The Wakakusa English Program
Sharing the Love of Christ with the People of Tamura, Japan
Started in 1988, the Wakakusa English Program seeks to provide a Christian presence and witness to the city of Tamura, Japan by sending English-speaking Christians into the community at large as English teachers. We serve the community by our teaching, by helping to promote international and cross-cultural understanding, and ultimately by showing forth Christ in our attitudes, our relationships, and our love for the people around us.
The program was created by Mr.Kōsuke Maki, the owner and principal of Wakakusa Gakuen, one of Japan’s largest privately owned Kindergartens. Mr. Maki is also the pastor of Funehiki Evangelical Church, a small congregation of Japanese Christians from the surrounding town of Funehiki, and governor elect of the Funehiki Chapter of the Rotary Club International. It is his hope that by bringing English-speaking Christians to Japan, he can make a positive contribution toward changing Japanese culture (which is can be closed-off and exclusionistic) and opening hearts to one day hearing the gospel.
Accepted applicants will live and work in Tamura for two years as part of a 12-person team of English teachers. Round trip airfare to Japan, a furnished apartment, low-cost medical coverage, and a monthly stipend are all provided. Other benefits include a monthly dining allowance, local income taxes, a weekly evening meal, and occasional excursions with the Maki family and the other teachers.
Interviews are conducted each year in late March; teaching begins in August. Recruitment and applications for teaching are handled by the Alliance for Renewal Churches, 365 Straub Road East, Mansfield, Ohio 44903. A four-year degree in any subject and a two-year commitment are the requirements for applicants.Click here to download an application.
The Wakakusa English School
66 Hiradate, Funehiki-machi
Tamura-shi, Fukushima-ken
963-4312
JAPAN
For Current Teachers and Program Alumni