Teaching English in Japan without a degree

Again, I see that this question has been asked multiple times on here (apologies in advance), but none quite fit my particular circumstance, so hence the new thread. Here is where I currently stand:

I'm currently on a work visa (Engineer/Specialist in Humanities & International Services) that was provided by a previous employee. Since finishing employment with them, I have moved to Kyoto with my partner (Japanese) and am looking for an English Teaching job. I have an online accredited TEFL 'Master 150 Hour' Course, but no degree (how did I get my work visa in the first place you ask? inundated immigration with paperwork..and the rest is history, lucky right).

I have applied online for many agencies/companies, but they all hit the hurdle of "no degree", even though I have the work visa (which I've been told is the main reason you need a degree).

As a side note, I'm constantly studying Japanese, and love life here!

Any light on my situation is immensely appreciated!

Thanks for your time :)
Gareth.

They are thinking ahead. They already understand that it will be very, very difficult for you (and hence them) to renew your visa. If you were married and on a spouse visa it may be different. Simply put, you're not qualified to renew your residency status, and they're unwilling to go to bat for you.

The idea of getting a work visa is to work in a specialized field. Not to switch and go to another field of work. Immigration can make it difficult. It doesn't matter if your Japanese is good.

Often they ask degree to prevent people to switch easily but also make sure qualified person work in a specific field.