Teach in Japan
7 agencies in this directory say they recruit teachers for schools in Japan, including Footprints Recruiting, m2r Education and Randstad Education (teachanywhere).
Recruitment agency
Says it places teachers, professors and trainers in international schools, universities and training academies in 36+ countries
Job board
Job board and school directory for teaching jobs abroad (claims 600+ schools in 150+ countries in its directory)
Recruitment agency · Wakefield, United Kingdom
Offers teacher recruitment in the UK and overseas, including international schools
Recruitment agency · United Kingdom
Matches teachers with roles in schools around the world; says it has helped more than 8,000 teachers into jobs since 2004
Recruitment agency
Describes itself as a specialist in international education recruitment with a teacher-matching service and job board
Search firm / recruitment fairs · Cape Town, South Africa
Established 2007; runs recruitment fairs and a recruitment/events department for institutions in the Gulf and Asia
Recruitment agency · Vancouver, Canada
Says it has placed over 10,000 teachers since 2001, across Asia, the Middle East and beyond
Japan has a specific residence status for school teaching, and which one applies depends on how your employer is classified. GOV.UK states that it is illegal to work in Japan without the correct visa, no matter how informal or temporary the work.
This page uses the Immigration Services Agency's description of the Education status, the accreditation process Japan's NIC describes for foreign international school bodies, and GOV.UK's entry rules.
The Immigration Services Agency says this status covers teaching languages or other subjects at elementary, junior high and high schools, compulsory education schools, special needs schools, vocational schools, miscellaneous schools (kakushu gakko) or institutions equivalent to them. The page gives language teachers at junior and senior high schools as an example.
Available periods of stay are 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months. For language teaching the page says you must show 12 years of education in that language; for other subjects it asks for five years of relevant teaching experience.
How a school is classified affects which status can apply, and recognition of its accreditation is a separate matter. NIC-Japan explains that an accreditation body wishing to be recognised by the Ministry of Education (MEXT) must contact the Ministry, which investigates and then revises its public notice. Recognition therefore sits with MEXT and varies by body.
I could not confirm from official text which status a given international school teacher is sponsored under. Ask the school which status it will apply for, and check the answer with the Immigration Services Agency.
GOV.UK says you can get a visa on arrival for tourism or business for up to 90 days and apply at an immigration office for another 90 days. That permission does not cover employment.
Japan · IB
Japan · IB
Japan · IB
Japan · IB
Japan · IB
Japan · IB
Japan · IB
Japan · IB
Japan · IB
Japan · IB
Japan · IB
Japan · IB
These agencies say they recruit worldwide without naming Japan specifically: FlyTeachers, Perrett Laver (Global Schools Practice), Teacher Recruit, Anthony Millard Consulting, ANZUK Education, Atlas Teachers, Edvectus, International Schools Services (ISS), RSAcademics, Schrole, Search Associates, Teach Away, Teacher Horizons, Teaching Abroad Direct, Tes (international jobs), TIC Recruitment, TIE Online (The International Educator), TrueTeaching, WISHlistjobs, Spencer Group, Jackson Hayes Recruitment, RG175.
The Immigration Services Agency lists the Education status for teaching at schools including elementary, junior high, high and miscellaneous schools. Confirm the exact status with your employer.
The ISA page does not mention a Japanese requirement. For language teaching it asks for 12 years of education in the language taught.
No. GOV.UK says it is illegal to work without the correct visa however informal or temporary the work is.
NIC-Japan says the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology investigates a body and revises its public notice to add it.