About us
ALTogether
"I spent four years in university, got TEFL certified, moved across the world, and my primary job responsibility today was pressing play on a CD player and saying 'Repeat after me: I like baseball' in five different tones." β Reddit
"Dispatch companies send company-wide emails whenever one person makes a mistake. Received a high-priority email today reminding all ALTs to not walk around school with empty hands. Advice given: 'Always carry a clipboard and a textbook so you look like you are going somewhere important'." β Reddit
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Japan is amazing. We are here for a reason. And Japan is not perfect, and nobody is pretending like it is.
It is okay to be frustrated, enraged, or pissed the hell off sometimes. Especially those of us in education know how imperfect and how ancient some things actually are. All the airs you have to put on just to get by. If you have ever had an argument with a Japanese teacher, a student, a company rep, a parent, or a clipboard policy, we want to hear it.
But ALTogether is not just a place to vent, though you are absolutely welcome to. It is also a room full of people at different stages of the same journey. Some are loving it and staying. Some are quietly figuring out what comes next. Some already know they are leaving and have no idea where to go. All of it is welcome here, and more often than not, the person sitting next to you has already been through whatever you are currently stuck on.
If you are thinking about your next move, whether that is a different school, a different city, a different career, or just making it to the end of the school year without losing your mind, this is a good room to be in.
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What we do:
Monthly in-person meetups where ALTs and foreign professionals share experiences, swap stories, and actually talk honestly about what it is like to work in Japan. Common topics include navigating Japanese staff dynamics, classroom and curriculum frustrations, cultural differences at work, what people are moving on to, and what they wish they had known sooner.
No slides. No structure. No dispatch company reps.
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Who this is for:
Foreign professionals working in Japanese schools or companies, English teachers at the elementary, junior high, and senior high level, people finishing their contracts and figuring out what is next, and anyone who has ever been told to carry a clipboard so they look busy.
Who this is not for:
People looking for a party or a dating scene. This is peer-driven, work-focused, and genuinely useful.
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First meetup: September 20th
Come as you are. Drinks help.
Upcoming events
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