Meine Erfahrung mit dem Working holiday in Japan!

Working Holiday Visa Experience in Japan

The speaker, whose name is rendered inconsistently in the subtitles as Rico or Riku, first arrived in Japan about four and a half years ago. He initially hoped to build a life there and describes the Working Holiday Visa as a relatively accessible way for German citizens to spend up to a year in Japan.

Visa Requirements

The speaker mentions the following requirements:

• German citizenship
• Being between 18 and 30 years old
• Proof of €2,000 in savings
• Booked flights
• International health insurance

These are the requirements as he recalls them; details may vary.

Settling In

He paid roughly €600–€800 for a company that arranged a month of accommodation, airport pickup, help opening a bank account, and job-search guidance. He recommends this kind of support for people without Japanese-language skills or local contacts, while noting that it is also possible to organize things independently.

Work and Learning Japanese

He spent his first two months exploring Tokyo and meeting people, then found work in restaurants. Interacting with customers, supervisors, and coworkers helped him improve his Japanese while earning money and gaining work experience. Restaurant work, particularly at German restaurants, may be an option for newcomers depending on their language skills.

He also took on small modeling jobs, such as appearing in music videos.

Housing and Everyday Life

At first, he lived in a shared apartment for about ¥30,000 a month, but disliked sharing a room with five people. He later found a small apartment of about 13 square meters for roughly ¥70,000 a month.

He says renting independently can be difficult for foreigners. However, managing rent and utilities taught him practical skills and helped him understand everyday life in Japan.

He also enjoyed spending time with Japanese coworkers after work, including going out for drinks. He describes this as a fun way to socialize and experience local workplace culture.

Staying Longer

Because he hoped to extend his stay, he focused on building a life and finding work in Tokyo rather than traveling extensively during his first year. After working in restaurants and improving his Japanese, he found a job that allowed him to obtain a work visa. Later, he felt more free to travel without worrying as much about his visa expiring.

Overall Advice

The speaker says a Working Holiday can offer a balance of work, travel, language practice, and everyday experience. He recommends it to people who want to live in Japan, while cautioning that work can be harder to find than in Germany. He credits persistence in learning Japanese with helping him along the way.

Locations and Other Mentions

• Locations: Tokyo, Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree (rendered in the subtitles as “Sky Tower”), Senso-ji Temple (rendered as “Sakusta Temple”), Kyoto, Osaka, and Hokkaido
• Other mentions: Restaurant work, small modeling jobs, shared accommodation, and sweet alcoholic drinks. The drink names are unclear in the subtitles.