Location

Tokyo is the venue for the TEFL International course in Japan. An incredible city on the edge of the Orient, Tokyo is the last great conurbation before the Pacific Ocean, and is one of the world's most fascinating cities.

Take a step back from the big city bustle and the frenetic main roads and you'll find yourself in a world of tranquil backstreets, where wooden houses are fronted by neatly clipped bonsai trees; wander beyond the high-tech department stores, and you'll find ancient temples and shrines. In this city of 24-hour shops and vending machines, a festival is held virtually every day of the year, with the locals regularly visiting their local shrine or temple and scrupulously observing the passing seasons. At the centre of it all is the mysterious green void of the Imperial Palace, home to the emperor and a tangible link to the past.

In so many ways Tokyo is something of a modern-day utopia. Trains run on time; the crime rate is virtually non existent; shops and vending machines provide everything you could need (along with many things you never thought you needed) 24 hours a day. The people simply have to wear the coolest fashions, eat in fabulous restaurants and party in the hippest clubs. It's almost impossible to be bored here and first-time visitors should be prepared for a major assault on the senses; just walking the streets of this hyperactive city can be an energizing experience.

TEFL course participants will also be pleasantly surprised how affordable many things are. Cheap-and-cheerful izakaya (bars that serve food) and noodle shacks far outnumber the big-ticket French restaurants and high-class ryotei, where geisha serve minimalist Japanese cuisine. Day tickets for a traditional sumo tournament or a Kabuki play can be bought for the price of a few drinks.

Many of the city's highlights are even free:

• Stroll through the evocative Shitamachi (low city) area around Asakusa and the major Buddhist temple Senso-ji.
• Pay a visit to the tranquil wooded grounds of Meiji-jingu, the city's most venerable Shinto shrine, and the nearby teenage shopping mecca of Harajuku.
• Experience the frenetic fish market at Tsukiji.
• Soak up the neon-saturated atmosphere of the mini-city Shinjuku.

Either before or after your TEFL course you may want to explore other parts of Japan. Tokyo is the major transport hub for Japan. Every day, scores of Shinkansen (bullet trains) speed up to the far north of Honsho or south to Kyushu, while flights, buses and ferries connect Tokyo to the far-flung corners and islands of the Japanese archipelago.

Tokyo can be fairly warm in the height of summer, when visitors enjoy the plentiful air-conditioning. October and November, by contrast, are great months to take in the spectacularly coloured autumn leaves in Tokyo's parks and gardens. Temperatures dip to freezing in the winter months, though the crisp blue skies are rarely interrupted by rain or snow showers. April is the month when locals party beneath the flurries of falling cherry blossoms – perhaps one of the most picturesque months to visit Tokyo. Carrying an umbrella is a good idea during the rainy season in June and September, when typhoons occasionally strike the coast.

Legend has it that a giant catfish sleeps beneath Tokyo Bay, and its movements can be felt in the hundreds of small, harmless tremors that rumble the capital each year. There is a long-running, half-hearted debate about moving the Diet and main government offices out of Tokyo, away from danger. Yet, despite the fact that the city is well overdue for the Big One, talk of relocating the capital always comes to nothing. Now, more than ever before, Tokyo is the centre of Japan, and nobody wants to leave and miss any of the action.

Tokyo is the place to be – an ideal location for your TEFL course.

About the school

The TEFL International Tokyo course is held in an English language school in Shibuya, about a 15-minute walk from Shibuya Station. Facilities at the school include free internet access, well-equipped classrooms and all the teaching resources and facilities that you will require for the duration of your TEFL course. We have two computers available for trainees to plan lessons and access emails, with high speed internet access. The TEFL International Tokyo centre has both large and small teaching rooms for teaching practice to give trainees the experience of teaching different sized groups in different environments.

Shibuya is one of the twenty-three city wards of Tokyo, but often refers to just the popular shopping and entertainment area around Shibuya Station. Shibuya is within walking distance from two other large shopping districts - Omotesando and Harajuku - as well as being quite close to Yoyogi Park and the Meiji Jingu shrine.

A prominent landmark of Shibuya is the large intersection in front of the station (Hachiko Exit), which is heavily decorated by neon advertisements and huge video screens. The junction is criss-crossed by an incredible number of pedestrians each time their lights turn green. During the late 1990s, Shibuya also became well known as the center of the IT industry in Japan. Shibuya has a number of prominent shrines and parks: Meiji shrine, Yoyogi Park, and Shinjuku Giyoen Park are all close by.

Accommodation

There are a number of accommodations options available to you during your TEFL International course in Tokyo. The Tokyo TEFL training centre staff is able to help applicants arrange housing for the duration of the TEFL course, though it’s very easy to rent an apartment in Tokyo. There are plenty of properties for rent on the market, which can broadly be categorized into five groups for trainees: (1) a monthly apartment for rent; (2) a Japanese Inn without meals; (3) a long stay guest-friendly hotel; (4) a youth hostel-style hotel; and (5) a youth hostel. 

Option one: Monthly apartment for rent, at around 88,000 yen for the month. (Utilities, linen cleaning charge and broker’s commission totaling \48,600 are exempted)

Option two: A Japanese inn (ryokan), without meals. You may want to experience sleeping on a traditional Japanese futon (a flat soft cushion bed) in a tatami (thick, rectangular straw mat floor covering) room whilst in Japan. This option is around 4,725 yen (single), 6,825 yen (double) or 7,875 yen (twin) per day. Two people can share double or twin rooms. You can stay as long as you wish, but discounted rates for a long-term stays aren’t usually available.

Option three: A long-stay guest-friendly hotel. If you are more price-conscious, you might consider staying in a hotel. Typical rates:

• Single room: 3,350 yen (one night) 
• Discounted single room: 3,150 yen (more than three consecutive nights)
• Monthly single room: 87,900 yen
• Twin Room Charge: 4,800 yen (one night) 
• Discounted twin room: 4,600 yen (more than three consecutive nights)
• Monthly twin room: 132,000 yen

These rates would include tax.

Option four: A youth hostel-style hotel. This option is more rudimentary, but competitively priced. Typical daily charges:

• Eight-person room: 2,940 yen per person
• Daily two-person room charge: 8,295 yen
• Daily four-person room charge: 12,600 yen
• Daily six-person room charge: 17,640 yen
• Daily eight-person room charge: 23,520 yen

All the above charges include tax. You can stay as long as you wish, but discounted rates for a long-term stays aren’t usually available.

Option five: Youth Hostel. If you are a member of the International Youth Hostel Association, you could stay in the Tokyo Sumidagawa Youth Hostel. You would need to contact them direct for rates.

Course Dates

• 4 January - 29 January 2010
• 1 February - 28 February 2010
• 1 March - 26 March 2010
• 5 April - 30 April 2010
• 3 May - 28 May 2010
• 31 May - 25 June 2010
• 5 July - 30 July 2010
• 2 August - 27 August 2010
• 30 August - September 24 2010
• 4 October - 29 October 2010
• 1 November - 26 November 2010

Course fees

• US$ 2290 (£) (excluding accommodation)
• Accommodation from around US$ 30 (£) per night
  
  Special offer for all 2010 courses:
• US$ 250 (£) discount from course fees final payment

Tokyo, Japan - Map: Click here for the map