City guide

Teach English in Tokyo, Japan

The biggest eikaiwa market in Japan plus international schools.

Tokyo concentrates the largest share of Japan's ESL hiring. Eikaiwa chains run hundreds of branches across the metro. JET and ALT dispatch positions place teachers in surrounding wards and prefectures. Cost of living is the highest in Japan but pay scales with it.

Neighborhoods

Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Roppongi for the eikaiwa core. Yokohama for a quieter commute. Setagaya and Suginami for family-friendly housing.

Cost of living

120k to 200k JPY per month for a small apartment outside the absolute center.

Best for

Teachers who want the maximum job pool and don't mind paying for it.

Japan at a glance

Salary: JET: 3.36M JPY for first year, scales up year over year. Eikaiwa: 250k to 280k JPY per month. ALT dispatch: 230k to 270k JPY per month. Cost of living outside Tokyo is reasonable.

Visa: Instructor visa or Specialist in Humanities visa. Bachelor's required. Native English speaker preference for most roles. JET requires application by November for the following August start.

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