Jon.

Yes, older teachers will encounter discrimination, too, especially older women. The aforementioned JET program has a maximum age of 40. Dispatch companies also have the disadvantage of requiring you to find your own housing. The big obstacle there is that renting an apartment requires a guarantor and about 6 months of rent upfront. An alternative for some is a “gaijin house,” a guest house for foreigners, available in most major cities.

A dispatch company is interested in me but the pay is considerably lower than I was getting, and I have to pay expenses including credit-card bills. So I’ll probably say yes to them just to have something, but keep looking.

Good luck to anyone who decides to come here. It’s a lovely country with lovely people, and it could be a good place to establish a business if you do it right.

Thanks for your question.
I have a friend who teaches English in Korea and enjoys it, so Korea may also be a good choice. Economically, Japan has fared much better than Korea. With the current exchange rates, you will save more teaching English in Japan. Most people expect the yen to depreciate, but right now it is much better.

I have traveled to Seoul twice now and have enjoyed it. It is a very clean and beautiful city with great food. It is just different than Japan. I prefer Japan myself, but both countries have their merits and demerits.