The short answer is a resounding YES, but there is more to it than that. You can get a job without needing Japanese, but if you have already decided (or heard from others on reddit or Facebook groups) that you can only be an English teacher in Japan without speaking the language, you'd be dead wrong.
Can I Really Work in Japan Without Knowing Any Japanese? The short answer is yes, but it's not that simple. You can get a job without needing Japanese, and that job doesn't have to be only an English teacher. You have more limited options, and they depend largely on your skills and the current job market trend.
So, can you travel in Japan without speaking Japanese? Sure you can. In big cities and at major landmarks and popular tourist sights, you'll be just fine most of the time. Of course, once you get off the beaten path a bit, things will get a little more challenging.
Working, living, and traveling in Japan without speaking Japanese is feasible, and there are countless examples of foreigners doing so. Having said that, learning Japanese will put you at an exceptional advantage in both your professional life and daily life.
Working and living in Japan can be a rewarding experience. Still, it's not always easy to find the best jobs in Japan for foreigners, mainly since their requirements and culture differ significantly from other countries.
In general, we only make around 70% of the average salary in Japan. The average salary for a regular foreign worker is around 2.5 million yen/22,600 USD. This is because a large number of foreigners are working in the service or education sector, where the pay is relatively low compared to other industries.
Language requirements
As it's mainly just multinational businesses that advertise English-speaking jobs in Japan, to work for a traditional Japanese company, you'll likely need to demonstrate fluency in Japanese in order to be offered a job. Learning the language will also help with embracing the Japanese culture.
However, many experts believe it takes between 4 to 6 months of dedicated study to reach a beginner level. On the other hand, you can expect to spend at least 3 years studying to become fluent in Japanese with near-native level accuracy.
In a nutshell… Yes. Any language is going to take time and effort to learn, and Japanese in particular presents more challenges to a native English speaker than many other languages. However, as you've seen in this article, even the “hardest” aspects of Japanese are much simpler than they might initially seem.
You don't need to speak Japanese to teach English in Japan. Your classroom will be held entirely in English to fully immerse your students. However, you can learn Japanese if you wish, and many schools offer free Japanese lessons for teachers. I first discovered International TEFL Academy in January 2014.
Is Japan good for solo travel? Solo travel in Japan is safe and it's easy to get around thanks to the country's excellent transport links. It's also a place where being alone is celebrated. In some countries, you may feel out of place if you go out to eat or drink solo, but not in Japan.
If you're curious about how Japanese people feel about foreigners, the answer is that it depends. Generally speaking, most Japanese people are welcoming and friendly toward foreign visitors, but there can be cultural differences in interaction styles or expectations of behavior.
"Permanent Resident", "Spouse or Child of Japanese National", "Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident" and "Long term Resident". Foreigners having one of the above residential status are completely free to engage in any type of activities in Japan. They are free to do any type of job and also to change it if they wish.
Students of Japanese who actively study for a few hours per day are typically ready to attempt the advanced-level Japanese tests (like the JLPT N2—that's Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 2) after about two and a half or three years.
How Long Does it Take to Learn Japanese on Average? With consistent studying and speaking, for about 30 minutes to an hour a day, you could speak at a conversational level in Japanese in about 3 months.
For starters, Japanese has three writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Kanji includes over 50,000 different characters, however, you only need to know about 2,000 of them to be considered fluent. You also only need to know about 5,000 Japanese vocabulary words to be considered fluent as well.
Approximately it will take 88 weeks, or 2200 hours of studying, to become fluent. But this article shows tips and tools to expedite and make the process easier. This article is a part of our extensive series of articles on Self-studying Japanese.
FAQs. Which language is easier to learn– Korean or Japanese? Korean is considered to be much easier than Japanese. There are more letters in the Japanese alphabet than in Korean. Japanese also contains more complicated Chinese characters and difficult grammar.
"Craftsman, mining, manufacturing and construction workers and laborers" was the largest group, 19.31 million persons or 30.1% out of the total employed persons aged 15 and over in Japan. "Clerical and related workers" was the 2nd, 12.12 mil. or 18.9%. "Sales workers" was the 3rd, 9.5 mil. or 14.8%.
English teachers in Japan generally earn a salary of around $1,700-$5,000 USD a month depending on the position and years of experience. The cost of living in Japan ranges from $780-$1,240 USD a month. Tokyo, Minato, and Shibuya are the priciest!
Japanese work culture is known as exhausting and unhealthy, but things are changing. Japan's work culture is evolving — employees are working shorter hours and are encouraged to take vacations. As an employee in Japan, you only need one good company to create a great life for yourself.