THE BLOG
【出会い】日本にいても外国人の友達を作りたい人必見！~おすすめアプリ紹介~
日本にいながらでも外国人の友達ってできるの？とお考えの方へ！日本にいても出会う方法はあります！外国人の友達を作ってもっと英語を喋りたい、世界中の友達を作りたいなどいろんな理由があるかと思います。そんな方はぜひこの記事をチェックしてみてください!(^^)!
【出会い】日本にいても外国人の友達を作りたい人必見！~おすすめアプリ紹介~
初めまして、まことです。このブログは私の彼のタランが運営しているので基本的に英語でのブログになりますが、私が日本語でのブログを投稿して、英語と日本語の両方で楽しんでいただけたらと思いますʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
英語でも読みたい方はぜひ他の記事もチェックしてみてくださいね！
周りの人からよくどうやって彼と知り合ったの？どうやったら外国人の友達を作れるの？といったようなことを聞かれるので、このブログを書いてみることにしました！
まずはざっくり自己紹介から！私は元々静岡出身で、就職にあたり上京しました。新卒で入った会社に約2年間勤め、タランと出会ったことをきっかけに、海外で働きたいという昔からの想いがより強まり会社を退職、現在は彼と一緒にニュージーランドで1年間ワーキングホリデーをしています。
会社以外で誰も知り合いがいなかった私はどうやったら友達を作れるのだろうかと悩んでいました…(~_~;)
留学時代に比べ、日本にいるとやはり英語を使う機会は極端に減ってきていました…せっかく友達作りをするなら世界中の人と友達になりたい！もっと英語を使いたい！というのが私の想いでした。
そんな時、ネットでいろいろと検索して、Couchsurfing(カウチサーフィン)というアプリを見つけました。
タランとはCouchsurfingを通して知り合いました(^○^)
Couchsurfingは、宿泊先を探す旅行者と泊まる場所をタダで提供する現地の人とをつなげるサービスです。Couchsurfingには他の使い方もあり、例えば現地の人に街を案内してもらいたい、ちょっと誰かとビールを飲みたいなんていうときにHangout(泊まる場所を提供せず、ただ会うのみ)するということもできます。
実際私も海外に一人旅をしていた時はCouchsurfingをよく利用していました。現地の人だけが知っているおすすめのカフェや特別なビューポイントなど、自分一人だけでの観光では経験できないようなことができました(*^ω^*)
Couchsurfingでは自分の周辺にいる相手を表示してくれます。アプリ上で一旦連絡を取り合い、待ち合わせ場所を指定します。私と彼が初めて待ち合わせしたのは、東京タワーが綺麗に見える芝公園でした。東京に住んでいると、THE観光地にはあまり行かないですよね…(^^; 東京タワーってこんな綺麗だったんだなーなんて思ったのを覚えてます(笑)
海外の方と一緒にいると住み慣れた土地も違う視点で見ることができるので、私も日本にいながら観光している気分を味わえました✌︎
彼はベジタリアンなので、六本木にあるFalafel Brothersというファラフェルが最高に美味しいお店に行きました･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+芝公園からは徒歩約20分で行けます☆
私は元々大のお肉好き、ミートイーターだったので、ベジタリアン料理って何？ちゃんと味ついてるの？といった風に正直思っていました´д` ;
ファラフェルはお肉を一切使っていなく、ひよこ豆でできたハンバーグみたいなものです。これが意外とボリューミーでベジタリアンじゃなくても満足できます！
海外の方はベジタリアン/ビーガンの方が多いので、このお店には海外の方がたくさん集まります。日本はまだそういったお店は少ないですからね…
料理も美味しいですし、海外の方の知り合いもできるので、良かったらぜひ行ってみてくださいね！
私は彼とはCouchsurfingを通して知り合いましたが、それ以外にもMeetupsやInterNationsというアプリも使っていました。これらのアプリはどちらかというと、誰かが主催しているイベントに参加する形式になります。
基本的には主催者がレストランやバーなどを貸し切り、参加料を支払い(大体1,000円程度)、ドリンクやフードを楽しみながらいろんな人とお話しするスタイルです。
まとめると…
＊Couchsurfing : 一対一でゆっくり話をしたい人におすすめ。近くにいる人をアプリが教えてくれるから、待ち合わせがしやすく、スケジュールも合わせやすい。
＊Meetups : 20代前半から30代前半、若い年齢層の方が参加しているイメージ。日本人も外国人の方もたくさん参加している。ハロウィーンやクリスマスイベントだけでなくお花見などたくさんのイベントを開催して、いろんな人に会いやすい。
＊InterNations : 20代後半から40代と幅広い年齢層の方が参加していて、どちらかというとビジネスよりのイメージ。私の友人は自分の仕事をアピールする場に最適と言ってました。
ぜひ自分に合いそうなアプリを試してみてくださいねー！✌︎('ω'✌︎ )
タランの日本風景写真集をアマゾンでチェックしてみてくださいね！
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
Tokyo, The Centre Of The World // Photo Essay
Japan’s Tokyo is a mega city, it’s the most populated city on earth with Delhi, India coming in second and China’s Shanghai in third place!
Tokyo, The Centre Of The World // Photo Essay
Japan’s Tokyo is a mega city, it’s the most populated city on earth with Delhi, India coming in second and China’s Shanghai in third place! It’s a vibrant, crazy, exciting urban playground that feels more than just alive, in fact it can feel overwhelming at times!
After living in the city for around 9 months I found myself feeling that I knew my way around Tokyo like the back of my hand but at the same time making new discoveries every day. Nevertheless for this article I’d like to introduce Makoto (真琴), a local who has lived in Tokyo for several years but has also lived in the quieter countryside of Japan, to give her thoughts and feelings on this iconic city.
Coming from Shizouka, a small town at the base of Mt. Fuji I am a bit of a countryside girl, so I was a little bit scared to start my new life in the big city of Tokyo. People look exhausted because from long work hours and don’t make eye contact with strangers, “typical” city people.. however, my perspective was changed after living there for several years.
Tokyo is a place where everything happens, Odaiba is one of the most popular places to visit not only for foreigners but also for Locals. If you want to find a place to go on a date with someone then this is the place! You can go shopping in future robot malls, play some old-school Japanese games in retro arcades and lots of events are held every month, you can basically do everything in Odaiba.
One of my most favourite places is the TeamLab Borderless digital art museum pictured above! I was absolutely immersed in the magical lights!
Every morning and evening I had to ride a train for one hour to go to and from work, I’ve never experienced such crowds in my life and I was regularly already tired before starting work. I felt like I had to be ready for a battle of winning a seat against strangers but normally I ended up standing for the whole journey. One time Taran joined me in rush hour, he was holding onto a handle but a surge of humans rushed in and all of a sudden his feet were lifted off the ground and he spent the next 10 minutes holding on for dear life or face falling onto the people sat below! I now understand why Tokyoite’s always look tired.
I’ve come to realise that Japanese people love travelling inside Japan almost as much as going abroad, they dress up in kimono’s to go to the famous Sensoji temple in Asakusa, wear yukata’s for firework festivals or go to kawaii (cute) little animal cafes. One of the things I like about Tokyo is it feels like you’re sightseeing all the time in your own country!
Another thing I like about Japan is how many people enjoy dressing up in their favourite costumes to meet up with other passionate cosplayers, me and Taran were amazed to see everyone was super friendly and confidently welcomed the photo shoots.
Even if you are in a busy urban jungle like Tokyo, you can still enjoy the beauty of nature, you can admire seasonal events, for instance when it’s the rainy season you can go to Kamakura to see Ajisai flowers (Hydrangea) and in the spring season you can see the lovely views of Sakuras (cherry blossoms). Just outside of Tokyo resides my hometown of Shizuoka featuring Mt. Fuji, Fuji San is normally a little bit shy, hiding behind clouds, but if you are lucky you can see the whole figure of the highest mountain in Japan.
Overall, I would say I liked living in Tokyo, of course there were times I was sick of so many people surrounding me all the time on trains and everywhere you go but at the same time I enjoyed seeing and experiencing lots of different aspects of the city.
“Tokyo is a traveller’s playground, every corner you find something interesting and cool to see.”
Thanks Makoto for giving us a insiders view on this iconic city and what it’s like to live there.
Now check out my ‘Japan’ photo-book on Amazon including some of the photos above and many more:
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
5 Reasons That Prove Japan Is Stuck In The 90's
Japan, home to the ultra modern future city Tokyo.. When most people think of Japan they have this image of a country living in the future with robots to do your…
5 Reasons That Prove Japan Is Stuck In The 90’s
Japan, home to the ultra modern future city Tokyo.. When most people think of Japan they have this image of a country living in the future with robot restaurants and perfectly on time trains, so why wouldn’t everything else be just as futuristic?! After living in Japan you come to realise not everything is as it seems.. In fact there is a lot of aspects of Japanese life that is stuck in the past compared to its western counterparts, and here are some of the biggest..
1. free/easy phone number!? not in japan.
You know how in say, the UK, you can walk into most convenience stores and grab a free or very cheap pay-as-you-go sim card, stick it in your phone and within a few short activation steps you will be ready to receive calls? Well that’s not quite the case here in Japan..
Having a phone number is way more serious here and thus getting one requires a lot more legwork, not to mention there is no such thing as pay-as-you-go. Yes that’s right, to have the privilege of a number that can make and receive calls you must sign up to at least a year-long contract with heavy cancellation fees for those deciding it might be costing too much..
There are ways around this with newer smaller companies that understand not everyone is living in japan for years but would like to receive calls (and not to mention you need a Japanese number to open a bank account), they still charge you a monthly fee and you have to pay the same hefty cost for the initial sim-card, but it’s way cheaper than what the big names are offering.
2. Sorry what.. you don’t eat animals?!
It’s a well known fact that eating a vegetarian diet can be better for your health if you eat the right stuff, sorry, eating chips and greasy veggie burgers wont save you..
In Europe vegetarian and vegan diets have boomed in recent years seeing a plethora of dedicated restaurants open and almost every restaurant having at least 1 veggie option, this is also the same of supermarkets with growing sections dedicated to non-meat products as more and more variety appears it is a great time to try out a less meaty diet (coming from someone who has been vegetarian since around 1995).
Photo by Rustic Vegan on Unsplash
But here in Japan it is almost unrecognised as a thing to not eat meat and even if you manage to find something with no ‘meat’ in it, it still might have fish hidden in there somewhere because it’s such a alien concept to not eat the two staples of the Japanese diet.
In big city’s like Tokyo you can often find a vegetarian restaurant if you do a little searching, but you definitely wont be finding veggie options in most eateries and food in convenience stores is not clearly marked as there is no need. Many a time have I bought a ‘cheese & onion roll’ only to bite into it and find a load of ham..
3. Smoking does what for my health?!
It may seem like the distant past when you think about smoking in a bar in the West or seeing an advert for a cigarette brand, but here in Japan it seems that the tobacco companies have still got a firm grasp on their presence in daily life here. Packaging does not have to abide by any laws involving displaying horrifying images, and smoking in bars is seen as just as normal as drinking in bars.
It’s almost as if the government hasn’t stepped in to inform people just how bad it is to smoke.. One of the biggest shocks I came across was seeing a cigarette shop owned by a famous company selling only their brand!
4. Would you like a straw, spoon, and a bag with that?
This was one of my biggest disappointments when I arrived in Japan, the amount of plastic that gets used is outrageous! If you go to a convenience store even to buy 1 item they will pop it into a bag without asking (Protip: “hukuro daijoubudes” means “I’m okay without a bag”), most items come in their own plastic packaging but the store will sometimes individually bag each item and then place them all into a bag and maybe double bag it just in case..
If you buy a drink, expect it to be bagged and coupled with a straw, if you buy a sandwich it will be bagged with plastic wrapped chopsticks and individually wrapped hand wipes. You will have a really hard time getting by trying to avoid it all and people will often find it strange when you don’t want a bag, I think it all boils down to a lack of awareness and naivety here, which is a shame as Japan is technically a 1st world country.
5. Cash Only, sorry..
Something that is tied very closely to the culture in Japan is the use of actual cash, their coins have symbolic meanings related to luck and they are used frequently at temples. For these reasons the whole conversion to cashless payments has been a much harder/slower transition for Japanese people, a lot of restaurants and bars still only operate in cash which can be quite a shock sometimes being that Japan is often seen as the technological frontier of the world.
But things are changing.. for the most part in big cities you can grab a IC card which will allow you to pay for transport and transactions in convenience store with a tap (admittedly you still need to top it up with cash though.. doh!).
While most supermarkets and better known shops accept credit cards, it is still necessary to carry around that emergency wad of cash just to be sure, but hey, at least you can be sure in the knowledge that Japan is one of the safest countries in the world.
Have your preconceptions about Japan been blown?! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below..
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
Living On Top Of The World // Hakuba Mountains
Upon arriving in Japan my mission was to find some work, well, it was second on my list while I explored this new land, but while I was in Tokyo I cam across an opportunity..
Living On Top Of The World // Hakuba Mountains
Upon arriving in Japan my mission was to find some work, well, it was second on my list while I explored this new land, but while I was in Tokyo I cam across an opportunity..
I was being hosted my some lovely couch-surfers when the conversation got onto photography and one of them mentioned some work they had done up in the mountains that had some crazy views a photographer could only dream of!
And so she introduced me to someone currently working there, I sent my details and before I knew it I was crouching on the ground about to fly in a helicopter for the first time! I was pretty lucky in that 90% of the staff have to hike the 4 hour journey up the mountain.. but they had a spare seat so I jumped at the chance!
The Views
Arriving in my new home for the next 2 months I was greeted with the most spectacular view from my little window, my room was a tiny box with no electricity, no internet and no heating, but it didn’t matter because this view was unreal! It looked like my window was actually a desktop wallpaper!
These were the views I had to put up with everyday! The evening sunsets were unreal and being able to see distant mountains on clear days was a real treat, annoyingly My work shifts landed right on sunset but seeing gazing at the colourful clouds on my 10 minute breaks was quite something.
The Work
It wasn’t anything glamorous, I was working in the kitchen mainly, this included waking up early to start work at 4am making breakfast/do the washing up. I also would have to clean the rooms and then later in the evening prepare dinner/again more washing up.. The work was every single day unless a day off was requested, which was great for my savings but pretty flipping tiring.. Can you guess which is my pair of gloves above?
The Wildlife
About halfway through my time on the mountain I celebrated my birthday by taking a day off (this and one weekend down from the mountain were my only breaks). I went for a morning hike, hoping to reach the top of one of the tallest mountains in the area but about halfway there I bumped into a family of wild Japanese macaques!
If you want to see what camera I use, go here!
They were enjoying the morning sun and didn’t take much notice of me.. at first. I managed to get pretty close and take some really nice photos but then they decided I had overstayed my welcome or maybe got a little too close, as the adults started to run at me while screeching! I decided not to stand my ground and fight, turning and hopping down the rocks away from them and throwing a few warning stones in their direction!! Luckily I was able to out pace them down the hill and they retreated back to the ridge.
The mountains are also home to a species of bird called raicho or ptarmigan in English, I managed to get up close with this little one who was a lot friendlier than the monkeys!
The Storms
My birthday was the start of what seemed like endless storms and dense cloud coverage that continued until the end of my time on the mountain, which occasional breaks for a day or two. This meant that the supply helicopter was unable to resupply us on my birthday, the day it was scheduled for.. it was eventually delayed by 10 days meaning that we almost completely ran out of food and had to start limiting the number of guests!
During this time the infamous typhoon Jebi that was said to be the most powerful Japan had seen in 25 years passed pretty close to our location. We had to evacuate our normal sleeping quarters and all move into one building for safety, we also spent the previous day putting metal shutters on all the windows and bringing everything not nailed down inside.. Luckily the only damage was cosmetic, few smashed solar panels and wall panels ripped off but it was still a pretty crazy few days!
The Views, again..
Its easy to get used the the views when you see them all day everyday, and it was no exception here, after a few weeks it got to the point where I was no longer sitting and staring during my time off, but every now and then nature would throw something new into the mix and give a glorious show again! Seeing the peak of Mt. Surugi poking out above the sea of clouds or the evening fog eerily sweeping over the mountains were some of those moments.
Seeing the Milky Way in such detail is something I always love witnessing, and was one of the reasons I came here after seeing my friend’s photo of the stars. We only had a few perfect nights for stargazing, but it was worth being mega tired in the morning as seeing this many stars is not something everyone gets a chance to see.
If you want some help taking great photos, check out my guide here!
The Team
I knew coming to Japan that I would face a language barrier that was going to take some work to overcome in terms of continuing to learn after spending 2 years learning bits and pieces via a phone app.. but I wasn’t prepared to be the only foreigner working here, and to make things even more difficult there was only 1 guy who could speak English fluently, a couple who knew about as much English as I knew Japanese and the rest couldn’t speak any English..
To make things more awkward, of course I was the only vegetarian.. which meant I couldn’t join in with the group meals and had to cook my own food as it seemed almost every dish cooked included some form of fish or meat.. gah! Above is my signature vegan burger which I actually ended up serving for a few vegan customers when the chef was stumped as to what to give them!
For all the isolation I felt from this place, it was a very memorable experience being the first time I had been this high (altitude wise :P), I was forced to improve my Japanese and it was a great way to learn, made some great friends, endured the worst typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years and most importantly enjoyed some amazing photo/video opportunities. Would you live & work in a place like this?
Now check out the awesome video I made about my time there..
Thinking about coming to Japan on a Working Holiday Visa?: Check out this handy guide
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
Best Place To View Tokyo Tower
Managing to find a few rooftops that were easy-ish to access, I ended up sleeping on one with Tokyo Tower providing an dreamy view to drift off to and..
Best Place To View Tokyo Tower
Visiting Tokyo and want to get some incredible views of Japans famous Tokyo Tower? You could always visit it and pay to go up inside it, but in my opinion the best views of Tokyo Tower are the free ones in the evening when it lights up like a Christmas tree!
There are various quiet little spots dotted around the Tokyo Tower which offer great close up views and places to relax during the evening while taking in the awe of the light show.
One of my favourite places is a small circular park (Google Maps link) located about 200 metres from Tokyo Tower which seems to be the perfect distance to view the entire tower! It is a moderately sized open patch of grass which also happens to be visited my many dog owners in the evening, so while you're enjoying the lights you can pet some doggos as well! Bonus!!
Feeling a tad daring?
Your could always get an even crazier view that includes the city skyline from above, and I don't mean paying to go to observation deck.. I managed to find a few rooftops that were easy-ish to access, I even ended up sleeping on one with Tokyo Tower providing an dreamy view to drift off to and a welcoming sight to wake up to!
But you will have to find out these places for yourself.. and I accept no responsibility if you get caught :P
If you want to enjoy the tower without the crowds, this park rarely gets that busy and can be quite a romantic spot to visit :)
If you've got the time to spend an evening tower watching then I highly recommend this park, be sure to take a few snacks and your camera!
More from Tokyo:
Shibuya Crossing Secret Viewpoint
Surreal Digital Art Museum
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
Borderless Exhibit // Mori Digital Art Museum Tokyo
Walk through a curtain hidden along one of the walls of the main hall and be transported into a mirrored realm of dream-like music and hanging lights..
Borderless Exhibit // Mori Digital Art Museum Tokyo
The Borderless art exhibit being permanently held at the Mori Digital Art Museum in Odaiba is a must see for anyone visiting Tokyo. After hearing about this new experience I knew it was going to be something I had to do, and luckily I managed to get some early tickets before it started selling out a month in advance (and I'm sure that it will only get more popular).
Upon entering this surreal world you will be instantly mesmerised as you find the main hall which has a raised platform which is a great place to take photos (it also acts a fun slide), the art in this room also interacts with you if you stand still!
Walk through a curtain hidden along one of the walls of this room and you will be transported into a mirrored realm of dream-like music and hanging lights, let your inner child come out as you follow the maze of paths though this bewildering forest of luminescence.
When you enter the flower forest you will be surrounded by mirrors and walls that will have you disorientated by the amount of colour and movement all around you. The feeling of sober hallucinating is intense and I cant only imagine what this would be like on some kind of drug, most probably too intense!
One of the most incredible parts of the exhibit was laying down on a huge net suspended in a cylinder shaped room and watching an explosion of shapes and colours dance above, below and all around us. Don't miss this part (although you will have to queue for a little bit to get inside).
After visiting this visually spectacular exhibit I am left wanting more, and luckily it seems like more of these types of modern art pieces are popping up in big city's around the world. I will definitely be on the look for the next trip down the rabbit hole, and so will you after you step out of wonderland..
Now it's time for the video:
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
The Secret Viewpoint Above Shibuya Crossing
If you're visiting Tokyo, there's a good chance you will be heading to the famous Shibuya scramble crossing! Its a crazy, intense experience to navigate your way through the MASSIVE crowds.
The Secret Viewpoint Above Shibuya Crossing
If you're visiting Tokyo, there's a good chance you will be heading to the famous Shibuya scramble crossing! Its a crazy, intense experience to navigate your way through the MASSIVE crowds. You can get some awesome photos from street level of all the interesting characters ranging from busy salary-men & women to dancing cosplay fanatics using the crossing as a stage!
But to get some really awesome photos of Shibuya crossing, you will want to get above street level.. Most people will head to the nearby Starbucks cafe to get a slightly elevated view and enjoy a coffee, but this a such a popular spot that getting a seat near the window is near impossible!
Time for some stealth action!
To get views of Shibuya crossing from above like the ones in this article you will need to act like a secret spy and pretend you are staying in the fancy hotel that overlooks the crossing, this way you can get right to the 25th floor and enjoy some amazing sights of the city and the crossing!
Your mission, if you choose to accept it:
- Look for the building pictured and head towards it, you will find an entrance with 2 elevators.
- Head to the 5th floor (do not go directly to the 25th floor, you will be caught).
- Once you step out on the 5th floor, act like you know what your doing and walk directly ahead past the 'hotel guests only' sign, and to the other elevators.
- Now you can hit the 25th floor button!
This will place you in a area just out of view from the staff facing the regular lifts, and will give you ample time to snap some birds-eye view photos!
I even managed to get away with setting up a tripod on the window and recording a time-lapse, but after about 15 minutes I was finally caught! But don't worry, just be nice and say sorry and you will be shown the elevator.
More from Tokyo:
Best Place To View Tokyo Tower
Surreal Digital Art Museum
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Related Articles:
Japanese Working Holiday Visa Guide
The mysteries you will uncover in the land of the rising sun are awaiting you. Here's your step-by-step guide to getting a WHV.
Japanese Working Holiday Visa Guide
Getting a working holiday visa for にほん (日本) requires a little bit more legwork than some other countries, for instance the Australian WHV can be done online and just requires personal details but it does come with the downside of costing way more, £250! Considering the Japanese WHV is only £20 in the UK and free in Ireland, the extra legwork seems pretty acceptable.
The process of applying for a Japanese WHV is relatively easy, you will have to sacrifice at least two week days to do it though. You cannot apply online and will need to visit your local embassy:
In the UK: London or Edinburgh.
In Ireland: Dublin.
The process once you get there is relatively simple, grab a ticket, wait for your number, hand over documents and passport, pay visa fee and wait one week to then come back and collect passport with visa stuck inside it (hopefully).
The documents needed are as follows:
Outline of intended activities
This has to be a list of your entire itinerary for your year in Japan.. I know right! Okay so before you worry about your plan to have no plan, it really doesn't matter! I completely made mine up and there were no problems at all.
From the research I did, it seems that a list in the form of months works well eg:
July 2019 - September 2019
For the first few months I intend to travel around the country, exploring the many wonderful sights and experiencing the the food and culture on offer. This time will also be used to gauge the cost of living and how much I may have to work during my stay, I will also look into what kind of work may be available to me later, and where in the country I might look for work.
To make it even easier, here is my whole itinerary that you could just edit into your own wording and save yourself some work.
For people in Ireland there is a specific form for this, which you can download here and fill in (potentially just copy my paragraphs across and reword it).
Written reason for applying
Again this is expected to be a A4 page with your intentions and reasons for wanting to visit Japan. This can be anything and everything about what has inspired you to travel to the land of the rising sun, for instance here is a sample from my letter:
I have been fascinated with Japan for just over 2 years now, it's a country rich in culture and history. I have enjoyed talking with people I met travelling about their adventures in Japan, this sparked my interest in learning the language and as much as possible about what life is like in Japan. Having already travelled extensively throughout Australia on a 2 year working visa I wanted to challenge myself by visiting a country that had a unique culture completely different from my own.
Hopefully this is enough inspiration to set you off on your writing, but if you're still struggling, here is my whole letter for you to download and edit into your own wording.
visa application form
The form is quite straightforward, just fill in your personal details and give the name of a hostel or wherever you want to stay first when it asks where you intend to stay. Use a proper passport photo, I printed one off using my inkjet printer and had to then go get a proper one done at a shop near the embassy.. (doi!)
Here is the application form for you to download and fill in.
proof of funds
Unlike other visa's I have applied for, this was a strict requirement. For instance the Australian visa states that you must have at least $5000 or $2500 and a return plane ticket, but over the 2 years I was there I never met anyone who had been checked for this.
The Japanese WHV requires you to have at least £3000 in cleared funds and at least 3 months of bank statements to prove this (€3200 for Ireland), or £1500 (€1600) and a return plane ticket.
This is where things got a little different for me, I kept my money in a NS&I premium bonds account as I found it much easier to save, with the money being harder to access than a simple transfer via an app. I was asked to print off proof of myself paying into this account from my main bank account as well as the proof of the money being in the premium bonds.. it got a little complicated and the lady handling my visa forms had to consult her manager leaving me worried it might not be accepted.. but it was fine in the end.
cv
Make sure you update your CV before you bundle it with your documents, I'm not sure what difference the CV makes to your total visa process but they ask for it and keep it anyway. I guess just another way of making sure you are actually able to hold down a job and wont end up stranded in Japan unable to afford a flight home!
Again for the people of Ireland, there is another specific form to fill in for this part, download it here and then copy your CV details across.
passport
You will need to bring your passport and be ready to let them hold onto it for a week while they process your application, this is the only thing they will give back to you as they keep all they other documents you handed over.
Cost
The visa application fee as of 2018 is £19 (free in Ireland), considerably cheaper than many others!
And that is it, you're ready to go! For any more info head directly to the Japanese embassy websites:
Hopefully you are now one step closer to stepping foot in the mysterious land of fleeting cherry blossoms, vast white snowscapes, tropical coral bays and futuristic cities. がんばろう!
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
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