[Nyororin]

As my answers are a little different than what Columbine has given, I`ll go through the whole thing again. I did a three month gap year stint... So a bit of a different perspective.

Originally Posted by cxeq

* What difficulty does no knowledge of Japanese pose if the aforementioned is living alone/with others/trying to find a job in Yokohama or Tokyo for 3 or so months?

My question to you - why only do three months when you only have ONE working holiday visa opportunity? You cannot get a second one later - if you`re going to only go for 3 months, ditch the working holiday idea and go as a tourist. Don`t worry about work. Or - just one of you go for the longer working holiday length and the others stay with / leech off of that one.

You mention it as a gap thing - gap year is a full year, and there are numerous programs out there for gap year travelers. They are usually a year... However, for a three month thing you`re likely to find opportunities as a gap *student*. Not working, but as a sort of pseudo high school student. Classes don`t matter, but you can take part in all the school activities. Schools usually aren`t too eager to take on a gap student for a year, but 2 or 3 months and it can generally be passed off as a learning opportunity for their students.

I just really think that using the precious working holiday visa for a length of time that would easily fit into a regular tourist visa is an incredible waste.

As for language - it doesn`t really matter if you`re just staying in the Tokyo area.

* What kind of additional funds would the above entail?

How much does it cost to live where you do now?
Japan is no different in that you can get by on very little, or spend unbelievable amounts. If you`re in the Tokyo area though, the bottom is going to be quite a bit higher than in other places.

* Is there a way to circumvent this visa restriction for the person who is under 18? Can he travel to Japan on a different visa and change it? Is he able to work in this period?

Just travel on a tourist visa and don`t work. Really, that`s the only option in his case. And... As I said above, all of you should really just go on tourist visas and not waste the working holiday on such a short stay. If you cannot afford to survive for 3 months, then chances are you probably won`t be able to get the working holiday visa anyway... Not to mention that there is no guarantee that you`d be able to get enough work during the stay to support yourselves.

* The above are all theoretical legal questions, but how feasible is this plan in terms of actually getting a job? Is it even possible that anyone will hire us without qualifications?

In general, if you have a visa that allows you to work... They don`t really care about qualifications. In your case, the biggest neck is the length of your stay. That combined with no experience or qualifications is going to make things pretty tough. For a working holiday visa holder who is staying the full year, it makes sense for a school to snatch them up... After all, they don`t have to worry about securing a visa, don`t have to sponsor anything, aren`t held responsible for you, and don`t need to make sure you have a minimum number of hours a month. But when it is three months, not only will they have to train you, but they`ll have to do it again for someone else when you leave. And you`ll be leaving soon after you are finally decent at it.

* How is the environment for prospective job-searchers; particularly in the field of instructors?

Not bad if you have a visa and are going to be in Japan for a year.

* Is it possible for the us to come into Japan under learning(?) (the Japanese language) visas and work?

Possible - yes. Realistic - not really. You will need to be a full time student at a language school. That means full day schooling in most cases. Working is at the discretion of the school. They can allow you to work up to 18 or 20 hours a week (I forget the exact number of hours). But only if they think you`ll be able to balance it with the true reason you`re in Japan - study. Some schools are very permissive and you can file for work permission right away. Some will only grant it after you keep high grades. Some don`t at all.
Either way - if you`re in school most of the day, finding the time to work is likely going to be difficult. And even if you do pull it off... What is the point? Head to school in the morning, straight to work after school, then home to sleep for another day. Little reason to be in Japan at all.

* Does the national public employment office (of Japan, Hello Work) or the Employment service center in Tokyo offer any real opportunities for us?

I wouldn`t think so unless you`re a more lengthy visa holder. At least in the teaching category. If you wouldn`t mind working on a factory line or something of that sort, then I am sure they can find something around the minimum wage line for you.

* One other plan is that some of us wanted to join another schoolies group who were planning on leaving Australia, flying through Japan to Korea, then returning to Japan and then back to Australia, of course, the members of our group would simply not book the final return flight, and would stay in Japan. Does this create any visa or other problems? (I'm guessing the single entry clause might come up here)

On a tourist visa - I wouldn`t think so as long as there is no violation of the visa going on. (ie. Working, overstaying, etc.) On a working holiday visa - I don`t think it would be a good idea.

* What determines whether our holiday is primarily a holiday or not? How is this proven? Some sources say you need to prove you have employment before you leave.

Do you have a plan for sightseeing?
Do you plan to live in one location, work, and then leave?
If your main intent is to live in Tokyo and work to support yourself - then I doubt that is a "holiday" as much as "work". If you plan to travel around Japan and supplement your in-hand money from working... That is primarily a holiday.

* How much would two teachers working without university degrees, etc, make at local little schools (To be speculative, the type that would hire us), a month?

Well below the minimum wage set for teachers with proper visas on lengthier contracts. (Usually around 250,000/month.) I`d guess around the 2000/hr mark, and chances are you`d only be able to pull off part time with that kind of short stay.

I am definitely going to side with the opinion that you should wait a bit, then come on working holiday visas for a whole year. There are plenty of places that would be more than willing to hire you on one despite what has been said.

Columbine, are you saying there are schools that will hire 18 years olds with no university degrees for three months to teach English, when there are thousands of college graduates who want those jobs and will sign long-term contracts?

Not Columbine, but I am going to come straight out and say yes. A very clear yes.
Hiring a teacher who is on a working holiday visa is INCREDIBLY easy for a school. They have NO responsibility. There is no paperwork they have to do, there is no minimum number of hours they need to have the teacher work for, there are no ties at all.
There are quite a few schools out there that heavily favor working holiday visa holders for these reasons.