Little background here: I am a software engineer/architect with a Masters in Engineering, age: 37. My wife has decided that she really does want to move back to Japan after 15 years here in the states (Portland, OR) - finally huh? Am I too old to be employed in Japan? Another stickler is that I cannot move there until my company is sold (I am one of the co-founders) and that is three years out. Thus, I will be 40 by the time I move to Japan.

On the positive side, this gives me some time to get my Japanese better and pass JLPT2.

Nope. There are plenty of people 40+ at my company if you want to teach English. Obviously the majority are low-mid 20s but older people are ok too. If you want to do something else I don't think it's that relevant- the most important thing is your Japanese ability.

Hey in 3 years you could have JLPT 1

Probably to old to be a male hostess. Other than that, you'll probably be fine.

A masters in Engineering? Probably have a good chance getting a job in Japan. There's also some US Military bases with plenty of contract work that'll hire you so long as you can get (or have) a security clearance.

Then there's the teaching route. Plenty of US Colleges would higher you to teach at their satellite positions in Japan I'm sure.

You're too old for JET (unless your essay is fantastic, and you have strong reasons. They do sometimes consider older candidates), and you'll have trouble getting a visa if you want to work by teaching English (I think there is an age limitation, in addition to the country limitation). But for being just a househusband or housewife I guess, go for it.

You're too old. When they implant the crystal it'll turn black immediately, and then it's over for you.

~J

UK tourist visa waivers are 6 months (actually 3 months with an option of a renewal). You cannot work legally on one. The age limit for a working holiday visa is 30.

Your only options are to work illegally for 6 months and then go back home, or to get a sponsored work visa, which means (almost) full time work.

It's very easy to get under the table teaching work, but it's all networking so you need to know someone who already does it unless you want to find students yourself (less stable but potentially more money per hour).

There are also places where you can stay for free in exchange for work (teaching, or cleaning/laundry).

shihoro- from what I'm gold to do additional work legally on your current visa there is a "permission to do extra work" visa which has to be approved by the company that sponsored your visa.

At least that's what I'm told by my company, who said they would give approval if I wanted to do some extra classes in the evenings with an eikaiwa.

captal Wrote:shihoro- from what I'm gold to do additional work legally on your current visa there is a "permission to do extra work" visa which has to be approved by the company that sponsored your visa.

At least that's what I'm told by my company, who said they would give approval if I wanted to do some extra classes in the evenings with an eikaiwa.

That is a contractual issue and not something to do with the visa. You do have to pay attention to the TYPE of work visa though. If you have a visa for engineering work for example, you cannot teach English since English teachers have a different work visa. You cannot even be a university professor and an English teacher, since those are also different visas. You may be able to get a waiver to do work outside your visa field by going to the immigration office, but I don't know too much about that.

@brianobush - I know this post is a year old, but I assume your wife is Japanese so why not get a spouse visa? It will allow you to work anywhere and not have to be stuck teaching English. Trust me, with your background, you'd want a better job.

Go for level 1 if you have that much time to study. Get your wife to stop speaking English to you and start speaking more Japanese. Nobody will take you seriously unless your Japanese is way better than their English.

As far as the age issue, let the Japanese people worry about it. They make a big deal about age when it's really a non-issue.

Good luck to you.

If you are 35+, stay out of English teaching. It`s a nowhere career that ends in a steadily dwindling supply of jobs and ever decreasing salaries. Even when I had finished in Japan about 4 years ago the salaries were all in free fall, in less than three years the average salaries went from a base of 30 man a month to 24 man.
You`d have a better chance of building up your own English "practice" with privates, using those to supplement a weak contract (teaching at a school mornings only, or company lessons in the evening.) A spousal visa is pretty much the only way to go, it would give you way more opportunities and would not limit you to crappy eikaiwa companies which are poorly managed and prefer young and dumb teachers who can be recycled every 3 years, keeping salaries low and instructors fresh and genki. After a few years of that you will acquire the haggard, zombie-like ("brains!") visage of your typical English teacher.