Paul, a Scot who journeyed overland from Glasgow to Osaka, and the writer behind Paul’s Adventure – one of this year’s best travel blogs for working holiday visas – gives working holiday visa advice on English tutoring, language barriers and the positive challenges of his nine-month experience in Japan.
Q: Why did you pick this country?
A: I’d previously been on working holidays in Australia and New Zealand and wanted to go somewhere that I would find more challenging. I’d always had an interest in Japanese culture especially in anime, manga and also Japanese food, so it felt like a place I would really enjoy.
Q: What was the hardest part of the visa process?
A: The visa process was actually very easy, the hardest part was reading all the conflicting information online and getting more stressed about it than I should have been. This prompted me to write a guide for others who may travel to Japan on WHV (working holiday visa), to show how straight forward it really is.
Q: What kind of work did you do during your visa?
A: I worked privately as a English tutor.
Q: How did you find this work?
A: Many of my friends were English teachers at schools around Osaka, they would often be asked by parents for extra tutoring after school. After teaching kids all day they didn’t want to do much tutoring and so they referred the parents to me. I ended up tutoring around 20 kids a week mostly in evening/weekends, providing more than enough to live on.
Q: What was your favorite job, and why?
A: I only had one job while I was there but thoroughly enjoyed it, Japanese kids are incredibly polite and diligent workers so it made my job pretty easy.
Q: Where do you think are the best places to work in this country, and why?
A: If you’re interested in teaching English then this can be done really anywhere in the country. The big cities are great as generally wages are higher and there is more to do in your free time. I also had many friends who worked in the ski slopes during the winter months as ski/snowboard instructors. If this interests you, then the north Island of Hokkaido is probably the best bet.
Q: What was your best travel adventure in between jobs?
A: I stayed for a few days in Kyoto which I really enjoyed, it’s a beautiful city filled with world heritage sites of amazing temples and traditional culture. I spent many hours walking around with my camera enjoying the sights.
Q: What was the biggest shock settling into this country, during your first few weeks there?
A: For me it was the language barrier. I didn’t know any Japanese and struggled to just buy tickets on the subway; but after a few weeks, I learned how to get around easily and understand a few phrases, how to order food/drinks. After that it was pretty easy!
Q: How did a working holiday change your future (as, I presume, it has)?
A: Well, after three working holidays I’m very much addicted to traveling. I have recently decided to return to study as a mature student to get another degree and hopefully change my career to something that allows me to be outside and travel more rather than being stuck in an office all the time.
Q: Do you have any advice for people who want to go on a working holiday?
A: Save as much money as you can. Often I meet people who go on working holidays with very little and often have to go home early or can’t afford to do nice things and visit interesting places. So make sure you have a good idea of what the cost of living is and how much you will need! Do as much planning before you arrive as possible!
Check out Paul’s Adventure for tips on the Japan working holiday visa process and information on how to ferry from China to Japan. You can also find footage from his cross-global route on Vimeo.
Ready to work and volunteer your way around the world? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and RSS/email. Until the next adventure! ~ Kelli
Photos courtesy of Paul’s Adventure.