Northern Japan (Honshu)

Northern Japan is often a pleasant surprise to new teachers. For most newcomers, the first image of Japan is usually the congestion and population density of Tokyo. Most Japanese live on only 10% of the land, which leaves approximately 90% of the country full of scenic beauty and surprising enclaves of beauty.
Learn more about Tohoku.

New teachers expect a Southeast Asian climate (hot all year). Japan has four distinct seasons, very similar to Canada. Although the winters can be milder since most cities are in low lying or coastal areas, one should plan for a 'winter' climate. There may be only a little snow in some cities, but 40 kilometres away are mountains, offering great winter activities. The summers are very hot and humid in most areas.

Japan is a very modern country, with all the amenities of home. This also surprises new teachers and sometimes there is initial disappointment that it is NOT 'Discovery Channel Asia'. In reality, it is the best of both worlds. Japan is clean, safe and offers salaries that allow teachers to travel extensively throughout Asia and/or save substantial amounts of money.

Japan has a notorious reputation for being extremely expensive. It is a very expensive country to visit as a tourist. As residents, new teachers quickly find the locations to eat and shop that locals also frequent. Relative to your salary, Japan can be cheaper than the cost of living at home. Once a teacher is earning a salary in yen, rather than converting original currency into yen, the financial paradigm changes substantially.

Our thanks to Tony Caldwell for providing these great pictures.