Heart Corporation quietly lowered ALT pay while calling it a “fixed salary”
Throwaway account. I’m no longer with, but after seeing newer contracts compared to older ones, I honestly feel bad for newer ALTs coming into Japan now.
Older Heart Corporation contracts were usually daily-rate based:
- ¥10k/day
- ¥11k/day
- ¥12k/day
- some even ¥13k–14k/day depending on placement
Using ¥12k/day as an average:
- 20 workdays = ¥240k
- 21 workdays = ¥252k
- 22 workdays = ¥264k
So when you worked more, you earned more.
Now newer Heart Corporation contracts advertise:
>“¥215,000 monthly salary”
Which sounds more stable at first.
But later in the contract, there’s a prorated clause saying salary can still be reduced based on “actual days worked” during certain months.
So now:
- 20 days = ¥215k
- 21 days = still ¥215k
- 22 days = still ¥215k
But if there are fewer days?
The ALT gets deducted.
So the company keeps the benefit of extra workdays while still lowering pay during lighter months.
Transportation also got worse. The newer contracts include transportation inside the advertised salary while capping reimbursement. So part of that ¥215k is basically already transportation money, and if you live farther away, you personally absorb the remaining commuting costs.
The contracts look cleaner and more “stable” on paper now, but once you actually break down the math, many newer ALTs are earning less while taking on more of the financial risk themselves.
Japan can still be a good experience, but please understand what you’re signing before relocating here. A “fixed monthly salary” does NOT always mean better pay or stability.
And honestly, if you enter dispatch ALT work, start planning your next move early. Don’t stay trapped in the system longer than you need to.