Now fraught with job insecurity and low pay, there was a time when the work was steady and salaries were high for those who taught English in Japan.
One only has to contrast the birth of the eikaiwa (English conversation) business in the late '80s, marked by the rise of private chain schools and the start of the JET Program in 1987, to the current state of the industry to see how it has contracted in size and scope.
While the English teaching industry in Japan has shown resilience by surviving recessions, financial crises and occasional bankruptcies, there is no denying it has seen better days.