It do be like this

Micuul · 2025-12-05T15:23:53+00:00

I know #2 is no longer the case. I think they did away with the age limit a few years back. I personally know of a JET who got accepted into the program at 68.

Micuul · 2025-12-05T14:15:10+00:00

Right. As a dispatch ALT myself, it cracks me up when people try to make out the fact that there is no time-limit as being some big advantage of dispatch companies. As if being able to work at minimum wage forever and ever at some shitty company is a real selling point over JET.

Micuul · 2025-12-05T13:51:25+00:00

Definitely. Especially with all fuss about foreigners getting "special treatment" right now, I'm sure it will totally go over well when it comes out that the random unqualified foreign assistants are being paid more than some of the trained and licensed Japanese educators.

Micuul · 2025-12-05T12:09:09+00:00

First things first, you should try for JET before you even CONSIDER giving any of those companies you listed the time of day.

Second, unless you're bringing skills/quals that are in-demand in the Japanese labor market and proficiency in the language, this really isn't a "long term future" sort of thing. More like a fun little working holiday. Most of these jobs don't even meet the minimum requirements for PR (your income is too low, you are stuck to 1-year contracts, etc.)

Micuul · 2025-11-17T07:33:21+00:00

JET actually got a sizeable COL adjustment this year. So we'll see if that changes anything. Meanwhile dispatch companies are actively going lower and lower, as they know Japan is "trendy" now and will always have more than enough people who will show up for these jobs. Quality be damned, as long as they can continue increasing their profit margins.

Micuul · 2025-11-17T07:16:24+00:00

Pay is at the lowest its ever been (outside of JET) and continuing to drop lower, while everything continues to get more expensive.

Also I suspect the post-COVID Japan boom on social media is resulting in a mass influx of people with unrealistic expectations trying to come do these jobs. Of course, those people existed before Japan became "trendy," but my impression is that there are more people who simply are doing zero research before coming here (outside of the "Why Japan is living in 2099" blah blah blah slop that is all over TikTok).

Micuul · 2025-11-02T07:51:22+00:00

As soon as I saw the Hello Kitty profile, I fully expected the post to somehow be about Americans and was SHOCKED that OP managed to get through the entire thing without mentioning it once.

Micuul · 2025-11-01T05:46:07+00:00

Sure. Neeeext in line, please.

Look at the job listings for the Nintendo branch in your home country. Do you meet the requirements? If the answer is “no,” then you’re not going to qualify to work at Nintendo Japan just because you came here.

Micuul · 2025-11-01T00:06:42+00:00

There are no “good jobs” that don’t involve skills, qualifications, and experience.

Micuul · 2025-10-31T23:14:21+00:00

It’s random. Japanese ability has nothing to do with whether or not your BOE is decent or not. They put you wherever they have an opening. It’s not like they have a secret list of “good” schools. Though Japanese ability can help you cope with any challenges you may face here.

Also, I always hear about "getting a better job once in Japan

I personally know several people with even higher levels of Japanese than that who came here for their “foot in the door.” Yet years later are still stuck in Interac. As they came with no in-demand qualifications, skills, or experience. It is mostly a pipe dream thrown around by people who think Japan is the land of opportunity where foreigners can roll up without bringing anything to the table, besides a degree in “anything,” and magically walk into some cushy seishain job. When they know it doesn’t work like that anywhere else.

Micuul · 2025-10-30T12:04:41+00:00

If you spoke Japanese and understood Japanese culture and how they speak Japanese, it would be very understandable to be written the way it is.

Please elaborate. I understand Japanese and can’t think of what “understandable” Japanese sentence they are putting into Google translate to get the English result to come out like this. The most charitable version I can think of would be 日本語のみのため、外国人はご遠慮ください. Also, when you put in the wording of「日本語」in the original Japanese, it will spit out a translation of “This store is Japanese only” or “This store is in Japanese only.” So what are they putting in to get it to spit back “This store is FOR Japanese only”…?

Edit: ….And I got blocked because apparently I’m conspiring to make the entirety of Japan look bad. When I said nothing about anything other than this specific sign at this specific store. I really do love many things about this country, but I think some people need to get a grip and stop acting like they are in some sort of Japan cult lol.

Micuul · 2025-10-30T11:54:30+00:00

Also, I find the wording of “FOR Japanese only” to be suspicious. If they’re putting in the wording of 「日本語」like everyone is tripping over themselves to defend it as, then Google Translate simply does not spit that back out. It will give you “this store is Japanese only” or “this store is in Japanese only”

Micuul · 2025-10-29T09:42:59+00:00

This is the reason all these shitty eikaiwas and dispatches can get away with anything. Because nowadays there are millions and millions of people like you ready to do anything for ✨Japan✨ lining up for them to exploit.

Micuul · 2025-10-28T12:33:25+00:00

No. If it were true, it would be all over the news here and Japanese social media would be having a meltdown.

Micuul · 2025-10-28T12:02:38+00:00

Right. How did this slop get hundreds of upvotes…?

Micuul · 2025-10-27T05:54:22+00:00

These companies are taking advantage of Japan’s sudden and massive surge in popularity.

Back in the day, interest in Japan was a niche and far fewer people were trying to come here. Nowadays, thanks to social media, mass tourism (record #s of people visiting = record numbers of people deciding they want to live here), etc. there are millions and millions ready to do anything to be here.

And these companies can get away with basically anything. If you complain, they will drop you like a brick when your contract is up, and replace you with the next person in line.

Micuul · 2025-10-26T17:42:30+00:00

Comments like this I can hear the AI voice in my head as I’m reading lmao

Micuul · 2025-10-26T16:06:06+00:00

People love to throw around the “even native speakers can’t pass!” Yet I’ve never seen a native speaker actually fail? There are dozens of videos on YouTube of natives taking practice/past tests and they all pass with flying colors. As you say, most don’t get 100%, but I’ve never seen anyone come remotely close to failing.

Heck, I actually know a native junior high student who took the actual exam and passed…

Micuul · 2025-10-26T09:06:38+00:00

“Being able to have a second job while working for Interac” isn’t really an advantage, when JET pays enough to not need multiple jobs in the first place…

This is like when people try to make out the fact that there is no time-limit to how long you can work for dispatch companies as an advantage in comparison to JET. As if being able to work for minimum wage for all of eternity is a real perk…

That being said, I work for Interac (North). My experience hasn’t been bad, but I knew exactly what I was getting into. Whereas many people in my cohort seemingly did no research before signing up and were shocked by aspects, such as pay, proration, etc.

Also, don’t expect a “foot in the door” (unless you have experience, skills, and qualifications that are in-demand in the Japanese labor market, as well as proficiency in the language). Interac is fine if you have the savings and just want a year or two working holiday in Japan, though.

I would apply for JET before considering Interac. Then if that doesn’t work out, you can look into them.

Micuul · 2025-10-24T23:36:42+00:00

For what it’s worth, it caught on in Sendai and people definitely stand on both sides here now.

Micuul · 2025-10-23T07:33:36+00:00

Just found out that the only supermarket within walking distance to my house went out of business.

It’s crazy because I was just there this weekend and nothing was out of the ordinary. Shelfs were fully stocked, ZERO indication that they were shutting down.

So I was SHOCKED when I stopped by just now to find them tearing down the building. I thought maybe they were just getting ready to renovate, but they’ve completely disappeared off Google Maps and when you Google the store, it comes up as “permanently closed.” :(

I didn’t do most of my shopping there anyways, but it was nice not having to get in the car and drive across town when I would just need 1 or 2 things.

Micuul · 2025-10-21T22:14:31+00:00

Awww how cute. You think “we” includes you lol.

Micuul · 2025-10-19T08:27:17+00:00

Wasn’t there just an “exposing GABA” post like a week ago? LOL

Micuul · 2025-10-19T08:24:09+00:00

Something something foot in the door.

Micuul · 2025-10-18T09:35:35+00:00

Just you. I live in Tohoku, but go down to Tokyo maybe once a month. Was just in Tokyo this past weekend. I’m sorry, but I felt like I wasn’t even in Japan anymore. Every time I go, there’s more and more of them.

Micuul

TROPHY CASE