Headed to Japan in a year, and could use some help.
 

As of now, I'm a senior in college working towards a BA in English with a specialty in Creative Writing (last portions not too terribly important, but you never know). After that, I'm looking to head to Japan for at least a year to live, get the culture, feel out the land a bit, and return stateside. If I enjoy Japan, I'll finalize everything in the USA before heading back; if I don't, I obviously won't return.

In the meantime, whilst preping for the trip, I'm trying to pool my resources on information regarding Japan. The culture shock is one thing, but the job market, immigration laws, and all the other important stuff is another, and at present, that's what concerns me most.

I've done some research on apartment living (what I'll be doing during my stay in Japan), and I'm already prepared for the large first payment required to rent. However, I'm concerned about my job as well. Stateside, I'd need to get a Masters of Fine Arts to teach college level English, which is what I'd like to do. Will I be able to teach any grade level (beggers can't be choosers) when looking for a job? Are there night classes, like here in the US, that I can attend to get a degree over in Japan that'd allow me to teach College level courses? I've also heard rumers through grapevines that make there way across the Pacific that the market for English teachers in Japan is booming, or at least very popular. Would I be able to teach at all with a BS in English, being an American (I know that there are a few national sterotypes that Japanese people may think)?

Any info would be greatly appriciated.

I would stay in the United States til you got your Master degree you'll be alot better off and it will be alot easier to find a job. My friend went back to school because he wants to teach English at a college in Japan but couldnt find a job because all he had was a bachelors degree. He decide to go back to school and get his masters degree. You might be able to find a job over in Japan while you work on your masters degree. They have alot of master degree programs in English over there.