Recruitment plan for English teachers at international schools in Japan
In recent years, with the deepening implementation of the Japanese government's "English Teaching Reform Act", the demand for high-level English teachers in public elementary and secondary schools and international schools has increased sharply. According to data from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, by 2023, the shortage of foreign English teachers in the country has reached 2,300, especially in international cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Yokohama, where teachers with cross-cultural communication skills and CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) experience are particularly scarce.
Job Responsibilities
Core Teaching Tasks
•Teach English language courses from upper elementary school (Grade 5-6) to high school (Grade 10-12), with an average of about 1,800 hours of class time per year;
•Design and implement interdisciplinary thematic courses (such as "English Interpretation of Japanese Traditional Festivals" and "English Project on Science and Technology and Environmental Protection");
•Customize personalized tutoring plans for students' JLPT/TOEIC/Eiken and other exam needs.
Course Innovation and Collaboration
•Develop an English teaching resource library that incorporates Japanese cultural elements such as animation, tea ceremony, and robots;
•Participate in at least 2 interdisciplinary teaching and research activities each semester (such as cooperating with the history/science group to develop bilingual PBL courses);
•Assist the school in preparing for the annual "International Cultural Festival" and "English Speech Contest" and other activities.
Student Development Support
•Serve as a tutor for student English clubs (such as debate clubs and drama clubs), and hold 1 activity per week;
•Provide after-school language tutoring for students in need (no more than 5 hours per week).
Job requirements and working hours
•Educational qualifications: Bachelor degree or above, English, education, TESOL related majors are preferred;
•Holding TESOL/TEFL certificate (official certification number must be provided), CELTA holders are preferred;
•Japanese language proficiency N4 and above (not mandatory, but must promise to pass N3 test within 6 months after joining the company).
Experience requirements - At least 3 years of English teaching experience, teaching experience in international schools or Asian countries is preferred;
•Familiar with differentiated teaching methods, able to meet the needs of students with different language levels.
Working hours - Semester system: April-March of the following year, 5 days a week (Monday to Friday);
•Flexible class schedule: morning class 8:30-15:30 / afternoon class 10:00-17:00;
•Winter and summer vacations are implemented according to the unified regulations of Japanese public schools.
Salary and Benefits System
Basic salary:
•Annual salary 3 million+ yen (including year-end performance bonus, about 1 month's salary)
•New teachers will receive an additional 300,000 yen relocation subsidy and 6 months housing allowance (up to 150,000 yen per month).
Special benefits:
•Career Development Fund: 100,000 yen per year for curriculum development or overseas training;
•Cultural adaptation support: participation in cultural courses such as tea ceremony and business Japanese;
•Medical insurance: full national health insurance subsidy + private hospital discount package;
•Family care: spouses can apply for accompanying study visas, and children can enjoy a 50% tuition reduction when enrolled in this school.
Application process
Submission of materials
•Chinese and English resumes (must be accompanied by teaching achievement cases, such as student performance improvement data);
•15-minute teaching video (topic of your choice, classroom interaction skills must be demonstrated);
•Japanese language proficiency certificate or letter of commitment (those who do not meet the standard must sign a training agreement).
Screening and interview
•Preliminary screening: evaluate teaching experience and cultural adaptability (about 10 working days);
•Video interview: examine classroom adaptability and cross-cultural communication skills;
•Offline trial teaching: 2 hours of on-site teaching at the Tokyo headquarters (accommodation and transportation provided).
Recruitment process
•Sign a 2-year employment contract and enjoy all the rights and interests stipulated by Japanese labor laws;
•Complete 40 hours of localization training before joining the company (including Japanese education laws and regulations, campus etiquette, etc.).
Career Development Channels
•Vertical promotion: teacher → subject group leader → academic director → branch school president (fastest promotion cycle is 2 years);
•Horizontal expansion: you can apply for transfer to core departments such as curriculum development department and international exchange project department;
•Academic support: priority participation in regional textbook writing projects jointly developed by Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press.
Outlook Summary
Join our team and you will become a key promoter of the internationalization of Japanese education:
•Cultural bridge role: Your classroom will become a window for Japanese students to understand the world, while helping international students to deeply integrate into the local culture;
•Innovation and practice platform: The school invests 8% of its annual revenue in teaching technology upgrades, and you will be the first to experience the AI-assisted teaching system;
•Lifelong growth community: Join the global AP Global Education Group Teacher Alliance and exchange experiences with education elites from 30+ countries.
Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare official website