The Foreign Lecturer in Japan: A Temporary Who Cannot Say No

by Anthony S. Rausch Foreign lecturer at a national university in Japan . . . sounds promising. But like so many things Japanese, appearances can deceive and you never know how things will turn out. People wind up staying in Japan long-term for a lot of reasons: specialized research, marriage and family, fate and opportunity. There are increasing numbers of foreigners working in Japanese colleges and universities — some permanent, some under contract. The foreign lecturer (gaikokujin kyoshi) is a contract position at a national university; a hold-over from the days when the Japanese government wanted the foreigner to come and teach a foreign language, but not stay too long. […]