Working holidays in Japan

The Japan visa process can be as confusing as a Tokyo cuddle café. But we’re there for it. (The visa bit, not the cuddling strangers part).

We’ll guide you through the process – supplying the correct forms and guidance on how to fill them out. Plus, advise on how to format the supporting documents you need for your in-person embassy appointment. These include an outline of your intended activities and letter explaining why you want to do a working holiday. (A year of ramen – while technically correct – is not an acceptable answer).

Working holiday visas Japan are free for most nationalities, and currently cost £21 for UK passport holders. This must be paid in cash at your embassy appointment.

We include a 3-4 month ski season job in either Niseko, Rusutsu or Furano on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Typical jobs include guest services, concierge, front desk, bell hop, housekeeper, bus driver, bartender, chefs and ski instructors. As soon as you’ve paid your deposit, we’ll give you access to our JENZA Job Hub where you can start applying for positions.

You must be available to work the full season from Nov/Dec through to Mar/Apr, and be available to interview via video call from Jul/Aug. Jobs are filled on a first come first served basis, so apply early to secure your preferred position.

If you’re arriving outside of winter or would prefer to work in Tokyo instead, your arrival orientation includes comprehensive job support. This lasts for your whole visa, so you can tap in for year-round jobs before or after your ski season.

Your Work Japan ride or die, all our JENZA Support Squad have worked overseas, so can give you firsthand advice on moving abroad. As well as being a geeky bunch of travel nerds and visa whisperers, we're also all mental health awareness trained. Which means we know how to connect like humans – not customer service bots.

On top of pre-departure visa and job support, we also include online intercultural Japan training and a group call with a live FAQ before you go to answer all your Japan questions.

While you don’t need to speak Japanese to get hired, sorting all the formalities to legally start work when you arrive can be near impossible without a Japanese speaker. This is where our amazing in-county partners (and job hunting ninjas) World Unite step in.

Someone from the team will personally accompanying you to the relevant offices in Tokyo to get everything set up.

• Airport meet and greet
• 5 nights’ accommodation at a househare in Tokyo
• Discounted staff accommodation for 3-4 months (ski season jobs only)
• Accompanied appointments to sort your residence permits and health system registration
• 90-120 minute job counselling session to run through all the available jobs and how to apply
• CV translation and cover letter support
• One-on-one job and translation support for your whole visa from the team in Tokyo

This is all the un-sexy stuff, but essential and legal stuff you need to start working in Japan. When you arrive, the World Unite team will help you set up:

• Japan bank account
• Tax number registration
• SIM card

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Find a friend Meet people like you. Connect with travellers arriving at the same time on our JENZA Discord group chats.