The Teaching in Japan Page

Welcome to the Teaching in Japan Page Mini-Quiz Answer Page

We hope that you enjoyed taking our mini quiz as we intend it to be a fun way for the uninitiated to look into some of the "basics" about living and working in Japan. If you haven't already done so, please take the QUIZ now! As you should have noticed, our quiz isn't intended to represent research-based information; rather, we have surveyed a number of teachers who are currently living and working in and around Tokyo to develop this short, and hopefully interesting, experience-based Japan Quiz.

After you check your answers, we also hope that you will take the time to visit the other resources that we have provided for teachers who wish to work in Japan. All of the resources listed on our home site have been recommended by teachers who are currently teaching in Japan at the college level.

Quiz Answers & Comments

Just scroll down to check your answers and read our comments concerning each question.

Section One: Japan & Tokyo Trivia

1. The population of Tokyo is around _____________.
d. 30,000,000
This figure includes those who live in the Tokyo "region" which is a massive area that encompasses both sides of the Tokyo Bay. While Tokyo is a HUGE city by any standards, there are also many neighborhoods within the city that feel like autonomous towns or villages with their own particular character. This writer is often amazed at how quiet much of Tokyo is in the evenings. One can be only one or two streets removed from a MAJOR business or entertainment district and find a quiet lived-in neighborhood.

2. Shinjuku train station in Tokyo is the busiest station in the world. About how many people travel though this station each day?
d. 2,000,000
This station is simply incredible; it is one of the major transportation hubs in Japan; therefore, it is a place to be avoided during the peak times on the weekdays(7:30-9:30am and 5:30-8:30pm). It's also a good idea to get out of Shinjuku well before the last train on the weekends.

3. The last evening train at most stations around Toyko leaves at approximately:
d. 12:00am
This is surprising to some new residents as they find themselves either sleeping on the platform all night or opting for a fantastically expensive taxi ride. Tokyo has plenty of nightlife, but the sub-urbanites need to head for the hills early if they expect to make the last train.

4. The area of Japan is about the same as:
c. California
Japanese children are taught in school about the "smallness" of their country even though it is actually larger than England! I am always amazed at how my college students refer to Japan as such a tiny place!

5. On "normal" TV (not pay channels), there are about ______ stations in Tokyo.
d. 8
On these stations, you will be able to watch "bi-lingual" news every night at 7:00pm if you have a bilingual-capable TV or VCR, and during the week, there are usually two or three hollywood movies broadcast on bilingual TV. The TV schedule can be found in the English language newspapers or the free Tokyo Classified.

Section Two: The Cost of Living

6. The average shared (2 persons) apartment in or around Tokyo costs each tenant between ___________ yen. (APPROX!)
d. 65-75,000
This is an estimate, and by no means is it true in every case; however, I would budget at least this much for a shared apartment and don't forget that the cost of utilities will be much higher than what you are used to paying in your home country. Another issue is KEY MONEY which is money that must be paid BEFORE you move into a house if you do not have housing arranged through your employer. Key Money seems to average about 5 months' rent, which means that you may have to put out between 5-$7000.00 USD before moving into your new place. Generally, you can "kiss this cash goodbye" since the vast majority of it is non-refundable when you move out.

7. One must BUY a phone line in Japan. This costs around:
d. $700USD
In order to get a phone, you need to OWN a line. One way to get away from NTT's really high price is to check out the Tokyo Classified and buy one from someone who is leaving Japan. If you opt for this deal, please make sure that the person is willing to go with you to NTT to change the account name officially. Also, make sure that the phone bill has been paid off before you take over the line!

8. A McDonald's "set" meal costs about _______.
c. 525 yen
Double Cheeseburger; Fries and a Drink.

9. An "average" (i.e., NOT STARBUCKS) cup of coffee will run you around ___________.
d. 300 yen
One way to escape the $3.00 coffee is to look for discount coffeeshops either Doutor or Pronto both of which offer java for around 200 yen.

10. Finally, after working hard all day, a "normal-sized" beer in the bar will set you back ________.
c. $5.00 USD
You can depart with a lot more than $5.00 a crack if you head into a club or a hostess bar, so let the buyer beware. A cheaper option is the local "beer machine."

Section Three: Work Life--Teaching in Japan

11. The "official" monthly minimum wage for a foreign teacher in Japan is
d. 250,000 yen
This is the figure which we've always seen posted, and it is the figure that Immigration uses if one wants to "self sponsor" a Visa. At 250,000 yen per month, a teacher CAN save money; it is mostly a matter of 1) housing cost; and 2) lifestyle.

12. The "legal" minimum qualification to get a Work Visa is:
c. BA/BS degee
A degree from an accredited school is required for a Work Visa. Those teaching without a degree can be both fined and deported.

13. Most Conversation School teachers are IN CLASS with students for around ________ hours per week (surveyed average!)
c. 25-30
This is another rough average though we do know that Nova teachers have 35 contact hours per week. If you've never taught before, please be aware that anything approaching or over 20 contact hours per week is an ENORMOUS workload for a teacher.

14. The "average" teacher remains employed at the "big three" Conversation schools for _______? (turnover rate). Editor's guess based upon personal contacts.
d. less than 1 yr.
This is not to say that many teachers do not remain in Japan; they just come over with one of the "big three" conversation schools and then move to greener pastures. At the college level, this situation is quite different because the college jobs require graduate degrees and experience.

15. The age after which MANY schools will not consider an applicant is _________.
d. 35
Update 2005: Because many big schools still are still looking for fresh graduates, we will say that the answer here is "d" with a qualification. When this quiz was first written in 1999, many schools did not look kindly at applicants over the age of 35, but since that time, JET and a number of private language schools have changed their tunes a bit here--over the last several years, we've met and have heard about MANY teachers coming over for the first time in their 30s, 40s and even 50s.

As a matter of fact, James English School in Northern Japan prefers to hire older, more mature teachers, so for those of you who have been out of college for some time, there is still hope!

For those new to Japan and looking to get into full-time university teaching, in some cases at thrity-five, you're over the hill!

We hope to update the Quiz Page from time to time, so please feel free to send your suggestions to our site administator at Japan Page Comments

Quiz Rating Guide

Number of Correct Answers:

1-5: Sayonara you'll be outta here in under a year!!

6-10: Gambatte! You may end up sleeping on the platform once or twice, but "experience is always the best teacher."

11-15: Konnichiwa! Looks like you've done some homework which means that maybe we'll see you sometime on the Yamanote Line.

For those of you curious about other aspects of teaching or living in Japan, please post your questions in our Teaching in Japan Question Forum and don't forget to visit our Teaching in Japan Bookstore linked below.

Please join our new Teaching in Japan Question & Answer Discussion Group!

Where should I work in Japan?
What types of jobs are available?
Teachers currently living in Japan, or ANYONE interested in EFL/ESL in Japan, please feel free to post questions in our forum.

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Our Teaching in Japan Bookstore provides recommendations for resources that we believe to be helpful for new teachers who want to teach in Japan. We provide recommendations for general travel guides, specific Japan-related employment resources, Japanese language, and Japanese culture resources. Our selections are made by teachers who are currently living and working in Japan. Our hope is to provide some Japan-specific resources which contain reasonably unbiased information for the new teacher.

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