Want a career that allows you to earn a great living as you explore a unique, vibrant culture? Teaching English in Japan is a rewarding experience—not just for you, but also for your students. The country’s packed with cities and towns that people around the world dream of living and working in. And, in these towns, there are Japanese citizens eager to learn how to speak English.
So, where’s the best place to teach English in Japan? There are several great options—read on to get to know the best of them.
1. Tokyo
Japan’s largest city—and the largest metropolitan area in the world—Tokyo is a city that has it all. Tokyo is a great place to teach English, with plenty of TEFL jobs available that pay well enough for you to enjoy life in the big city. There are also plenty of perks to teaching in Tokyo. Public transportation is safe, simple and efficient; there are tons of attractions to see and the culinary options are out of this world.
When it comes to teaching English in Tokyo, there’s no shortage of high-paying jobs—whether you want to teach kids in a public school-setting or instruct adults at a conversational school. It’s also where you’ll find the most reputable schools, including AEON, GABA and the American School in Japan. There’s also plenty of opportunity to earn some extra cash tutoring. You’ll enjoy the highest pay in Tokyo; however, it’s often counterbalanced by the cost of living in the big city.
One of the biggest benefits of teaching English in Tokyo is the broad scope of lifestyles you have the potential to reach. Young students beginning their English language lessons. Teenagers and young adults seeking to become bilingual. Business professionals who want to grow their skills. There’s an opportunity to make an impact on someone’s life, no matter what level you teach!
Tokyo teaching pros and cons
PRO: Lots of job opportunities to satisfy strong demand for English lessons.
PRO: Better rates of pay than in other cities, with competitive wages.
CON: The cost of living in the city often offsets wages, and competition is higher.
Osaka is brimming with life and has an element of raw, grittiness you won’t find anywhere else in Japan. Osaka’s a major economic hub, so it makes sense that there are plenty of job opportunities for English teachers. From teaching kids to university students, you’re sure to find a position that matches your skills and goals. Osaka is also a heavily-recruited-into city for foreign English teachers, so you’ll have more breadth of opportunity when it comes to the setting you want to teach in.
What kind of jobs are available for English teachers in Osaka? You’ll find similar opportunities to those in Tokyo—with the pay to match. And, because the cost of living is more moderate compared to Tokyo, you’ll get the perks of an urban lifestyle without breaking the bank. Competition for jobs in Osaka is fierce, though, so make sure you’ve got a strong resume before you apply.
Osaka also offers some unique opportunities for those who want to try and strike out on their own as tutors or freelance teachers. The city is known for being very active around the clock, which makes it conducive to any teaching schedule: morning, noon or night. It’s easy to teach a morning class, lead an afternoon tutoring session and end the day teaching night classes to business professionals—all of which adds up to a lucrative day’s work.
Osaka teaching pros and cons
PRO: Recruiters actively seek native English speakers and expats to serve as teachers.
PRO: Pay rates are competitive and the cost of living is lower than a city like Tokyo.
CON: Competition for positions is high due to the large expat presence.
Tranquil and steeped in tradition, Kyoto is one of Japan’s most famous tourist attractions—and it’s a great place to earn a living teaching English. The city’s filled with traditional homes and temples, along with plenty of natural beauty like cherry blossom trees and Zen gardens. It’s hard to find a more fulfilling place to teach English in Japan than Kyoto, and there’s no shortage of well-paying jobs available for eager, qualified jobseekers.
Kyoto is much smaller than cities like Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka; however, it has a surprising number of teaching opportunities for expats. For starters, roughly 1/3 of the population in Kyoto is under age 30: a group that’s eager to learn English as both a professional skill and a cultural interest. Kyoto is also home to numerous private and conversation schools, where teachers will enjoy smaller class sizes. Between these perks, pay tends to be fairly balanced—not as much as you’d earn in bigger cities, but definitely enough to live comfortably in Kyoto.
The biggest obstacle teachers will face if they decide to pursue work in Kyoto is a higher barrier to entry than in other cities in Japan. Kyoto is known for placing higher demands on its teachers (and students), which means you might need more on your résumé to qualify for a position than in other areas. If you’re up to the challenge and ready to impress, Kyoto is ready to hire!
Kyoto teaching pros and cons
PRO: Kyoto is an absolutely beautiful and serene place to live and work.
PRO: There’s a large portion of the population eager to take English lessons.
CON: Standards for teaching might be higher in Kyoto than in other Japanese cities.
Looking for a sunny spot to earn a living teaching English in Japan? You can’t go wrong when you settle down in Okinawa: Japan’s southern city with a distinctive “beachy” vibe. While you won’t find the same teaching opportunities as you would in Tokyo or Osaka, there are great jobs to be had on the island—especially in junior and senior high schools. If unparalleled scenery and a laid-back lifestyle sound appealing, Okinawa could be the right place for you.
Keep in mind, teaching in Okinawa offers a much different experience compared to teaching on the mainland. The Okinawa culture is unique, and so are the job opportunities. Most English teachers in Okinawa work as ALTs in schools, and most islanders don’t have the income to pay for private English lessons. Since the cost of living in Okinawa is lower than other areas of Japan, you’ll still be able to make a great living on this dynamic, sunny island.
Osaka is another city with a huge expat community, and that can be both a positive and a negative. Expats are great resources for finding teaching opportunities, especially as you’re getting started and laying down roots. That said, you might also find yourself in competition for teaching positions with other native speakers who have more experience with the culture than you do. Nevertheless, Osaka is a great place to kick off your teaching career.
Okinawa teaching pros and cons
PRO: The cost of living in Okinawa is lower than bustling urban cities.
PRO: A strong expat community is a great resource for finding teaching jobs.
CON: There are fewer job opportunities due to the restrictions of island living.
If you don’t mind cold, snowy winters, Sapporo is a great place for expats to put down roots and teach English. With a population of nearly two million, it should come as no surprise that there’s plenty of opportunity for English teachers looking for work here. And with a relatively low cost of living, your money goes further, and you’ll be able to enjoy all the unique sights and experiences the area has to offer.
There are all types of English teaching positions in Sapporo, whether you want to teach kids, university students or adults. From small conversational schools to universities, you’ll make a great living teaching the people of Sapporo. Many teachers use it as a stepping stone to higher-paying jobs in Tokyo or Osaka—it’s a great place to build a foundational career teaching English in Japan.
If you’re just starting out, teaching in Sapporo can present something of a culture shock, as it’s considered an “authentic” Japanese city. That is to say, you’ll want to have a firm grasp of conversational Japanese and be comfortable with cultural customs. While this isn’t to say that transplants aren’t welcome in Sapporo, the adjustment can be more significant than if you were to teach in a city like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka or Yokohama.
Sapporo teaching pros and cons
PRO: A low cost of living makes it easy to cover expenses as a teacher in Sapporo.
PRO: Plenty of entry-level positions provide a great path toward better teaching jobs.
CON: Sapporo can present more of a cultural adjustment for new English teachers.
Located in Kyushu Prefecture, Fukuoka is a city roughly the size of Sapporo, and it’s a comfortable place for expats to live. The region is very foreigner-friendly and open to international lifestyles, and they’re more than ready to welcome foreign English teachers. In fact, you’ll find a surprising number of teaching jobs available in Fukuoka, whether you want to teach children or adults.
Part of Fukuoka’s draw is the strong Western community that’s active and visible in the city. You’ll have no trouble settling in and making yourself at home among other expats; however, keep in mind that this also means competition for English teaching jobs in this city tends to be higher. As is the case in Sapporo, many new teachers begin their careers in Fukuoka as a way to gain experience.
Fukuoka is also a city on the rise, growing annually. Tourism is a major industry for the city, which means native English speakers are welcome sources of education—not just about the language, but also Western culture. Tutoring is popular here, and you can make a good living on a flexible schedule by providing language and cultural guidance to eager learners.
Fukuoka teaching pros and cons
PRO: Fukuoka is a very Western- and English-friendly city compared to others.
PRO: There are lots of different job opportunities and an eager population of leaners.
CON: Pay isn’t as good as in other cities, and many positions are part-time.
Japan’s second-largest city by population, Yokohama offers a sea of potential for would-be teachers seeking to demonstrate their English language teaching abilities. Despite its size, Yokohama offers a great mix of bustling urban environments and calm, less-busy areas, giving expats the best of both worlds. You might find yourself teaching classes in the bustling Minato-Mirai district or tutoring adults in the evening in the up-and-coming Kannai neighborhood. Either way, there’s strong demand for English teachers in Yokohama.
Aside from the great juxtaposition of urban and suburban living, Yokohama also offers plenty of other draws for aspiring teachers. For starters, the cost of living is lower than in comparable big cities like Tokyo, and there’s a not as much competition for positions. There is, however, an active expat network in Yokohama, which can make it easier to settle in as a transplant looking for work.
Keep in mind, it’s still considerably more expensive to live near the city center vs. on the outskirts. The other downside is that Yokohama’s population is older than other cities—the average resident is 48 years old, which reduces opportunities for teaching. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of opportunities to teach and tutor in this magnificent city.
Fukuoka teaching pros and cons
PRO: Great juxtaposition of urban and suburban living, for a balanced experience.
PRO: Pay is comparable to the cost of living, with room for a comfortable lifestyle.
CON: Yokohama has an older population, which means less demand for teachers.
While most of Japan’s population is concentrated in and around the country’s big cities, there are countless opportunities for English teachers in Japan’s more rural areas. Many teachers find that serving rural communities can be even more rewarding. Not only are the prices lower in terms of rent, transportation and food, you might even discover a hidden gem of a town.
In rural areas, your presence can have a huge impact. You’re more than just a language teacher—you’re a cultural ambassador with even more potential to change the lives of your students. If you find great opportunities in more-rural prefectures like Toyama or Shizuoka, don’t hesitate to pack your bags and enjoy the unique sights and sounds—not to mention beautiful scenery—of rural Japan.
Keep in mind, however, that rural teaching opportunities often come with some drawbacks. Technology might not be as available or accessible as it is in bigger cities, and students might not be acclimated to using it. Salaries are also likely to be lower because there simply isn’t a lot of wealth in rural economies. And, unless you’re ready to embrace a simpler way of living, you might miss the hustle and bustle of larger commerce hubs.
Weigh the pros and cons of rural living and teaching before you start looking for jobs in these prefectures. If you’re excited to make an impact beyond the city, there’s little doubt you’ll quickly find a job teaching English to willing students.
Teaching English online in Japan
As online learning becomes a norm in education, many Japanese schools have begun to offer English language courses virtually. It’s a great way to reach a wider audience of learners, no matter where you’ve settled in Japan.
To teach online, you’ll likely need CertOT Certification, which is a widely recognized accreditation for teaching English to non-native speakers through virtual channels. Most universities offering online courses will look for this certification as part of their screening process. If you have it and you’re qualified to teach English, you could find yourself in a position to educate people from throughout Japan!
Japanese students are eager to learn English
The market for English is everywhere in Japan—children and adults alike are eager to learn not only the language, but also the cultural customs and traditions of the West. From conversational English, to business English, to a full-blown mastery of the language, there’s demand for educators who can help Japanese citizens achieve the proficiency they seek. If you’re ready to teach, there are schools across the country ready to hire.
From Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama to Fukuoka, Okinawa and Sapporo, no matter where you settle down to teach English in Japan, you’re in for a rewarding experience like no other. Start your job hunt today and look forward to a fulfilling career that truly makes a difference, in a city that makes living and working in Japan everything you dreamed it could be.
