That's fine for the visa.

And there's a short supply of teachers wanting to teach kids.

And if you say you speak English they'll be none the wiser, it's all the same to most people here.

1 That is fine for the visa.

2 Really? I know a lot of teachers taking advantage of the young kid boom. That started a few years ago.

3 That's the FIRST QUESTION asked. There is a list of countries that are considered "native English" countries. People in Japan don't want to learn English from non-Native Speakers.

Thanks for the replies! More questions coming up!

1. That's good to hear.

2. It seems you do not agree on that one.
Do you know how easy/difficult it is for a foreigner to get a job like that in general? What if they were in need of a preschool teacher, and I come along. Do you think there's a possibility that they wouldn't hire me just because I'm not a native? I'm not talking about racism, but more like them worrying about cultural differences (which I would totally understand).
Are there any other jobs apart from teaching English that foreigners usually go for?

3. Well, I think my English is pretty much fluent.
I do make some minor grammatical errors and silly spelling mistakes every now and then, but I've noticed that my English is actually better than the English of quite a few native English speakers (I don't know if you'll agree on that one lol).
From my understanding you pretty much need to come from a "native English" country to teach English in Japan, but could being fluent in English make a difference if I were to apply for other jobs?

If you are interested in other jobs outside teaching, then your Japanese ability will become important, as well as having a relevant degree/work skills. The job market in Japan is becoming increasingly tight lately, and the newest crop of university graduates are having a hard time finding work.

It is not schools which require language teachers be native speakers, it is the law. You can find this information at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. You must be a native speaker, or have lived at least 12 years in an English-speaking country.

Learning how to speak Japanese is something I really, really want, but the thing is I haven't a clue about what to do after I'm done using the program that I've been using up until now. I guess buying some kanji flash cards would be a good idea, but then what..?
I know it's different for everyone, but do you think 5 years would be enough to reach the level of skill required for a job like that?
The job market is really bad around here as well. Over 12% of the people living in this particular area are unemployed, and the number is even higher for people aged 18-25. It's crazy!

I see. I didn't think I'd be able to teach English to begin with, but now I know for sure. Thanks!

2. Yes, I think it is a possibility they wouldn't hire you if you are not a native speaker.

3. It doesn't matter if your English is perfect, if you applying to be a teacher, chances are you need to be a native speaker. The exception would be if you are being evaluated by a native speaker... a rare luxury.
For other jobs, like programming, English and a certain level of Japanese will likely be a must.

So what kind of jobs would I be able to get, then? Surely there must be something I could do even though my Japanese most likely will be far from fluent and I wouldn't have any "special skills" other than preschool teaching?

Yeah, like I said, I didn't really expect to be able to teach English in the first place.

What are you better at than native Japanese? Why would someone hire you without any "special skills"?

These are the fundamental questions.

Haha, I feared you'd say something like that, but I guess that's reality.
So basically, since I'm not from a "native English" country the only way for me to be able to live in Japan would be for me to aquire some skill that most native Japanese people do not have, and decent knowledge of the Japanese language?

Think about teaching your native language, as well.