Japan is a wonderful place to experience but just traveling to Japan for a week or two will not even scratch the surface of what Japan truly has to offer. To really get the full experience Japan has to offer, you'll need to stay at least a year.

One of the best ways and most hidden ways to experience Japan for free is to just find a job as an English teacher and get paid to stay for a year or two. To get going on this as soon as possible, you'll need to know one Japanese word... Eikaiwa! This is your ticket to a free ride in Japan.

What Is "Eikaiwa"?

For those who have never taught in Japan, you see this term pop up everywhere; for those who have taught in Japan, it can still be a confusing concept. "Eikaiwa" technically means "English conversation," and it refers to schools that teach it.

But, eikaiwa is different from a regular English school. The whole idea behind it is that students are studying conversation. This may seem like a contradiction, after all how can you "study" conversation. For those who think it is a contradiction, you've probably never been to Japan.

In Japan, every one has to study English from the beginning of junior high school to the end of high school, and most study English in college as well. However, almost no one in Japan can actually carry on a conversation in English. This is because they study vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar, but have no real life English experience. Add to this the fact that Japanese people are, by nature, horribly shy, and you can see why the eikaiwa industry exists. Most eikaiwa students are beginner to intermediate level, and they may or may not remember much of the stuff they learned in school.

The whole idea behind eikaiwa is to have friendly, fun, non-threatening teachers who help Japanese students practice their English. In an eikaiwa, you'll almost always see an emphasis put on NOT challenging students. The idea is to always teach below their level and constantly encourage them. Most of the students come to the lessons for fun and entertainment, and not to actually work hard at learning. This is the whole operating principle behind the major English schools like Nova, Geos, Aeon and ECC.

Teaching English means teaching grammar, pronunciation and a bunch of other difficult stuff, complete with homework, tests and everything else. Eikaiwa is different. Your students probably won't do any studying outside of the weekly 40 minute lesson. The emphasis is on speaking tasks. For example, English for traveling, general conversation on certain topics, and other useful things. For the most part, students want to practice their English and have fun.

Lots of eikaiwa teachers get frustrated because they feel like entertainers rather than real teachers. The good news is that there are lots of "real" teaching opportunities available in Japan, but you just have to look harder for them. The eikaiwa's are all right outside the station with big signs, and they are notorious for hiring just about anybody who can string together a sentence in English (being handsome helps, too).

Some teachers think that eikaiwa stinks, but others find it to be more fun and interesting than grammar drills. It presents a different set of challenges to teachers.

The great thing is that you can always get an eikaiwa job to teach in Japan. Like me, you might find that you enjoy doing something else more; in my case, it's teaching kids. But, the big eikaiwa company can at least get you a job, an income and a visa. You get the experience, and that can help you decide what's the next step for you.

Some of the big Eikawa schools to look into with a simple Google search would be, GEOS, NOVA, BERLITZ, AEON and ECC. Some of these schools are known for hiring you and flying you over for a one year teaching contract. Remember, you do not need to be a "teacher" to do this.

For specific information to teach in Japan you can get more information here http://www.teaching-in-japan.com which is a blog updated often by an American living and working in Japan as an English teacher for 12 years.