TOKYO GUIDEBOOK takashifromjapan.com/tokyocompleteguide

Italian woman is about to become the most requested English teacher in Japanese history.

The Italian lady will definitely increase my learning motivation. Never miss a class at all!

Italian lady is so animated-You know she stands out in Japan, they're so reserved.

I think being a non-native English teacher like her is actually an advantage because she knows what it’s like personally to learn English as a non-native speaker. Kudos to her. She’s right in that being a native language speaker doesn’t make one a good teacher of that language. Her accent is great too. Very easy to understand. Some words even sound like they’re in a perfect accent to me.

The woman from Italy speaks great English, almost no accent at all. And she's super energetic and positive, I bet her students love her.

The Italian girl has a lot of enthusiasm. When teaching, enthusiasm is contagious, it’s a superpower.

It resonated with me when the Italian teacher said it was difficult to learn Japanese because everyone spoke English. I lived in Italy for six months and attended an Italian language school. It was wonderful meeting so many people from all over the world, but everyone resorted to English in order to communicate. I think it took me longer to pick up the language because of this. One thing that really helped was getting a TV and watching Italian television. When I returned home, I thought my skills were basic. I could speak with people, have complete conversations with Italians in Italian, describe situations and understand almost everything, but I felt like I could have been compared to a third or fourth grader in the United States. But, when I took the Italian language exam in college, my counselor asked if I was a native speaker because I aced it. Speaking when you aren’t comfortable is the most important thing I learned to do. People will help you with words and you can communicate even if your vocabulary is still limited.

Patrick was so eloquent and clearly passionate about teaching. What a treasure for his students.

When the Italian teacher mention the random and gifts from her students and Takashi said, "Maybe because it's you." I literally LOLed and so glad he said that. That whole interaction between them was funny and wholesome.

I am a Japanese woman and I go to Eikaiwa school. I really enjoy talking with teachers instead of studying abroad. I really appreciate them because I can communicate with foreigners in English and find cultures I never get just in Japan ! Thank you for teaching and living here ♡

I love that first guy! Such a great ambassador for US!

That Italian woman would be an awesome teacher just based on the excitement and energy she showed off here alone for me. Always better to have someone who seems like they love what they're doing and want to be where they are rather than someone who is just going through the motions.

Sonia's English is as fluent as it gets. The hint of accent doesn't affect understandability at all - it's actually cool to listen to. Shame she had a hard time finding a job as an English teacher since she is not a native speaker.

Patrick seems like a really down to earth and nice guy. Loved his laugh when trying to speak japanese!

The Italian Girl's 'English' is excellent ( considering it's not her native Language) And she has a very bubbly animated personality+ some other obvious qualities!!

The teacher from LA gives me the feeling that she is very healthy and stable inside, being a bright influence to others with strong but tender mind. The type of teacher I wished i had as a kid. Awesome, wish you the best!

She’s definitely Italian with all the hand gestures. She talks with her hands. Very wholesome & engaging teacher.

First guy was mad cool. He kept it grounded and genuine and showed the reality of it.

It's not just her prettiness that makes her alluring. The positive energy and enthusiasm are huge, if all teachers had her personality people would like learning more. But obviously she is beautiful xD

I love this channel. [I used to live in Tokyo back in the 90s, so a lot resonates]. But it's now Takashi just lets people speak, without steering them hard. It's like classic old-school interviewers, Michael Parkinson [uk] etc etc, he so politely guides people with a question then just casts off the ropes and lets the subject go and speak. Bravo.

I just finished teaching in Japan for a year and a half. I used it as a way to come to Japan as many do, and I got lucky and have a new job outside of teaching English. Without substantial savings from home, I would not suggest it. My coming was a gamble. Come with goals and rules; mine was to teach for 2 years and if I couldn't find a "way out," I would go back home. If you come and treat it as a year-long holiday, enjoy it. If you want to come and try to build a different/better life, you really have to ask yourself lots of hard questions. The language barrier is so massive; for reference, I have 5 years of work experience in my field with management experience, and it still took me 11 months, 19 recruiter meetings, 437 applications, 36 first interviews, 22 second-stage, and 6 final stage interviews before an offer came in. You're competing with people who can speak Japanese better, or natively, and with a massive talent pool. Entry-level engineering is also really rough; you won't make much more than an ALT's salary while also having to work long hours. This is a breakdown of my old salary. Yearly: 2.2m JPY (most ALT jobs do not pay in August due to summer holidays, and again you don't get paid in March because the school year hasn't started yet.) Monthly: ~200,000 JPY After taxes, rent, phone, utilities, etc., assuming your tax situation is similar to mine, you'll have around 80,000 yen (about 800 USD, super rough) left over in your first year. However, your second year, due to resident taxes, it is lower and closer to 60,000 yen (600 USD). This is absolute poverty wages and not sustainable at all. You are on a timer the minute you take an English teaching job here. The longer you are one, the harder it is to crawl out. It's a race to the bottom of what company will pay you the absolute least. As a dispatch ALT, you are VERY unstable and cannot plan for the future. You get a year-long visa and a year-long contract. You won't know if you have a job renewal until 2 weeks before (sometimes less time) the new school year. I started learning Japanese on the plane here and after a year of constant study, every single hour I was free at work (which as an ALT you have a ton, it's very VERY easy, and anyone who has ever worked previously will have ZERO issues performing. First job, 21-year-old college kids might be overwhelmed at first) and managed to get JLPT N3 level, which is an absolutely abysmal level still. Most jobs require N2 or higher, and the gap between N3 and N2 is going from "I am going to the store tomorrow at 2:30" to "due to the downturn of the Japanese economy during the bubble era..." sort of reading and conversations. That said, I would do it again; it's the most fun job I've had, but the industry is terrible. I have met a wonderful girlfriend and made so many new friends I would never have without taking the leap. Build your career at home and try to get hired in Japan another way; not many people have the will power needed to succeed and transition out of English teaching work in Japan. Don't buy into the "I'll do it to get a visa and get something better," especially with hiring freezes and economic downturns. It's a massive personal risk. If you insist on coming as an English teacher: 1) Learn Japanese now, and actually learn. Don't language roleplay with pointless low-effort apps like Duolingo. Learn Hiragana and Katakana, then give the apps Umi and Bunpro a shot and run through the Genki textbooks. Anki flashcards for kanji. 2) Have lots of money saved up. Minimum 5k USD, ideally more, to give yourself more runway to get a better job. 3) Have a STRONG, well-researched plan. Do not wing it; you are paid less than a conbini employee with a college degree. Enjoy your time here, but also work your ass off for yourself. 4) Be prepared to be disappointed and told "No" lots. If you have any issues at home, you won't fix them by moving to a place where you have 0 support structure. 5) Do not get comfortable with the easiest job on the planet and let yourself just coast by. This isn't a terrible "keep grinding 😤" post; it's actually terrible to get out of. Best of luck. Job searching is hard even when you're a citizen and fluent in the local language; it was even more difficult as an immigrant with barely passable language skills. There's so much more to say, but please do not make the choice lightly to come to Japan as an English teacher because you like Japan, or rather the idea of Japan, without properly thinking it through. I want you to enjoy Japan just as much as I have. If you're serious, wait a few more years with your new degree, work in your field, and transfer over. Remember, even if you learn Japanese to a business level as an ALT but have no other skills, you are just someone who can speak Japanese in a country where everyone else also can.

There's something really calming about that first guy. Very well-said and thoughtful answers.

Even though I am a native English speaker, I feel the need to take English lessons from this remarkable Italian English teacher.

I really found it fascinating that the Italian English teacher is so animated and Takashii isn't even moving his facial muscle.

Thank you, Takashi. :) In my view, every profession comes with its advantages and disadvantages, but being a teacher holds a special place in my heart, outweighing any drawbacks. As an educator myself, I've discovered that children often have a lot to teach us and offer valuable experiences. If you enjoy working with kids, I wholeheartedly suggest considering teaching English to children in Japan rather than adults. The connections you form with them can be truly heartwarming. Once again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my experiences. I wish everyone a blessed day. Sending love! -Leina

7:20 Sonia is such a vibe she can make everyone around her happy so cute 😭😭

Patrick teacher! Great seeing you here in this interview. A lot of what you said resonated with me as my experience in Korea was similar.

Great video with amazing information. Thank you for sharing this unique insight to the many possibilities and challenges if someone wants to teach English in Japan.

The Italian girl is so expressive. I’ve heard that before and now I saw it

The mighty cross-over of Mr. Patrick and Takashii

I recently discovered your Channel and I think it's really great! I'm learning alot. 🙌

Yes! Overseas, going from teaching English to teaching at an International School (which usually have crazy tuition) is a definite huge promotion!! :)

Sonia is so expressive and articulate, and also stunning. I'm sure many people wanted to study with her she seems awesome

7:00 The Italian lady embodies the liveliness one needs to teach English. Often, students need that kind of charm to be learn actively or be motivated. And I love how she stresses out this fact: If you're a native (English speaker), it doesn't mean you're a good teacher. So thank you! She even motivates other English teachers 💛🥺 But the first guy, the one who expressed his difficulties in learning or using Japanese because it's not allowed in his school, I felt that. It actually helps some group of learners to give them an example in Japanese so they understand the exact feeling or emotion of the word/phrase. This was such a wonderful peak into the experiences of English Teachers in Japan. Thank you ,Takashii-san! Recommended your channel to some of my students who wanted to know how foreigners feel about living there as well. 😊

After seeing the Italian teacher suddenly I don’t remember English anymore…

The biggest issue I have with this is that when people talk about English Teacher salaries compared to the average Japanese university graduates, they forget to talk about bonuses. Most English Teachers are contract workers and not paid a bonus (which is up to 3 months salary for Japanese full time employees, often paid twice a year). They're kept in this cycle by mandatory non contract renewal before 5 years too (the legal limit before being permanent becomes mandatory). So there is also rampant discrimination to avoid making foreign teachers permanent. This should be factored in when comparing apples to oranges.

That 2nd girl was such a vibe, loved her energy

Imagine having an Italian with a master's degree and model looks teach you English. Would you miss a class?

Thank you Takashii for the interesting interviews as always

Yes this was very helpful! And great questions. Thank you 💙

Italian girl-I wasn’t used to people giving me things Takahashii-maybe it’s you Brother I was thinking the same exact thing

That italian english teacher needs her own channel. Shes about to blow up. I think she is the most instantly likeable person ive ever seen. Not only because shes beautiful but her energy and vibes and amazing .

That Italian lady has such a great personality and seems really engaging!

Phenomenal video and interviews! Well done 🙏

I did not know that Sonia was teaching English in Japan. She is sooooo lovely and expressive. Anybody would fell for her. She is getting a lot attention though her social media and I am really glad for her. I have to say that she deserves it all because her way to convey the message in each short video is top-notch. Like, I find myself watching her videos even though I know English quite well after nearly decade in UK/USA.

That Italian girl is charming as heck.

I taught English in Japan from 1997-2001 and it changed my life. In those days standards of English in Japan were much lower, so it was easy to learn Japanese.

First guy was brilliant, big props to him

Sonia's English is perfect, and her students also get the added benefit of learning how to speak Italian with their hands, just like Sonia! LOL.

Sonia is probably the most beautiful person I have ever seen & her personality is just overwhelming with joy and she’s just like sunshine on a rainy day.

This was very interesting. And you asked some important questions of them Good job.

First guy was quite the wholesome fellow. Good guy and wish him the best in his career.

I always love when italian talks lol her hand gestures are so expressive 😄

The italian teacher is amazing with her energy and so positive. Cute girl

The teacher is like a movie star and she has the confidence like one.

Absolutely love your videos. The best

Thank you for watching! I’m still undecided about what I will do on my second channel. Any idea?

Getting better and so much more better 💪🏻😎✨ Amazing video once again ❤ Takashi-san you're awesomee!

Patrick makes the best tiktoks! He's a gem and so talented!

Strategic thumbnail Takashii. Well played 🔥

Damn, I need to go in Japan to study english.

PATRICK IS ON HERE!!!! I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT ❤ I follow him and Takashii separately and its unexpected to see them together but I'm so glad🥲🫶🏼

i clicked and was not disappointed. It's also an interesting job so interesting to learn about. She did make it easier to digest.

The magic trick at 4:35 with the disappearing lady on the bike is awesome.

The girl from Italy is awesome. I loved her expressions.

Good vibes as usual man. Love your interviews. I lived in Japan for 3 years working as a Graphic Designer & Photographer, most of my clients were continuously remote from Australia. For extra cash, I found some random company in Osaka that links Teachers with students and lets them organise meeting up. Full autonomy. Much like the second person you spoke to, I loved it. I had a couple of people who I would prepare lessons for, which was surprisingly fascinating, there are a lot of structures and logic in our native languages that we don’t need to understand the theory of to be able to use fluently. Learning about those things and explaining was pretty intellectually stimulating. But mostly I just had a few pretty smart Students/Friends with relatively advanced English I would link up and hang out with and have fascinating conversations with. We would dive deep into philosophy, science, history, business etc. As I said though, it was extra cash. I charged 7000円 per meetup which lasted as long as we wanted. I only linked up with like 3-5 people every fortnight or so. Not really what you’d call a job. But the autonomy and flexibility was critical.

Thank you for this! I learned a lot.

Thank you brother. Awesome vid. Really helps me reconsider again applying for a job in Japan. And becoming an english Teacher. Keep up the good work. You got one like and one subscribe from me. Godspeed.

The LA lady seems so kind and down to earth. I feel her vibes and Japanese americanism oozing through the literal screen. She is the ideal marriage between Japan and American English teaching experience ❤❤❤❤

It took me less than 5 seconds to _(figuratively... But maybe literally too...)_ fall in love with that Italian woman - pretty, energetic, confident, lively, positive, can quickly and simply explain and describe things - she's quite endearing!

congrats on 1M subscribers! thank you for always posting awesome content😀

That Italian woman is amazing good lord. Then again I'm biased bc my wife is also Italian. They're the greatest!

I am new to learning Japanese. I was there 2 weeks in July. I loved it there. I heard you mention other means to enter Japan other than as English teacher. Are there resources to look at for someone who is just starting to learn the language to look at finding a means to live and work in Japan?

I’m an English ALT at an international high school and absolutely love my job. Learning Japanese is the hardest part bc of everything they said. Once I established English speaking Japanese friends, it was easier to practice Japanese with them. They also appreciate it because they feel like they’re doing something for me, and our relationship is mutual.

I just like how Takashi makes well thought questions and engages in going deeper into the interviewees background and definitely lets them speak about their expertise without interruption. Awesome job bro!

Your videos are very good thanks you for doing things like this it helps me want to make it out there again and possibly teach.

Thanks for doing these interviews. I'm 38, I have a good job in the US, but I really miss teaching in Asia (I taught in Korea.) I'd love to start again and I'm trying to get the courage to do it.

Italian Girl could make so much more money as a model. Takeshi knows that the people in her English conversation classes gave her gifts because it’s her. 😍😍

Great content as always. Highlighting what some English teachers experience in Japan, along with sharing their stories was nice to see on your channel. As an English teacher and Sports coach in japan, I can relate to some of the teachers you interviewed. Keep uploading good content👏👏👏.

I wasnt planning on moving to Japan or teaching English but the interviews are interesting in the variert of experiences from both sides

The first guy you interviewed is an awesome TikToker! I follow him. I really enjoy his content.

Warning: LONG POST AHEAD! I taught at one eikaiwa for a few months - pros: you meet a lot of great people. Especially if it's one of the more expensive eikaiwas, you can meet uni professors, CEOs, artists etc and become friends with them. If you're in such a situation - just make them friends, ignore the eikaiwa rules, this is what actually helped me stand on my feet. Another good side is that working hours are flexible often, and you can earn less for more free time. The last good thing is easy visa, even for non native speakers (you just need to prove you got experience in the field). That's where the pros end. Now the cons: ooh boy, do they have cons... well, first of all, if you actually have enough clients to fill 8h working shifts 5 days a week, your salary will come to the teacher average of around 250k. Take taxes/health out of that, and you got some 220k left for rent+utilities+everything else - now a lot of my coworkers lived in sharehouses or somewhere far away from Tokyo hubs. For me it was tough cuz from the get-go I found an apartment in an accessible fancy area within walking distance to one of the biggest hubs. I was paying double rent compared to most other teachers (and worked less). The real problem is actual exhaustion - in a normal company, during a 8h shift, you work maybe 2-3h with 100% focus, the rest is meetings, socializing or just 'pretending to work' (very common in japan). As a teacher, you are 100% focused permanently, with some short 5 min breaks between lessons. Yes, you need to talk for 8h straight for that average teacher salary. Too much. Now, another big con is how you're viewed and how you're treated by both Japanese and Foreigners. As someone in the interview mentioned, teachers don't have a good reputation among Japanese. It's common knowledge they make crap salaries (for Tokyo standards), and it is highly positive and tolerated if you're a student or fresh-graduate, but some of my former coworkers were fossils with dead eyes that stayed in the same eikaiwa for 15 years and literally walk like zombies and talk like zombies. No one respects them. Foreigners will pity you if you're still in the industry after a few years, and Japanese, well, they'll treat you as they would any temporary employee in a very common field of work. Next is the working environment - highly unflexible with tons of unnecessary archaic things like wearing suits in summer, treating clients as gods and terrible learning materials which limit you a lot in the way you want to build rapport. The companies usually brainwash you into adopting their methods and nothing else - and bored managers will sometimes walk the isle and eavesdrop on your lessons only to bother you about it after. I've literally had a manager come up to me after the lesson saying "I've noticed your mask fell off for more than 2 seconds during the lesson. If this ever happens again, I will have to escalate this issue." Some managers are nice though. Really depends on the school/branch. The last big bad side (we're not gonna go deep into the small issues teaching has) is the absolute 0 job security (at least for eikaiwas). They will keep you as a 'freelancer' under short 3-6 months contracts that they will renew if you aggressively compete with your coworkers. The system they designed is to make all teachers fight each other for lessons and bonuses, so the teachers that follow the method the most with consistent high reviews will be getting bonuses (trust me not worth it, in my school it was something in the lines of 150+ lessons taught at specific hours they assign you to for just 10k more). If they don't see you constantly performing under their specifications and attend their useless 'development' seminars, they will simply not renew your contract. Why would they? They got a line of fresh stock always incoming. ----------- Now, let's not make it so dark - I made it out of it, I know many others who have too, sooner or later. Some advice: (for people interested in progressing beyond teaching asap and building themselves up in Japan) - Teaching is only your entry ticket to Japan. Depending on your visa, you got 1-3 years to settle yourself. That's a lot of time - make sure you dedicate at least several hours per day towards that goal. - Make friends with as many Japanese as you can. It will boost your Japanese and offer opportunities. Don't go to HUB or foreigner bars. Go to Japanese bars. Hit people up. Tell them your story. Listen to theirs. You'd be amazed what kind of people you can meet. If you know where to go, you can easily meet celebrities, business owners, artists, professors etc. and if you have some skill aside from English, these people could help you out, or point you in the right direction. - Stick to urban hub areas - you're far more likely to meet interesting people there: if a company offers you some deep Chiba, Kanagawa, Gunma, Shizuoka or whatever - throw that away (if you have any ambition). You ain't 'gonna make it' in the countryside. If you do end up there, the next goal before anything else is getting yourself to Tokyo. Stick to Shinjuku, Shibuya, Minato, Meguro, Setagaya. This is where cool stuff happens. It's expensive, it's a very high tension high speed lifestyle, but it also offers the most. It's also likely the only standpoint that can unlock the absolute most of Japan for you. (countryside and travelling comes later, when your feet are solid) - Do stuff for free. Seriously. If you meet a really cool professor that might be interested in your research in the school you're teaching at, once your relationship is good enough, get their contact and teach them for free. It comes back. 1000x. Don't do it for the gains. Do it because it's super rewarding to make friends and deep connections. A lot of foreigners complain Japanese never let them in their 'inner circle' - you need to first open yourself enough and show them you care deeply. - Be a 'yes' man. If someone invites you to an event (perhaps your client is having some presentation somewhere, or a performance) - go there. If you get invited to drink with your coworkers - go there. If you get invited to something REALLY REALLY boring - GO THERE! From my experience in Japan after several years, I NEVER regretted going out A SINGLE TIME out of countless times when I debated whether I should or not. Never say no. (for people interested in being an English teacher forever - but want more money, more free time, and more reputation) - Steal clients - in expensive eikaiwas clients pay 7000-9000yen per lesson with you. The company will give you 1500-2000 and take the rest. Build a good rapport, and then steal them. Offer them a longer, more customized lesson for 5000. Win-win for both. And no suits or boring rules. - Work towards getting yourself in an international school - these places often pay better, 250k-400k (pre taxes) and are considered decent (often giving you a real contract). - If you have a master degree - get some education credentials, push some papers and go teach English in a uni - same as above, much better - Find clients through friends you already made - chances are if you are helping a friend out with English, they will recommend you. At some point I had over 15 people reaching out to me for lessons from just one person (I taught for free). I still teach some of them for free when I got time. - Be in the right place at the right time. (this is closely related to my point about being in the big Tokyo hubs) - If you hang around areas where successful people gather, there's a greater chance you'll find high level clients. Getting just a few of those would be enough for you to have tons of free time cuz 20 lessons a month would cover your livelyhood. (compare that to the 150+ you'd have to grind out in the eikaiwa) ---------- Finally - observation about the future of teaching: 1) Teaching will not be here for a long time. There's too many teachers, and ChatGPT powered apps and AI teachers are becoming better and better. By next year, we'll have fully animated deepfake teachers that can completely replace human teachers with perfect knowledge of grammar and every single word. 2) It is likely that eikaiwa schools will stay the longest - a lot of clients just come to chat with a foreigner. They don't care about studying. Companionship is something that Japanese people definitely lack - and you'll often find yourself flirting with lonely people, becoming their therapist or something similar. 3) Japanese are still very behind English ability (compared to rest of Asia), however they are getting better. While the demand for teaching soared again after tourists came back, it's reaching a plateau and is slowly declining. Younger folks in Japan also tend to know English better - they would only take English lessons to talk to foreigners. 4) There are more and more English conversation cafes, language exchange meetups and similar events. This is both good for you and bad. The bad part is that there's less demand for you as a teacher. The good thing is - as a teacher, you can go there and fish for clients, or simply meet friends. Thank you for reading. Good luck in Japan!

Your videos are useful to get more information about Japan in English 🙏🏻

Very nice interview!! I like it very much, thank you

Very informative I’m definitely interested!

My former English teacher during Junior High School is already teaching English there in Japan, and she settled there together with her husband. She said that her students were very kind and comparing the school resources, Japan is way way ahead compared to what's being provided in the schools here. Love the interviews, Takashi san, especially the second lady! Keep up the good work.

Omg another collab of my favorite Japan content creators!! Patrick-sensei!

LOL the interview with the Itallian girl reminded me of when I first arrived in Japan, there was already basket of grapes in my fridge when I got there. A present from one of my students before she even met me.

The thought of becoming an English teacher in Japan has never actually crossed my mind and I'm not sure why this video showed up in my feed but I enjoyed the entire video! thanks man

To kind of talk about what Patrick said about teachers in Japan not always taking their job seriously and doing the bare minimum, my companies did the following: -Intimidate us into not using our paid days when we had them, and when we did take them, they would come to your house/apartment or call you non-stop all day asking you to come in anyways. They would even make us fill out "request forms" when legally, we can take the day whether they approve it or not. Even if it is in contradiction to the contract we signed, the country law would supersede any sort of agreement. -They would violate their own contracts. Trying to make us pay for things they were to take responsibility for. Or make us take up extra responsibilities we were not qualified for, sometimes legally, and were not stated in the contracts. -They would purposefully split schools up among ALTS so that way all alts would be put in a situation where they would need to then rent a car from the company, btw that car is going to cost over 10% of your monthly salary, not counting gas or repairs. Also, you are not going to get paid unless you are at the school so if it is summer break, enjoy that extra expense! -Both companies I worked for in Japan actually did NOT pay the listed wage upon sign-up. You will never see that full wage because almost all ALT companies pay per workday, meaning no pay on holidays too, and then the wage they present is a "estimate" or projection you will never reach. Sometimes your wage is even split up into performance bonuses, which is actually not attainable, and is not mentioned pre-contract signing for either companies I was with. -Then they have "deductions" on top of that wage that are always present from the company which is another trick they use to lower the amount they give to you. They partially pay processing staff, and deduct misc. fees directly from your paycheck. When it was all said and done, I signed for 220,000-250,000 a month and NEVER saw above 180,000-190,00 a month with either company. Also those were my best months, my average monthly pay was probably around 100,000-130,000 due to holidays. -I had a tumor and had to get it removed and the company asked me what I was planning on doing to not have to take time off for the hospital next year. Like I get tumors and go to the hospital for surgery for fun. *** I think if you are working for an ALT for a company like this. YOU are doing a disservice if you do not f*ck them back. If I am being lied to and mistreated then I am sure as hell going to pay that back. You know they get on average 4,000 to 9,000 a class you teach? Yeah, they give you the crumbs and sit around all day and nothing while you fulfil the contracts and make their money.

20-years-English-teaching-in-Japan veteran here! 😆 First, I just want to say that Takashi did a great job at selecting interviewees for this one. Interesting people and good information! I’ll just add my bit about one type of English teacher that didn’t come up here - the ALT. Assistant Language Teachers basically come in three types: those working for a national or regional program like JET; those working through a dispatch company; or those hired directly by a municipal Board of Education. I’m not gonna get into details about the different types right now, but since the JET gig is the most sought-after, I will list some pros and cons of that one here. PROS: comparatively easy work load for reasonable pay. Opportunities to immerse oneself in Japanese culture by becoming a member of the school and surrounding community. Ample paid-vacation days. CONS: every situation is different. You may end up working six classes in a row with hyperactive elementary school students; or, you may end up sidelined as a “human tape recorder“ in the classroom and spend a lot of time sitting in the staff room with nothing to do. And finally, no matter how many years you do this job there is (in *most* cases) no chance for promotion or pay-raise. And FINALLY, I’d like to say that I’m pretty sure Takashi has a crush on the second interviewee. (But I could be wrong. 😆)

I am not a native English speaker either, even though I lived in the UK for 20 years. I have also recently gotten certified as a TEFL teacher, but want to try and explore the route like the last interviewee in the video. I find that doing my own thing is always best, I do not see myself going to work 24/7, it just sounds like a living nightmare and you're gonna be basically trapped most of the time.

Wow the Italian teacher's smile just glows

I find JAPAN so very interesting. I have never been there but I watch many videos including yours. It just seems more peaceful to me. I would love to learn a little bit of the language and travel there someday I think that would be a dream come true. Thank you for very very interesting videos. I wish you well.

I love your interviews. Keep up the good work!!!

I feel like I've seen this girl in clips forever and now I've FINALLY come across the actual video that she's from.

I'm an American living in N Italy, and would have *NEVER* pegged her as being an Italian. Her whole vibe is SoCal. Nothing like the Italians I know (whether they be from South or North). Her American accent is excellent with just the slightest hints of being off. It's great to see people who can break my expectations.

First guy had such a great attitude. I hope he isn't getting overworked though.

I loved when the first guy he interviewed tried speaking in Japanese and couldn’t so started laughing instead. That was cute and funny. I laughed cause it’s so relatable hahaha