first came to Japan in 1999 to teach. I came back to Japan for a number of reasons. My wife is Japanese' and we wanted to experience life in Japan together. I'd heard from people that AEON was a reputable company, which treats its employees fairly. The training was useful in that it helped me become familiar with the AEON materials and teaching methodology. Not only do we get to learn how to teach at AEON, but we also get to meet new people we can keep in touch with from then onwards. Training also prepared us, at least to some extent, for life here in Japan. I teach children at my school, and the full 2 days of kids training really allowed me to get ready to teach kids. I had no experience before, but I actually enjoy it now! The Manager at the school is really sweet and funny. The Japanese staff is very friendly, and communication is there. We share the same staff room, so we chat, talk about students, share ideas and materials. We all get on really well, and the staff room also gives a great opportunity for foreign teachers to quiz Japanese teachers about anything from the Japanese language to what to do on the weekend. They had a welcome party when I arrived, and we had Sukiyaki, which was really nice. Of course, there are some challenging aspects to working in Japan. While it is difficult to generalize, one of the biggest challenges to English teachers in Japan is the character of Japanese students. They can be very nervous or shy and often unwilling to speak for fear of losing face in front of their classmates. But after getting to know them, they are very friendly, and they are very interested in you. Interaction with the students gives a great insight into the country, its customs, and inhabitants and vice versa. I get satisfaction from contributing to my students' education, kind of a feeling that I'm making a difference. In my view, AEON compares very favourably with other English conversation schools in Japan. AEON books are really communicative, and emphasis is on student talking, role-plays and discussions. The lesson length is just about right, too. AEON provides a good schedule that allows teachers to have ample time to prepare, and it definitely got the balance of business and students right. Emphasis is on student satisfaction, and the lessons are made to be easy for both students and teachers. You'll get lots of support from your Head Teacher and other teachers at your school. My experience at AEON has been very positive. I've worked for another conversation school in Japan, and I can say that there are some schools whose aim is making money, but AEON does not fall into this category. If you've already made up your mind to come to Japan, you will have an amazing experience here, but remember you're going to be spending a lot of time at work. You must be interested in students, want to be in the classroom, and willing to give yourself in the class.