日本の後味は『見て見ぬ振りの尻切れとんぼ』。

It’s a struggle to keep focused on the big picture. I don’t have any real problems yet: I have a place to stay, enough money for a plane ticket home, and thanks to the generosity of my friends I will not, in fact, work for food. But this follows weeks of panic and anxiety after the crash of eikaiwa-giant Nova, the ekimae ryugyaku, my former employer. Like me, thousands of ex-Nova teachers are now scrambling for jobs, in a low-hiring season, and asking themselves some crucial questions: how long can I stay before I need my plane money for groceries? Should I pay the cell phone bill or the gas bill? Or worse: how do I support my family? Is repatriation the only solution? Reactions to this disaster have been mixed. Few will mourn the passing of the scandal-laden corporation, yet Nova’s catastrophic derailment has been a huge cause of distress for thousands of students, Japanese staff, and foreign instructors. The students are unlikely to see their hard-earned cash again, and the Japanese staff and foreign English teachers have lost not only months of unpaid wages, but their livelihoods as well. It seems convenience, Nova’s ‘winning’ commodity, can only take you so far. Anywhere, any time, students had access to English lessons taught by foreigners at the school’s ubiquitous branches, or 24 hours a day through their multi-media teaching network. Low fees, an easy booking system, and young, sexy foreign teachers promised a fun, if not flawless, teaching experience. Nova’s empire of convenience also offered teachers an easy ticket to Japan. Visa preparation was painless, my flight was discounted, I was picked up at the airport and escorted to an apartment. Life in Japan began with a well-paying job, decent hours, and no commitment beyond the classroom. Nova, however, lacked follow-through, and the convenience was short-lived. I would have been happy to stay for a two-year tenure, even with the awareness that it was a dead-end job with no prospect for advancement and no career potential. Training was minimal (I had one day of training before I was thrown into kids’ classes, with no follow-ups or evaluations). With the absence of benefits and professional development, and contracts that could be canceled on a whim, Nova’s shocking staff-turnover rate was no surprise. This, coupled with the recent rapid expansion in the number of Nova branches, made it increasingly difficult for students to book lessons. A sharp increase in student cancellations ensued, and this brought Nova’s abnormal refund policies to light. From February 2007, Nova became synonymous with bad news. Raids were conducted on its offices, Nova’s appeals over refunding policies were lost in supreme courts, and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry prohibited the sales of large packages. Throughout, Nova`s President Nozomu Sahashi remained perfectly calm as he surveyed the damage from his now-infamous Penthouse office. Even on September 14th, after delaying payment of foreign instructors’ August wages and rent, and failing entirely to pay the Japanese staff’s wages, Mr. Sahashi’s fax to the branches betrayed not even the slightest hint of anxiety. It will be okay, he said in his most soothing shade of fax toner. Late in October the ‘pink bunny’ finally gave in. I still kick myself for feeling a glimmer of hope as I read Sahashi’s last fax before he was ousted by the board of directors in a late-night Tokyo meeting, and the giant finally filed for bankruptcy protection. On October 26th, court-appointed solicitors began to look for sponsor companies to take over Nova, leaving an uncertain future for the legion of unpaid, unemployed, and now uninsured Nova instructors. Corporations have an increasingly large influence in our lives, and it is up to consumers and employees to demand they act in a fair and responsible manner. Both students and instructors allowed themselves to be suckered in by Nova’s promises of convenience, and this at the expense of educational and professional integrity. The question we need to be asking ourselves when the next eikaiwa gakkou takes Nova’s place is this: are we, as teachers and students, employees and consumers, holding corporations accountable for their actions to the extent that we can avoid another such disaster? And who let a monkey drive the train for so long anyways? by Alex Deacon, Former Nova Teacher (Canadian)

いくらカナダ人の僕でも今回だけは大らかに振る舞えない…。職を失った今でも、何とか生活はできているけれど、前職場のお陰で、数週間もの間、不安や怒りからくるパニックや鬱と戦うハメになったし、しかも、僕みたいな外国人が今、日本中に溢れている。年末も迫る今の時期に、生活費の心配は愚か、職が見つからなかった万が一のことを考えて、国へ帰る飛行機代の計算もしておかないといけない。こんな状況での職探しは、いちいち怒りが込み上げてくる。外国人だから「国に帰れば終わり」で済むってこと？ 今となっては人それぞれ色々な思いがあるようだけど、突然のニュースに関わっていた人のほとんどがパニック状態になってたよ。払い込んだ授業料を心配する生徒はもちろん、支払われないままの給料についても。みんな生活がかかっているからね。気楽さ簡単さがウリの英会話教室だったことは確かだけど、こんなにいともたやすく止めてしまうことってアリ？ 駅前のどこにでもあって、講師は全員外国人という手法が当たって急成長したその会社は、生徒にとっては当然、働くスタッフ、外国人講師にとってさえも、すごく便利なシステムだったんだ。給料も良かったし時間帯も厳しくないし、新任講師のトレーニングはたったの一日！長い目で見て有望な仕事ではないけど、２年という短い契約でも、わざわざ外国から来るのに十分納得できるシステムだったんだ。 でもこの手軽さが長続きしなかった理由かも、と最近は考えるようになったよ。あまりにも手軽だったから、遂には運営に歪みが出てうまく回らないようになったんだ。 そして、それを埋め合わせる為に考えられた違法な契約方法。これは許されるわけがないよね。様々な角度からお咎め（おとがめ）が入るけど、どんなに周りで騒がれていようとも会社内には「ご安心を！」みたいな通達が出回っていたんだから、今考えると恐ろしいよ。 遂にお馴染みの「ピンク・バニー」共々、皆が青ざめちゃうハメになったのは、当時の社長退任の通達と会社破産のレポートがFAX（！）で届いたときだよ。今となっては、だけど、全くもって陳腐な通達を「まだどうにかなるだろう…」と信じていた自分の馬鹿さかげんには涙が出そうだよ。 今回の自分の経験を通して、法人の活動そのものが、想像以上に僕たち個人の生活への影響力をもっているってことを痛感したよ。儲かっているとかそんな次元ではなく、だよ。そして、さらに違和感を感じているのは、その当事者を責めるばかりの世間のあり方、マスコミの伝え方。 僕は、いったん起こってしまったことや、起こりそうなことを変えていく責任は世間やマスコミにもあるんじゃないか？と思うんだ。結局は、僕らひとりひとりが「簡単さ・手軽さ」を求めるばかりの結果がこれなんだから。。。 だからこそ、手軽に「国に帰れば終わり」で済ませてはいけないと僕は考えている。似たようなことが二度と起こらないように、僕らは何をすべきか？『知らない、関係ない、では済まされないのが今の日本だよ。』 アレックス・ディーコン カナダ出身　前NOVA教師

It’s a struggle to keep focused on the big picture. I don’t have any real problems yet: I have a place to stay, enough money for a plane ticket home, and thanks to the generosity of my friends I will not, in fact, work for food. But this follows weeks of panic and anxiety after the crash of eikaiwa-giant Nova, the ekimae ryugyaku, my former employer. Like me, thousands of ex-Nova teachers are now scrambling for jobs, in a low-hiring season, and asking themselves some crucial questions: how long can I stay before I need my plane money for groceries? Should I pay the cell phone bill or the gas bill? Or worse: how do I support my family? Is repatriation the only solution? Reactions to this disaster have been mixed. Few will mourn the passing of the scandal-laden corporation, yet Nova’s catastrophic derailment has been a huge cause of distress for thousands of students, Japanese staff, and foreign instructors. The students are unlikely to see their hard-earned cash again, and the Japanese staff and foreign English teachers have lost not only months of unpaid wages, but their livelihoods as well. It seems convenience, Nova’s ‘winning’ commodity, can only take you so far. Anywhere, any time, students had access to English lessons taught by foreigners at the school’s ubiquitous branches, or 24 hours a day through their multi-media teaching network. Low fees, an easy booking system, and young, sexy foreign teachers promised a fun, if not flawless, teaching experience. Nova’s empire of convenience also offered teachers an easy ticket to Japan. Visa preparation was painless, my flight was discounted, I was picked up at the airport and escorted to an apartment. Life in Japan began with a well-paying job, decent hours, and no commitment beyond the classroom. Nova, however, lacked follow-through, and the convenience was short-lived. I would have been happy to stay for a two-year tenure, even with the awareness that it was a dead-end job with no prospect for advancement and no career potential. Training was minimal (I had one day of training before I was thrown into kids’ classes, with no follow-ups or evaluations). With the absence of benefits and professional development, and contracts that could be canceled on a whim, Nova’s shocking staff-turnover rate was no surprise. This, coupled with the recent rapid expansion in the number of Nova branches, made it increasingly difficult for students to book lessons. A sharp increase in student cancellations ensued, and this brought Nova’s abnormal refund policies to light. From February 2007, Nova became synonymous with bad news. Raids were conducted on its offices, Nova’s appeals over refunding policies were lost in supreme courts, and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry prohibited the sales of large packages. Throughout, Nova`s President Nozomu Sahashi remained perfectly calm as he surveyed the damage from his now-infamous Penthouse office. Even on September 14th, after delaying payment of foreign instructors’ August wages and rent, and failing entirely to pay the Japanese staff’s wages, Mr. Sahashi’s fax to the branches betrayed not even the slightest hint of anxiety. It will be okay, he said in his most soothing shade of fax toner. Late in October the ‘pink bunny’ finally gave in. I still kick myself for feeling a glimmer of hope as I read Sahashi’s last fax before he was ousted by the board of directors in a late-night Tokyo meeting, and the giant finally filed for bankruptcy protection. On October 26th, court-appointed solicitors began to look for sponsor companies to take over Nova, leaving an uncertain future for the legion of unpaid, unemployed, and now uninsured Nova instructors. Corporations have an increasingly large influence in our lives, and it is up to consumers and employees to demand they act in a fair and responsible manner. Both students and instructors allowed themselves to be suckered in by Nova’s promises of convenience, and this at the expense of educational and professional integrity. The question we need to be asking ourselves when the next eikaiwa gakkou takes Nova’s place is this: are we, as teachers and students, employees and consumers, holding corporations accountable for their actions to the extent that we can avoid another such disaster? And who let a monkey drive the train for so long anyways? by Alex Deacon, Former Nova Teacher (Canadian)

It’s a struggle to keep focused on the big picture. I don’t have any real problems yet: I have a place to stay, enough money for a plane ticket home, and thanks to the generosity of my friends I will not, in fact, work for food. But this follows weeks of panic and anxiety after the crash of eikaiwa-giant Nova, the ekimae ryugyaku, my former employer. Like me, thousands of ex-Nova teachers are now scrambling for jobs, in a low-hiring season, and asking themselves some crucial questions: how long can I stay before I need my plane money for groceries? Should I pay the cell phone bill or the gas bill? Or worse: how do I support my family? Is repatriation the only solution? Reactions to this disaster have been mixed. Few will mourn the passing of the scandal-laden corporation, yet Nova’s catastrophic derailment has been a huge cause of distress for thousands of students, Japanese staff, and foreign instructors. The students are unlikely to see their hard-earned cash again, and the Japanese staff and foreign English teachers have lost not only months of unpaid wages, but their livelihoods as well. It seems convenience, Nova’s ‘winning’ commodity, can only take you so far. Anywhere, any time, students had access to English lessons taught by foreigners at the school’s ubiquitous branches, or 24 hours a day through their multi-media teaching network. Low fees, an easy booking system, and young, sexy foreign teachers promised a fun, if not flawless, teaching experience. Nova’s empire of convenience also offered teachers an easy ticket to Japan. Visa preparation was painless, my flight was discounted, I was picked up at the airport and escorted to an apartment. Life in Japan began with a well-paying job, decent hours, and no commitment beyond the classroom. Nova, however, lacked follow-through, and the convenience was short-lived. I would have been happy to stay for a two-year tenure, even with the awareness that it was a dead-end job with no prospect for advancement and no career potential. Training was minimal (I had one day of training before I was thrown into kids’ classes, with no follow-ups or evaluations). With the absence of benefits and professional development, and contracts that could be canceled on a whim, Nova’s shocking staff-turnover rate was no surprise. This, coupled with the recent rapid expansion in the number of Nova branches, made it increasingly difficult for students to book lessons. A sharp increase in student cancellations ensued, and this brought Nova’s abnormal refund policies to light. From February 2007, Nova became synonymous with bad news. Raids were conducted on its offices, Nova’s appeals over refunding policies were lost in supreme courts, and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry prohibited the sales of large packages. Throughout, Nova`s President Nozomu Sahashi remained perfectly calm as he surveyed the damage from his now-infamous Penthouse office. Even on September 14th, after delaying payment of foreign instructors’ August wages and rent, and failing entirely to pay the Japanese staff’s wages, Mr. Sahashi’s fax to the branches betrayed not even the slightest hint of anxiety. It will be okay, he said in his most soothing shade of fax toner. Late in October the ‘pink bunny’ finally gave in. I still kick myself for feeling a glimmer of hope as I read Sahashi’s last fax before he was ousted by the board of directors in a late-night Tokyo meeting, and the giant finally filed for bankruptcy protection. On October 26th, court-appointed solicitors began to look for sponsor companies to take over Nova, leaving an uncertain future for the legion of unpaid, unemployed, and now uninsured Nova instructors. Corporations have an increasingly large influence in our lives, and it is up to consumers and employees to demand they act in a fair and responsible manner. Both students and instructors allowed themselves to be suckered in by Nova’s promises of convenience, and this at the expense of educational and professional integrity. The question we need to be asking ourselves when the next eikaiwa gakkou takes Nova’s place is this: are we, as teachers and students, employees and consumers, holding corporations accountable for their actions to the extent that we can avoid another such disaster? And who let a monkey drive the train for so long anyways? by Alex Deacon, Former Nova Teacher (Canadian)

It’s a struggle to keep focused on the big picture. I don’t have any real problems yet: I have a place to stay, enough money for a plane ticket home, and thanks to the generosity of my friends I will not, in fact, work for food. But this follows weeks of panic and anxiety after the crash of eikaiwa-giant Nova, the ekimae ryugyaku, my former employer. Like me, thousands of ex-Nova teachers are now scrambling for jobs, in a low-hiring season, and asking themselves some crucial questions: how long can I stay before I need my plane money for groceries? Should I pay the cell phone bill or the gas bill? Or worse: how do I support my family? Is repatriation the only solution? Reactions to this disaster have been mixed. Few will mourn the passing of the scandal-laden corporation, yet Nova’s catastrophic derailment has been a huge cause of distress for thousands of students, Japanese staff, and foreign instructors. The students are unlikely to see their hard-earned cash again, and the Japanese staff and foreign English teachers have lost not only months of unpaid wages, but their livelihoods as well. It seems convenience, Nova’s ‘winning’ commodity, can only take you so far. Anywhere, any time, students had access to English lessons taught by foreigners at the school’s ubiquitous branches, or 24 hours a day through their multi-media teaching network. Low fees, an easy booking system, and young, sexy foreign teachers promised a fun, if not flawless, teaching experience. Nova’s empire of convenience also offered teachers an easy ticket to Japan. Visa preparation was painless, my flight was discounted, I was picked up at the airport and escorted to an apartment. Life in Japan began with a well-paying job, decent hours, and no commitment beyond the classroom. Nova, however, lacked follow-through, and the convenience was short-lived. I would have been happy to stay for a two-year tenure, even with the awareness that it was a dead-end job with no prospect for advancement and no career potential. Training was minimal (I had one day of training before I was thrown into kids’ classes, with no follow-ups or evaluations). With the absence of benefits and professional development, and contracts that could be canceled on a whim, Nova’s shocking staff-turnover rate was no surprise. This, coupled with the recent rapid expansion in the number of Nova branches, made it increasingly difficult for students to book lessons. A sharp increase in student cancellations ensued, and this brought Nova’s abnormal refund policies to light. From February 2007, Nova became synonymous with bad news. Raids were conducted on its offices, Nova’s appeals over refunding policies were lost in supreme courts, and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry prohibited the sales of large packages. Throughout, Nova`s President Nozomu Sahashi remained perfectly calm as he surveyed the damage from his now-infamous Penthouse office. Even on September 14th, after delaying payment of foreign instructors’ August wages and rent, and failing entirely to pay the Japanese staff’s wages, Mr. Sahashi’s fax to the branches betrayed not even the slightest hint of anxiety. It will be okay, he said in his most soothing shade of fax toner. Late in October the ‘pink bunny’ finally gave in. I still kick myself for feeling a glimmer of hope as I read Sahashi’s last fax before he was ousted by the board of directors in a late-night Tokyo meeting, and the giant finally filed for bankruptcy protection. On October 26th, court-appointed solicitors began to look for sponsor companies to take over Nova, leaving an uncertain future for the legion of unpaid, unemployed, and now uninsured Nova instructors. Corporations have an increasingly large influence in our lives, and it is up to consumers and employees to demand they act in a fair and responsible manner. Both students and instructors allowed themselves to be suckered in by Nova’s promises of convenience, and this at the expense of educational and professional integrity. The question we need to be asking ourselves when the next eikaiwa gakkou takes Nova’s place is this: are we, as teachers and students, employees and consumers, holding corporations accountable for their actions to the extent that we can avoid another such disaster? And who let a monkey drive the train for so long anyways? by Alex Deacon, Former Nova Teacher (Canadian)

It’s a struggle to keep focused on the big picture. I don’t have any real problems yet: I have a place to stay, enough money for a plane ticket home, and thanks to the generosity of my friends I will not, in fact, work for food. But this follows weeks of panic and anxiety after the crash of eikaiwa-giant Nova, the ekimae ryugyaku, my former employer. Like me, thousands of ex-Nova teachers are now scrambling for jobs, in a low-hiring season, and asking themselves some crucial questions: how long can I stay before I need my plane money for groceries? Should I pay the cell phone bill or the gas bill? Or worse: how do I support my family? Is repatriation the only solution? Reactions to this disaster have been mixed. Few will mourn the passing of the scandal-laden corporation, yet Nova’s catastrophic derailment has been a huge cause of distress for thousands of students, Japanese staff, and foreign instructors. The students are unlikely to see their hard-earned cash again, and the Japanese staff and foreign English teachers have lost not only months of unpaid wages, but their livelihoods as well. It seems convenience, Nova’s ‘winning’ commodity, can only take you so far. Anywhere, any time, students had access to English lessons taught by foreigners at the school’s ubiquitous branches, or 24 hours a day through their multi-media teaching network. Low fees, an easy booking system, and young, sexy foreign teachers promised a fun, if not flawless, teaching experience. Nova’s empire of convenience also offered teachers an easy ticket to Japan. Visa preparation was painless, my flight was discounted, I was picked up at the airport and escorted to an apartment. Life in Japan began with a well-paying job, decent hours, and no commitment beyond the classroom. Nova, however, lacked follow-through, and the convenience was short-lived. I would have been happy to stay for a two-year tenure, even with the awareness that it was a dead-end job with no prospect for advancement and no career potential. Training was minimal (I had one day of training before I was thrown into kids’ classes, with no follow-ups or evaluations). With the absence of benefits and professional development, and contracts that could be canceled on a whim, Nova’s shocking staff-turnover rate was no surprise. This, coupled with the recent rapid expansion in the number of Nova branches, made it increasingly difficult for students to book lessons. A sharp increase in student cancellations ensued, and this brought Nova’s abnormal refund policies to light. From February 2007, Nova became synonymous with bad news. Raids were conducted on its offices, Nova’s appeals over refunding policies were lost in supreme courts, and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry prohibited the sales of large packages. Throughout, Nova`s President Nozomu Sahashi remained perfectly calm as he surveyed the damage from his now-infamous Penthouse office. Even on September 14th, after delaying payment of foreign instructors’ August wages and rent, and failing entirely to pay the Japanese staff’s wages, Mr. Sahashi’s fax to the branches betrayed not even the slightest hint of anxiety. It will be okay, he said in his most soothing shade of fax toner. Late in October the ‘pink bunny’ finally gave in. I still kick myself for feeling a glimmer of hope as I read Sahashi’s last fax before he was ousted by the board of directors in a late-night Tokyo meeting, and the giant finally filed for bankruptcy protection. On October 26th, court-appointed solicitors began to look for sponsor companies to take over Nova, leaving an uncertain future for the legion of unpaid, unemployed, and now uninsured Nova instructors. Corporations have an increasingly large influence in our lives, and it is up to consumers and employees to demand they act in a fair and responsible manner. Both students and instructors allowed themselves to be suckered in by Nova’s promises of convenience, and this at the expense of educational and professional integrity. The question we need to be asking ourselves when the next eikaiwa gakkou takes Nova’s place is this: are we, as teachers and students, employees and consumers, holding corporations accountable for their actions to the extent that we can avoid another such disaster? And who let a monkey drive the train for so long anyways? by Alex Deacon, Former Nova Teacher (Canadian)

いくらカナダ人の僕でも今回だけは大らかに振る舞えない…。職を失った今でも、何とか生活はできているけれど、前職場のお陰で、数週間もの間、不安や怒りからくるパニックや鬱と戦うハメになったし、しかも、僕みたいな外国人が今、日本中に溢れている。年末も迫る今の時期に、生活費の心配は愚か、職が見つからなかった万が一のことを考えて、国へ帰る飛行機代の計算もしておかないといけない。こんな状況での職探しは、いちいち怒りが込み上げてくる。外国人だから「国に帰れば終わり」で済むってこと？ 今となっては人それぞれ色々な思いがあるようだけど、突然のニュースに関わっていた人のほとんどがパニック状態になってたよ。払い込んだ授業料を心配する生徒はもちろん、支払われないままの給料についても。みんな生活がかかっているからね。気楽さ簡単さがウリの英会話教室だったことは確かだけど、こんなにいともたやすく止めてしまうことってアリ？ 駅前のどこにでもあって、講師は全員外国人という手法が当たって急成長したその会社は、生徒にとっては当然、働くスタッフ、外国人講師にとってさえも、すごく便利なシステムだったんだ。給料も良かったし時間帯も厳しくないし、新任講師のトレーニングはたったの一日！長い目で見て有望な仕事ではないけど、２年という短い契約でも、わざわざ外国から来るのに十分納得できるシステムだったんだ。 でもこの手軽さが長続きしなかった理由かも、と最近は考えるようになったよ。あまりにも手軽だったから、遂には運営に歪みが出てうまく回らないようになったんだ。 そして、それを埋め合わせる為に考えられた違法な契約方法。これは許されるわけがないよね。様々な角度からお咎め（おとがめ）が入るけど、どんなに周りで騒がれていようとも会社内には「ご安心を！」みたいな通達が出回っていたんだから、今考えると恐ろしいよ。 遂にお馴染みの「ピンク・バニー」共々、皆が青ざめちゃうハメになったのは、当時の社長退任の通達と会社破産のレポートがFAX（！）で届いたときだよ。今となっては、だけど、全くもって陳腐な通達を「まだどうにかなるだろう…」と信じていた自分の馬鹿さかげんには涙が出そうだよ。 今回の自分の経験を通して、法人の活動そのものが、想像以上に僕たち個人の生活への影響力をもっているってことを痛感したよ。儲かっているとかそんな次元ではなく、だよ。そして、さらに違和感を感じているのは、その当事者を責めるばかりの世間のあり方、マスコミの伝え方。 僕は、いったん起こってしまったことや、起こりそうなことを変えていく責任は世間やマスコミにもあるんじゃないか？と思うんだ。結局は、僕らひとりひとりが「簡単さ・手軽さ」を求めるばかりの結果がこれなんだから。。。 だからこそ、手軽に「国に帰れば終わり」で済ませてはいけないと僕は考えている。似たようなことが二度と起こらないように、僕らは何をすべきか？『知らない、関係ない、では済まされないのが今の日本だよ。』 アレックス・ディーコン カナダ出身　前NOVA教師

It’s a struggle to keep focused on the big picture. I don’t have any real problems yet: I have a place to stay, enough money for a plane ticket home, and thanks to the generosity of my friends I will not, in fact, work for food. But this follows weeks of panic and anxiety after the crash of eikaiwa-giant Nova, the ekimae ryugyaku, my former employer. Like me, thousands of ex-Nova teachers are now scrambling for jobs, in a low-hiring season, and asking themselves some crucial questions: how long can I stay before I need my plane money for groceries? Should I pay the cell phone bill or the gas bill? Or worse: how do I support my family? Is repatriation the only solution? Reactions to this disaster have been mixed. Few will mourn the passing of the scandal-laden corporation, yet Nova’s catastrophic derailment has been a huge cause of distress for thousands of students, Japanese staff, and foreign instructors. The students are unlikely to see their hard-earned cash again, and the Japanese staff and foreign English teachers have lost not only months of unpaid wages, but their livelihoods as well. It seems convenience, Nova’s ‘winning’ commodity, can only take you so far. Anywhere, any time, students had access to English lessons taught by foreigners at the school’s ubiquitous branches, or 24 hours a day through their multi-media teaching network. Low fees, an easy booking system, and young, sexy foreign teachers promised a fun, if not flawless, teaching experience. Nova’s empire of convenience also offered teachers an easy ticket to Japan. Visa preparation was painless, my flight was discounted, I was picked up at the airport and escorted to an apartment. Life in Japan began with a well-paying job, decent hours, and no commitment beyond the classroom. Nova, however, lacked follow-through, and the convenience was short-lived. I would have been happy to stay for a two-year tenure, even with the awareness that it was a dead-end job with no prospect for advancement and no career potential. Training was minimal (I had one day of training before I was thrown into kids’ classes, with no follow-ups or evaluations). With the absence of benefits and professional development, and contracts that could be canceled on a whim, Nova’s shocking staff-turnover rate was no surprise. This, coupled with the recent rapid expansion in the number of Nova branches, made it increasingly difficult for students to book lessons. A sharp increase in student cancellations ensued, and this brought Nova’s abnormal refund policies to light. From February 2007, Nova became synonymous with bad news. Raids were conducted on its offices, Nova’s appeals over refunding policies were lost in supreme courts, and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry prohibited the sales of large packages. Throughout, Nova`s President Nozomu Sahashi remained perfectly calm as he surveyed the damage from his now-infamous Penthouse office. Even on September 14th, after delaying payment of foreign instructors’ August wages and rent, and failing entirely to pay the Japanese staff’s wages, Mr. Sahashi’s fax to the branches betrayed not even the slightest hint of anxiety. It will be okay, he said in his most soothing shade of fax toner. Late in October the ‘pink bunny’ finally gave in. I still kick myself for feeling a glimmer of hope as I read Sahashi’s last fax before he was ousted by the board of directors in a late-night Tokyo meeting, and the giant finally filed for bankruptcy protection. On October 26th, court-appointed solicitors began to look for sponsor companies to take over Nova, leaving an uncertain future for the legion of unpaid, unemployed, and now uninsured Nova instructors. Corporations have an increasingly large influence in our lives, and it is up to consumers and employees to demand they act in a fair and responsible manner. Both students and instructors allowed themselves to be suckered in by Nova’s promises of convenience, and this at the expense of educational and professional integrity. The question we need to be asking ourselves when the next eikaiwa gakkou takes Nova’s place is this: are we, as teachers and students, employees and consumers, holding corporations accountable for their actions to the extent that we can avoid another such disaster? And who let a monkey drive the train for so long anyways? by Alex Deacon, Former Nova Teacher (Canadian)

It’s a struggle to keep focused on the big picture. I don’t have any real problems yet: I have a place to stay, enough money for a plane ticket home, and thanks to the generosity of my friends I will not, in fact, work for food. But this follows weeks of panic and anxiety after the crash of eikaiwa-giant Nova, the ekimae ryugyaku, my former employer. Like me, thousands of ex-Nova teachers are now scrambling for jobs, in a low-hiring season, and asking themselves some crucial questions: how long can I stay before I need my plane money for groceries? Should I pay the cell phone bill or the gas bill? Or worse: how do I support my family? Is repatriation the only solution? Reactions to this disaster have been mixed. Few will mourn the passing of the scandal-laden corporation, yet Nova’s catastrophic derailment has been a huge cause of distress for thousands of students, Japanese staff, and foreign instructors. The students are unlikely to see their hard-earned cash again, and the Japanese staff and foreign English teachers have lost not only months of unpaid wages, but their livelihoods as well. It seems convenience, Nova’s ‘winning’ commodity, can only take you so far. Anywhere, any time, students had access to English lessons taught by foreigners at the school’s ubiquitous branches, or 24 hours a day through their multi-media teaching network. Low fees, an easy booking system, and young, sexy foreign teachers promised a fun, if not flawless, teaching experience. Nova’s empire of convenience also offered teachers an easy ticket to Japan. Visa preparation was painless, my flight was discounted, I was picked up at the airport and escorted to an apartment. Life in Japan began with a well-paying job, decent hours, and no commitment beyond the classroom. Nova, however, lacked follow-through, and the convenience was short-lived. I would have been happy to stay for a two-year tenure, even with the awareness that it was a dead-end job with no prospect for advancement and no career potential. Training was minimal (I had one day of training before I was thrown into kids’ classes, with no follow-ups or evaluations). With the absence of benefits and professional development, and contracts that could be canceled on a whim, Nova’s shocking staff-turnover rate was no surprise. This, coupled with the recent rapid expansion in the number of Nova branches, made it increasingly difficult for students to book lessons. A sharp increase in student cancellations ensued, and this brought Nova’s abnormal refund policies to light. From February 2007, Nova became synonymous with bad news. Raids were conducted on its offices, Nova’s appeals over refunding policies were lost in supreme courts, and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry prohibited the sales of large packages. Throughout, Nova`s President Nozomu Sahashi remained perfectly calm as he surveyed the damage from his now-infamous Penthouse office. Even on September 14th, after delaying payment of foreign instructors’ August wages and rent, and failing entirely to pay the Japanese staff’s wages, Mr. Sahashi’s fax to the branches betrayed not even the slightest hint of anxiety. It will be okay, he said in his most soothing shade of fax toner. Late in October the ‘pink bunny’ finally gave in. I still kick myself for feeling a glimmer of hope as I read Sahashi’s last fax before he was ousted by the board of directors in a late-night Tokyo meeting, and the giant finally filed for bankruptcy protection. On October 26th, court-appointed solicitors began to look for sponsor companies to take over Nova, leaving an uncertain future for the legion of unpaid, unemployed, and now uninsured Nova instructors. Corporations have an increasingly large influence in our lives, and it is up to consumers and employees to demand they act in a fair and responsible manner. Both students and instructors allowed themselves to be suckered in by Nova’s promises of convenience, and this at the expense of educational and professional integrity. The question we need to be asking ourselves when the next eikaiwa gakkou takes Nova’s place is this: are we, as teachers and students, employees and consumers, holding corporations accountable for their actions to the extent that we can avoid another such disaster? And who let a monkey drive the train for so long anyways? by Alex Deacon, Former Nova Teacher (Canadian)

 

It’s a struggle to keep focused on the big picture. I don’t have any real problems yet: I have a place to stay, enough money for a plane ticket home, and thanks to the generosity of my friends I will not, in fact, work for food. But this follows weeks of panic and anxiety after the crash of eikaiwa-giant Nova, the ekimae ryugyaku, my former employer. Like me, thousands of ex-Nova teachers are now scrambling for jobs, in a low-hiring season, and asking themselves some crucial questions: how long can I stay before I need my plane money for groceries? Should I pay the cell phone bill or the gas bill? Or worse: how do I support my family? Is repatriation the only solution? Reactions to this disaster have been mixed. Few will mourn the passing of the scandal-laden corporation, yet Nova’s catastrophic derailment has been a huge cause of distress for thousands of students, Japanese staff, and foreign instructors. The students are unlikely to see their hard-earned cash again, and the Japanese staff and foreign English teachers have lost not only months of unpaid wages, but their livelihoods as well. It seems convenience, Nova’s ‘winning’ commodity, can only take you so far. Anywhere, any time, students had access to English lessons taught by foreigners at the school’s ubiquitous branches, or 24 hours a day through their multi-media teaching network. Low fees, an easy booking system, and young, sexy foreign teachers promised a fun, if not flawless, teaching experience. Nova’s empire of convenience also offered teachers an easy ticket to Japan. Visa preparation was painless, my flight was discounted, I was picked up at the airport and escorted to an apartment. Life in Japan began with a well-paying job, decent hours, and no commitment beyond the classroom. Nova, however, lacked follow-through, and the convenience was short-lived. I would have been happy to stay for a two-year tenure, even with the awareness that it was a dead-end job with no prospect for advancement and no career potential. Training was minimal (I had one day of training before I was thrown into kids’ classes, with no follow-ups or evaluations). With the absence of benefits and professional development, and contracts that could be canceled on a whim, Nova’s shocking staff-turnover rate was no surprise. This, coupled with the recent rapid expansion in the number of Nova branches, made it increasingly difficult for students to book lessons. A sharp increase in student cancellations ensued, and this brought Nova’s abnormal refund policies to light. From February 2007, Nova became synonymous with bad news. Raids were conducted on its offices, Nova’s appeals over refunding policies were lost in supreme courts, and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry prohibited the sales of large packages. Throughout, Nova`s President Nozomu Sahashi remained perfectly calm as he surveyed the damage from his now-infamous Penthouse office. Even on September 14th, after delaying payment of foreign instructors’ August wages and rent, and failing entirely to pay the Japanese staff’s wages, Mr. Sahashi’s fax to the branches betrayed not even the slightest hint of anxiety. It will be okay, he said in his most soothing shade of fax toner. Late in October the ‘pink bunny’ finally gave in. I still kick myself for feeling a glimmer of hope as I read Sahashi’s last fax before he was ousted by the board of directors in a late-night Tokyo meeting, and the giant finally filed for bankruptcy protection. On October 26th, court-appointed solicitors began to look for sponsor companies to take over Nova, leaving an uncertain future for the legion of unpaid, unemployed, and now uninsured Nova instructors. Corporations have an increasingly large influence in our lives, and it is up to consumers and employees to demand they act in a fair and responsible manner. Both students and instructors allowed themselves to be suckered in by Nova’s promises of convenience, and this at the expense of educational and professional integrity. The question we need to be asking ourselves when the next eikaiwa gakkou takes Nova’s place is this: are we, as teachers and students, employees and consumers, holding corporations accountable for their actions to the extent that we can avoid another such disaster? And who let a monkey drive the train for so long anyways? by Alex Deacon, Former Nova Teacher (Canadian)

いくらカナダ人の僕でも今回だけは大らかに振る舞えない…。職を失った今でも、何とか生活はできているけれど、前職場のお陰で、数週間もの間、不安や怒りからくるパニックや鬱と戦うハメになったし、しかも、僕みたいな外国人が今、日本中に溢れている。年末も迫る今の時期に、生活費の心配は愚か、職が見つからなかった万が一のことを考えて、国へ帰る飛行機代の計算もしておかないといけない。こんな状況での職探しは、いちいち怒りが込み上げてくる。外国人だから「国に帰れば終わり」で済むってこと？ 今となっては人それぞれ色々な思いがあるようだけど、突然のニュースに関わっていた人のほとんどがパニック状態になってたよ。払い込んだ授業料を心配する生徒はもちろん、支払われないままの給料についても。みんな生活がかかっているからね。気楽さ簡単さがウリの英会話教室だったことは確かだけど、こんなにいともたやすく止めてしまうことってアリ？ 駅前のどこにでもあって、講師は全員外国人という手法が当たって急成長したその会社は、生徒にとっては当然、働くスタッフ、外国人講師にとってさえも、すごく便利なシステムだったんだ。給料も良かったし時間帯も厳しくないし、新任講師のトレーニングはたったの一日！長い目で見て有望な仕事ではないけど、２年という短い契約でも、わざわざ外国から来るのに十分納得できるシステムだったんだ。 でもこの手軽さが長続きしなかった理由かも、と最近は考えるようになったよ。あまりにも手軽だったから、遂には運営に歪みが出てうまく回らないようになったんだ。 そして、それを埋め合わせる為に考えられた違法な契約方法。これは許されるわけがないよね。様々な角度からお咎め（おとがめ）が入るけど、どんなに周りで騒がれていようとも会社内には「ご安心を！」みたいな通達が出回っていたんだから、今考えると恐ろしいよ。 遂にお馴染みの「ピンク・バニー」共々、皆が青ざめちゃうハメになったのは、当時の社長退任の通達と会社破産のレポートがFAX（！）で届いたときだよ。今となっては、だけど、全くもって陳腐な通達を「まだどうにかなるだろう…」と信じていた自分の馬鹿さかげんには涙が出そうだよ。 今回の自分の経験を通して、法人の活動そのものが、想像以上に僕たち個人の生活への影響力をもっているってことを痛感したよ。儲かっているとかそんな次元ではなく、だよ。そして、さらに違和感を感じているのは、その当事者を責めるばかりの世間のあり方、マスコミの伝え方。 僕は、いったん起こってしまったことや、起こりそうなことを変えていく責任は世間やマスコミにもあるんじゃないか？と思うんだ。結局は、僕らひとりひとりが「簡単さ・手軽さ」を求めるばかりの結果がこれなんだから。。。 だからこそ、手軽に「国に帰れば終わり」で済ませてはいけないと僕は考えている。似たようなことが二度と起こらないように、僕らは何をすべきか？『知らない、関係ない、では済まされないのが今の日本だよ。』 アレックス・ディーコン カナダ出身　前NOVA教師

It’s a struggle to keep focused on the big picture. I don’t have any real problems yet: I have a place to stay, enough money for a plane ticket home, and thanks to the generosity of my friends I will not, in fact, work for food. But this follows weeks of panic and anxiety after the crash of eikaiwa-giant Nova, the ekimae ryugyaku, my former employer. Like me, thousands of ex-Nova teachers are now scrambling for jobs, in a low-hiring season, and asking themselves some crucial questions: how long can I stay before I need my plane money for groceries? Should I pay the cell phone bill or the gas bill? Or worse: how do I support my family? Is repatriation the only solution? Reactions to this disaster have been mixed. Few will mourn the passing of the scandal-laden corporation, yet Nova’s catastrophic derailment has been a huge cause of distress for thousands of students, Japanese staff, and foreign instructors. The students are unlikely to see their hard-earned cash again, and the Japanese staff and foreign English teachers have lost not only months of unpaid wages, but their livelihoods as well. It seems convenience, Nova’s ‘winning’ commodity, can only take you so far. Anywhere, any time, students had access to English lessons taught by foreigners at the school’s ubiquitous branches, or 24 hours a day through their multi-media teaching network. Low fees, an easy booking system, and young, sexy foreign teachers promised a fun, if not flawless, teaching experience. Nova’s empire of convenience also offered teachers an easy ticket to Japan. Visa preparation was painless, my flight was discounted, I was picked up at the airport and escorted to an apartment. Life in Japan began with a well-paying job, decent hours, and no commitment beyond the classroom. Nova, however, lacked follow-through, and the convenience was short-lived. I would have been happy to stay for a two-year tenure, even with the awareness that it was a dead-end job with no prospect for advancement and no career potential. Training was minimal (I had one day of training before I was thrown into kids’ classes, with no follow-ups or evaluations). With the absence of benefits and professional development, and contracts that could be canceled on a whim, Nova’s shocking staff-turnover rate was no surprise. This, coupled with the recent rapid expansion in the number of Nova branches, made it increasingly difficult for students to book lessons. A sharp increase in student cancellations ensued, and this brought Nova’s abnormal refund policies to light. From February 2007, Nova became synonymous with bad news. Raids were conducted on its offices, Nova’s appeals over refunding policies were lost in supreme courts, and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry prohibited the sales of large packages. Throughout, Nova`s President Nozomu Sahashi remained perfectly calm as he surveyed the damage from his now-infamous Penthouse office. Even on September 14th, after delaying payment of foreign instructors’ August wages and rent, and failing entirely to pay the Japanese staff’s wages, Mr. Sahashi’s fax to the branches betrayed not even the slightest hint of anxiety. It will be okay, he said in his most soothing shade of fax toner. Late in October the ‘pink bunny’ finally gave in. I still kick myself for feeling a glimmer of hope as I read Sahashi’s last fax before he was ousted by the board of directors in a late-night Tokyo meeting, and the giant finally filed for bankruptcy protection. On October 26th, court-appointed solicitors began to look for sponsor companies to take over Nova, leaving an uncertain future for the legion of unpaid, unemployed, and now uninsured Nova instructors. Corporations have an increasingly large influence in our lives, and it is up to consumers and employees to demand they act in a fair and responsible manner. Both students and instructors allowed themselves to be suckered in by Nova’s promises of convenience, and this at the expense of educational and professional integrity. The question we need to be asking ourselves when the next eikaiwa gakkou takes Nova’s place is this: are we, as teachers and students, employees and consumers, holding corporations accountable for their actions to the extent that we can avoid another such disaster? And who let a monkey drive the train for so long anyways? by Alex Deacon, Former Nova Teacher (Canadian)

It’s a struggle to keep focused on the big picture. I don’t have any real problems yet: I have a place to stay, enough money for a plane ticket home, and thanks to the generosity of my friends I will not, in fact, work for food. But this follows weeks of panic and anxiety after the crash of eikaiwa-giant Nova, the ekimae ryugyaku, my former employer. Like me, thousands of ex-Nova teachers are now scrambling for jobs, in a low-hiring season, and asking themselves some crucial questions: how long can I stay before I need my plane money for groceries? Should I pay the cell phone bill or the gas bill? Or worse: how do I support my family? Is repatriation the only solution? Reactions to this disaster have been mixed. Few will mourn the passing of the scandal-laden corporation, yet Nova’s catastrophic derailment has been a huge cause of distress for thousands of students, Japanese staff, and foreign instructors. The students are unlikely to see their hard-earned cash again, and the Japanese staff and foreign English teachers have lost not only months of unpaid wages, but their livelihoods as well. It seems convenience, Nova’s ‘winning’ commodity, can only take you so far. Anywhere, any time, students had access to English lessons taught by foreigners at the school’s ubiquitous branches, or 24 hours a day through their multi-media teaching network. Low fees, an easy booking system, and young, sexy foreign teachers promised a fun, if not flawless, teaching experience. Nova’s empire of convenience also offered teachers an easy ticket to Japan. Visa preparation was painless, my flight was discounted, I was picked up at the airport and escorted to an apartment. Life in Japan began with a well-paying job, decent hours, and no commitment beyond the classroom. Nova, however, lacked follow-through, and the convenience was short-lived. I would have been happy to stay for a two-year tenure, even with the awareness that it was a dead-end job with no prospect for advancement and no career potential. Training was minimal (I had one day of training before I was thrown into kids’ classes, with no follow-ups or evaluations). With the absence of benefits and professional development, and contracts that could be canceled on a whim, Nova’s shocking staff-turnover rate was no surprise. This, coupled with the recent rapid expansion in the number of Nova branches, made it increasingly difficult for students to book lessons. A sharp increase in student cancellations ensued, and this brought Nova’s abnormal refund policies to light. From February 2007, Nova became synonymous with bad news. Raids were conducted on its offices, Nova’s appeals over refunding policies were lost in supreme courts, and the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry prohibited the sales of large packages. Throughout, Nova`s President Nozomu Sahashi remained perfectly calm as he surveyed the damage from his now-infamous Penthouse office. Even on September 14th, after delaying payment of foreign instructors’ August wages and rent, and failing entirely to pay the Japanese staff’s wages, Mr. Sahashi’s fax to the branches betrayed not even the slightest hint of anxiety. It will be okay, he said in his most soothing shade of fax toner. Late in October the ‘pink bunny’ finally gave in. I still kick myself for feeling a glimmer of hope as I read Sahashi’s last fax before he was ousted by the board of directors in a late-night Tokyo meeting, and the giant finally filed for bankruptcy protection. On October 26th, court-appointed solicitors began to look for sponsor companies to take over Nova, leaving an uncertain future for the legion of unpaid, unemployed, and now uninsured Nova instructors. Corporations have an increasingly large influence in our lives, and it is up to consumers and employees to demand they act in a fair and responsible manner. Both students and instructors allowed themselves to be suckered in by Nova’s promises of convenience, and this at the expense of educational and professional integrity. The question we need to be asking ourselves when the next eikaiwa gakkou takes Nova’s place is this: are we, as teachers and students, employees and consumers, holding corporations accountable for their actions to the extent that we can avoid another such disaster? And who let a monkey drive the train for so long anyways? by Alex Deacon, Former Nova Teacher (Canadian)