Assistant Language Teaching
Public elementary, junior high and senior high schools nationwide. No Japanese required.
ALT programme
Japan
Teaching, hospitality and tourism in Japan
Our Japan desk is best known for the ALT programme, which places Assistant Language Teachers in public schools nationwide. We also recruit for education, hospitality and tourism employers.
46
Partner school boards
Apr & Sep
Intake dates
CoE
Visa route
4–6 mo
Typical timeline
Bilingual
Regional coordinators
Overview
Recruiting in Japan
Japan is the most structured of our three markets. Almost everything runs through the Certificate of Eligibility, a document obtained in Japan by the employer before you apply for the visa at your nearest embassy.
The Assistant Language Teacher programme is the largest part of our Japan work: forty-six partner school boards, two intakes a year, and a package that includes a furnished apartment and pre-service training. It has its own detailed page.
Outside teaching we place English-speaking staff into hotels, tour operations and international schools, mostly in Kyoto, Sapporo, Osaka and Okinawa. Conversational Japanese is usually expected for those roles, unlike ALT work.
- 46 partner school boards across the country
- Apartment arranged before you fly, not after you land
- Certificate of Eligibility handled by the employer in Japan
- Bilingual regional coordinators and a 24-hour emergency line
Industries
Where we place people in Japan
These are the sectors where we hold live employer relationships. If your trade is not listed, ask — we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
Education
International schools, private language schools and university English programmes.
Hospitality
Hotel front office, guest relations and food and beverage roles in tourist centres.
Tourism
Tour coordination, inbound travel operations and English-language guiding.
Corporate English
In-house business English training for Japanese companies.
Translation & support
Bilingual administrative and coordination roles, for those with JLPT N2 or above.
Visa Route
The Certificate of Eligibility process
Four to six months is normal. The Certificate of Eligibility is the long step and it sits with the immigration bureau in Japan.
Application & interview
Apply, then a screening call and a short demo lesson for teaching roles.
Placement offer
Prefecture, city, school type or employer confirmed before you accept.
Document collection
Degree certificate, criminal record check, passport and photographs.
Certificate of Eligibility
The employer files in Japan; this typically takes one to three months.
Visa issue
You take the Certificate to your nearest Japanese embassy or consulate.
Arrival & training
Five-day pre-service course, apartment handover, then your first day at school.
Life in Japan
Regional placements, and why that is good news
Most of our placements are in regional cities and towns rather than central Tokyo. Rent is lower, the welcome is warmer, and you become part of a community rather than one more commuter.
Rent after subsidy typically runs ¥20,000–¥45,000 a month. Trains are superb, healthcare is excellent and inexpensive under the national insurance scheme, and school holidays in summer and winter are long enough for genuine travel around Asia.
- Furnished apartment with subsidised rent, arranged before arrival
- National health insurance and pension enrolment
- Paid leave plus Japanese national holidays and school breaks
- A teacher network and bilingual coordinator in your prefecture
Questions
Frequently asked
Not for ALT roles — lessons are in English and you teach alongside a Japanese teacher. For hospitality, tourism and corporate roles, conversational Japanese is usually expected, and bilingual administrative roles generally require JLPT N2 or above.
A document the employer obtains from the immigration bureau in Japan confirming you qualify for the status of residence. You then take it to a Japanese embassy or consulate to have the visa issued. It usually takes one to three months and is the main reason the process runs four to six months overall.
Not on the Instructor or Specialist in Humanities routes, which require a bachelor's degree in any subject. There are other statuses of residence with different requirements, but they are outside what we recruit for.
Occasionally, but most are regional — and that is deliberate. Regional placements have lower living costs, more community support and, in our experience, far better first-year outcomes.
Thinking about Japan?
Send your CV for an honest read on your chances, or send us a brief if you are hiring there.