Monthly Archives: July 2025
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While cities like Tokyo and Kyoto offer undeniable charm, truly making your Working Holiday in Japan unforgettable means exploring beyond just the major tourist spots. This gives you the chance to see beautiful nature and historical buildings, meet locals, and really immerse yourself in Japanese culture. One place truly worth a visit is Sado Island, a hidden gem in Niigata Prefecture. Sado Island - Why It’s Worth a Visit Sado Island, Japan's sixth-largest island, is a microcosm of the country itself, boasting diverse landscapes from picturesque beaches and cascading rice paddies to rugged mountain roads. Known for its clear waters, rocky shores, and abundant marine life, Sado offers fantastic opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking and swimming. It also is home to five sake breweries, so why not try some sake while you are there? Beyond its natural beauty, Sado is a hub of traditional culture. It's home to the Kodo Taiko Ensemble, which hosts the annual Earth Celebration Festival. The music festival is a dynamic event of drumming and cultural exchange. Visitors can also try taiko drumming themselves at the Sado Island Taiko Center. Unique experiences like riding a "tarai bune" (a traditional tub-boat) or exploring historic villages like Shukunegi, with its preserved wooden houses, offer a glimpse into the island's rich heritage. Additionally, the Sado Gold Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a significant historical attraction that offers a fascinating look into the island's past as a major mining center. The island is also a crucial site for the reintroduction of the Japanese Crested Ibis, a species that was once almost extinct in the wild but now thrives on Sado thanks to conservation efforts. A Short History of Sado Island Sado Island has a fascinating and at times tumultuous history, serving for centuries as a place of exile for political figures and intellectuals. The island experienced a significant boom with the discovery of gold and silver mines in the 17th century, which helped finance the Tokugawa shogunate. The Sado Gold Mine, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, attracted people from all over Japan, leading to a sudden rise in population and enriching its cultural diversity. However, nowadays Sado faces a shrinking and aging population, like many areas in Japan. Furthermore, while Sado used to be a popular tourist destination, due to the rise of cheap overseas flights, the tourist numbers have halved. As a result abandoned buildings and even entire villages now dot Sado’s landscape. Historical buildings, including vital temples, are deteriorating. Many of the island's monks, often elderly, struggle to find successors, leading to a profound loss of invaluable cultural heritage. A Unique and Innovative Cooperation Amidst these struggles, new innovative ideas emerged. One of them is the cooperation between World Unite! and Chokokuji Temple. The historic Chokokuji Temple is one of Sado's largest and most significant temples, founded by Kobo Daishi (Kukai) in 807. It is designed to resemble Nara's Hasedera Temple, is not only a spiritual site but also a custodian of cultural assets, including ancient Kannon statues and Heian Period guardian figures. These eleven-headed Kannon statues and only unveiled to the public once every 33 years, with the next viewing set for 2034. Beyond the buildings, the temple grounds are home to three ancient cedar trees, estimated to be over 1,000 years old, believed to hold spiritual power. Recognizing the challenges faced by historical structures like Chokokuji in an aging society, World Unite! is using the temple as a base for an Environment conservation camp. The volunteers support the 87-year-old monk and his wife with the temple's preservation and development. A portion of the program fees directly contributes to the temple’s upkeep, and proceeds from a souvenir shop within the temple, launched in 2024, also go directly to Chokokuji Temple. This unique model helps ensure the temple's future while providing volunteers with an authentic immersion into Japanese culture and temple life. The Mother Nature Environmental Conservation Camp This camp, called “Mother Nature Environmental Conservation Camp Sado Island”, provides a deeply enriching experience for travellers looking to contribute to local life and explore Japan beyond the mainstream path. Participants live in large, fully furnished tents on the grounds of Chokokuji Temple and engage in a variety of activities: Besides temple preservation, the participants also contribute to the conversation of the Japanese Crested Ibis. After World War II, the use of chemical pesticides became widespread. The poisons decimated the Ibi’s food sources to such an extent that in 2003, the bird was considered "extinct in the wild." A government breeding program saved the last captive specimens and successfully began reintroducing offspring into the wild. For the species to survive in the wild, traditional, pesticide-free rice fields and irrigated, fallow Satoyama areas are urgently needed today. Volunteers from World Unite! therefore work together with local rice farmers to promote precisely these traditional farming methods, irrigate unused fields, and thus permanently secure the toki's habitat. Furthermore, in this camp you can participate in beach cleanups and learn how to use bamboo to make sustainable and traditional crafts. You will learn about herbal medicine and engage with local school children by teaching them about environmental protection. Regularly, World Unite! also organizes the participation in workshops on traditional and local culture such as building a traditional reed boat. This program offers a unique blend of cultural immersion, environmental contribution, and personal growth, making it a truly distinctive Japanese adventure. Do You Want to Know More? Does this sound interesting, and would you like to know more? Then check out the projects page:https://www.world-unite.de/en/internships-volunteering/japan/environmental-conservation-cultural-heritage-templestay-sado If you would like to receive support with organizing your Working Holiday, visit the World Unite! webpage at:https://www.world-unite.de/en/working-holiday/japan/work-and-travel-tokyo-kyoto
Do you dream of carving fresh tracks in legendary powder snow while experiencing vibrant Japanese culture? People from all over the world come to experience the “Japow” - the famous, light powder snow of Japan. Australians and US Americans make up the biggest share of international visitors. Therefore, Japanese language skills are not necessarily required to work at a ski resort. However, it will make finding a job easier as Japanese nationals also love to ski in their home country. Working at a ski resort in Japan on a Working Holiday Visa offers a unique blend of adventure, cultural immersion, and practical work experience. This opportunity allows you to live and work in breathtaking winter landscapes and connect with people from around the globe. World Unite! can pre-arrange a job at a ski resort for you if you are planning to be in Japan during the winter season. Our partners are located in prime winter destinations across Hokkaido, Niigata, and Iwate prefectures. The winter season in Japan typically runs from late November or early December to the end of March, and you are expected to be available for the entire season. Do you need to speak Japanese? Not always! There are English-speaking positions, yet they are limited. Japanese language skills will definitely enhance your experience and chances of securing certain roles. If you want to learn Japanese from scratch or freshen up your skills, you can also book one of our language classes in Tokyo beforehand. So, what kind of work will you be doing? You'll find a variety of roles to suit your skills and interests: Ski & Snowboard Instruction: If you have solid snowboarding and skiing skills, you can work as a ski instructor assistant or children's ski instructor. Instructor experience itself is not necessary. Hotel Hospitality: Many resorts also seek staff for essential hospitality positions, including front desk/reception, housekeeping, room service, laundry, onsen cleaner/attendant, and luggage handling. Restaurant & Food Service: Roles such as kitchen assistant, dishwasher, and waiter/waitress are also common. These are full-time positions, where you should expect to work around 40 hours per week. While wages vary by role and prefecture, the hourly rate typically ranges between ¥800-¥1,200. Combined with subsidized living costs, this ensures you can comfortably cover your expenses and enjoy your time. How, and where will you live? While accommodation costs apply, they are subsidized by your employer, making your working holiday more affordable. The specifics vary by resort. For instance, one resort offers a shared twin room for as little as ¥5,000 per month, while others might provide a dormitory bed for free, with an upgrade option. Beyond just affordable housing, you'll often receive additional benefits. These could include subsidized meals and, perhaps the best perk of all, free ski passes! This means endless opportunities to hit the slopes during your time off, making the most of Japan's legendary powder.
Do you love working with children and want to share your English language skills while experiencing vibrant Japanese culture? Many families in Japan are eager for their children to learn English naturally, making English-speaking babysitters and nannies popular! This unique opportunity allows you to connect deeply with local families and experience daily life in Japan beyond the typical tourist path. World Unite! can secure a babysitting position with a Japanese family. You don't need to be a native English speaker, and no Japanese language skills are required for this role, making it accessible to a wide range of working holidaymakers. A Day in the Life of a typical Japanese Family A typical day for a Japanese family often starts early, with children waking around 6:30-7:00 AM for breakfast. Mornings are usually busy as children prepare for kindergarten or school, often going there independently or with friends. While the children are out, parents are typically engaged with work, household chores, or running errands. Afternoons often involve extracurricular activities for the kids like cram school or sports, but also playing at a local park. Dinner is typically a family meal, sometimes later in the evening, followed by bath time and a bedtime routine, often concluding around 9:00-9:30 PM. What will working as a babysitter look like? Working as a babysitter in Japan offers a glimpse into the daily rhythm of a Japanese family. Japanese parents, often busy with work or errands, appreciate reliable support - That’s where you come in! Your role typically involves caring for children in their home, focusing on engaging them in English through play, songs, reading, and everyday conversation. A typical day might involve picking up children from kindergarten or school in the afternoon, playing games, or taking them to a nearby park. You might assist with meal prep or supervise dinnertime. For younger children, your time could be filled with creative play, teaching simple English phrases, or helping with bedtime routines if parents are out in the evening. Full Flexibility With World Unite! you will create a profile that then will be used by the families to inform themselves about you. They can book you by the hour. World Unite! cannot guarantee a set number of hours, since your workload depends on your "popularity". It could range from just a few hours a week to a full-time position. Generally, female babysitters are more in demand than male ones. While babysitting might not always be a full-time position with a single family, it offers incredible flexibility. You can work for multiple families, diversifying your experience and potentially building a more consistent schedule. Furthermore, once your profile is set up, it remains active throughout your entire stay in Japan, helping you secure a steady income source for the full year. With families participating in many regions of Japan, this program also provides the flexibility to move around the country. Unlike au pair arrangements, accommodation isn't provided, which further enhances your freedom to choose where you live and gives you the chance to travel around. If you're looking for a flexible and enriching way to experience daily life in Japan while sharing your language skills, a babysitting role could be the perfect fit for your working holiday adventure! Do You Want to Know More? Does this sound interesting, and would you like to know more? Then visit our webpage at:https://www.world-unite.de/en/working-holiday/japan/work-and-travel-tokyo-kyoto