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Ogawayama-Climber/Teacher wants to move to Japan

Original Post
Kristin Gierman · · Bend, OR · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 5

Hullo! I’m reaching out to Mountain Project to manifest a move to Japan! I'm an American rock climber and English teacher. I LOVE teaching English and I'm cray about climbing. I want to live near Ogawayama and teach English.

I have been an English and Spanish teacher for five years and a climbing instructor for 3 years. I am certified by the University of Cambridge (CELTA) to teach English. I love my Japanese students!!!
If any of you can you give me any ideas for English schools to teach at it would be extremely helpful.

Additionally, if anyone is out there and wants to embark on a project to document climbs in Japan and post them here, I am DOWN!!!! I've got web page, photography and writing skills. Please message me.

Jan Sacherer · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 0

The main program for teaching English in Japan at the K-12 level is the JET program. I'm not sure if you can specify where you want to teach however. In Japan it always helps to have a sponsor or some sort of go between. The Japanese Alpine Club might be able to help you. Otherwise, the board of Education of the two prefectures which border Ogawayama which are Nagano and Yamanashi. The Japanese embassy and the Japanese Tourism office should be able to guide you in the right direction. There are also listings of universities and colleges in the Guide to International Education. If you are sponsored, then you have no visa problems. Otherwise you can stay only 3 months at a time and then have to leave for at least 24 hours to come back for another 3 months. Without sponsorship, 6 months is all you can spend per year in Japan. It's a wonderful country. Every western person should spend some months there to see how a very different system is so modern and works so well. Good luck!

Danny · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 0

Hey, American living in Tokyo for 2 years now.

I actually had the same idea of trying to document Japanese climbing areas with pics/bilingual reports but couldn't quite get off the ground (partially due to every picture I took looking meh, I am a terrible photographer it seems). The climbing is actually super well documented if you know some Japanese and you know where to look for it, so I just ended up giving up that plan, maybe to revisit it some day.

While I can't help much with finding a place to actually teach I can definitely help with finding some great climbs in the area. If you think you're going to be able to get a driver's license you really can be liberal with your choice of place to live as long as you're in northern Yamanashi/southeast Nagano you'll be super close. Chino and Kofu might be big enough to have a need for English teachers. Without being able to drive I would actually aim for a more populated area, even Tokyo, where you can meet people who are willing to make that drive because getting to Ogawayama or Mizugakiyama without a car is a huge pain.

Wherever you end up, just give me a message, we can pick you up on our way there :) Mizugakiyama is one of my favorite places and it is right across the way from Ogawayama.

I would actually recommend avoiding the Alpine Clubs (I haven't heard much from the big one referenced above though) since they're pretty closed off and give an all around strange vibe.

Kristin Gierman · · Bend, OR · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 5

Thanks for responding guys! Both of your suggestions are great. I've had a posting up on the Japan Jobs page and I got two hits for schools after posting this! I am definitely leaning towards Tokyo, the more I read. I'd like to leave in 6 weeks from now if possible. I am looking to teach only English and leave climbing as just a hobby. It seems it's hard to find a job that's not a 6 day a week eikawa. I tried Westgate Corporation and it seems as though the earliest departure with them would be early next year. I've also applied to a few other schools, so we'll see what yields first!

Danny, you seem very cool! It would be great to meet out there!

Danny · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 0

If you come to Tokyo look up my climbing meetup group

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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