Seriously... what about Japan?

My last post made me realize that I should probably get serious about searching for a job in Japan.
I'd still rather go with AEON, but Ben and I should probably apply for a back-up or two. Even if we need to look outside of Japan.

So for now I'm going to look into these companies:

Japanese companies:
This is our #1 choice, besides I already have $60 worth of Japanese Travel Guides.

• Japanese Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET) - Actually, we've already applied for JET and neither of us got an interview. The applications were very lengthy and detailed with the treat of being thrown out if any documents were missing or completed incorrectly. We believe that we didn't get in because we each were unable to include the transcripts from the community colleges that we attended before going to university.
  
• Amity - This is AEON's sister company and supposedly focuses more on teaching children.
  
• ECC - I've read a lot of promising reviews about this school from past teachers. However, they must be downsizing because they no longer do hiring in the U.S. Instead we would have to travel all the way to Toronto, Canada to interview.

South Korean Companies:
Originally I had been much more gung-ho about teaching in South Korea. The pay is better, they often pay for your tickets, and the vacation time is better. However, after more research I learned that South Korean companies very often take advantage of their teachers (refusing pay, bonuses, vacation, etc.) and that South Koreans are very openly racist towards Caucasians. I haven't yet decided if my experiences in South Korea would be positive or negative,but I have decided to focus more on Japan.

• YES Youngdo - I was very excited about this company before the things that I've heard about South Korea.
• Longbridge Pacific - This company offers some great pay, pays for airfare, and has good vacation time and bonuses.

Chinese Companies:
I've recently been looking into Chinese companies as a backup for Japan. The pay isn't very good, but apparently it's not so bad because of the standard of living. I'm also a little worried about teaching in a remote part of the country.

• English First- The official language trainers from the Olympics? Sounds great!
• U.S. Chinese Culture Center - Free airfare, housing, Mandarin lessons, and great pay? OK!

I think I'd better start narrowing it down and assigning Ben and myself to applying to a few. It's good luck not to put all of your eggs in one basket...

Sayoonara
(See how good my Japanese is already?)