Question for those living in Japan

[wakka]

£50k doesn't seem outrageous for an English teacher at a top tier private school. A mate in Shanghai gets £80k+.

[endo]

My brother's sister-in-law teaches in Luxembourg and is on 70k.

[Jaz]

That’s a great salary; you’ll be fine, especially if you’re not supporting a family by yourself.

My wife and I earn 6m each and we live in Tokyo. We don’t have kids(yet) so we have plenty of money left over after bills for Xboxes and whatnot.

Your housing is taken care of but you’d still be able to enjoy yourself regardless. Even if it’s lower than what you were getting in Singapore, I guess the living costs were also higher over there?

Don’t worry about health insurance and the rest of it. You clearly won’t be an ALT so you won’t have to deal with any tax avoidance nonsense. I’m in IT so I don’t know how proper teaching jobs work here but I expect you’ll have an annual contract or be permanent staff - either way it’ll just come out of your salary like any other regular job.

Welcome to the motherland, Jaz

Thanks mate, appreciate it!

[Yakumo]

You work in HR? Cool! I’m always bending the rules at work so I’d probably drive you mad

lol, I'm cool as long as stuff gets done.

[charlesr]

Sorry to hijack, but is it true loads of Japanese people have KFC on Christmas day? Why?

[Golgo]

Sorry to hijack, but is it true loads of Japanese people have KFC on Christmas day? Why?

It used to be a big thing when it was new just because it was 'exotic' (to the Japanese palate!) but also cheap. My missus used to work in a KFC joint when she was a student and they had to take bookings around Christmas, and people would be turned away if they hadn't booked. The Christmas thing was - I understand - driven by young people and groups who were cool and hip because they were interested in western culture, and therefore what could be more western than KFC + Christmas. I don't think it's a thing nowadays, tbh.

[randombs]

I can confirm it’s still very much a thing here

We haven’t had it for a few years but the last time we did, booking was recommended but not necessary. However, they were only serving the Christmas bucket on Christmas Day, so no chicken burgers, etc.

I decided to grab a bucket on the way home from work and there was barely a queue in front of me. Once I’d got my bucket and turned to leave, the queue behind me had become huge, snaking outside the shop and at least fifty people long!

[Jaz]

He'll still need to do the Nenmatsuchosei (year end tax adjustment) form B at least but that maybe about it.
Still, 7 million for a teaching job sounds way too much. Even university teachers don't get that much.

7 million. Working at an elite private school.

[Jaz]

True, but I’m pretty sure there’ll be someone who can help Jaz fill out his tax paperwork.

As for the salary, it could be a huge scam but perhaps it’s just a good school.

You work in HR? Cool! I’m always bending the rules at work so I’d probably drive you mad

Company takes care of all paperwork. I just sign.

No scam. Its a great school. The owner is a wealthy and somewhat well known Japanese woman. I've spoken with her on Zoom already. As I mentioned I earned more in Singapore, but a little less in Qatar. International school, the very best ones, pay well.

7 million salary, plus annual air tickets home, housing/utilities/internet/meals all included. 16 weeks paid vacation.

[Jaz]

£50k doesn't seem outrageous for an English teacher at a top tier private school. A mate in Shanghai gets £80k+.

In Singapore I was earning 100k pounds so yes, its very possible.

[Asura]

Sorry to hijack, but is it true loads of Japanese people have KFC on Christmas day? Why?

KFC serve roast chickens on Christmas Day, or at least, they used to. Most Japanese people don't have an oven in the house; typically they have one of these:



That's not an oven at the bottom; it's a grill (good for doing fish, though I used to do chicken breasts etc. in mine) and it's nowhere near big enough for roast foods.

I don't actually know why KFC do roast chickens. I mean, why do they have ovens? There's clearly a gap of information here. But it's definitely part of the equation.

[cutmymilk]

I thought the Japanese ate fried chicken on xmas day.

[Mayhem]

Sorry to hijack, but is it true loads of Japanese people have KFC on Christmas day? Why?

The manager of the first Japanese KFC pushed an advetising campaign I believe in 1970 suggesting that KFC would be an excellent meal to have on the 25th in lieu of not celebrating Xmas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KFC_in_Japan . It's rather taken off since.

[teddymeow]

Sorry to hijack, but is it true loads of Japanese people have KFC on Christmas day? Why?

We have KFC on Christmas Eve in our house (in Basingstoke) because we were amused at the thought of the Japanese doing it at Christmas.

Has been a Meow family tradition for almost 10 years now.

Can't wait until tomorrow!!

[teddymeow]

Been a fan of this chap for years. He's been on an NHK TV show called Tokyo Eye a few times and does really interesting videos about all sorts of things in Japan. Livestreams and scripted stuff.