Do I need a degree to teach English in japan?

Question:

am very interested in teaching English abroad. However, I know for sure that I want to start off teaching in Japan.

So, I have a few questions..

Do I need a degree to teach English in Japan?
Or can I just take an online course to get a TESOL certificate?

Answer:

To be clear on a few matters some folks here don't know.

You DON'T need one to teach (Eikawa's , ALTs, dispatchers) if you already have a status that legally allows you to already be in Japan. For example, Spouses (married to Japanese), students studying in Japan (with part-time work permission), people with working holiday visas, DO NOT require a degree to teach English (for most basic English jobs). If you already have a status in Japan, many employers don't care, I KNOW, especially many WHV holders and spouses do not hold degrees but can work, because they already have a visa that allows work.

Obviously there are jobs that will require you to have a degree, many jobs are like that, but many English jobs are not. It is dependent on your visa status you are applying for.

Different companies have different policies. Immigration has their own policies.

HOWEVER you DO need one if you need sponsorship for a working type visa to come to Japan.
If you are not married to Japanese, if you are not studying in Japan with special work permission, if you don't have a "working holiday visa", if you aren't a dependent in Japan (with special work permission). then YES you need a bachelors degree to teach.

The degree is a Immigration requirement for sponsorship into the "Specialist in Humanities" or "Instructor" visa categories. That's why you need a degree. However as I stated above, if you fit into some other category eg "Working Holiday Visa" , a WHV doesn't require a degree. But not all countries have WHV with Japan.

It's not a personal opinion it is a fact, research the very same site linked. A working holiday visa holder doesn't require a visa, there are many WHV holders with jobs teaching English, many companies like GABA actively recruit hiring people with WHVs.

Again it all depends on the type of visa status you are applying for in most cases, rather then holding a degree. Holding a degree is definitely required for some statuses, but NOT for others. That's not a personal opinion, that is a FACT.