Wednesday, September 23, 2015

How Much Can You Save as an ALT in Japan?

Dotonbori Street, Osaka
I've been receiving a lot of emails lately asking how much they can earn and save as a Language Teacher in Japan. A safe answer would be, it depends on a lot of things. Are you teaching in school or in language schools or in companies? Are you hired part-time or full-time? Is housing and health insurance part of your benefits or not? Will you be living in big cities, small cities or far-flung areas? If you're living in really rural places, do they have nuclear crisis or none? For transportation, are you going to use a car, the trains, a bicycle or your two feet?

I could go on and on about the many factors or how much you can earn and save as a teacher in Japan.

But let me just share with you my own experience, cause really, that's the best thing I can talk about.

I earn around 200,000 JPY monthly from my work as an ALT.  I could earn more or less depending on the number of school days in each month.

Monday, September 21, 2015

To Be a Filipina in Japan

Beer Museum in Sapporo, Hokkaido
There are numerous posts on how foreigners are treated in Japan. They're usually from the white people, you know the Americans and Europeans. The tall blue-eyed blondes with high noses. And yes, I'm stereotyping because really, that's the concept of ''gaijin'' in Japan. Actually, in this side of Asia, that's the perfect poster image of a ''gaijin.''

So anyway, I'll throw in my share on the blog-o-sphere on how foreigners are treated in Japan. Although I'm Asian and my features can pass as a Japanese, I am a foreigner. And not just a foreigner, but a FILIPINA. I can probably say that the experience of Filipinas in Japan is different from the white, yellow and black ladies outthere. (No racism intended just being literary.)

As a Filipina in Japan, here are the most common assumptions about me. Other Filipinas, I'm sure, can relate too. 

1. I was an entertainer before being a teacher. 

Before the bubble economy hit Japan, Filipinas came to Japan to work as entertainers. There was a massive industry for dancers and singers in Japan. In fact, one of my late uncles was a trainer for dancers who are bound to Japan. Then the economy slowed. Suddenly, the entertainers' wages got lower and so the women had to resort to other entertaining activities. Hence, the term ''entertainer'' got a different connotation. 

Fast forward to now. Most Filipinas in Japan have been an entertainer but now doing other things including teaching English. I was very young when the entertainment industry boomed but some people think that I used the ''entertainer ticket'' before becoming an English teacher.  

Friday, September 18, 2015

When Joining a Bus Tour in Japan

Beer Museum in Sapporo, Hokkaido

I finally get to join a Japanese day tour. I've been meaning to join a tour but didn't see a need until last weekend. There's no special reason why I wanted to join a tour. I just want to experience it. I wanted to go to Furano and Biei in Hokkaido. The only options for me are taking the train for 6 hours or taking the bus tour. So bus tour it is!
If you're considering joining a tour in Japan, consider these 5 things:

1. Don't expect English.

A Japanese tour is a JAPANESE tour. Don't expect the tour guide to be fluent in English. All announcements, reminders and description of the places during the tour are expressed in Japanese. If you're fairly new in Japan with very basic Japanese knowledge, I suggest stalling joining a tour. Some tours offer a recorded multi-lingual guide. But in our case, there was none. 

2. Refer to the tour's English page

If you still want to join a tour and survive the experience, save or print the tour's itinerary. Not the Japanese version but the English one. Use a translator software to help you. Be familiar with your itinerary and times of departure in each place. 
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