Pay
Could be better.

Support
There's a community for anything and everything. You just have to engage and make an effort in being part of them.

Fun
You can find it somewhere. Japan is great for any hobby. If you have none you can find one here.

Facilities
Aging but works, it really depends on the school.

Safety
It's safe. If creeps approach just don't engage. Be vigilant when going to public places.

Overall
So far so good but I hope the pay increases. Everything's getting too expensive these days.

I believe I had a unique start to my journey as an ALT. I moved to Japan immediately after travelling Southeast Asia for 6 months. So, with a rucksack on my back, a Japanese visa acquired in Vietnam, and formal work clothes packed, I readied myself to start work.

While I was traveling, the inevitable questions of the future often came up. Whenever I shared my plan to move to Japan, people were genuinely surprised. It felt like everyone was either traveling around Asia or heading to Australia—so why was my plan so unexpected? Perhaps it was against the norm, but for me, it was a long-held dream. Everyone was so supportive and interested and I have not forgotten those reactions. They push me through on days that the distance from my family feels a little further, or the language barrier presents itself especially intensely. I did it, I made my dream a reality!

I can’t pinpoint the moment I decided I wanted to live and work in Japan, but I do remember around the time I went to university I felt, what I can only describe as, a gut feeling that I should live in Japan. I often flirted with the idea of studying abroad as part of my degree because I love travelling but, it didn’t feel like the right fit for me, I wanted something different. As graduation was looming and the constant stress inducing questions of ‘What’s next?’ came from all angles, I decided it was time to travel- classic. However, before I could go and ‘find myself’, I had to find a job, so I became an English teacher. That job was a catalyst for my applying to teach in Japan. Initially, I imagined staying in Japan for just three months—one full year felt like a huge commitment. But after exploring my options, I realized that at least a year in Japan was exactly what I wanted. I also wanted to backpack through Southeast Asia, and what better time to do it than before moving to Japan?

I had already booked the start of my trip for October, so naturally, the March start date was perfect for me, I just needed to apply for the job! One of the reasons I went with Interac was their flexibility in application dates. Even though I wanted to start in March 2025, I was able to apply for the job a year prior. After successfully completing the interview process, and much celebrating, reality set in that I would need to be incredibly organised to ensure everything would run smoothly.

My main priority and cause of worry was collecting my working visa. This must be done in person, usually in your country of residence, and requires a Certificate of Eligibility (CofE), which is typically provided by the company one to two months before departure. Since I didn’t know which country I’d be in at that time, I was understandably worried. Thankfully, I was in regular contact with Interac, who helped me understand the process thoroughly. Many emails were sent to a myriad of Asian embassies, and I found out that I could collect my visa at the British embassy in either Vietnam or Thailand, as these both allowed citizens of Britain- this was fantastic news! I collected my visa in Vietnam and the process was incredibly efficient- after providing my documents, I received my Japanese working visa in less than a week. Another document I needed to acquire in England, and pre-travelling was my IDP (international drivers permit). This turned out to be the easiest part! I collected my IDP from a PayPoint at a local corner shop in England and was able to choose the date it started, meaning I could choose March 2025 even though it was October 2024. This stayed safely in my backpack whilst I was travelling!

Admin and documents aside, my other logistical concern was how I would transition the contents of my backpack into the contents of an apartment. This was a fun process! In Vietnam, whilst I was waiting for my Visa, I was able to donate a lot of my travelling clothes and went shopping for work clothes. As an ALT, I needed to wear formal work attire; blazer, suit trousers, and shirts- a far cry from sandals, swimwear, and linen trousers, but incredibly easy to obtain and budget friendly. In terms of hardware for my apartment, I bought everything after arriving in Japan. Daiso, amazon, and second-hand stores became my best friends. In addition, other ALT’s who were moving out passed on a lot of their items, which was hugely helpful. I highly recommend considering these options upon arrival rather than trying to pack everything in advance.

With logistics and admin completed, the final hurdle was the mental transition from traveling to working and living in a new country. For me, this was surprisingly smooth. After six months of sharing rooms and bathrooms in hostels, I was more than ready to have my own space in a Leo Palace apartment. In addition, I believe the culture shock was less intense because I had already spent time in several Asian countries, grappled time zones, navigated language barriers, and met lots of wonderful people. Initial training helped me prepare for my new work environment and gave me the opportunity to build meaningful connections with fellow ALTs. Combined with the valuable insights I gained from previous teaching experience and traveling through Southeast Asia, I arrived at my first school feeling confident, well-prepared, and excited to begin.

According to your placement, things could become very lonely. It is important to keep a positive attitude and start learning Japanese as soon as possible. If you do these two things, you`ll start meeting people and having more interactions. Even smaller villages typically have social events and festivals, I highly recommend participating. On this program I have met people in my community, including parents of my students personally thanking me for teaching their children. It is very rewarding!!!

In my time working for Interac, I have had many different experiences. My first year, I worked at a four different elementary schools in one small town. Every school had its own unique personality. One school only had 28 students. The classes were small, but I was able to get to know the teachers and students. Now I work at two junior high schools and I am learning a lot about educating higher level students and how to make activities for them. I was challenging at first, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.

My experience may sound easy but you will never know till you first hand experience it. Unknown journey coz you may never know what tomorrow may brings you. Do your best in each possible ways you can but please know that language barrier is the biggest challenge. Study the language as much as possible. I only have 1 JTE for both my schools and she's really good so my job ia kinda easy but javing difficulty when talking to students since I don't know japanese. I study japanese just now. I hope someone mentioned this to me.

Being an ALT seems to be easy for some teachers because only light work is given. But there was a saying that every situation is different. And this is my stand for this. In my contract I do have 3 schools. These 3 schools have different views and ways of teaching depending on the students they are handling. But overall I can say that teachers are all hardworking and giving all out their best to give the quality of education and making sure that students are the center of learning. That is why this is somehow challenging to break the language barrier in order to meet the goal. I can see that students are trying their best to learn the English Language even on the easiest way they know. So making part of this is somehow a priveldge for me.

From the first step to beyond placement, there has been so much support. The job is fun and working with the company is really great. They support you with so much and are always eager to answer your questions and check in on you.

There are many opportunities for you to grow and learn through the company, they are happy to guide you and often encourage their staff to take a leap and try new things.

I am having a great time, it’s a new adventure and definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

I had eye-opening experiences with Interac's Overseas teaching program. The orientation and support allowed for confidence building in the classroom, and the resources and training helped me grow as a teacher. I loved connecting with other educators, both current and past, and immersing myself in the local culture. Teaching abroad has been both meaningful and inspiring. I will complete the program feeling more confident, adaptable, and fulfilled. I look forward to another year of rewarding growth!