Stuck on the 12 years of English education rule😞 any advice?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been dreaming for years about becoming an English teacher in Japan, and I’m finally at the point where I can start applying. But I’ve hit a bit of a snag and was hoping someone here might have gone through something similar.
I have a Cambridge C1 and a TEFL. I studied in Romania and the UK, I did my BA in Japanese Studies at the University of Manchester, and spent a year at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, where everything was taught in English.
The issue is that for the Instructor visa (the one usually for English teachers), they require 12 years of education in English. I can only prove 4 years from university, since the rest of my schooling in Romania wasn’t in English.
I know there’s the “Specialist in Humanities” visa as well, but from what I’ve read, those jobs are usually lower-paying and often outside of Tokyo, which is where I’d really like to work.
So I’m wondering if there are any non-native English speakers here who managed to get a teaching job in Japan. What visa did you apply for? Did you have to prove 12 years of education in English, and how did you deal with that requirement?
Any info, advice, or personal experience would be super helpful. Thanks!🥺😞