Living in Tokyo (Working Holiday Advice)

Living in Tokyo (Working Holiday Advice)

Tokyo was a great learning experience for me and I would like to share tips and provide advice from a personal opinion.

Living in Tokyo – It is best to stay in a clean sharedhouse, GG House is not too bad. Avoid World Unite! Shiohama House if you were recommended to them. If you have a host family, you can save a bit of money but I think if you are financially alright then an apartment for yourself would be best. English teaching jobs should provide you with accommodation before arrival.

Japanese Level

Once you get past the 日本語が上手ですね！comments and want to take it further, you should at least be a N3 level if you are starting out or looking to be an English teacher. If you have experience and want to work ever harder especially in corporate jobs, you should be at least an N2+ level
able to understand a variety of topics, articles and possibly even newspapers.

Living Tips

  • Prepare the following
    CV/Resume
    Degree Certification
    Medication
    Passport
    JLPT Certification
    Deodorant
    Credit Cards/Debit Cards

  • No official hairdressing businesses for Black and people of mixed heritage so learn to do your own hair.
  • Best bank accounts to start with Japan Post Bank and Shinsei Bank. The latter is supposed to be really good with international money transfers.
  • Register at Town Hall as soon as possible (English speaking helpers will do their best to help).
  • You can buy cheaper medication at CreateSD, Aeon and Ito Yokado.
  • Get insurance (coverwise and insureandgo)
  • Social network and get your connections!
  • Go Japan when you are younger.
  • Other articles
    Things You’ll Miss about Japan after living here

Working Holiday Advice

  1. Visit the country before deciding to live there or not. Scan around as many cities and towns you go to and see if you can live there. But if you like to be surprised before travelling there, do so if you want to.
  2. Get your vaccines (if you don’t live in Asia, you’re going to a whole new continent with a whole lot of bugs, food, weather etc.) Hep A and Hep B is enough for Japan but if you want to be recommended more, see here.
  3. You can do work and holiday if you had more than £2000 and you’ve got enough to travel around and explore. But that minimum amount of money is not enough to go travelling the entire time. My recommendation is to work part time if you want to go on holiday more later. Save up a lot while working here then travel in your last three months. Living in Tokyo – £2000 – £5000
  4. You are able to save money while working in Japan if you are in Japan for a short time (maximum 6 months) it’s possible. A full year or more? It depends on your plans. Just be smart about your money.
  5. For work experience, basic Japanese is a must for any job. For corporate, they will want to know if you have taken the JLPT test and what level you took. It depends with part-time jobs. If you want a job with no Japanese, you’ll have to work at a factory or cafe with other foreigners.
  6. If you’re about an N4/N3 level, you should be able to: purchase contacts, booking a coach ticket, gym membership, buying medicine and donating clothes at mode off.
  7. If you want to travel or shorten your working holiday and are worried about immigration, please check here.
  8. Racist and discrimination will happen. Before interviews, they ask you for to add your picture to your CV/resume and will still be surprised to see you when called in. The white privilege is real and I personally believe people of colour are treated much harshly if you don’t get the jokes and your Japanese is so poor to them you’ll get picked on.

What to Pack

When’s the best time to look for jobs?

January/February is the best time for the approaching school year (March/April) for you to move to Japan. There are also a lot of graduate opportunities. You may also want to consider August/September while in Japan for the same jobs or if you are abroad, start preparing for JLPT applications in October. (Living in Japan only)

Where to Live

  • Areas
    Kita-Senju
    Oji
    Nakameguro
    Yoyogi
    Nippori

  • Places to avoid living in (I am still in the process of re-uploading the info on why but for now please see below):
    Shiohama House (World Unite!) – Article | Photos
    GG House – Article | Photos

Food

  • Motsunabe
  • Sukiyaki
  • KFC Christmas
  • Chazuke
  • Hayashi
  • Nikujaga
  • Kushiage
  • Wagyu
  • Chakonabe
  • Kamameshi (Kamaneshi Haru)
  • Monjaya

International/Western options

Sightseeing

  • Hanami
  • Enoshima Beach
  • Halloween in Shibuya
  • Karaoke Places (Karaoke Mokomoko Shimokitazawa, カラオケ Ban Ban Nakano, カラオケ ビッグエコ Nishi-Arai)
  • Hakone
  • Shin-okubo
  • Kabukicho (Host clubs)

Job Sites

Apps

Links below are for Android but ioS is written for most apps.

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