Hello, everyone. My name is Amber, an American English teacher for Nihon Gakuen Junior High School. This weekend, many students took Eiken and have been doing listening practice tests this month. I wish them luck! The students taking Eiken have been studying hard.
As a foreigner living in Japan, I get the same questions again and again. Why did you come to Japan? Why English teaching? Which is better, America or Japan? Does your family miss you? Will you go back to America? What do you like most about Japan? How is America now?
I have been in Japan for 2 years. I came to Japan for two weeks to visit with a friend and loved it. In America, I worked as a librarian for four years. Schools and libraries are very similar and since I knew basic Japanese, I wanted to try teaching English in Japan. After teaching here, I knew I wanted to stay for a long time.
Of course, my family misses me but they are happy for me too. I will go visit my family next year but come back to Japan. Living in Japan is easy for me. I love the trains, food, people, insurance, and health care. In America; rent, insurance, hospitals, cars, and groceries are very expensive. The salary is high, but the cost of living is higher. In Japan, especially Tokyo, I don’t need a car everyday and I can walk to anything. This freedom makes me happy. I miss many things about America such as cheap cheese and fruit. However in the end, Japan is for me.
I have had a great time teaching all my students. Full of energy, and sometimes a little noisy, they give me smiles and stories every day.
Thank you for everything so far Nihon Gakuen!
