This businessman does spread a lot of lies.
I'm posting a rant written not by me, but I do happen to agree with most of it. I think it's pretty typical of the complaints I've had and have heard from just about every teacher who has worked for this employer.
I suggest that anyone looking for a job in Japan read this. It is what you should expect if you work at the school mentioned here, and it is a good indication of working life outside the major cities.
Anyway, here it is. I've highlighted the parts I strongly agree with.
This school has been in operation for over ten years, run by a Japanese husband and wife team named Masakatsu Horiguchi 堀口 政勝（ほりぐち・まさかつ） and Kimiko Horiguchi. 堀口 君子（ほりぐち・きみこ）
Their website is http://www.glc-la.jp/index.html and http://glc-la.sakura.ne.jp/
In Japanese it's 幼児から成人のための語学学校です。教室での授業の他
Gunma Language Center and Gunma Language Academy is NOT doing anything illegal. They are by the books and reputable in the local community. But I think Mr. Horiguchi draws a fine line bordering unethical and exploitive. I think he is very diabolical and has exploiting foreigner teachers new to Japan down to an art form.
The big draw for teaching in Gunma Language Center and Gunma Language Academy is the ¥260,000 salary and the alleged ¥240,000 bonus at the end of your contract. Regarding the bonus, it is supposed to be a rental and airfare reimbursement, but is commonly absorbed in hidden "taxes" that are never made very clear and are only revealed to you at the end of your contract.
The Horiguchis own the apartment complex that all 6 teachers are required to live. I think you are basically paying his mortgage. He charges ¥55,000/month (¥10,000/month over the true value of the apartment). The apartments are large for Japan, BUT they are constructed of the cheapest plastic material, not unlike a big cubical. You will be spending a lot of your salary on heating or air conditioning just to stay comfortable. They come unfurnished except for the very basics (fridge, toaster, stove, vacuum) so you will be spending your entire first salary on a futon, furniture, trash cans, cooking utensils and other essential comforts.
The Horiguchis like to say in their ads for new teachers that the apartment is located only 5 minutes from their GLC branch. This is true, however you will mostly have only one class per day at GLC, or one day per week at GLC. Otherwise you can expect to be driving on average between 2-12 hours/week extra UNPAID just to get to all your classes!!! The nearest other branch, MLA, is 20 minutes away. The furthest class is over 2 hours away (4 hours total drive time there and back).
Teaching schedules tend to be erratic and all over the board, some 9am-6pm, others from 1pm-9:30pm. (To add to this, employees are told they'll only be scheduled from 2pm to 10pm in the contract.) I think Mr. Horiguchi tends to assign light schedules to his favorite teachers and break the backs of the rest of the teachers. There's definitely no balance or flexibility, and I think he does this to cause competition between teachers in hopes of creating a team of kiss-asses. I think he fully expects all teachers to do exactly what he says without question or complaint.
Perhaps the most important thing to know about the schedule is that you MUST work every single Saturday (and Friday night until 10pm), NO exceptions. 6-day work weeks are contractual. Only Sundays off. You might also have to work during the holiday weeks.
The contract also says that one-hour weekly meetings are required, as are participating in Christian-themed Easter and Christmas recitals ON YOUR ONLY DAY OFF, for only 5,000yen, not to mention all that unpaid lesson planning and prep time for the recitals (and the xmas party -- some teachers get really stressed out during these times) in addition to your normal classes.
Want to make extra money tutoring students outside of GLC? Forget it. It's in the contract that you absolutely can not teach outside of GLC. Even private language exchanges are forbidden. If he finds out, then you are in big legal trouble. I think he does this to maintain his monopoly of the local area, and also to keep you hard of cash so that you are dependent solely on him for an income.
Your apartment is located in Gunmamachi, which is the countryside outside of Takasaki. Despite what the ad says, you are NOT anywhere near downtown Takasaki. It's a rare day that you even see that city. The only things you will see on a normal work week are your classroom and the local grocery store. There really is nothing else in the area to do or see in the immediate area. It's GREAT for those who love secluded farm life, and the surrounding mountains and onsen hot springs can be enjoyable, and the air is clean, but again you will only have time for bike rides or excursions on your one single day off.
You are given a car to drive to work (he pays for gas and maintenance but does not pay teachers for the drive time there; (or the time you will spend to have maintenance done on the car) the cars are small compact deathtraps with no airbags or antilock breaks), and you are allowed to use it in your free time, BUT you pay 30¥ per kilometer. That sounds ok to you? Remember that you are totally isolated from the nearest city, with only 2 restaurants and a mall within walking distance. The "Guch Miles" add up HEAVILY. Basically you are forced to drive your car to do anything personal, all at what I think is the total profit of Mr. Horiguchi, and you will see how fast your salary dwindles. ¥600/day (to go eat or shopping) X 365 days is over ¥200,000/year in HIS pocket. Ouch! He even requires you to pick up your monthly salary at a branch 20 minutes away on your time off just so I think he can profit from the extra mileage.
If you are looking for cultural interaction or meeting Japanese people (other than students) or listening to music or looking at art or watching festivals or visiting shrines, THIS AINT THE PLACE. Gunmamachi is far too secluded and barren for any of that. Sundays into Tokyo are doable, but you will wind up exhausted if you factor the 6 hour there-and-back train ride. That only gives you 8 daytime hours in Tokyo.
At GLC, I think it truly doesn't matter how great a teacher you are or how loved by your students you are. If Mr. Horiguchi personally doesn't like you, then I think he will treat you like dirt. One teacher who taught at a company class received a substantial monetary gift from the company for all his hard work. They gave it to Mr. Horiguchi to give to the teacher, but Mr. Horiguchi didn't give it to him. The company later asked the teacher if he got it. The teacher confronted Mr. Horiguchi, who told him he was not allowed to receive gifts from students, and that it should go to Mr. Horiguchi instead.
Most teachers wind up re resentful of Mr. Horiguchi but some strive to please him; one went certifiably insane, collapsed from exhaustion while at work and had to be hospitalized before deported to America. This is no joke. Other teachers have gotten cabin fever because of the isolation and quit.
One teacher who ended his contract early was invited to a school dinner party of 15 people, during which Mr. Horiguchi stood up to make a toast then in front of everyone ripped into the teacher for not honoring his contract and being unreliable. Another teacher wasn't given any time to clean the apartment before going home. Mr. Horiguchi then demanded that teacher pay a ¥20,000 cleaning fee, even though the contract says only ¥2,000.
Very few teachers have anything nice to say about Mr. Horiguchi. He has said to new teachers "You are not in Japan to experience culture or have fun; you are here as an employee of this school and only here to work for us."
My intent is not to personally attack the Horiguchis, but to exercise my right to pass on information and inform prospective teachers of details that are left out of the GLC contract that usually surprise new teachers upon their arrival, such as the promise of a bonus that never materializes; by saying you are in Takasaki when really you are in the sticks; by not informing you of the 6-day work week; and not informing you of the unpaid drive-time.
For those reasons alone, I think prospective teachers should be on guard. There are worse schools in Japan, but I am positive there are better ones as well. All I'm saying is look around more before signing a contract with the Horiguchis at Gunma Language Center.
Good luck!!!
