[Sangetsu]

Utilities are not included, but they are not that expensive either. Electricity will run about $60 per month, gas (if you are in an area which has gas service) is about $50 a month. A cell phone is about $50 a month, and internet is about $40 a month.

Transportation varies according to where you live. In some cases you'll live close enough to walk or ride a bike, in other cases you may have to commute by train for as long as 30 minutes each way. In the case of train/bus transportation, you will be reimbursed. Some schools will provide a car (you will need to get an international/Japanese drivers license) if you must work in an area where public transportation is not convenient.

"Part time" is anything but. You will "officially" be working for 29.5 hours a week, but this generally works out to 40 hours in real life. You will be required to be present at the start and end of the day (usually an 8 or 9 hour day), but you are allowed to do what you please between classes. You'll probably do things like lesson planning or school maintenance during those times, but you won't technically be getting paid for it. If you teach more than 5 or 6 classes a day, you will be eligible for extra pay, though it usually isn't much.

There are a few things which will be deducted from your pay, such as health insurance, the national pension plan, and income tax. These don't really add up to all that much. Local taxes (you will receive a bill in your mailbox every year) depend greatly on where you live. My tax for this year was about $120, my girlfriend's tax was over $7000.

Chain schools or ALT dispatch companies do not offer very much, but then most of the people who work at these places are recent graduates with little/no experience. Comparatively speaking, these companies pay quite a lot more than a typical Japanese new grad would make.

If you decide you like teaching in Japan, and become competent at it, you can go to work for a private school, or apply to one of the Boards of Education directly for a job as a teacher. Either option will pay much more than the garden-variety teaching positions that most foreigners hold.

Edit: Most companies offer housing subsidies. Some will supply an apartment, and will pay the move-in costs (though you will still pay rent), others may have an agreement with a property owner who will rent you an apartment with little or no deposit money. Still others may provide you with a loan which you can use to rent an apartment. In nearly every case, you will still receive a housing allowance which will offset some of your rent. These allowances are generally $150 to $200 per month, which can reduce the $400 to $700 cost significantly.