The Top 10 Most Commonly Asked Questions About Teaching in Japan

With so many people interested in living and working in Japan there are a lot of lies, misconceptions, and misunderstandings about working in Japan. I will answer ten of the most commonly asked questions that I have received. 

1.) How Much Do English Teacher’s Make in Japan?: What’s The Average Salary?

The Average Salary for Teacher’s in Japan 250,000 yen per a month the lowest end is 150,000 and the highest end is 350,000. Unfortunately most schools don’t consider individual qualifications and pay all of their teachers the exact same salary regardless of what position you have, your country of origin, age, language ability, educational background, or work experience.

2.) How Many Hours Do English Teachers Work in Japan?: How Long is The Average Work Shift?

Conversation schools generally require less hours for the same salary if not more. You will generally teach 3-5 hours or lessons per a day

International schools usually have you work a standard 9:00am-6:00pm shift, and (most) Public schools will require you to work for 4-6 hours per a day between the hours of 9:00am-3:00pm.

You are generally expected to arrive at least 20 minutes before the start of your shifts to prepare lessons organize clean and/or change your clothing if necessary. 

Which in other words means it’s best to arrive at least 30 minutes early and preferably an hour early if you require a lot of time to prep as Japanese people are very punctual. 

A lot of people worry about having crazy overtime hours and having to go out with their boss and coworkers every night but this doesn't apply for English teachers in Japan. This is something that only a Japanese salaryman would generally have to deal with. At the most your job might ask you to stay behind for an hour to help clean up and plan lessons for the next day but you will not have to spend the night at a capsule hotel or worry about having a near death experience from being overworked. Even foreigners with office jobs generally work at companies that aren't ran like a normal office is hence the reason why they hire foreigners in the first place! 

3.) How Long Does It Take For You to Get or Change Your Visa Status?

Changing your residence status to working visa usually takes less than a month but can take up to 8 weeks. In generally the process is completed within 14 days.

However if you are applying from outside of Japan this can take as long as 2 months since you will have to mail, email, and fax papers back and forth, as well as visit your local Japanese embassy, and if you miss anything it can prolong the process even more!

4.) Is 250,000 Enough Money to Move to Japan?: Will I Be Poor in Japan?

Yes, it is more than enough! No you will not be poor. Despite what most people seem to think you can live very comfortably in Japan with this salary. A lot of salary men make just a bit more or less than this amount. The average salary in japan is about 3,600,000 yen a year so while your pay as a teacher will generally be below average you're probably also not as qualified or working as long of the hours that a Japanese man is. Keep in mind that even in America teachers are also underpaid.

Anyway you can cover all of your bills, transportation, food cost, entertainment, and rent without having any roommates with a salary of 250,000 yen a month.

Of course obviously the more money you have the easier things will be for you here. There’s also nothing wrong with having roommates, living with your partner or staying at a share house to save money which can also help you get your own place in the future!

It is somewhat unreasonable in most (keyword MOST) situations to ask for or to expect a higher salary than this.

If you decide to work and live outside of Tokyo you can save a lot more money since your rent will be cut in half and groceries are a little cheaper too.

5.) Should I Work at a Public School as an ALT, be a Head Teacher at an International School, or a Tutor at a Conversational/Cram School?: Which Job Should I Choose (Which is Best)?

Before you decide you should consider your own English writing, listening, comprehension, and speaking skills.

1.) If you are NOT a native speaker it will be easier for you to get hired and to successfully and properly teach young children.

2.) If you are good at lesson planning then being a head teacher at an international school is a great job for you.

3.) If you are not a morning person an international school is NOT for you but a conversation school would suit you better.

4.) If your English grammar (writing & spelling) skills are good then a conversation school is a great fit for you.

5.) If you prefer to have someone else decide most of the if not the entirety of the lesson for you then an international school is NOT for you but a conversation school might be more suitable.

6.) If you are NOT shy and enjoy working with preteens and teenagers but don’t enjoy extensive lesson planning, and you are okay with traveling to different schools everyday or throughout each week then being an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) would be a great job for you.

7.) If you prefer working with adults,aren’t awkward, can lead a conversation, have a good vocabulary, are a fast thinker, can speak slowly and clearly, possess good grammar skills, can avoid using slang, and if you are good at explaining things in an easy to understand way then you’d probably prefer working at an English conversation school.

8.) If you need a permanent set schedule with a stable income and working hours then teaching at an international school is best for you. If you want a flexible schedule then an ALT or conversation school position would be a better choice.

If you are still Undecided please answer yes or no to the following questions.

1. Do you like children? 
2. Are you patient? 
3. Can you deal with screaming and crying?
4. Can you understand and speak basic Japanese (are you willing to learn some)? 
5. Can you deal with unruly disobedient children and continue teaching or discipline them in a calm and professional manner?
6. Can you sing and dance (are you willing to rehearse singing and choreography)? 
7. Can you create fun games and activities? 
8. Do you mind sacrificing your holidays and miscellaneous weekends leading up to them to prepare for events and to go on field trips without receiving additional compensation (possibly reduced hourly pay for the day)?
9. Do you not have stage freight (you don’t get nervous or anxious easily)?
10. Can you talk loud and clear?
11. Are you friendly understanding and welcoming?
12. Do you want a job with set stable hours (consistency)?
13. Do you want to work Monday-Friday?
14. Are you okay with germs(scratching nose picking)?
15. Can you wake up as early as 5:00AM-7:00AM to eat, freshen up, and board the train during rush hour?
16. Are you willing to go without a lunch break on occasion (to assist staff and students or to work on other projects or events and lesson plans)? 

Mostly Yes

If you answered yes to most of the above questions and you can do and have no problem with all of the above questions, you like kids, you know how to work with them and you don’t have any problem with speaking loudly in front of large groups of people (for events, orientations, and introductions to students and parents), and you’re okay with working long hours without a guaranteed break, then I would suggest being a teacher at an international school.

Mostly Yes (but don't like kids)

If you answered mostly yes but you don’t like working with young children then an ALT or Cram School (eikaiwa) position would be best for you (most students at cram schools are in elementary-high-school so there’s less crying, playing, and disciplining involved).

Mostly No

If you answered mostly no, you don’t like children of any age, or you feel that the thought of doing all of those things would drive you crazy then you'd probably work best at an English Conversation School  (eikaiwa) that is aimed towards adults and businesses.

6.) Can I Teach in Japan With a TEFL Certificate if I Don't Have a Bachelor's Degree?

No! You have to have a bachelor's degree. It's a catch 22. You don't need a degree to get a job but you DO need a degree to get visa sponsorship. The government requires it. However keep in mind that even if you do have a spouse visa most companies still prefer someone who is a native speaker and/or that has a bachelor's degree (preferably in education).

7.) Which Visa is Better?

A work visa of any kind is better than a student visa but a spouse vis his the best since there are no restrictions on where you can work, the amount of hours you can work, and it doesn't need to be updated at immigration if you change jobs etc.. A spouse visa provide the most freedom in Japan without having to become a permanent resident.

8.) Is It Bad to Accept a Contract?

Contracts are normal in Japan it isn't a bad thing!  Unlike America having a contract is seen as a positive thing and is proof of a stable career, income, and clear working conditions. It can be used to help you get an apartment, or to get bills or loans in your name. You should be more concerned if you are offered a position that doesn't have contact! Even Japanese employees sign contracts for 1-3 years for their job.

9.) Should I Get Insurance Through My Company or The Government?

It is generally cheaper to get insurance if you don't have children, and if you go through the Japanese National Health Insurance program however some companies require you to be insured through them as your employer which costs more but it's easier for you to pay for it since it is usually deducted from your salary automatically so your company does all of the "hard work" for you.

10.) Can Non-native English Speakers and Black or Asian People Teach English in Japan?
Yes! Just because you aren't a native speaker doesn't mean that you cannot find work in Japan as an English teacher. You will have better luck with finding employment outside of Tokyo, with younger children, if you have Japanese proficiency, and if you already have a spouse visa (since the company won't have to sponsor your visa). 
Black & Asian people can work in Japan too! Companies don't have a "White's Only" policy despite what many people think but they do have a strong preference for English speakers that are from America and that are young, attractive, and have a clear accent.

10.) If I Quit My Job Can My Company Cancel My Visa?

Absolutely NOT! Your company does not have the ability to cancel your visa even if you deserve it. They have no control over your stay here. What they can and will do is notify immigration that you are no longer being employed by them.
You can easily quit your job and switch companies as often as you'd like to as long as you have a legal and valid visa to begin with. If for any reason you decide that your current visa sponsor (job) is too bad of a company to work for you can quit at anytime. All you have to do is update immigration about your new place of work within 90 days. 3 months is more than enough time to search for and to secure a new job here. 
I personally wouldn't recommend quitting before you secure a new job and do keep in mind that you should work at your current (first) visa sponsor for at least a somewhat reasonable amount of time before quitting even if you hate it, otherwise you might have to do some explaining to your new employer. In Japan loyal is valued. Japanese people seldom quit their jobs no matter how bad it is.
All of the schools here have pros and cons. There is no such thing as the perfect job. However if you find your place of work truly be unbearable, you won't have to leave Japan and start over the visa process again. This time you'll simply apply for another job, show them your visa, and BAM! You're hired! Just tell immigration what's going on and your new company will now be responsible for sponsoring your work visa upon its expiration.

Stay Tuned!

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25 Q&A’s About Dating a Japanese Man: Answering All of Your Questions About What It's Like Being With a Japanese Man

25 Q&A’s About Dating a Japanese Man: Answering All of Your Questions About What It's Like Being With a Japanese Man

I am constantly asked questions about Japanese men almost every week since I came to Japan. A lot of women from all over the world are curious about what it’s like to date a Japanese men thanks to anime, porn, hentai,books, news articles, YouTubers, and random stories that you’ve heard from your friends and family that have been to Japan.

I am going to answer all of your questions in both a blog and a video on YouTube. As you can probably imagine there is no way to answer you guys’ questions without stereotyping or generalizing an entire race but there are obviously differences in culture based on race and nationality and Japan is no different! Now to contradict that last sentence, it goes without saying that there will of course be individual exceptions to every rule but this blog post will talk about the overwhelming majority based off of the men my foreign friends and I have personally been with as well as the answers that I received from both my Japanese male & female friends. Obviously I haven’t been with every man so I cannot speak for everyone but after 2 years of dating, gossiping, and asking my friends personal questions, I can give you some pretty general answers based off of my personal experiences and observations. As always feel free to be defensive and get offended in the comments down below.

1.) Do Japanese men like foreign women?

Japanese men love foreign women. White black Hispanic dark or light skin, it doesn't matter as long as you are cute and exotic looking. The beauty standards that you read and hear about are beauty standards for Japanese women. As a foreign woman you will not be held to the same standard. Most of the men here actually like foreign women because they look so different and have more curvaceous bodies and diverse features.    

      

2.) Do Japanese men have small dicks?

 Yes! On average most Japanese men are very small. The best sex that I’ve had and the biggest I’ve been with was a Japanese man. However it's no secret that their are traits which can be more commonly found in amongst different races. Even Japanese men know that they're generally smaller (on average) than their western counterparts and so they will often apologize for this. Are all Japanese men small? Of course not! 

3.) Are Japanese men good at going down on women? 

Japanese men are NOT selfish in bed and tend to focus a lot on pleasing their partner through oral sex kissing, hugging, cuddling etc. often times more than they focus on themselves although this can also stem from being insecure about their penis size and ability to perform well. As always every man is different and you can come across men who are bad in bed and that are selfish.

4.) Is it true that you have to take a shower before sex?

 Japanese men like to shower before and rinse off again after sex it's unusual for your partner to go straight to bed after sex. To not do so is seen as dirty but some people don't care.

5.) Do Japanese men like to cuddle?

Yes and no. Japanese men like to cuddle as much as an American guy does but eventually they will want to turn their back towards you and go to sleep and snore until you wake up.

6.) Are Japanese men short?

Yes they are but unless you’re a really tall girl, most men here will still be a few inches taller than you. About 3-4 inches taller on average. 

7.) Are Japanese men romantic?

Japanese men aren't romantic. They aren't really affectionate either,r but if he is internationalized and knows anything about foreign women he will generally be willing to embarrass himself by attempting to be or do romantic things to make you happy.

8.) Do Japanese men date/plan dates?

Yes! They’re great at planning dates (a nice fancy restaurant, themed restaurant, a kawaii cafe, an outdoor picnic, upscale hotel bar or a fancy karaoke bar are all common dates.

9.) Do they buy gifts for their girlfriends?

They’re great at buying gifts. Designer handbags, expensive perfume, and sexy lingerie are gifts that you can expect year around.

10.) Are Japanese men dishonest about their marital/relationship status?

They're “honest” but ONLY  if you ask them to be. They’ll tell you how they feel, about their past, what they did or plan to do, if they’re married, have kids, are divorced etc..

11.) Do Japanese men ignore your calls, emails, and texts for days or weeks at a time (slow texters)?

If he really loves you he will text you whenever he's not working, from the bathroom stall, his desk, during his 1 hour lunch break, during the train ride to or from work, or as soon as he wakes up. They don’t work as much as you may think! If he isn’t texting you throughout the day he probably isn’t serious about you and your’e missing some hints.

12.) Do Japanese men send good morning texts?

Most Japanese men also text good morning and goodnight everyday to their girlfriends.

13.) I like Japanese men but I’m worried that I won’t be able to find a boyfriend. Do they like dark, tall, fat women?

Most men don’t hold Japanese standards for their foreign women.They’re men not robots! They each have their own individual taste in women. If they wanted a girl who looked or acted Japanese they'd have dated one! Don’t worry about your weight or height it just makes you even more exotic and sexy because you’ll stand out in a sea full of goldfish you're like the sexy beta fish (just don’t act like one).

14.) I like Japanese men but I think I’m too old to find a man do they like older women?

Most men here do care about your age and if you're over 30 (especially over 40) you will be openly referred to as an obaasan (meaning grandma or old lady in Japanese). However a lot of men are willing to date older women and there are a lot of single older men both divorced and never married who are intelligent, sexy, financially stable, gentlemen, and bilingual

15.) Is it true that Japanese men aren’t gentlemen?

Most men here aren’t gentlemen most of the time. Aside from hanging your coat, choosing the less comfortable chair, and occasionally holding a door if he can remember to he will not go out of his way to make sure that you’re first, but usually he will offer to pay for the date. 

It’s a bit embarrassing for a girl to pick up the tab OR for you to split it with one.You should still offer to pay him back later or treat to treat him next time though!

16.) Is PDA okay in Japan?

It’s not illegal but it’s looked down upon to do anything frisky or sexually suggestive in public. Most men are simply shy about kissing or holding hands and public because it’s not commonly done here so it will draw eyes to the two of you. They won’t mind giving you a quick kiss and hug before departing at the end of a date though. 

If he’s more outgoing he will hold your hand as you walk around during your dates and kiss you on the lips or even makeup with you in public. You see it sometimes, but it’s not as commonly done here as it is in America.

17.) Do Japanese men move in with their girlfriends before they get married?

 If he is serious about you and you’ve been together for a little while he won’t mind moving in with you as long as you are okay with it.

18.) Is it weird if he doesn’t tell his friends and family about you?

 Yes and no. If he likes you he will introduce you to his friends ASAP and even his family after you’ve been together for some time. If he plans to marry in the future he doesn’t want to blow the first impression so it’s not unusual for this to take as long as a year or 2 before he arranges a day for you to meet them especially if they live in another prefecture. His family doesn’t care to meet his one night stand or summer fling so for most men this is a big step to take but for some family’s meeting you isn’t a big deal as he may have introduced his other female friends to his family before and thus you’ll appear to just be another “good friend” of his and not their potential daughter in law. 

19.) When do men propose?

 Most men prefer to get married close to or a little after 30. They prefer to have graduated from their university, have a good savings, a stable career, a good resume, and of course to have enjoyed their 20’s kid and commitment free.

20.) Who pays for the wedding?

You’ll both pay for the wedding about 50/50. His family & your family will also help with the planning and cover the expenses. It’s very similar to how it’s don in America however your friends will be expected to give you gifts of several hundred dollars 

21.) Do they lick ears, eyes, toys, backs of knees, armpits, faces, and bellybuttons?

Ahh good old porn and educational hentai! Yes some of them do but not every man is into this.

22.) Do they expect you to be a housewife?

Yes most men here are very traditional and culturally will expect you to do the chores, cook, clean, discipline and educate the children. Women here are taught how to do these things as young girls by their mother and relatives and most are okay with doing so and expect their man to work to provide for the family and help to by taking out the trash as well as taking over mommy duties during the weekend.

23.) Do they prefer big butts or breasts?

Different men have deferent fetishes. Most men prefer a woman with big boobs over a large butt but against depends on the man.

24.) Will he be okay with me working or making more money than he does if we get married?

Most men nowadays won’t really mind so much and will understand that because you’re a foreigner this is what you want to do however others a traditionalist and want to make their parents and grandparents proud by being the sole provider for their family. It all depends on the man but MOST won’t mind and some will actually expect you to keep working after getting married and having children especially if he is working a low paying job or if he was a gaijin hunter. 

There are gold digging men here in Japan too!

25.) Is it okay for me to initiate sex Do Japanese men not like sex?

You probably read the same articles that I did when I was a teen before I came to Japan. Yes it is okay! You might find some super old fashioned man that gets creeped out about you being open about your sexual desires but most men will actually find this to be really hot especially since most Japanese women are super shy about sex since it is culturally taboo and not ladylike for a woman to well “talk dirty”. 

As a foreign woman they stereotypically expect you to be this way [open about your sexual desires] anyway!

Also no that is not true! Japanese men LOVE sex arguably more than their western counterparts, but they simply don’t have the time, space or money for it. The homes here are small, a lot of men live with their families until they get married, salaries are low,and work hours are long. It’s hard to find enough time, energy, or money to even get in the mood when you still have to eat dinner, clean up the house, prepare for tomorrow’s work day, and shower.

However the sex and porn industry here is huge. Men spend hundreds of dollars a month at clubs, bars, brothels and they desperately scour through dating apps looking for cheap, free, and easy women everyday. 

Have any other embarrassing or strange questions to ask or answers to someone else’s? Please feel free to leave a comment down below and help a fellow sister out!

Stay Tuned!

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How to Make Friends in Japan

Japanese people absolutely love foreigners! They think that foreigners are cool, exotic looking, beautiful, adventurous, outgoing, humorous, and a ton of fun to be around. However with both a cultural and language barrier making friends in such a fast paced country that is full of rules can seem very intimidating. I have put together both a guide (here) as well as two YouTube videos that will help you navigate your joinery to finding good friends here in Japan.

Please Click on The Links Below to Watch My YouTube Videos on Friends in Japan! 

How to Make Friends in Japan

Why It's So Hard to Make Friends in Japan

Myth #1

I Can't Make Friends Because I Can't Speak Japanese Fluently.

The Truth: Even if you CAN speak, read, write, and text in Japanese fluently 90% of the messages that you will receive and conversations that will be initiated with you will be in English. Japanese people are very anxious people and are very hard on themselves. They are afraid of making mistakes and will constantly apologize for their "bad English" even when it's better than yours haha. There is no need to worry about your language ability because it isn't needed! The longer you live in Japan the more Japanese you will learn. You will never meet anyone who will say that they can't talk to you or be your friend because you can't speak or understand Japanese. I have personal hung out with, dated , and befriended Japanese people who couldn't speak a lick of English even before I could introduce myself or count in Japanese! Let me tell you, charades is a very fun game to play! I had the most fun hanging out and dating people who spoke less English than I did Japanese.
Also Japanese people aren;t cavemen! They have smartphones silly! They will use Google Translate as well as pocket sized electronic dictionaries to converse with you both in person and online. A warm friendly smile, body language, and patience is all it takes.

Myth #2 

I'm Too Shy, Boring, and Socially Awkward to Talk to People.

The Truth 
Being shy reserved, quiet, and awkward are actually seen as cute personality traits here! Women are seen as more feminine and men are seen as more romantic. As the foreign friend your Japanese buddies will take the lead and keep the conversation going. They will want to know everything about you and your home country as well as what your likes, dislikes, and personal experiences are or have been here in Japan. Don't over think it! Just smile and try to seem as approachable as possible. IF you are always busy talking or walking with a group of friends it is unlikely that a Japanese person will approach you because actually they're very shy too! Japanese people hate being rejected and will go out of their way to save face (avoid shame) and it is culturally ingrained in them to try to do the same for the people around them out of respect. As long as you don't seem like a creep or try to be flirtatious in an unwanted way people will be very shocked if you manage to work up the courage to be the first one to make the move.

Myth #3

I'm Too Tall, Too Short, Too Dark, Too Fat, or Too Ugly to Make Friends.

The Truth: Don't be so hard on yourself! Everything that you hate about yourself people here will love! Keep in mind that we are talking about forming meaningful friendships thus your appearance is irrelevant. All you need is a big friendly smile and an open personality. People will befriend you because you seem like a really nice person and if you're overweight you must come from a place that has great food and Japanese people love to eat a good meal! Not everyone here is slim and not everyone here is short. A lot of men and women wish they were tall like you! A lot of people here actually find curvy bodies to be very attractive. Look at me! I'm fat, dark, and tall too! Being different (bigger, darker, taller, or not #1 in the looks department) is not going to stop people from wanting to get to know the real YOU! You are so much more than your looks! The fact that you even had this thought in your mind means that you clearly have a beautiful heart & soul.




Now that we've popped some of the anxiety thought bubbles out of your head, let's talk about the applications that you should use, and the best places for you to go to make friends in Japan!

The Best 6 Apps 

Is with everything in life there's cons and pros to each of these apps. Thanks to stereotypes, Hollywood, Music videos, magazines, Netflix, and YouTube Asians think that white, black, and Hispanic people are all sex addicts who are willing to either have free sex or that can easily be paid off for it. You will get messages from creeps, perverts, fetishist, and people trying to baby or visa trap you. The good always outweighs the bad so don't worry if you seem to only be getting replies from the bad girls & guys. The genuine people that reach out to you will make it all worth it.
 Please keep in mind that you can use and download these apps both inside and outside of Japan but some of the apps such as SKOUT & Tinder use your exact location which cannot be changed (without paying) so it might not be worth it to download or use them before you actually arrive here.

1.) MeetMe

Owned by the same company as SKOUT MeetMe is an app that is great for making friend who live nearby. It uses your profile picture, name , and age and presents it to random users through match games and friend recommendations. You can add "tags' to your profile which can both help you find people with similar hobbies as you as well as help others to find you through your tags as well! Unlike Tinder & OKCupid there are tons of fake profiles and the moderation here isn't so good. Blocking doesn't do much besides stopping the ability for you to receive their messages. Similar to SKOUT the app has a lot of "ladyboys", escorts, prostitutes, and nasty old men, as well as people who aren't in Japan but that want to "befriend" or have sex with you. You will receive more messages on this app than SKOUT but the quality of people/friends/partners is much lower in my opinion.

You can add several pictures, play match games, answer questions from other users, and going community forums from within the app. It's a fun way to past time and an easy way to meet people who live within a 2-10 mile radius of you.

2.) OkCupid

This app doubles as both a dating & friendship app. It allows users to narrow down their search to race, country, city, age, as well as their body size and build. Users can also choose to avoid seeing potential matches who use drugs, drink, or that are affiliated with any certain religions or parties that aren't to your personal liking. The best thing about this app is that it offers lots of fun, crazy, and interesting questions that are frequently updated (they keep up with the times) about politics, weather, religion, sexuality, race, entertainment, celebrities, food, sex, and much more. You can also give an explanation for your personal answers to each question (and hide your answers) as well as decide how important your potential friend or partners answers are to you. OKC requires their users to fill out a lengthy profile that describes your likes and dislikes as well as your interests, educational background, height, name, and age.

They do a pretty great job moderating accounts overall. Fake profiles, racist, bullies, and creeps get blocked and banned fairly fast in comparison to other applications. However there are of course still creeps and a lot of people from Africa & South/West Asian countries looking for visa daddies and trying to pull off scams as well as begging you for sex. 

This app arguably has the least attractive users and is filled with mostly other foreigners. 

3.) Tinder

Despite what many people think about Tinder it is actually great app for making genuine friends. Tinder is all about looks so naturally if you aren't an attractive person, if your older, or bigger than most you will find it hard to get matches. It might be worth it to pay for a subscription to help you find more potential matches as well as to boost your profile. Anyway back to the details! Tinder requires users to upload at least one picture of themselves but you an add up to 10 photos and videos of yourself. Baby pictures, blurred faces, anime pictures, QR codes and other random fake profiles and pictures tend to get deleted from the app pretty fast. The users on Tinder tend to be the most attractive by far. The great things about this app is that it forces shy and secretive people to post a real picture of themselves and that you can see their Instagram account too to get a look into their life. As always there are creeps and perverts everywhere online especially on Tinder which is an app that is essentially made for hooking up with strangers so be sure to clarify what you're looking for AND what you're not looking for or willing to do in your profile as well (consider translating your profile into Japanese by using short complete English sentences without slang).  

Tinder is known in Japan as a way to have sex for free with hot & easy foreign men & women. A lot of girls are looking for visa daddies to America as well as trying to have your mixed babies, and a ton of men are trying to check "had sex with a barbie doll" off of their bucket list so be VERY careful.

4.) MeetUp

MeetUp is the best way to make genuine friends in real life. It is an app that allows regular people like you & I as well as organizations to start or list the clubs on the app. Anyone can start a club or join a preexisting one at anytime. There is no cost to become a member and join any club but a lot of the events and parties do cost money generally about $10-$30 for each meet. You can join dance clubs, Bible studies, photography, language exchanges, cooking clubs, singles/dating clubs, sports,  gaming, book, anime and everything in-between. The members are very friendly and welcoming. There is a good balance of both foreigners and Japanese alike. If you have a real profile picture and fill out your about me section you will receive private messages from members before the event actually takes place so you might find a friend or a partner before the international party, game night, or dodgeball tournament that you were planning to attend. This is a great way to meet people in your city as it can be used anywhere in Japan. If you have a great idea for a group that doesn't yet exist in your city or you have abetter idea for how the group should be done you can always create your own for a small monthly fee ( it costs money to start your own group in the app).

5.) SKOUT

This app allows you to search through thousands of people who live within your city or anywhere else in the country. You will receive hundreds of messages every week from both foreigners and Japanese people. The app has a large amount of Japanese users in every age group. You can create a profile that gives a brief description of yourself as well as your age, name, religion, height, body size etc.. You can add a seemingly endless amount of pictures to your timeline as fellas create statuses both of which will boost your profile temporarily. There are tons of fake profiles, bots, ladyboys, and people with anime profile pictures which a lot of people aren't too pleased with (including myself) and can quickly become annoying. Not to mention this app has a large amount of users looking to hook-up or that are desperately willing to pay for sex so be very careful ladies. However to me the good outweighs the bad! I have personally made the most good and genuine friends from this app. It is also the best app to use for dating in Japan in my opinion. Unfortunately when it comes to same sex friends this app is either hit or miss. I tend to get a lot of weird messages from either girls who want to know about Japanese men, or women who are lesbian and ignoring the fact that my profile clearly states that I am not, so I find this to be annoying especially since these girls send you nasty messages just like you'd stereotypically expect a man to.

Anyway you can go live on this app to reach out to more people as well as download apps, play games, and watch ads to get token that allow you to boost your profile to the front of the app thus you will receive a lot more messages, likes, and comments. What I love the most about this app is that you can easily block creepy people and report them. Upon blocking someone it deletes the chat from both you and the other creepy user and it stops them from being able to search for you or view your profile. The second-best thing is that you can favorite users so that you can easily find your favorites later and receive notifications when they update their profiles. 

6.) Bumble

Can double as both a dating app & an app for making same sex friends. I personally didn't like the dating side of the app so I am only listing Bumble here for the BFF feature of the app. There are significantly less members on this app than any of the other apps mentioned in this blog so it is very easy to go through all of your potential matches in less than a day or two. A lot of the girls on the app are other foreign women many of whom seem to be apart of the JET program for some strange reason (no shade). As for the dating side of the app it allows users to verify that they're real by taking a picture in a pose  that Bumble will review. Users can also add their Instagram as well as several pictures and create about a paragraph long introduction to help others get to know you before they swipe.
While the app is supposed to appeal to both women and men by making it where the press is taken off of men to make the first move and women have to make the first move with matches thus avoiding unwanted creepy messages from guys it fails at both. Just because you send the first messages doesn't mean it will weed out the creeps and stop people from asking "Do you like sex?" as the conversation starter. It also doesn't guarantee a reply but it does narrow down the window in which you have to wait fro one. You only have 24 hours to send your match a message otherwise they will disappear [FOREVER...kinda]. I personally like this part of the app since I don't like people who play the ignore game to try and be cool. Japanese men and women are known for ignoring messages, ghosting, and playing hard to get like 14 year old girls do. Yes life happens but it only takes a second to reply and let's face it! Everyone is on their phone all day long so if it's taking you days or weeks to reply you simply weren't interested and didn't respect or care about the person you were talking to.

Bonus Apps & Locations

These are additional applications are a bit more sketchy and are commonly used for hooking-up, scams, and are filled with escorts, and prostitutes 

LINE 

This is not an app for making friends per se but it is the Japanese way of staying connected with them. LINE is like Facebook, SKYPE, and Instagram combined. You can text, call, video chat, use stickers, create albums within chats, group message, group video chat and even play games with your friends via the LINE app. Japanese people don't usually share their phone number with people that they aren't close to unless it's for business and work although most jobs here actually require you to use your LINE account for professional purposes too.

Craigslist

While the Personals section has been removed from the site you can still post in the Lessons section and simply state that you are in search of both Japanese language exchange partners and friends alike.
Be sure to specify what you're looking for and give a nice introduction telling people about yourself such as your age, career, gender, hobbies, interests,nationality, and of course your language level.
I would also require that the person replying to the ad send you their picture and give you a self-introduction as well so that you can know who you're talking to before you meet or share anymore. As always if the person claims to be "too" shy to do so, or says that they will send a picture later then I would simply ignore their reply (I'm not sure why you'd reply to an ad knowing that you're not willing to play by the rules given).

SayHi! 

This App is similar to Tinder & MeetMe combined, but unfortunately as a woman you will receive mostly replies from men desperately looking for cute girls to pay for sex.
There are a lot of minors on this app so be careful if you are a man and don't want to find yourself being blackmailed, in prison, or deported from the country. I have personal met a couple of genuine guys and even a girl from here but because of the overwhelming amount of very rude and creepy guys on here I simply gave up and rarely open this app besides to block someone who won't stop sending me dick pics.
 Keep in mind that this app is very sexist and will almost never ban any female users for using inappropriate sexual language which the app specifies it is NOT to be used for very similar to Tinder. I have received strange messages from women despite the fact that I'm straight yet when I reported them nothing was done yet men who said the same or similar things were banned within a week.

Meet People in Real Life & Public Places

No matter where you are in Japan all you have do is smile look around, take pictures, record videos, draw, eat or simply enjoy people watching and strangers will come up to you and ask where you are from or if it's okay for them to join you. As long as you are dressed appropriately, seem friendly, you don't smell bad, and don't appear to have ulterior motives you all attract friends and even potential dates because you seem like a cool lonely foreigner.
People will converse with you in both Japanese and English. They will ask to exchange contact information such as Instagram & LINE or Facebook (sometimes even Twitter). Be very careful about giving people your name and contact information particularly if they appear to be a pervert/creep or if they are another foreigner. In general most Japanese people are very trustworthy and aren't going to stalk you or try to kill you, but the same cannot be said about other nationalities touring or residing in Japan due to a different culture and upbringing but of course there's bad apples amongst the Japanese too!

General Places to meet people outside

Train Stations

If you have time and the weather is nice consider eating your lunch outside at a busy park or near a busy terminal at the train station. Shinjuku Station, Ikebukuro Station, Shibuya Station, Kyoto Station,  and Umeda Station (Osaka) are all great stations to try this at. I have personally made at least 3 friends at each and even went on several dates.

Cultural Festivals 

Japan hosts annual festivals to celebrate different cultures in Japan as well as abroad. Any kind od parade or event in town is a great place to meet Japanese singles. A lot of people have found partners in Japan this way actually.

International Parties

These are parties that encourage mixing & mingling with both Japanese natives and foreigners from around the world. You'll meet expats, tourists, teachers, gaijin hunters, people looking for free language exchange partners or one night stands, as well as those who are seriously looking to find the love of their life, or even their new best friend. There is usually a small entry free and either free or cheap food & drinks. You can go alone with group either way people will come up to you and make you feel welcome so don't be shy! I personally hate parties because I'm anxious and shy myself and I'm not a smoker or much of a drinker but whenever I have gone total stranger both men and women made me feel like I was their best friend and introduced me to everyone in the room and played games with me and brought me free food and drinks.

Share Houses/Dormitories/ Gaijin Apartments

If you want to make friends fast and effortlessly consider living in a Gaijin house (a building that is known for exclusively or openly housing a lot of non-Japanese people). Don't stay locked up in your room all day! Go sit own the couch in the common area, lay out your manga collection, or playing cards, turn on the tv, greet people as the newer or exit, introduce yourself to your housemates, share your food and drinks, give advice to the newbies, collect coupons, or print out flyers for a cool or free upcoming event and let everyone know that you're trying to put together a group of friends for an overnight trip to the karaoke bar (all you can eat & drink). It works! Foreigners are surprisingly  (generally) extremely nice to each other at these houses. They will quickly befriend and mother you. I made 3 new friend only first day in Tokyo, Japan. I am still friends with them to this day despite having moved all the way to Kansai.
Foreigners at these houses are just as lost, worried, and anxious as you are about making friends so don't be shy! Bring your Wii or PlayStation downstairs and bring some spare controllers! You'll be the real MVP if your housemates didn't have the money to buy a new console or the space to carry their old one from home. Your housemates will also appreciate your generosity and will be happy to know that they have a gaming, party, shopping, or gossip buddy. You'll learn so much about other cultures and countries too.

Interpals 

While this website isn't geared towards Japanese people in particular you can most certainly make some genuine friends here. I don't recommend this site in particular as it is mostly full of people who are just looking for free English lessons or that are desperate for a relationship with a foreigner. Basically the site is full of gaijin hunters and fake friends. Intervals is a site intended for finding friends from around the world for both language exchanges, traditional pen friends, and of course online friends as well. I have been a member of this site long before I imagined coming to Japan but I  rarely use it as it's full of people from around the world looking for visas and free English lessons. Whenever it's not that then it's trolls and racists and stalkers men from Europe and the Middle East in particular. I'd still suggest making an account and giving it a shot as I have met a few really nice people from here too.

Thank you so much for reading! 

If you have any other tips, tricks, locations, or apps that you'd like to recommend please leave your comment down below to help out others who are also in search of friends! You can also feel free to leave your general contact information that you don't mind sharing or your LINE ID here for potential friends to add you. 

Be sure to tell other a little bit about yourself too! To avoid scams and spam please don't list your email address or phone number (usernames & ID's only)!

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