Nova = Black Hole

If you're a foreign English teacher in Japan and you're not a JET, there's a really good chance that you worked for Nova.

Until last month.

Nova is dying a horrible death, and the death throes are not pleasant to watch. Many people hired in the last 6 months (including a good friend of mine, her significant other, and another friend's s.o.) are royally screwed. My neighbor's friend came over 2 months ago from the States and hasn't been paid since he arrived. I met a girl Saturday night who had to move from Kobe (maybe?) to Osaka to find work. Many people haven't been paid in 3 or more months. It's totally f'd up.

The crazy thing is... people want to take Nova classes! I personally know 2 Japanese people who complained of never being able to get in to take courses at Nova, even though they were trying to book weeks in advance.

Obviously, this is a case of colossal mismanagement. It's a bad time to be looking for English-language work in Japan right now. BUT! it will be a really GOOD time to do so in about 6 months. A year from now, I bet someone has stepped into the vacuum created by Nova's implosion, either one of the existing companies like Aeon or ECC, or a new company (or several small ones) will pop up.

But right now, the situation sucks rocks, and there are tons of foreigners out of work, desperate to find a way to stay, or pay the rent and eat, or just get the funds to go back home.