Hundreds of British teachers in Japan face redundancy and possible eviction after the collapse of the country’s largest private provider of English language lessons.
More than 900 Britons are among thousands of tutors who look set to lose their jobs following an announcement that the Nova school chain has filed for bankruptcy.
The British embassy in Japan has set up a section on its website to provide assistance for nationals affected, many of whom have reportedly not been paid since September.
Nova, which has been operating since 1981, employs around 4,500 foreign teachers to work in its network of outlets in Japan.
Of those, just under 1,000 are believed to be British, with a similar number originating from Australia and even more coming from the US.
Many of the tutors are young graduates or Westerners earning a bit of money whilst travelling through the region.
The school applied on Friday for court protection from its creditors. It is estimated at having debts of 43.9 billion yen (£190 million)
Some teachers’ problems are compounded by the fact that their rent is paid direct to landlords by Nova.
The British Embassy in Japan, on its website, states that it is “monitoring the situation”.
It adds: “In the event that you were left with no funds, the Embassy can assist you to contact your family or friends in the UK. However we cannot provide financial funding for British Nationals. You may wish to discuss your situation with your family and friends to make sure you have emergency funds if needed.”
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