Frequently Asked Questions from visitors to Harumichi YAMADA's English Pages
- The FAQ Page-

FOR THOSE WHO SENT MESSAGE TO yamada@tku.ac.jp:

I am happy to receive e-mails from people all over the world. However, unfortunately, it is rather difficult for me to respond all the e-mails coming in. Here are some examples of typical questions I receive almost regularly. Your e-mails may be silently neglencted when it is sufficiently answered in this page.

Other types of e-mails silently neglected include commercially purposed inquiry, potential chain mail (including appeals or petitions), hoax and other generally unwelcomed e-mails.

If you think you sent a proper inquiry to the above address, and yet not answered for weeks, please try to re-send your message.
Since I receive more than 100 e-mails daily, including those from mailing lists, there is substantial possibility that I might dispose your e-mail by mistake. I would like to ask your patience and understanding on such situation.

[Last modified: 18th February, 2002]
How can I get a full-time teching job at Japanese universities ?
Where is information about a faculty posts in Japanese universities ?

You should understand that it is very difficult to have a job as a full-time faculty member in Japanese universities without sufficient fluency in Japanese language, for all the administrative procedures are done in Japanese.

In most cases, notice of available jobs are given only in Japanese.
If you are fluent in Japanese and your browser displays Japanese, check out the following page of Japan Research Career Information Network, which contains almost all academic jobs available through open-competition.

http://jrecin.jst.go.jp/

However, there should be few exceptional universities.International Christian University, for example, supply information in English about available faculty positions.

http://subsite.icu.ac.jp/vpaaoffice/0index/indexe.html

Unfortunately, however, ICU is a VERY exceptional example.

As you know, there is a strong demand for qualified native English teachers.
Though there may be quite a few exceptional cases, in most cases required qualifications are rather tough.
For example, let me quote several lines from a notice I found in above mentioned page of JRECIN early in 2002. The notice is from Hiroshima International University, and written only in Japanese.
Positions for full-time faculty member.
Teaching, Oral English, English Reading, English Writing and others.
Applicants should:
1) be native speakers of English,
2) have accomplished Master's or higher degrees (preferably be a PhD holder),
3) have published academic papers in the field of English education, applied linguistics, Western cultural studies, comperative cultural studies, and/or intercultural communication,
4) have experience in teaching at undegraduate level or higher, and
5) have sufficient fluency in Japanese.
In relation to the last point, HIU requires applicants to submit an essay written in Japanese on their view of English language education in Japan.
The case of HIU shows a typical example of the requirements usually asked for applicants.

The Japan Times often has adverts of available academic positions for English speakers.
If you have access to the Japan Times, it might be worth going through pages.

Above are all what I can provide you.
I am sorry for not being very helpful.
Thanks for your interests in Japan, and I hope you a good luck.


Harumichi YAMADA, DSc
Tokyo Keizai University

How can I find and enroll for courses provided in English language by Japanese universities ?

Although a number of universities in Japan have short-term courses for visiting or exchange students whose proficiency in Japanese is limited, courses fully given in English is very rare. Two famous exceptional universities in Tokyo are:

International Christian University, a Protestant university with long tradition of bilingual syllabi,
http://www.icu.ac.jp/E/index-e.html

and

Sophia University, a Catholic University operated by the Society of Jesus, whose internaional department gives courses fully in English.
http://www.sophia.ac.jp/

Information about courses available in Japanese universities is provided in English at the following site of Association for International Education, Japan:

http://www.aiej.or.jp/


Thanks for your interests in Japan, and I hope you a good luck.


Harumichi YAMADA, DSc
Tokyo Keizai University

How can I find a suitable superviser in applying for Japanese scholarships, especially for generous ones supplied by the Japanese government ?
Will you be my superviser ?

If you are seriously seeking possibilities to study in Japan with scholarship, you should be keen in choice of superviser. There is an apparent tendencies that most government scholarships go to the students who will study under renowned scholars who belong to national universities. Certain portion of grants may be given to private university applicants, but the competition is tougher.

It is not easy, however, to acquire a letter of acceptance from those well-established academics in national university. Simply sending e-mails would not work. If you are lucky enough, you may have your own present, or previous, supervisers who have friends among Japanese scholars. Such personal relationship is often, if not always, very important. Ask your supervisers if they know anybody who is suitable.

If you are not that lucky, check out the pages at the following site of Association for International Education, Japan:

http://www.in32.com/AIEJ/cgi-bin/search/univ_search.html

Find a suitable course supplied by a national university, and try to go through English pages of the university in order to find a suitable superviser. Those academics who have good international experience and intention to accept international students should have their own English web pages. Try to write them both via e-mail, and neatly prepared post mail with your resume. Since many international students tend to try universities in Tokyo or other metropolitan area, academics of those universities are mostly getting bored of receiving such mails. You might have better chance if you contact national universities in other areas.

As for myself, I am happy to read your resume, and also happy to issue a letter of acceptance when your study interest matches mine. However, you should remember that I am teaching at a private university in Tokyo, and your chance of getting scholarship is quite limited, if not totally impossible, when you put my name as a superviser.

Thanks for your interests in Japan, and I hope you a good luck.


Harumichi YAMADA, DSc
Tokyo Keizai University

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