know anyone teaching there, ask.
What does teaching in Japan pay in 2026?
Most first jobs pay between ¥250,000 and ¥330,000 a month. The JET Programme sits at the top of the entry-level market: first-year remuneration is approximately ¥3.36 million a year (about ¥280,000 a month), rising with each contract renewal. Eikaiwa chains typically pay ¥250,000–280,000, while ALT dispatch companies – private firms that place assistant language teachers into public schools – often pay less, around ¥200,000–250,000. Mike’s own rule of thumb is worth writing down: if a job pays less than 250,000 yen a month or 2,500 yen an hour, skip it. There are enough decent employers that you do not need to accept a poor one.
Be realistic about what those yen are worth back home. The weak yen means salaries converted to pounds or dollars buy less than they did a decade ago, so Japan is no longer the savings machine it was in the 1990s. The flip side is that living costs outside Tokyo are modest: outside the capital, teachers commonly put away the equivalent of $200–500 a month while still eating out and travelling. The single biggest variable is rent – as Mike notes below, housing can eat up to a third of your salary, so a job that provides or subsidises accommodation is worth more than its headline number suggests.
JET vs eikaiwa vs ALT dispatch: which route?
Each route suits a different kind of teacher, and the trade-offs are mostly about support, pay and control over where you live. Here is how the main options compare in 2026:
| Route | Who employs you | Typical monthly pay (2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| JET Programme | Placed via government scheme | ¥280,000–330,000, rising with renewal | First-timers who want support |
| Eikaiwa conversation school | Private chains e.g. ECC/AEON | ¥250,000–280,000 | City life + adult learners |
| ALT dispatch company | Private dispatch to public schools | ¥200,000–250,000 | Getting a first foothold |
| University/international school | Direct hire | ¥300,000+ | Experienced/qualified teachers |
The JET Programme gives you the best pay and support package of any entry route, but you do not choose your placement – you could land in central Osaka or a fishing village in Kyushu. Eikaiwa work gives you a say over the city and puts you in front of adults and motivated hobby learners, in exchange for evening and weekend hours. ALT dispatch pays the least but is the easiest first foothold, and plenty of teachers use a dispatch year to get established before moving up. University and international school posts pay best of all, but they go to teachers with experience and higher qualifications – a sensible target for year three, not year one. Mike’s path is a good example of where this can lead: he started at a tiny conversation school and now combines eikaiwa work with his own private students, who pay him directly at rates he sets himself.
What is daily life like as a teacher in Japan? A graduate Q&A
It’s been our pleasure this week to find out more about living and working in Japan from Global English TESOL graduate Mike Konig.
We asked Mike some questions about life in Japan, how he found his first job and to give us some tips on living and working there. Here’s his advice.
Hi Mike, where are you in Japan and what has your main teaching English job been there?
I am presently living in the countryside of Hyogo Prefecture in a small town called Ono City. It's about an hour north of Kobe and two hours west of Osaka. I work for one of the larger language schools, called ECC, where I travel to places to teach in both elementary schools and kindergartens. Aside from ECC, I also give several lessons at night to my own private students at their homes, in community centers and, finally, at a big hospital in Ono City. On the weekends, I work as a wedding officiant for Japanese couples. I lead a full life, but wouldn't trade it in for anything.
Can you think back to what made you decide to become an English teacher?
It was 24 years ago in May 1998 that I took a one-week trip to Japan. To make a long story short, I fell in love with the country and wanted to come back. Teaching English was the most practical way to do that. As soon as I got home from Japan, I sent out many resumes to Japanese English conversation schools with no luck. My big chance came in June of the same year. A friend at work was able to recommend me for a job with a school he knew. This personal introduction to the school owners changed my life forever.
Tell us about your first teaching role - how did you get it? Can you remember the interview you had?
My first teaching role began in 1998 at a small English conversation school in a small countryside town called Yashiro in Hyogo Prefecture. I had no teaching experience and the school didn't have a lot of teaching materials. I didn't speak Japanese, so had a difficult time communicating with students young and old. It was ”baptism by fire.” It also helped that the school needed a new teacher as soon as possible. I remember the interview because it came by a telephone call at 12 Midnight because the person calling me forgot to consider international time differences. So, I did the interview while half asleep. I must have said something good because I got the job.
Which courses have you taken with Global English and what was the most helpful thing (if you can remember!) that you learned from the course?
I took the 150-hour Certificate of Educational Studies in TESOL with a module in Business English. Without a doubt, the most important thing I took away from the course was the importance of a needs analysis at the beginning of the course, so there is no wasted time and effort by students or teachers. A solid foundation is the best way to begin it makes lesson planning more tailored to the goals of my customers.
On a final note, the Global English modules contained very specific worksheets on what to cover in the needs analysis and, to this day, remain an integral part of my TESOL library.
Tell us about other teaching roles and your plans for the future - do you plan to keep teaching full time?
In the morning, I spend about three hours at either a kindergarten or elementary school and then have the afternoon off, before commencing my evening lessons. All of these smaller jobs come out to be comparable to working full time. The only differences are more control over my schedule and also what I charge for my time. I enjoy my present lifestyle and do not plan to change much in the future.
What is it about teaching in Japan that you really enjoy?
Working with a company like ECC, which has classrooms all over the country, I enjoy being in a different school in different towns every day. I enjoy the travelling aspect of the work and sometimes being able to mix business with pleasure after work is finished. I do get sent to schools both far away from home and near. The variety is part of the fun.
What are some of the challenges, either about teaching or living in Japan?
Going to so many different schools on a regular basis, you notice that teaching situations can be like night and day. At some schools, the students are a little easier to work with and there is adequate support from the staff and management. At other places, you can run into environments that are not so teacher-friendly, where you really need to be good at reading the tea leaves and adapting to challenging situations.
Do you speak Japanese and if so how essential would you say this was to being successful there?
Having lived in Japan for almost a quarter-century, I do have enough to get around and survive. I do think it is helpful to be familiar with the language and customs of any place you will be living or setting up roots in. Depending on what your teaching situation is, knowing Japanese might or might not be essential to success in the classroom. Some schools and companies do not want teachers using Japanese in the classroom or around students. For other places, for example, universities and certain schools, in their job advertisements, they specifically look for people with conversational Japanese ability.
So, even if you are not using Japanese at work, it is advisable to become functionally literate to make life a little easier.
Have you any advice to others about starting as an English teacher, either in terms of finding work, teaching English or settling into life where you are?
Here are some practical tips if you plan to work in Japan:
- Have a job lined up before you come.
- Take a course that will give you the fundamentals of TESOL.
- Bring 4-6 months of living expenses with you to be safe.
- Learn some basic greetings and other useful phrases in Japanese before coming.
- Do your homework when searching for a job.
- If a job is paying less than 250,000 yen per month or less than 2,500 yen per hour, skip over that job.
- Do a web search on the basics of law enforcement in Japan just to be safe.
These are just a few of the main pieces of advice I would give to people coming to Japan.
Thanks Mike, it’s great to hear how you have made a life for yourself. Thanks so much!
Sayōnara for now…
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a degree to teach English in Japan?
Yes, for almost everyone. A bachelor’s degree in any subject is required for the standard Instructor or Humanities work visa, and the JET Programme also requires one. Without a degree your only realistic options are a working holiday visa (limited nationalities and ages) or a spouse visa.
Do you need to speak Japanese to teach English in Japan?
No – most schools neither require it nor want it used in the classroom. As Mike says above, some employers actively discourage Japanese around students, though universities and certain schools do advertise for teachers with conversational ability. Learning the basics will make daily life much easier, so it is worth doing for yourself even if no job demands it.
How much can you save teaching in Japan?
It depends almost entirely on your rent – Mike warns it can eat up to a third of your salary in the cities. Outside Tokyo, teachers on ¥250,000–330,000 a month realistically save the equivalent of $200–500 a month. Jobs that provide or subsidise housing tip that figure up considerably.
Is JET better than a private school job?
The JET Programme pays more than most entry-level jobs (around ¥3.36 million in year one) and wraps you in support, but you cannot choose your location. An eikaiwa job pays a little less and involves evening hours, but you pick your city and teach adults. Neither is better – it depends whether support or control matters more to you.
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If you are interested in living and working in Japan, you can check out the courses Mike took here:
150-hour Advanced TESOL and Business English Teaching
Find other stories of people living and working in Japan:
- Mai on the growing demand for EFL teachers in Japan
- Yosuke’s story: from Radiohead lyrics to teaching EFL
- Melanie on moving from New Zealand to teach in Japan
- Corinna on teaching in Japan as a non-native English speaker
Our Japan fact sheet page is here >>
Are you a Global English TESOL grad who would love to share your story? Get in touch today!