Working holidays in Japan

Your visa allows you to work for 12 months, however, due to the purpose behind the working holiday scheme as outlined by the Japanese Government, we may advise you to change employers every three months.

The working holiday scheme is designed to promote international exchange and enhance friendly relationships between Japan and partner countries. Intended to deepen your understanding of Japan – the work part of your visa is designed to enhance your holiday and supplement your travel funds. See the below FAQ for how we ensure your application is formatted correctly to reflect this.

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!).

We can also check your visa application before you submit it to ensure that it is filled out correctly.

You can apply year-round. However, most nationalities have a quota of Japan working holiday visas that are released each April. These don’t always run out, but where possible, we suggest applying as soon after April to ensure you secure a visa. The application consists of an online visa application and in-person appointment at the Embassy of Japan in your home country. Applications can take 2-3 months in total, so remember to build that into your timeframes – especially if you’re looking to pre-arrange a ski season job.

Applications for ski season jobs usually open in May with job roles that start in Nov/Dec.

No, it’s not essential to speak Japanese, as most of the employers we work with are looking to fill English-speaking job roles. However, it can be easier to find work and open up more opportunities if you have a basic understanding of the language. Plus, it will improve your overall experience and understanding of Japanese culture if you know greetings, introductions and dining etiquette etc. As well as being some of the friendliest people in the world, the Japanese are also big on manners – so attempting to speak some Japanese will go a long way and is sure to raise big smiles!

Some of our travellers opt to do online courses before they go, or arrive a few weeks early to do a classroom course. Check out the options and prices for a Kyoto or Tokyo language course in the visa + cost section.

There are two Work Japan options.

Own Job is designed to find work when you arrive. Starting in Tokyo or Kyoto, it includes five weeks’ arrival accommodation, comprehensive job counselling with access to job portals where English-speaking jobs are posted, job support for the full 12-months of your visa, CV translating, cover letter writing and more. Jobs are all English-speaking and are in and around Tokyo or Kyoto.

JENZA Job includes the same inclusions, but with five nights’ accommodation plus a pre-arranged ski season job with one of our ski season employers in Niseko, Rusutsu or Furano on the island of Hokkaido. When you book, you'll upload your CV and preferences, and have a one-on-one with the dedicated jobs team in Japan where they'll match you with a role from their network of 30+ ski season employers. You will then interview via video.

There are certain visa, residential and legal formalities that need to be completed in-person before you can start to work for a Japanese employer – and that aren't always available in the ski resorts. Japanese language skills are required for this, so our in-country partners Work Unite will personally take you to the relevant offices to get these sorted when you first arrive.

We recommend all JENZA Job travellers to start into Tokyo, as this is easier and cheaper to fly to Sapporo New Chitose airport – the closest airport to Niseko, Rusutsu or Furano.

Starting each Friday, you’ll be met at either Narita or Haneda airport in Tokyo where you’ll be accompanied via public transport (a great way to get intro-d to Japanese public transport and trains!) to your included Tokyo accommodation where you’ll have the weekend to get over your jetlag and explore Tokyo. You’ll then visit the relevant offices to get all your paperwork sorted that week. You should then book an internal flight from the Wednesday up to Sapporo.

Once you’re booked onto Work Japan, our team will run through everything with you .

Own Job Five weeks’ accommodation living with other working holidaymakers in a houseshare in either Tokyo or Kyoto. These are typically shared rooms with communal living and kitchen spaces. Talk to us about your room options.

JENZA Job: Five nights’ accommodation in the houseshare*, giving you enough time to sort your residence registration, Japanese bank account and the other required formalities you need to start working. Depending on the employer, you’ll usually have access to subsidised staff accommodation during your ski season job. See the job description further up this page for the accommodation costs.

*If there isn’t availability at the houseshare, accommodation will be at a hostel.