Gap year in japan?

Question

After a levels i want to take my gap year in japan, id just like to know-

-(Advarage)Costs of decent apartments around tokyo, that are affordable ofcourse
-How qualified do you have to be to teach english?
-What jobs are good to do during your gap year?

Thanks!

I would wanna live in japan for this year, so i guess i'd need a working permit, id just like to know what i could do

And yes, i will be fluent in japanese by then

Answer 1

I'm guessing by your terminology, "A levels" and "gap year," that you're from the UK? If so, then you may be eligible for a Working Holiday visa to spend up to a year in Japan (see the link below). If you have a Working Holiday visa, you can then register as a resident alien and rent an apartment, get a cel phone, etc.

In general, apartments in Tokyo are very expensive (comparable to, say, London, but probably smaller in size). Within, say, a 30-40 minute train ride, you can probably find more reasonably-priced housing, but it's still not inexpensive by any means. There's a lot to Japan besides Tokyo, though, so you might want to look into other areas as well.

Qualifications for teaching English are usually a 4-year University-level degree, and being a native speaker. The 4-year degree is a requirement for a work visa, though; if you have a Working Holiday visa, that requirement might not apply to you.

What jobs are good will depend on what you're capable of. If you will indeed be fluent in Japanese, then maybe you can work in something other than an English conversation school. If you're anything less than fluent, though, then you're probably limited to teaching English.

Answer 2

The 'gap year' is your year before starting university, right? Well then I don't think you can get a visa to teach in Japan.

If you really want to go, you can stay three months on a tourist visa, pop over to Korea and stay another three months. If you are ambitious and want to teach privately, you might scare up a clientel and help support your trip. It's not common or advisable, but I've heard of people doing that.

Answer 3

You could get a room in a gaijin house a lot cheaper than getting an apartment. At least with a gaijin house you wouldn't need a big deposit or key money. You could probably find some work teaching English, bartending, etc. if you had a working holiday visa. In theory you would be unqualified to teach English without a degree, but with a working holiday visa you would likely to be able to find something. Yanks don't have a clue about working holiday visas, so they think a degree is a necessity when that's not necessarily so.

Answer 4

I'm not sure what a "gap year" is, but I'll try to help.

Tokyo is extremely expensive. There are no affordable apartments there. Plan on US$800+

To teach English you need nothing more than a 4-year degree...in anything.

Unless you're fluent in Japanese or have really nice contacts, that's about the only job you can get there. (Unless you're female and want to get into the "entertainment" industry)

Answer 5

"Advarage"

Don't worry. You'll do fine at NOVA. Don a suit, act the part, and sell your soul to the company. A year later you'll find yourself rich enough to travel to Thailand and afford to go drinking every weekend at the local gaijin bar where you can complain about life in Japan.

An affordable apartment in Tokyo? Hmm. $1000/month for a small place.

Qualifications to teach English? A university degree gets you a good job, but you don't necessarily need that. You can get paid quite well working at one of the thousands of "eikaiwa" (English conversation "schools").

What's a "gap year." I think I have a "gap life."

Answer 6

You need a BA degree to teach English. You need a work visa to work in Japan. And you need a solid job offer BEFORE you enter Japan. And most all other jobs will require you to read, write and speak Japanese at a native level.

Answer 7

You won't be able to stay more than your entry permit unless you get working permit or student visa. No employer won't hire tourist cos it's illegal. No shop sell mobile phone to you without alien registration card, incld pre-paid phone. People don't understand English. Japan don't take positive immigrant policy and no racial diversity in Japan.