Previous Native Teachers' Comments
Tina on the left and Ginny from England on the right.
Hi! My name is Tina Marshall. I found my job here at ALPHA on Dave's Cafe last year. Teaching at ALPHA has been great. It is a very relaxed and enjoyable teaching atmosphere. Working at ALPHA is like teaching in a large cozy home, where you feel like part of the family. I 'm from Toronto Canada and I have found the weather to be quite similar. The Kushiro area is great for outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking and camping. I teach students of all ages, both private and group lessons. I work Tuesday to Saturday from 1pm to 9:30pm. I live in a nice little apartment about a five minute walk from the school. It is fully furnished and safe. In reference to "safety", Japan is exceptibly safe. The people here are very, very friendly. I am leaving the end of January, so if you are interested in this position please apply immediately. I highly recommend ALPHA and will miss everyone here. Actually, I think that if my true love wasn't in Canada, I probably wouldn't leave. (Left Feb.,1998)
Hello! I'm Ginny. I'm from England. Tina and I are the only two teachers here along with our boss, Fumio. As Tina mentioned, the school atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed. I think this is helped by the fact that we work in a wooden chalet-style building which is a far cry from the usual concrete/formica, windowless classrooms of other schools. I've been here for two years now and can honestly say I've enjoyed every minute. The work is great because our students are such fun and so enthusiastic. Since Kushiro is a relatively small city, it is easy to become involved with local events and to get to know people. There are also four other language schools here which employ foreign teachers, so you can socialize with them when trying to speak Japanese gets too much!! If you like the outdoors you will like it here. I spend almost every weekend either hiking around the local mountains, mountain biking or camping in summer, and skiing in the winter. The skiing is great since the snow is light and powdery, and this is not Honshu, there are no lift queues! There is also plenty of fishing, canoeing, windsurfing etc. if that's what you enjoy. No doubt you've all heard how hideously expensive Japan is, but in fact it is not at all bad. Travel and hotels are very expensive but the cost of day-to-day living is comparable to England and Canada. I also live in a very comfortable apartment, 5 minutes from school. If you have any questions then please don't hesitate to call us.( Left Mar,1998 )
Richard Doncaster With little girls, Kaede and Nanako.
Hi! I'm Richard. I'm from Calgary, Canada. I have been working at Alpha English Academy for about 9 month's now. Before coming to Japan and Alpha I've had the opportunity to teach at schools in Canada and Korea. I can honestly say that working at Alpha and in Kushiro has been my best teaching experience to date! The teaching atmosphere at Alpha is casual and teachers are given the freedom to be creative in the classroom. The students are great and I've had the opportunity to become friends with many of them. Working with the other native speaker and my boss Fumio has been a pleasure. Whenever I've had a problem or question regarding my work or personal life, Fumio has always been willing to help. Kushiro is not the most exciting city in Japan, but if you like the outdoors Kushiro has a lot to offer. Great hiking, camping, canoeing, skiing/snowboarding, fishing, etc. etc. etc. are easily within reach. Another aspect I enjoy about Kushiro is the community atmosphere. It's relatively quiet yet it offers the opportunity to meet many interesting locals and foreigners. My apartment is smaller than those in Canada but it's very comfortable and cozy. It has everything you need...washing machine, TV, VCR, CD stereo player, etc. etc. and it's only a five minute walk from work! I, like Ginny and Tina, highly recommend working at Alpha! ( will be leaving Jan,1999 )
Helen and her student Kaede.
Hi, my name is Helen and I am also from Canada. Everything the former teachers said is no exaggeration! ALPHA has a truly unique atmosphere, (especially since we opened the Internet cafe), and is a really enjoyable place to work! From a teaching standpoint the classes are small and the atmosphere is casual, yet professional. Although most classes use assigned texts, one has the freedom to expand on and adapt the material to better suit the students. We also have use of the computers and the Internet, so finding and creating extra material is no problem. I have a great new apartment that's near a large park. It's fully outfitted, close to shopping and only a 7 minute walk or 2 minute bike ride to ALPHA, (I should also mention that it is a really good size, and has a separate bedroom!). Kushiro is a relatively small city with only 200,000 people and is very safe. I got to know my way around in no time. I picked up a second hand bike and now I ride everywhere! I have lived on Honshu (Japan's main island) and I can say from experience that Hokkaido is very different. Hokkaido houses only 6% of Japan's population and its primary industries are agriculture, dairy farming and fishing. In Kushiro the winters are like those in central Canada, cold and snowy; and the summers are like those on the West Coast of Canada, mild and not humid. You might also be interested to know that there is no typhoon season on Hokkaido! I am really happy with my decision to teach at ALPHA and would recommend it highly. You know you love your job when you find yourself saying "Is it the weekend already?". (leaving February, 2000).
Mark and Christine.
My name's Mark, I'm the tall one in the blue yukata. Next to me in the pink kimono is my new wife, Christine. I'd like to put your mind at ease and disspell any rumours before they fester into fact: the yukata/kimono is NOT part of the daily dresscode at Alpha! So... why are we wearing such traditional outfits? In a word (or five), we had a pre-wedding wedding. It was a full-blown convert-the-classroom-into-a-shrine, drink-three-cups-of-sake, offer-food-to-the-gods, recite-vows-in-Japanese, Shinto wedding (then we flew back to Canada and had a somewhat more conventional wedding). That was just one of the many cultural opportunities we have been able to participate in by working at Alpha. Of course, all of the previous teachers' comments apply regarding Alpha and Kushiro. The long and short of it is: this place has as much to offer as you are willing to take. Book your ticket, come to Japan, give it a shot, and you won't be disappointed. ( April 2001 to March 2002 )
Manami, Terry, Pat, Nanako and Fumio (Halloween 2002) .
Hello, my name's Pat and I'm a 24 year-old American who's currently teaching at Alpha. I remember reading this web page a year ago and wondering, hmmm... is everything that these previous teachers say really true?? After teaching at Alpha for nine months, I can answer with a resounding, YES!! While Kushiro may never win any awards for the nightlife, the surrounding countryside and friendly people more than make up for it. Like many of the previous teachers, I've spent a lot of my free time hiking, biking, skiing, and camping in beautiful Hokkaido. I've learned a lot about Japanese culture and language from the friends I've made at the two local universities. It's really nice to step out my door in the afternoon, walk for five minutes and arrive at work. How many other people living in Japan can say that? Alpha's students are fantastic and the teaching atmosphere is casual, no suits required here. Having free internet access and CNN at the school are also a great benefits and keep me in touch with the world outside of Japan. Through teaching at Alpha, I've carved out a very safe, interesting, enjoyable and rewarding life. If you enjoy nature, don't require the excitement of a big city and are open-minded, you should have no trouble doing the same. ( April 2002 to March 2003 )
G'day, I'm Terry and I'm the one attempting to look dangerous in the judo outfit. I've been here at Alpha since March but have lived in Kushiro for 2 years in total. I come from North Queensland with it's tropical climate so the long winters worried me at first, but I haven't had any problems and I'm now in my third winter. I've been skiing every weekend this season and I'm getting pretty good (not bad for a beach bum anyway). Previously I worked in one of the larger chain schools to be found dotted all around the country. I'm so glad I made the break and switched to a smaller school. Here at Alpha it is far more personal as I get to teach the same students each week and can arrange my lessons to meet their needs. I don't get dictated to by the text book which was the way at my previous school. Alpha will suit you if you like working independently. Fumio is happy to help if he's asked but he doesn't stand around looking over your shoulder in class. You can be as creative as you like. And fortunately we have intenet access so when I've run out of ideas I can use Dave's ESL site to find some new ones. I would recommend Alpha English Academy in Kushiro to anyone willing to try something new. I wish I could stay longer but personal reasons are tearing me away. ( April 2002 to March 2003 )
Matt from Maine, USA.
Hello! My name is Matt and I am a native english teacher from America worker here at the Alpha English Academy. I am 27 years old, married and have a love for the outdoors and traveling. I arrived in Kushiro on January 1, 2007. Working at Alpha English Academy has been a pleasure for me. It has a relaxed and professional atmosphere where I am given a high level of responsibility and independence. It is my responsibility to plan all my lessons. I use the various resources here at the school, the internet and Mr. Funaki himself. Mr. Funaki is very helpful and always has time to point me in the right direction if I am unsure of how to proceed with a class. He is a friendly, patient and helpful boss. My days begin at 1:00 in the afternoon. At this time I do not have classes immediately and I use my first few hours at work to prepare my lessons for the day. I also make sure things are in a neat and orderly fashion around the school. I turn on my computer and the photocopy machine, make sure the garbage cans are not overflowing, turn on some music and tidy-up as much as possible. My days have always finished by 9:00 p.m., and often, depending on the schedule, earlier. As I said, working here I have a lot of independence and things are quite relaxed. During the middle of my shift, assuming I have a break between classes (which I always do) I often walk to one of the nearby stores to buy some lunch. The school has a microwave, toaster oven and a stove so sometimes we will enjoy one of Mr. Funaki's excellent home cooked meals. Other times I will walk or ride my bike home (a six minute walk and only a two minute bike ride!) and enjoy a delicious meal prepared by my wife. If I am really lucky, I will come to my desk after a lesson and find a plate of food left by Mr. Funaki's wife. This is always a nice treat. If you are looking for a friendly, professional and family atmosphere at work, this is the place for you. If you are looking for a wide range of students, from a two year old boy to a 72 year old woman, you will find it here. Having a love for the outdoors is also a plus if you come to Kushiro. There are endless mountains, places to go camping and summer festivals to enjoy. I will always remember my time working at Alpha English Academy with a smile. Check out "My life in Kushiro by Matt 2007" in this website for more details of my life here. (Left October, 2007)
Tracy form St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
When I think of my time in Kushiro, many found memories come to mind: the cultural experiences like going to a tea ceremony and a kimono show, and the simple things like watching the sun set over the Kushiro river and eating delicious "Kashiwa" soba noodle in a tiny restaurant. But, most importantly, when I think of Kushiro, I am remind of the wonderful people. (Tina form St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, left October 2008）
