Apply for jobs inside or outside of Japan?

Hello!

I spent two years in Japan. One year on working holiday(teaching children English) and then the other year on a student visa, at language school. I came back to UK and started my University Degree in order to be able to go back and teach English for the long run! I will be taking either a TEFL or CELTA before I graduate. What would be easier(for anyone who has experienced it), applying for jobs outside of Japan? or just going to Japan as a tourist and then applying?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

There are pros (+) and cons (-) to both.

Looking for employment while being outside Japan:
+ you can continue your current work where you are and look for work at the same time
+ once you find an employer, you usually wait in your country till they handle the visa process for you, so that upon arrival you can start working
- you don't get to see the company/school/staff firsthand until you've commited to work and come over

If you come to Japan to find employment:
- you need to quit your current work and come to Japan to look for employment, and it might take some time to find one
- even after you find an employer, you need to wait until the change of resident status from "temporary visitor" (tourist) to a work-permitting one is completed to start working, which "could" mean a few month's wait (without pay). Recently immigration seem to be quite busy with processing applications.
+ you get to see the company/school/staff firsthand

I'll leave it to others to comment whether they found it "easy" or not. But obviously if you do find something from where you are, I'd say try applying (once you qualify) to see how that goes.

When I browsed the job boards a few years back, many advertisments stated you needed to already be in Japan and eligible to work. That means not being on a temporary/tourist visa, but actually already legally residing in the country.

Which is easier? Applying from out side of the country, but the success rate will be lower. (IMO)