Teach English in Japan
The JET Programme is the famous route in — but it’s also brutally competitive and runs on a once-a-year cycle. Here’s JET versus the private ALT and eikaiwa routes that hire year-round.
JET Programme — and the faster private-sector alternative
The JET Programme (Japan Exchange and Teaching) is implemented by CLAIR (the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations) with Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Internal Affairs, placing participants directly with local boards of education. It runs on a strict annual cycle: for a 2026 departure, applications opened in late September 2025 and closed mid-November 2025, with results in April 2026 — meaning if you're reading this now, you're likely looking at applying in Fall 2026 for a 2027 start. JET is genuinely competitive, with acceptance rates commonly cited around 1-in-4 to 1-in-6 depending on your country and year.
Salary starts around ¥4.02 million a year (roughly ¥335,000/month) and rises to about ¥4.32 million by year four or five. If a year's wait doesn't suit you, the realistic alternative is a private ALT dispatch company like Interac (Japan's largest, hiring year-round) or Heart Corporation, which places teachers with schools directly rather than through the JET application window.
- Bachelor's degree (or completed by your arrival date), or a 3+ year teaching certificate
- Must hold citizenship — not just residency — of a participating country
- Strong, clear English pronunciation and fluency
- No TEFL/TESOL requirement, though language-teaching qualifications strengthen an application
- A clean criminal record
What you can expect to earn
Outside JET, most teaching jobs in Japan fall into two camps: eikaiwa (private conversation schools like AEON, ECC, NOVA and GABA) and ALT dispatch roles through companies like Interac. Unlike Korea, free housing is rare here — you'll typically get a housing allowance at best, so Tokyo rent (often ¥60,000–100,000+ a month) eats a larger share of take-home pay than an equivalent salary would in Seoul.
| Employer type | Local currency | Approx. GBP |
|---|---|---|
| JET Programme (year 1) | ¥335,000/mo | £1,540 |
| Eikaiwa (AEON, fixed) | ¥275,000/mo | £1,265 |
| ALT dispatch (Interac) | ¥200,000–250,000/mo | £920–£1,150 |
Where to find real openings
Which TEFL Global course fits?
JET doesn't require a TEFL certificate, but a recognized one strengthens an application and is genuinely useful once you're in the classroom. For eikaiwa and ALT-dispatch roles, our Level 3, 120-Hour Course (£169.50) covers what most employers expect; if you want the extra classroom-management depth JET interviewers respond well to, the Level 4, 150-Hour Course (£198.00) goes further.
Researched July 2026 from official program pages and named recruiters where cited above. Government programs, visa rules and salary bands change — always confirm current details on the official site before applying.
FAQs about teaching in Japan
Very — acceptance rates are commonly cited around 1-in-4 to 1-in-6 depending on your country and the year, and it runs on a single annual application cycle with roughly a year’s lead time before you’d start.
No, it isn’t a formal requirement, though the eligibility criteria note that language-teaching qualifications are taken into account. It’s far more relevant for eikaiwa and ALT-dispatch employers.
JET places you directly via CLAIR and local boards of education on a fixed annual cycle with year-one pay around ¥335,000/month. Dispatch companies like Interac hire year-round for similar ALT classroom-assistant roles, usually at somewhat lower pay, but without JET’s single once-a-year application window.