Teaching English in Kobe
Teaching English in Kobe is a great way to experience the cherry blossoms or spend your day off in the village of Arima Onsen at a local hot spring. You can really feel the culture of spiritual reverence in Kobe, so don’t miss going to one of its famous shrines. Check out some of the local conferences and the Kobe JALT chapter for further connections and opportunities in the TESOL world. As a business hub that hosts several multinational corporations such as Kawasaki, Kobe is a great place to teach Business English and earn a great salary!
People love teaching English in Kobe because it is a large metropolitan city where there is no shortage of entertainment, but without the same busy energy that Osaka and Tokyo have. While being a major city, Kobe is also right next to a mountain range that offers the nature lover an excellent range of activities. First on the list is a visit to the hot springs at Arima Onsen, one of Japan’s most famous spa towns. There are two types of hot springs, the Kinsen (golden hot spring) and the Ginsen (silver hot spring. Both offer a luxurious experience to anyone teaching English in Kobe. Indulge your senses and head out twenty minutes north of Hankyu Okamoto station to experience the cherry blossoms, especially the weeping cherry blossom, which are located halfway up Mt. Kinchozan at the Hakura Shrine. If you head out early morning, you’ll notice others enjoying their morning hike, not to worry though, it does not become busy with tourists until later in the day.
Although access to nature is quite easy in Kobe, it remains an industrial city. When searching for housing, avoid any seaside areas as this part of town is quite polluted. Many who teach English in Kobe love living slightly outside in areas like Takarazuka. For those who want to live closer to the core, check out Rokko (not the island) and Okamoto. As for the TESOL community in Kobe, you can connect and find resources at the annual PANSig conference at the Kobe City University of Foreign studies. The Kobe JALT chapter is also an excellent resource for those teaching English in Kobe.