Japanese for a Working Holiday in Japan: Jobs, Phrases and How to Prepare
A working holiday in Japan is one of the best ways to live in the country without a long-term job offer. Young people from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, Ireland and many European countries can live and work in Japan, usually for up to a year. How much you get out of it depends a lot on your Japanese. It decides which jobs you can apply for, how easily you settle in and whether you make Japanese friends. Here is what to expect and how to prepare.
A quick word on the visa
Japan has working holiday agreements with a long list of countries, each with its own age limit, quota and rules. The UK’s version is called the Youth Mobility Scheme. Conditions change, so check the current details with the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country before you plan anything. You don’t need to pass a Japanese test to apply, but the visa doesn’t find you a job, and that is where language comes in.
How much Japanese do working holiday jobs need?
| Job | Japanese usually needed |
|---|---|
| Ski resorts and international hostels | Little to basic. Many guests and colleagues speak English, but basic Japanese gets you better roles. |
| English teaching and tutoring | Little for the job itself, but you’ll need Japanese for everything else in your life. |
| Farms and seasonal work | Basic. Instructions are often in simple Japanese only. |
| Cafés, restaurants and shops | Conversational, around JLPT N4 to N3 at least, with set customer service phrases. |
| Office and hotel front desk work | Business level, often N2 or higher, including keigo. |
The pattern is simple: the more Japanese you have, the more choice you have, and the more “Japanese” your year will be. Learners who arrive at a conversational level often find work in places where they use Japanese all day, which is the fastest way to improve.
Phrases for part-time work
| Japanese | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| いらっしゃいませ | irasshaimase | Welcome (to customers) |
| かしこまりました | kashikomarimashita | Certainly (very polite “understood”) |
| 少々お待ちください | shōshō omachi kudasai | One moment, please |
| お疲れさまです | otsukaresama desu | Greeting to colleagues at the start or end of a shift |
| もう一度教えていただけますか？ | mō ichido oshiete itadakemasu ka? | Could you show me that once more? |
| お先に失礼します | osaki ni shitsurei shimasu | Said when you leave before others |
Hospitality jobs use a lot of fixed, very polite phrases. Our guide to Japanese customer service phrases covers the ones you’ll hear on your first shift.
Applying for a part-time job
Part-time jobs (アルバイト, arubaito) usually involve a short interview, often in Japanese. Expect questions about when you can work, how long you are staying, why you want the job and whether you have done similar work. Prepare a short self-introduction and practise answering out loud. Some employers also ask for a simple résumé in Japanese. Our guides to self-introductions and job interviews in Japan will help.
Settling in
Your first weeks involve a lot of paperwork in Japanese: registering your address at the city office, getting a phone, opening a bank account and finding somewhere to live. Our first-month checklist and guide to renting an apartment walk through each step. Basic Japanese makes all of this faster and less stressful.
How to prepare before you go
- Six months or more before: learn kana and work through a beginner textbook. Aim for basic conversation about yourself.
- Three months before: start regular lessons focused on the situations you will meet: interviews, workplace phrases, the city office, the bank.
- The last month: role-play your job interview and first shift with a tutor until the key phrases come out without thinking.
Keep learning once you arrive. Many working holiday makers stop studying when they get busy and plateau at the level they arrived with. A weekly online lesson with a tutor you already know is an easy way to keep improving, and to have someone to ask about the confusing things that happen at work.