Working in Japan

I am currently doing my A levels and am wanting to go and do a gap year in Japan before uni. I want to do a Japanese language degree so I thought a gap year in Japan would be a good idea. I was thinking that I should teach in Japan but am wondering if that is even possible. I will probably be 19-20 by the time I go and won't have a degree. I am a Japanese citizen and am completely fluent in English and can speak a little bit of Japanese. Will getting a job be very difficult? I have heard that you HAVE to have a university degree to get a job. Is that just because of the visa or because employers need you to have a degree? The visa is no problem for me. I want to teach in the Niigata prefecture if possible. Is it harder to get jobs in small towns or cities? Thanks so much for any answers.
I have looked at other forums but the answers seemed to be mixed.

I have heard that you HAVE to have a university degree to get a job. Is that just because of the visa or because employers need you to have a degree?

That's an immigration requirement, that doesn't apply to you as you've correctly presumed.

I am a Japanese citizen and am completely fluent in English and can speak a little bit of Japanese. Will getting a job be very difficult?

Your citizenship gives you an advantage in the hiring process, but other than that you will basically be competing with those looking for short time teaching work on a WHV. So looking at the market from the standpoint of someone on a working holiday visa should give you a good idea of your situation.

Something that was not mentioned is your appearance. If you look like a Japanese it will be VERY difficult to get an English teaching job in Japan. They want native English speakers and even if you are fluent in English if you don't LOOK like an American or British or Australian, they won't be interested in you.
Sorry to have to put it so bluntly, but it's better for you to know the true facts.
I met an American/Chinese girl in Tokyo. She was born and grew up in San Francisco, but she could not get a teaching job in Japan because she looked Chinese.

I have known a number of people of Asian descent who have taught English in Japan, including people of Chinese, Korean and Japanese descent, so I have to say I don't think Dick H's post is entirely accurate.

Personally I think your greatest difficulty is looking for work in Niigata in particular rather than looking for work across the country in general. I also think that finding work in the city would be easier, but I am not sure. There are more schools in a city but in the countryside there are fewer people who can teach. In the city I think its easier to find places they might need part-time teachers but in the countryside when a full-time position becomes open it is harder for the employer to find a replacement.

In the years I taught English I worked with countless Japanese-Americans. Japanese-Canadians, Chinese-Australians, Chinese-Americans, Filipino-Americans, Singaporeans etc. Being Japanese is a slight disadvantage but most reputable employers will not discriminate.

western looking people probably have an advantage, but no where near as bad as dick h makes it sound.

plenty of non western people teaching at language schools

Something that was not mentioned is your appearance. If you look like a Japanese it will be VERY difficult to get an English teaching job in Japan. They want native English speakers and even if you are fluent in English if you don't LOOK like an American or British or Australian, they won't be interested in you.

While these discriminatory hiring practices may still happen today to a degree, I would guess they are mostly a thing of the past. I agree with the above posters that this shouldn't be much of a concern. In my experience asian teachers don't seem all that underrepresented at all.

And as Sira said, any reputable school shouldn't have a problem with your appearance assuming you are qualified for the job. If they do express a concern, then I'd look for work elsewhere as they clearly have their priorities mixed up.

Btw, I'm asian and was an ALT for three years (although I was on JET so the hiring is different), and over the years I've met plenty of english teachers that were asian.

About the poster's questions. The reason many of us need a 4 year college degree is because it is the requirement to get a visa in Japan. As a Japanese citizen, you should be eligible for any job as long as you qualify. I think your job opportunities would be limited if you don't speak fluent Japanese. I'm a 4th generation Japanese-American and I didn't have a problem getting a teaching position. I also speak fluent Japanese.