WORK & TRAVEL JAPAN | Meine ersten Eindrücke und Tipps

Summary

The narrator shares their early impressions of a work-and-travel stay in Japan, followed by an update after roughly three months.

Planning and arrival

The trip was booked through AFS, with on-the-ground support from a partner agency called Worldwide. The narrator recommends applying for a visa early and budgeting in advance. On arrival, a staff member helped with the initial arrangements. Support and translation made tasks such as opening a bank account and applying for residency paperwork easier.

Housing

The shared house had German, American, and Japanese residents. The narrator was especially happy with the housemates and social atmosphere. The accommodation had good transport connections, although some journeys could take around an hour. A roof terrace was mentioned, but it was not ready yet and came with house rules.

After moving to Warabi, the narrator had more space for a similar price.

Language study

The narrator found language school useful for complete beginners. However, they suggest that people with some Japanese ability—or the discipline to study independently—could save money by learning on their own with a textbook.

Finding work

The narrator advises staying flexible rather than being overly selective. They considered jobs such as dishwashing, bartending, and working in an international café, noting that some jobs may offer decent pay or other benefits. Interviews can be challenging, particularly over the phone.

Three-month update

The narrator worked at an English-speaking café, chatting with Japanese customers, and later tried morning shifts at McDonald’s. The McDonald’s job proved difficult because it required understanding spoken instructions in Japanese, so the narrator decided it was not a good long-term fit.

After a trial day and signing a contract, the narrator planned to start teaching English to children at multiple locations.

Notable locations, organizations, and workplaces

• Locations: Japan, Saitama, and Warabi
• Organizations: AFS and Worldwide
• Workplaces mentioned: An English-speaking café, McDonald’s, and a children’s English-teaching job
• Speaker: The video’s narrator from the ALEX JAP channel