Various aspects of Japan, such as Japanese pop culture with manga, anime, cosplay, and J-pop, Tokyo's street fashion, cutting-edge technological innovations, the rich traditional cultural heritage, or the picturesque Japanese landscapes, might inspire you and contribute to your decision to travel to Japan and possibly stay there for an extended period. We have various programs in Japan that cover all these aspects.
In Tokyo, the capital of Japanese pop culture, we offer work & travel support, internships, volunteering, language programs, and courses like cooking classes and manga drawing courses.
We also cover a broad spectrum in historical Kyoto. You can choose Kyoto as the starting point for your work & travel or travel there during your year, learn Japanese, or participate in an internship or volunteering program. Our teams in the offices in Tokyo and Kyoto welcome you and serve as reliable contacts during your stay in Japan.
Since we host thousands of participants from around the world in Japan every year, you will find it easy to meet like-minded people in our programs. At our monthly meet-up events, cultural events, and language exchange events in Tokyo and Kyoto, you can also meet friendly Japanese people and make friends.
Our programs in rural areas include environmental volunteering on Sado Island, internships in national parks, and work & travel jobs in traditional Japanese hotels (ryokans) and farms spread across the country. Additionally, you can choose winter and summer jobs in ski resorts in Hokkaido, Iwate, and Nagano.
Incidentally, we operate our own affordable accommodations in Japan. These include our sharehouses in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Okinawa, as well as a templestay accommodation in the historic Chokokuji Temple on Sado Island. We can also organize homestay accommodations in many parts of Japan.
Programs in Japan
Tokyo
For many participants, Tokyo holds a tremendous attraction, drawing inspiration from previous trips, documentaries, or the captivating world of manga and anime. Iconic districts like Akihabara, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Ginza are familiar to many.
With 37 million people, the Tokyo area stands as the largest metropolitan area in the world and one of the most densely populated. The city boasts the highest economic power globally. The actual inner city area is home to approximately 9 million inhabitants, spread across 32 districts. Our office, readily available to our participants, is conveniently situated in Kiba, a central location easily accessible via the Tozai Line and JR Keiyo Line.
In Tokyo, we serve as the first point of contact for around 2000 Working Holiday participants annually during their time in Japan. Moreover, we meticulously organize internships in education, business, and media sectors within Tokyo.
Did you know that our Japanese company serves as the Japan partner of Au Pair in America, sending young Japanese participants to the USA and various other countries where World Unite! operates? Additionally, we collaborate with Japanese universities and tour operators to offer diverse programs both in Japan and abroad. Many of our Japanese participants aim to enhance their English language skills before venturing abroad, and we are delighted to connect them with you, making it effortless for you to meet new people!
Accommodation in Tokyo
Sharehouses in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area
Shiohama Sharehouse
Exclusively for World Unite! participants, we operate our own sharehouse accommodation in Tokyo, located near the Kiba subway station. Spread over three floors, the sharehouse features nine dormitory rooms of various sizes, each accommodating 4-8 people, as well as five double rooms. We try to separate the rooms by gender; however, this is not always possible and cannot be guaranteed. There are two common areas with fully equipped kitchens, six showers, four toilets, and two bathrooms. We provide Wi-Fi on all floors at no extra cost. Modern air conditioning units ensure cooling and heating in all rooms. Additionally, for house residents, the City Hub premises of around 100 sqm on the ground floor are available as a communal area from the afternoon onwards, where you can use a foosball table, a big screen, and a music keyboard at no extra cost. The 140 sqm rooftop terrace, with an unobstructed view of Tokyo Skytree, features a covered seating area, hammocks, and greenery. House residents can also use a coin-operated washing machine, a dryer, and a free luggage storage room. Need a bicycle? You can rent one from us at affordable prices.
Warabi Sharehouse
The Warabi Sharehouse is situated in Saitama prefecture, within the Tokyo metropolitan area, and conveniently just a 15-minute walk from Warabi train station. This sharehouse offers 36 rooms, available for single, double, and 4-share occupancy, each equipped with air conditioning for cooling and heating, as well as a balcony. In the case of accommodation in twin or 4-share rooms, we try to separate by gender; however, this is not always possible and cannot be guaranteed.
You'll find a common lounging area with a TV and comfortable sofa, along with a fully equipped communal kitchen for your convenience. Each floor is equipped with toilets and sinks. A shower area separated for males and females with 6 shower booths is available on the ground floor. Wifi is accessible throughout the building, and the sharehouse also offers bicycle parking, 4 coin-operated washing machines, 2 coin-operated dryers, and a small ornamental Japanese garden. For added convenience, a supermarket, several convenience stores, and shopping malls are just a few minutes' walk away. Renting a bike is also possible at a reasonable price.
Our dedicated team members visit the Warabi Sharehouse at least three times a week to provide comprehensive support to our program participants.
Urayasu Sharehouse
The Urayasu Sharehouse (available from August 29, 2025) is located in Chiba Prefecture, within the Tokyo metropolitan area, just a 3-minute walk from the Tokyogakka Mae bus stop (approximately 9 minutes by bus or 25 minutes on foot to Shin-Urayasu Station). It is situated in an attractive residential neighborhood with palm-lined streets. Tokyo Disneyland, scenic parks along the bay, and large shopping malls are within walking distance. The area is of a high standard, featuring hotels such as the Disney Resort Hotels and the Hyatt Regency.
We occupy two floors of the sharehouse building, which includes one 6-person dormitory, two triple rooms, and five twin rooms. The twin rooms can also be booked for single occupancy. Most rooms are furnished in a Western style with beds; however, one twin room is Japanese-style, with futons. Some rooms have balconies. In shared rooms, we try to separate occupants by gender, although this cannot be guaranteed.
Residents also have access to a lounge, a dining area with a shared kitchen, 3 showers, 2 toilets, 2 coin-operated washing machines, an elevator, and a small outdoor area on the ground floor.
Host Families in Tokyo
Staying with a Japanese host family provides you with the ultimate opportunity to fully immerse yourself in everyday Japanese culture. Typically located in the outskirts of Tokyo and neighboring prefectures like Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa, host families choose these areas as central Tokyo apartments seldom offer sufficient space to accommodate foreign guests alongside their own family. Commuting by train to internship placements, jobs, or language schools usually takes no more than an hour, with a monthly commuter ticket costing around 9,000-16,000 yen.
Your host family will serve you two meals (breakfast and dinner) on weekdays and three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) on weekends. You will have the option to sleep on a western-style bed or experience the traditional Japanese futon. Typically, there will be someone in the host family who speaks basic English, and they are well-acquainted with welcoming foreign guests.
Kyoto
If you are drawn to historical Japan, Kyoto is the perfect location for you. The former capital of Japan is renowned for its numerous temples, temple gardens, and traditional wooden houses, including those in the "Geisha District" of Gion. Our sharehouse and office in Kyoto are also located in a traditional district, specifically the southern area of Fushimi, known for its sake breweries, temples, and shrines, which are popular tourist attractions. The southern part of Kyoto borders Osaka, forming a metropolitan region with Kyoto.
Accommodation in Kyoto
Sharehouse in Kyoto
Our sharehouse in Kyoto is located in the Fushimi district in the south of Kyoto. From there, also destinations in Osaka, which forms a metropolitan region with Kyoto, are easily accessible by metro.
The house is a former residence with a shop in a traditional residential area. It features two dormitory rooms for eight people each (with a visual partition in the rooms, making each room more like two four-person rooms, further we try to separate by gender; however, this is not always possible and cannot be guaranteed), three double rooms, two kitchens, a living room, two showers, two toilets, a small "powder room," and a covered outdoor seating area. Luggage can be stored at no extra cost. You can rent a bicycle at a low cost, and a coin-operated washing machine is available. Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the house.
In the same building, on the ground floor in the former shop space, you will find our support office, where you can easily meet our team members on weekdays. A small supermarket is just a minute's walk away, and a convenience store with an ATM is three minutes away. Nearby, along the Uji River, there is a large park.
The Fushimi district is known for its sake breweries and various temples and shrines, which are popular tourist attractions.
Host Families in Kyoto and Osaka
In Kyoto and Osaka, you can also live with a Japanese host family, offering you the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in Japanese daily life. In all major cities in Japan, the host families we place participants with usually live in the suburbs, as apartments in central city locations rarely have enough space to accommodate foreign guests alongside their own family. The commute by train to internships, jobs, or language schools can take up to 1.5 hours, which is considered a typical travel time to work in Japan. A monthly commuter pass costs about 9,000-16,000 yen.
Your host family will provide you with two meals (breakfast and dinner) on weekdays and three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) on weekends. You have the option to sleep on a western bed or try a traditional Japanese futon. Typically, there will be someone in the host family who speaks basic English, and the families are well-acquainted with hosting foreign guests.
Sado Island
Sado Island, covering an area of 855 km2, ranks as the sixth largest island in Japan. In 1601, the discovery of gold on Sado Island led to its economic and cultural prosperity, fostering a unique and abundant cultural heritage. This includes captivating performing arts such as dance, chanting, and music, world-renowned taiko drums, puppet shows, folklore festivals, and traditional crafts. With hundreds of Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and well-preserved historic villages from the Edo period (1603-1867), Sado Island bears witness to a rich cultural legacy.
Distinguished by its breathtaking natural beauty, Sado Island boasts 288 km of rocky coastline, dense forests, terraced rice fields, and a northern and southern mountain range, soaring to an altitude of 1172 meters. Despite its allure, Sado Island remains sparsely populated. The majority of its approximately 50,000 inhabitants reside in Sado City, located in the flat central region of the island. The city provides all the modern infrastructure expected of a Japanese city of its size. Sado Island experiences an oceanic climate, with hot and humid summers and cool, humid winters.
During the warmer months, we host our "Mother Nature Environmental Conservation Camp" on Sado Island, with our base situated within the grounds of Chokokuji Temple, one of the largest and culturally most important Buddhist temples on Sado Island. Participants stay in fully furnished, spacious tents in the temple garden. This exceptional program combines environmental conservation and cultural immersion, uniting foreign and Japanese volunteers. Activities include working in environmental conservation, mostly related to the reintroduction of the Crested Ibis, environmental education for local school children, activities and promotion of sustainable farming and lifestyle, preservation of cultural heritage sites, and cultural immersion.
Additionally, on Sado Island we organize Working Holiday jobs and internships in diverse fields such as agriculture, culinary arts and tourism. Embrace the opportunity to explore this captivating island, where cultural heritage and natural wonders converge in harmony.
Accommodation on Sado
Mother Nature Camp at Chokokuji Temple
Chokokuji is one of the largest and culturally most important temples on Sado Island. It is still actively run for religious services, even though the monk is over 80 years old.
The temple is said to have been founded by the Buddhist saint Kukai in the year 807. It has a large number of cultural assets, including three eleven-headed Kannon statues declared as Nationally Important Cultural Properties, created by the saint himself. Those statues are only unveiled to the public once every 33 years, and the next viewing will be in 2034. Additionally, there are statues of Kongo Rikishi (two wrath-filled guardians of the Buddha) made in the Heian Period (10th-12th century), and Gochido Hall, which is a prefectural cultural asset. In 2018, the current monk, Tomita, added a large stone "rabbit kannon" statue that is dramatically illuminated at night and has gained attention on Japanese TV. In Buddhism, Kannon is a bodhisattva, a being who has achieved enlightenment but chooses to remain in the cycle of birth and death to help all living beings attain liberation. Kannon is particularly associated with compassion.
Within the temple's grounds, there are three very large cedar trees to which spiritual powers are attributed. They are estimated to be more than 1000 years old, and there is also a Japanese Umbrella-pine tree that is more than 500 years old. These ancient trees are classified as prefectural natural monuments. The monk puts a lot of effort into maintaining the temple's gardens, which are colorful in all seasons with a variety of flowering plants, including azalea, hydrangea, and cosmos. Every year in May, the temple arranges a botanical festival.
Japanese and foreign tourists visit the temple throughout the year, mostly during the spring to autumn, and can get guided tours and spiritual experiences such as writing out sutras, zen meditation, and Buddhist sermons. The monk also arranges activities for school classes visiting the temple, such as making handcrafts.
You will stay in a large, fully furnished tent in the temple's garden. The tents can be booked for single, twin, and 4-share occupancy. In the case of twin or 4-share occupancy, we try to separate by gender; however, this is not always possible and cannot be guaranteed. There are 2 showers with hot and cold water, exclusively for the use of our volunteers, and toilets at the temple. There are indoor and outdoor communal areas for sitting, taking meals, and as a workspace. For your convenience, we provide rechargeable flashlights/lanterns, sleeping bags and umbrellas in the tents. Delicious Japanese cuisine is offered in buffet-style three times per day.
Other Locations in Japan
Ryokans are traditional Japanese hotels. In a Ryokan, typically found in vacation areas and offering a more luxurious experience, guests sleep on futons placed on the tatami floor, which the staff roll out every evening. Traditional Japanese dishes are often served in the guest rooms. Additionally, Ryokans almost always feature hot shared baths, providing a relaxing experience for guests. We arrange fully paid jobs in Ryokans across Japan.
In Hokkaido, Nagano and Iwate, we arrange paid jobs in ski resorts. Jobs are available in hotel services provision, F&B, and as ski and sports instructors. Jobs are available during the summer season as well.
In many prefectures of Japan, we can arrange paid Working Holiday jobs on farms for a duration starting from one week. You can share your preferred region (although flexibility is necessary as jobs may not always be available in all regions), as well as your preference for the type and size of the farm, such as those with animal husbandry or focusing solely on plant cultivation.
Farm work presents an excellent opportunity to gain insight into rural life in Japan. As Japanese farmers are dedicated to producing agricultural products of the highest quality on a global scale, you can acquire valuable knowledge while working on a farm in Japan.
Okinawa is a group of islands located in the southernmost part of Japan. In Chatan, a popular holiday destination just outside the capital city Naha, we manage a house that is within walking distance of the beach. Whether you have a Working Holiday job in the area, plan to volunteer at the Chatan animal shelter, or simply wish to extend your stay for a longer vacation in this tropical paradise as part of your Japan program, you can reside there.
Ise Shima National Park is a national park located in the Mie Prefecture of Japan near Kyoto. It is known for the "Ama Women", which are female free divers who engage in traditional fishing practices and pearl cultivation that involve diving without the use of modern diving equipment. We arrange tourism, outdoor watersports and culinary internships in the Ise Shima National Park.
We organize stays on horse farms in various regions of Japan, both in the north, such as Iwate, and in the south, such as Okinawa.
Do you want to learn about Japan and gain work experience with Japanese people without traveling? This is made possible through a remote internship facilitated by World Unite! with a Japanese company or organization.
Karuizawa is a popular mountain resort destination in the Nagano prefecture, known for its pleasant climate, natural beauty, and recreational activities. We arrange internships in Asian Black Bear Conservation in Karuizawa.
Other locations where we arrange programs in Japan include Tokushima (dog shelter volunteering), Amami Island (hospitality internships and jobs, and environmental volunteering), Iwate (various internships and Working Holiday jobs), and Shizuoka (tourism and watersports internships).
Accommodation
World Unite! house in Okinawa
Our house is located in a residential area, approximately 10 minutes' walk from a popular beach with a boardwalk. The "American Village," a large shopping and entertainment complex is also within walking distance. The house offers a multi-bed room for 4 people, a double room, a shared kitchen and living area, shared sanitary facilities with a washing machine, and a garden. We try to separate the rooms by gender; however, this is not always possible and cannot be guaranteed. The minimum rental period is one month.
Chatan is a popular vacation spot with many hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions on Okinawa's west coast. This provides ample opportunities for Working Holiday participants to find jobs here. Additionally, Chatan houses a US military base, the largest in East Asia with over 20,000 people. Consequently, communicating in English is much more convenient in Chatan compared to the rest of Japan.
Accommodation at other locations
In case of jobs in ryokans or on farms, your employer will organize accommodation, usually at a rental apartment nearby. On smaller farms, you often live on the farm with the farmer family. Large farms often have an employee residential building.
Ski resorts usually run their own high-standard employee residences in which you live in a twin room that you share with another ski resort worker. A low nominal monthly rent is charged for this. At the resort you can also get food in a staff canteen at heavily subsidized prices.
The bear protection project in Karuizawa operates two of its own residential buildings, one for male and one for female interns. Interns can use the Onsen at a nearby luxury hotel at no additional cost!
For internships and jobs in other locations in Japan, you can find details about the available accommodation option either in the respective program description of this website or we will inform you of the available options.
Our Team in Japan
Nozomi
Zoe
Rumi
Vanessa
Stefanie
Kye
Hitoki
Godwyn
Jeanne
Kino
Jonas
Neo
Yvette
Questions?
your consultant for Japan is
Zoe Steinmeyer
(she/her)
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