If you did your research, you know about the JET program. There are many companies that do similar programs that you need nothing more than a high school degree. Pay isn't great, but some of them offer housing + pay.
There are websites with such job postings. The only drawback from that is that I could never find a way to do a background check on them for that matter.
I researched this 2-3 years ago, and I am not 100% if I remember this correctly, but as long as you get a legit job offer where you go through all the paperwork, the Japanese government actually aids you by providing background check and information on the company to make sure you are not being scammed.
Once I was stuck at an airport overnight because of problems with my flight and I came across some dude from Bulgaria. I was trying to help him contact his "employer" which he flew over to the US to work for. All the contact info was non-existant. All he had were directions to a Ramada Inn and a handful of phone numbers that did not exist.
I felt bad for him, I honestly thought he was f*cked. And for that experience alone is why I never felt comfortable going without a degree. Most legit legit companies will require some sort of degree (an A.A. will work), and then you're covered by all of the legal processes where the government puts their nose in. So you have a 3rd party as a basic CYA.
If you don't have a degree, you can always enlist in the army. Most guys who do it don't seem to complain.
- Erick
