I'm on my second term here -- two years the first time and over 10 years this time. Both times I managed to find a job in the US and then transfer here. It wasn't easy the first time but if you persist (and if your employer has an office in Japan) that's probably the easiest way. In fact, right now it may be the *only* way, as teaching jobs here have apparently dried up with the recent collapse of Nova (which dumped a good number of qualified English teachers out on the street).

And I agree with Sokoto's opinion that you really have to bring some kind of useful skill to the table in order to work as an ex-pat in Japan. Right now there are more competent workers competing for fewer jobs than at any time since the economic bubble burst back in the early 90s. Someone with near-native fluency might be able to land a regular job but it's a lot easier to find something unique to do in your own country and then try to find a way to do that same job here.

A couple years back I got lucky. A former employer in the US wanted me back badly enough that I was able to work a deal where I continue to live here and simply work from home. So, in a way, I managed to bypass the whole job hunting scene this time around.

But last time I did find myself unemployed for a time and it took a while to find something new. And that despite the fact that I have experience in a relatively arcane segment of the computer industry. And that was back in 1995 -- how much harder must it be in today's economy. If I got laid off, my first thought would be to return to the US because jobs just aren't available in Japan right now unless you have incredible connections and a fair degree of luck.