You’ve just graduated college. Your parents are hounding you to find a job. A good job, they say. One with perks like health coverage and a 401k plan…
Ugh!
They also tell you it’s a good idea to start saving up to pay back those student loans.
Wha, wha?
On top of that, you might as well forget about going out on the weekends. Interest rates are down, so now is a good time to start putting aside weekend money for a downpayment on a house.
You gotta be kidding me! This isn’t what life after graduation should be!
Well, you’re in luck! With the Japanese working holiday visa, you have the option of delaying the inevitable plummet into Adult Hell by taking a year off to travel around Japan! In today’s article, we’ll outline who is eligible for the Japanese working holiday, how to apply, and how to find jobs and housing.
Contents
What Is a Working Holiday?
Back in 1980, Japan and Australia came to an agreement.
“We’ll allow your citizens to have an extended holiday in our country, if you let our citizens do the same in yours.”
This is how the working holiday began. The idea was to bolster the tourism industry while at the same time fostering a mutual understanding of the culture and customs of each country. Now, a total of 26 countries have entered this agreement with Japan, with over 15,000 participants a year. As long as you have a working holiday visa, you are free to enter, travel around, and work in Japan for a total of one year.
Eligible Countries
Unfortunately, not all countries have a working holiday visa agreement with Japan. (Sorry, United States!) Below is a list of countries whose citizens are eligible to apply as of April, 2020.
| 1 | Australia |
| 2 | New Zealand |
| 3 | Canada |
| 4 | Republic of Korea |
| 5 | France |
| 6 | Germany |
| 7 | The United Kingdom |
| 8 | Ireland |
| 9 | Denmark |
| 10 | Taiwan |
| 11 | Hong Kong |
| 12 | Norway |
| 13 | Portugal |
| 14 | Poland |
| 15 | Slovakia |
| 16 | Austria |
| 17 | Hungary |
| 18 | Spain |
| 19 | Argentina |
| 20 | Chile |
| 21 | Iceland |
| 22 | Czech |
| 23 | Lithania |
| 24 | Sweden |
| 25 | Estonia |
| 26 | Netherlands |
Eligibility Requirements
If you’re lucky enough to appear on the list above, the next step is meeting the requirements to obtain the visa. Below is a list of general requirements, but may differ slightly depending on nationality (see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website for more details).
Working Holiday Visa “Musts” and Must NOTs”
| 1 | You must currently reside in the country of your nationality. |
| 2 | You must intend to stay in Japan for a specific length of time. |
| 3 | You must be between the ages of 18-30 at the time of application—except for citizens of Australia, Canada, and the Republic of Korea (18-25) and Icelandic citizens (18-26). |
| 4 | You must NOT bring along any dependents. |
| 5 | You must possess: 1. a valid passport of your country, and 2. a return plane ticket back to your country from Japan (or proof of sufficient funds to buy one). |
| 6 | You must show proof of possessing sufficient funds to sustain your stay in Japan. |
| 7 | You must be in good health. |
| 8 | You must never have been issued a working holiday visa from Japan in the past. |
As long as you meet these requirements, there should be no problem obtaining your working holiday visa. Just head over to your nearest Japanese embassy or consulate and fill out an application!
Working in Japan
While the word “working” is technically included in the title, all work must be “incidental” work. The point of the program isn’t to move to Japan to find a stable job and live and work in one area the whole time. Any work you find should be a means of supporting your travel throughout the country, not a means of starting a career. Of course, it is possible to find long-term work in Japan on the working holiday visa, and many have, but don’t make this a point in the application process. The embassy will likely reject you if you make it known that you intend to spend your working holiday in Japan finding stable work.
However, since you will actually be working, here are some resources to find part-time jobs in the area you plan to stay.
Just sign up for an account, peruse the job openings, and apply to the one that best fits your needs!
Housing in Japan
If you want reasonably-priced housing that also accepts short-term leases (minimum one month in most cases), your best bet is a sharehouse. This is a communal type of living where everyone has their own room with a shared living room, kitchen, bathroom, and all other areas of the house. It’s a great way to make friends and learn about different cultures through shared living quarters. Sharehouses are by far the most common type of living situation for people on the working holiday visa. Women-only options are also available as well as small non-communal apartments—if sharehouses aren’t your thing. Below are a few sites to find housing that cater to foreigners.
- Oakhouse
- Leopalace 21
- C’s Sharehouse (women only)
- Sakura House
- Tulip Real Estate (women only)
Final Advice
Japan is one of the safest countries in the world with a very low crime rate. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone with this one and embark on the adventure of your life. Think about it: you have the option to spend one full year in a foreign country where nobody is forcing you to clock in at 9am every day. You’re free to come and go to any city as you please! This is your chance to put the inevitable adulthood on pause and rediscover that sense of adventure you once had in your school days.
Hey, man, what are you waiting for? Get to your local Japanese embassy and apply today! YOLO!
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