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Conservation of Asian Black Bears in Karuizawa

Internship, Volunteering, Online Internship
 
In Karuizawa, in the mountains of Japan, you can do an English-speaking internship in a world-renowned bear conservation project. The project's goal is to keep the bears out of the city, where the risk is they get lethally removed if they pose a danger to humans. The internship is aimed at students of biology, zoology, ecology, veterinary medicine and similar related courses.
 
This placement is possible as a Remote / Virtual internship from home during the months of November to April! Tasks for Remote Interns: Data analysis (Images/Videos of photo traps, PGS data), writing articles in your language (besides English also possible in German, Spanish, French, Chinese etc) about the project for academic publications and popular science magazines that are dealing with animals and environmental conservation. You will get all required information to write the articles by communicating via Skype with the qualified English-speaking conservation biologists of the project. The remote internship is 600 EUR for the first month and 100 EUR additionally for any additional month or part thereof. Just submit the inquiry/order form form and mention "Remote Internship"! 
 

Bear Protection, Environmental Conservation and Nature Tours in Karuizawa

 
Karuizawa, a small town within the Joshinnetsu National Park, is a popular highland resort in Japan. While hot weather prevails in the summer months in Tokyo, many people come to Karuizawa to enjoy the refreshing temperatures of the mountains. The forests around Karuizawa are full of biodiversity. The area is known for its Asian Black Bears (Ursus thibetanus), wild boars, Japanese macaques (Snow Monkies) and Flying Squirrels. Many visitors also visit the National Park to observe birds such as Copper Pheasants and Green Woodpeckers.
 
Black Bears have been known to come into town to eat leftovers from trash bins or to invade homes and gardens in search of food. Although the animals are shy and avoid people, startled bears can pose a threat to humans. For this reason, until today, bears which enter areas of human settlement, in emergency situations are lethally removed, which can impact bear populations if it is not managed well, which is the work done by the organisation.
 
In 1998, a cooperation between a bear conservation organization and the city administration of Karuizawa was started to resolve the conflict between bears and the town population. The garbage bins used at the city were replaced by a closable type of bins that bears cannot open, reducing their incentive to come to town. Awareness-raising programs for the population and tourists were started, too. 
 
Since the start of the program, bears living close to town have been tagged with radio collars to be able to track their movements. Should a bear approach town, the team members of the bear conservation organisation try to stop it from doing so with the help of Karelian Bear Dogs. Those are dogs that are highly skilled and specially trained to spot bears and to push them back into the forest. The dogs also protect the team members as they can recognize the presence of bears much earlier than humans.
 
Around 20 bears are currently tagged with battery-powered radio transmitters, which need to be replaced every 2-4 years. For this, bears are trapped in cages. Interns assist the bear team in processing captured bears which can include fitting the bear with a radio collar for tracking purposes. They can also assist in collecting various data and samples such as hair samples for research.
 
As an intern you will also assist the team with night patrols tracking bears via radio telemetry.
 
As one of only three organisations in the world, the Karuizawa project also breeds and trains Karelian Bear Dogs. Interns have the chance to interact with the dogs in the office dog run (petting, grooming, picking up their poop) as well as during bear releases when the interns can observe the dogs as they work and help praise them after a job well done.
 
Other tasks related to bear conservation include: freeing bears caught in traps of poachers and providing them with veterinary care, laboratory analyses of the bear's faeces (other samples such as blood, hair and teeth are collected and the samples are sent to an external laboratory), GIS data input of bear movements, and involvement in bear research (e.g. identification of location of winter dens, breeding history, relation between diets and home range size etc).
 
In addition to working with bears, other animal sightings in the forests around Karuizawa are regularly recorded. The organization has set up photo-traps in the woods, whose data must be evaluated. Bush cutting activities are carried out to promote better coexistence between the bears and humans. You will be invovled in all these activities.
 
The Bear Conservation Organization also organizes guided walking tours in the woods, where visitors can learn about animals and plants, as well as night tours to observe flying squirrels. The flying squirrels of the area are among the largest in the world. Interns have the opportunity to accompany larger groups to support the guide with crowd control (making sure nobody leaves the trails, gets lost in the forest or disturbs animals). The Flying Squirrels are sleeping in wooden boxes, which are mounted high in the trees. Before the flying squirrel tours, it is a task for interns to check which wooden boxes are actually inhabited by flying squirrels to ensure that the visitors can really observe the animals during the night tour. Interns can also help out at the visitor center, providing information to foreign-language visitors.
 
Internships are possible from May to October. The duration of an internship/volunteer assignment in this project should usually exactly be 4 weeks. If your university has different requirements about the duration of your internship, longer durations are possible.
 
The starting dates are: 2023: September 6, October 3; 2024: May 15, June 12, July 10, August 7, September 4, October 1.
 
You will do your internship on 5 days a week according to a work plan. 
 
It is a requirement for this internship that you are enrolled in or have completed a related university course such as biology, ecology, zoology, or veterinary medicine, or that you have relevant and sufficient practical experience in environmental protection/animal conservation. In addition, physical fitness is expected, as it is necessary to walk longer distances through forest terrain. It should also be clear to you and you should not have any problems with the fact that there can be insects while doing your project activity and at your housing in the forest.
 
Accommodation is provided in shared, self-catering dorm rooms. A contribution of 300 JPY per night for water and electricity costs applies. There is a kitchen for you to use. As an intern you can use the onsen (hot spring) of a nearby luxury hotel free of charge, however only if you don't have any tattoos. You can find details in the slider "accommodation" below.
 
Info Box
infoboxheader01 3 en
Location: Karuizawa, Japan
Availability: May to October
Minimum Duration: 4 weeks
Maximum Duration: typically 4 weeks, see text
Required Language Skills: English
Accommodation: Shared Accommodation in the forest
infoboxheader02 3 en
Supervision possible: Yes
Qualification supervisor: Biologists
Minimum qualification of intern: Student or graduate of related course
Further contribution to the project: No
Remuneration: No
Volunteering
Volunteering possible: Yes
Required qualification of interns: Student or graduate of related course
Further contribution to the project: No
It is expected:
Professional work, the "right" attitude
 
 
Rates
 

I. World Unite! Service Package

800 EUR one-time fee for any duration.
 
In case of 2 persons: 700 EUR per person for any duration.
 
Convert to USD, GBP, AUD, CAD and other currencies.
 
* Not all durations are possible for all nationalities and age groups due to visa restrictions.
 

The World Unite! Service Package includes:

 
  • Arrangement of your Placement
  • Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
  • Access to the World Unite! Online Resource Centre which has Preparation Materials including Intercultural Preparation, compiled particularly for your destination (PDFs, Videos)
  • Preparation Session via Skype, together with further participants
  • (If required) arrangements of the Documents you need for your Visa Application, but not the official government fees for the visa (if they apply, see details above)
  • Support with Residence Registration, Mobile phone contract, opening a bank account (if needed and possible, depending on visa category)
  • Pick-up and Transfers on arrival from Haneda or Narita airport or next international airport
  • Personal support staff in Tokyo (English and Japanese speaking) and at our international office
  • Local orientation about life in Tokyo
  • 24 Hours emergency support by local support team
  • Issuance of Confirmations/Certificates for your university, scholarship, insurance, etc. and filling out/signing Internship Contracts for your university
  • Costs for 10 seedlings of indigenous trees that we plant on the slopes of Kilimanjaro
 

The Rates do NOT include:

 
  • Accommodation and Meals (please refer to the project description for details)
  • Travel to/from Japan (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
  • Official fees for Visa (see below)
  • Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
  • Personal Expenses
  • Vaccinations
  • Local Transport (Estimated amounts see below)
 

II. Accommodation Costs

 
Please refer to the text of the project description about details whether and which costs apply for accommodation.
 
 

Overview of other costs:

 
  • Self-catering from around 200 EUR/USD per month (estimate)
  • Small local expenses (Mobile phone contract, Local Transport): ca. 90-100 EUR/USD per Month (Estimate)
  • Insurances around 30-50 EUR/USD per Month
 

How do I pay?

 
Once all your questions have been answered and you confirm that you want to participate, we will email you an invoice. You can pay it via bank transfer, credit card or via Paypal. You will pay a deposit of 200 EUR / 250 USD when the invoice is issued. One months prior to your arrival you will pay the remainder for your Service Package.
 
The payment modalities for rent and possible further costs (e.g. internship supervision fees, as stated in info box of the respective project description) depend on your host country and placement. We will inform you beforehand. In many cases these costs are paid on site, but for some countries and placements they need to be paid partially or fully in advance.
 
 
Accommodation
 
Besides the foreign interns of World Unite! there are also always Japanese biology students from various universities doing an internship with the bear conservation project.
 
The accomodation consists of two separate residential buildings with shared dorm rooms with bunk beds, shared kitchens and shared sanitary installations, one for female program participants and one for male participants.
 
The house for female program participants is located next to the bear conservation organization's office in the Karuizawa forest. It is of middle standards. The picture gallery shows the house for female program participants.
 
The house for male participants is located about 15 minutes to walk from the bear conservation organization's office, deeper into the Karuizawa forest. It's of simpler standards than the house for female program participants.
 
The accommodation is provided free of charge on a self-catering basis. There are convenience stores and supermarkets in Karuizawa.
 
As an intern you are even allowed to use the onsen (hot spring) of a nearby luxury hotel free of charge, however access to the onsen is not allowed if you have any tattoos.
 
Extras
 

Other Projects That Might Interest You:

 
 
These projects are suggestions for alternatives that may interest you or those that could be chosen as COMBINATIONS. The combination of projects in different organizations is often possible and usually cheaper than two individual bookings. Please contact us to know more. Also please check out our Working Holiday support services!
 
 

Japanese Language lessons in Tokyo!

 
Japanese language skills are of massive advantage in Japan. You can book Japanese language lessons for your stay in Japan. You find all details here.
 

Travel Health Insurance

 
We recommend the following travel insurance that is meant specifically for participants of internships, volunteering, language study, working holiday, and courses abroad. It is available for travelers of all nationalities and usable for all countries, except your home country. You can also add a journey liability insurance.
 
Just click on the link, fill in the form and you will get a confirmation email.
 
 
 
 
Getting There
 
 
You can travel directly to Karuizawa on the Monday when your internship starts. 
 
Alternatively you can arrive in Tokyo on the Thursday before the Monday start of your internship, stay at our sharehouse until Monday morning and then take a train of bus to Karuizawa. The train takes around 1.5 hours and costs approx. 6200 JPY one-way. The bus takes around 3.5 hours and costs around 1300-3800 JPY one-way.
 
Tokyo has two major international airports: NARITA and HANEDA, which are served by many airlines. Haneda Airport is closer to the city and is our preferred travel option, but you can also fly to Narita if the flights are cheaper.
 
You can stay at our Sharehouse in Tokyo for 2-3 nights and travel to Karuizawa by train or bus during the weekend. We will give you some useful hints for the internship in Karuizawa on Thursday or Friday at our office in Tokyo.
 
You book the flight to Tokyo on your own. Please make sure that you arrive on a Thursday between 8am and 9pm. We will then pick you up from the airport and take you to sharehouse by public transport.
 
 
    BOOK NOW OR INQUIRE!
 

Mother Nature Conservation Camp and Temple Stay on Sado Island/Japan

Praktikum und Volunteering möglich
 
The 2024 season is from June 10 to October 14, 2024. If you book before March 31st you will get a single tent at the price of double occupancy!
 
As a participant of our Mother Nature Environmental Conservation Camp Japan you will stay on the grounds of the beautiful historic Chokokuji Temple on Sado Island and volunteer in environmental conservation, especially for the protection of the Crested Ibis, and various farming activities. As part of local communities you will have the chance to get to know a piece of rural and traditional Japan, which is typically not accessible to you as a normal tourist or when staying at larger cities. Futhermore, on this program we also always have Japanese participants, which stimulates an exchange of culture and language.
 

Staying at Chokokuji Temple

 
Accommodation and base of our Mother Nature Conservation program in Japan is the Chokokuji Temple. The temple is said to have been founded in the year 807 by the Buddhist saint Kukai and houses a variety of cultural treasures. It is located on the slopes of the southern mountains of Sado in a relatively central location and is still actively used for religious purposes. As a volunteer, you will participate, often alongside Japanese volunteers, in a variety of activities. A weekly activity plan is created with diverse tasks. You will be staying in a fully furnished tent in the attractive garden grounds of the temple.
 
 

How can you get involved as a volunteer?

 
As a volunteer, often together with Japanese volunteers, you will participate in a variety of activities for which our volunteer coordinator creates a weekly plan of activities.
 
(Click on the activity to read more and see pictures!)
 
Activities around Chokokuji temple
 
Chokokuji is one of the largest and culturally most significant temples on Sado. Despite the monk being over 80 years old, the temple is still actively used for religious purposes. The monk and his wife are solely responsible for the operations and maintenance of the temple.
 
As a volunteer, you help with light maintenance and cleaning of the temple facilities, as well as light gardening, at least once a week. The monk is dedicated to maintaining the temple's garden, which blooms with a variety of flowers, including azaleas, hydrangeas, and cosmos, throughout all seasons.
 
School groups regularly visit the temple, and you prepare activities for the children to engage in during their visits, such as crafting.
 
Both Japanese and foreign tourists visit the temple year-round, especially during the spring to autumn seasons. They can experience guided tours and spiritual activities such as sutra writing, Zen meditation, and Buddhist sermons. You assist the monk in preparing such tourist offerings and support the temple with social media marketing.
In the 2024 season, volunteers will initiate and operate a small shop. The shop will sell Chokokuji Temple souvenirs, fair-trade products, and locally produced natural goods to tourists, aiming to financially support the temple and other local non-profit organizations.
 
Collecting herbs in the forest for herbal products
 
 
A small company from Sado collects wild herbs and tree leaves in the forest to use them for the preparation of herbal tea blends. Volunteers of our program accompany the herbal experts into the forest, help them with gathering the herbs and will get explanations. In the company's premises, you can then learn and help to clean, dry and grind the herbs and leaves and process them into herbal tea blends. As a souvenir you can take your own tea blend with you. Another lady who is passionate about traditional local herbs is providing workshops as part of our program where we learn how to make herbal insect repellent, herbal juice, gyoza with herbal filling and toothpaste made from charcoal and herbs.
 
Bamboo workshops
 
 
A Brazilian carpenter and artist specialising in bamboo who lives in Sado is regularly arranging creative workshops using bamboo for our volunteers, sometimes joined by Japanese youth groups. We will first learn how to make cups and chopsticks. If you stay for a longer time and you join the workshop several times, you can build more complicated items such as furniture, musical instruments, toys or playground equipment from bamboo. Bamboo is an extremely fast growing raw material that can replace plastic and other less sustainable materials in a variety of applications. Unfortunately nowadays, bamboo hardly plays a role as a building material in Japan anymore. From April to June, bamboo shoots are also collected in forests that are used in primary school canteens for food.
 
Activities of environmental organizations and site visits
 
Several environmental organizations, which often cooperate with Japanese universities, are active on Sado Island. You can regularly participate in various activities of these organizations, which include monitoring Crested Ibises, finding nests and counting eggs, working on biotopes, as well as preparing and conducting environmental events and campaigns.
 
In addition, we regularly visit sites of biological or geological interest in Sado, such as the public Crested Ibis Breeding and Research Center.
 
Beach and nature cleanups
 
Once per week we are cleaning a piece of beach or other nature. We usually do this as a competition between several teams whereby the winning team (that collects the largest amount of trash or a type of trash that is worst) wins a little prize. During the summer months, families who are staying at the Sobama Beach Campsite are sometimes joining this. Most trash we find is ghost fishing gear, construction materials such as plastic pipes and cables, and other plastic. The trash we collect is picked up by the municipal trash collection company.
 
Ricefields of Ogura
 
 
World Unite! is part of the rice farming community of Ogura. The terraced rice fields were built on steep slopes in the 17th century and can therefore only be worked by hand or with small hand-held machines, which makes their operation not commercially profitable. They are only maintained to prevent landslides and as a food source for the Crested Ibis. You can join the farmers, for whom the terraced ricefields are just a sideline, every weekend. Rice is planted in April and harvested in October. During other months, the irrigation system, which includes a canal bringing water from a 17th-century water reservoir to the ricefields, needs to be checked and repaired. The edges of the paddy fields need to be fortified regularly with certain soils to keep the water on the fields.
 
Organic Farming and Forestry Work
 
In addition to rice, the farmers of Sado also plant kakis (persimmons), oranges, kiwis, shiitake mushrooms and other fruits and vegetables. The forests of the area are also managed. Bamboo and other trees are cut for the wood to be used as building material and new trees are regularly planted.
 
We work with various farmers that are doing organic farming that can explain you about their principles and you help them on their farms. For instance one farmer holds ducks on the ricefield that would eat potential pests, instead of using chemical pesticides.
 
Ocean and Climate Session and Assignments
 
Once per week we have a session about topics related to the ocean and climate, e.g. impact of industrial farming on climate change, overfishing, sharks, etc. You will then be given small research tasks on the topic whereby you for instance have a look at farming practices carried out on Sado or you have a small talk with local fishermen. There will then be a follow-up session where you discuss your findings with our lecturer. The lectures and follow-up sessions might be carried out remotely using zoom and projected on a screen at the temple.
 
Community Work and Cultural Immersion
 
We are regularly doing activities from which aging rural communities benefit, e.g.working on akiyas. Akiyas are abandonded houses. Due to the decreasing population of the Japanese countryside, there are many abandonded houses. Some villages have some 80-90% of abandoned buildings. For instance in the village of Matsugasaki, there is the abandonded workshop of Sado's last blacksmith who has passed away. The remaining villagers want to conserve the memory of the traditional handcraft by making the workshop a small exhibition space. Volunteers of our program were cleaning up the building and working on the exhibition. Volunteers are also going to a countryside afterschool club and doing presentations for the children, e.g. about their own country or about environmental topics. We also regularly arrange workshops and presentations of traditional local culture, such as learning to play the noh flute, taiko drumming and kyogen theater play.
 
Treatment of raccoon dogs
 
There is a significant population of raccoon dogs ("Tanuki") on Sado Island, and a large portion of them suffer from mange, a skin disease caused by mites. Treatment is possible with a drug called Selamectin. Volunteers will prepare meatballs containing the medication and strategically place them where raccoon dogs are likely to consume them. Volunteers will not have direct contact with wild raccoon dogs, although they are easily found during the evening hours. The activity is conducted in collaboration with a veterinarian dedicated to supporting wild raccoon dogs.
 
Leisure activities
 
On the weekends (or if you get involved in the ricefarming activities of Ogura on weekends, on some weekdays en lieu) there are usually no volunteering activities, but we arrange group recreational activities such as going to the beach, hiking, and sightseeing for a small extra cost. You can decide locally if you want to join.
 
 

About Chokokuji Temple

 
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.
 

About the Crested Ibis

 
The Nippon Ibis ("Nipponia nippon") is a bird with a size of 54-88 cm and a wingspan of 140 cm. Until the mid-20th century, before the advent of industrial agriculture, it was relatively common in Korea, China, Japan, and parts of Russia. However, due to the loss of its habitat, it became endangered. In 1981, the bird was declared "extinct in the wild," and the last five Japanese specimens were captured. In cooperation with the Chinese government, an internationally recognized reintroduction program was initiated on Sado Island. In 2008, the first ibises bred in captivity were released, and the first wild-bred chicks were observed in 2012. Today, there are approximately 500 ibises on Sado Island and the neighboring main island of Honshu.
 
Essential for the survival of birds in the wild are the presence of suitable habitats. This includes traditional rice farming methods and the design of paddy fields including zones where the birds can feed throughout the year, as well as biotopes optimised as feeding and breeding grounds for the ibis. The inclusion of Sado rice farmers and the promotion of traditionally grown, high quality organic rice from Sado Island have been crucial to the success of the reintroduction program.
 
 

Did you know?

 
For the CO2 compensation of your long-haul flights, we plant 10 seedlings of native trees on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Info Box
infoboxheader01 3 en
Location: Sado Island, Japan
Availability: arrival on Sado on Mondays
Minimum duration: 1 week
Maximum duration: 4-24 weeks depending on visa
Language requirements: English
Other languages of advantage: Japanese
Accommodation: Chokokuji Temple on Sado Island
infoboxheader02 3 en
Supervision possible: No
Qualification Supervisor: -
Minimum Qualification Intern:
no formal qualification required
Further project contribution: No
Volunteering
Volunteering possible: Yes
Expected Qualification Volunteer: None
Further project contribution: No
We expect:
Professional work attitude, "the right attitude"
 
Rates
 

I. World Unite! Service Package

 
Program Activities and Accommodation
 
 
First week 625 EUR. Any additional week +330 EUR. From the 10th week only +295 EUR/week.
 

This includes:

 
  • Participation in all program activities (offered on 7 days/week)
  • Orientation and Introduction atKoninji about the program activities
  • Transfers for all program activities on Sado Island
  • Accommodation in 4-share tent (you choose) [Single/Double occupancy possible at extra charge, see below]
  • Full board (3 meals per day) incl. unlimited drinking water and tea
  • Access to the World Unite! Online Resource Centre which has Preparation Materials including Intercultural Preparation, compiled particularly for your destination (mobile phone friendly Knowledge Base)
  • Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
  • Preparation Session via zoom, together with further participants
  • Support with the travel from Tokyo to Sado by our Tokyo team
  • Pick-up and Transfers from/to Sado (Ryotsu) Ferry Terminal on arrival (Mondays) and departure (Mondays or Fridays) to/from Mother Nature Camp Sado
  • Personal support staff at your location and at our international office
  • 24 Hours emergency support by local support team
  • For the CO2 compensation of your long-haul flights: Costs for 10 seedlings of indigenous trees that we plant on the slopes of Kilimanjaro
  • Issuance of Confirmations/Certificates for your university, scholarship, insurance, etc. and filling out/signing Internship Contracts for your university
 

The Rates do NOT include:

 
  • Travel to/from Sado Island (you book it on your own; see details in the slider "Getting There" below)
  • Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
  • Personal Expenses
  • Vaccinations
  • Weekend leisure activities
 

II. Accommodation Costs

 
Surcharge twin occupancy at a tent (compared to 4-share tent): +60 EUR/week per person.
 
Surcharge single occupancy tent (compared to 4-share tent): +100 EUR/week per person Special promotion until March 31, 2024: +60 EUR/week
 
Children under 14 only pay 150 EUR/week.
 
* Participants not booking together will be separated by gender in the rooms
 
 
Sado Island
 
 
Sado Island, with 855 km2, is the sixth largest island of Japan. When gold was found on Sado Island in 1601, the island flourished economically and culturally, developing a unique and rich cultural heritage, including performing arts such as dance, chants and music, the world-famous Taiko drumming, puppet theater, folklore festivals, and traditional handcraft. Sado has hundreds of Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and several historical villages from Edo Period (1603-1867), which have remained architecturally mostly intact.
 
The island is of extreme scenic natural beauty, with 288 km of rocky coastline, dense forests, terraced ricefields and a northern and southern mountain range reaching an altitude of 1172 meters. Sado is sparsely populated, with the vast majority of the population of around 55,000 living in Sado City in the flat middle part of the island. The island has an oceanic climate with hot and humid summers and cool, humid winters.
 
The last Crested Ibis of Japan, which is a symbolic national bird in Japan (Nipponia nippon) died in Sado in 2003 due to the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on rice fields. Since then, an internationally renowned reintroduction program was successfully implemented in Sado, with birds from China being bred in captivity and released since 2008. The first hatchings in the wild were observed in 2012. Today there are again around 440 Crested Ibises on Sado Island. The integration of the Sado rice farmers and the promotion of traditionally farmed, high quality organic rice from Sado Island were essential in the success of the reintroduction program.
 
Sado Island has been working hard in recent years to boost tourism and has some interesting and modern landmarks, such as the Silver and Gold Mine, the Toki Park for breeding Crested Ibises and numerous hiking trails, natural sites and beaches. There are also tourist offers such as scuba diving, boat trips and more.
 
World Unite! is a cooperation partner of the Sado Island Tourism Association, whose office near the ferry port we share.
 
Getting There
 
 getthere sado
 
 
From the Ryotsu Ferry Port on Sado, you will be picked up by us at no additional cost on a Monday and taken back there on either a Monday or Friday.
 
You can take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Niigata (just under 2 hours) and then take the ferry (about 1.5 hours) to Ryotsu/Sado.
 
If you are farther away in Japan, you can also book a domestic flight to Niigata City, take a city bus to the ferry port, and then take the ferry to Ryotsu/Sado.
 
Your arrival in Tokyo:
 
For a small additional fee, you can add the following: You can arrive in Tokyo (Haneda or Narita) on a Friday between 8 am and 8 pm, and we will pick you up from the airport and accompany you to our sharehouse. There, you will spend 3 nights in a dormitory room. On Monday morning, you will then continue your journey to Sado.
 
 
    BOOK NOW OR INQUIRE!
 

Dog Shelter in Tokushima

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Do you love dogs? There are around 125 dogs at Susan and Hitoshi's private dog shelter in Tokushima, southern Japan, waiting to be walked by you one to three times a day. If you cannot imagine anything better than caring for these dogs in the middle of a beautiful Japanese landscape, this is your placement!
 

What is your placement organisation doing?

 
The dogs are staying temporarily in the facility whose aim it is to find new owners for the dogs. The dogs are at the facility for various reasons: in some cases, the previous owners have died or are too old and in need of care and can no longer look after the animal. Some dogs are stray dogs collected in parks. Regularly, Susan and Hitoshi also take over dogs from state animal shelters, where the dogs after some time, if no new owner can be found, for capacity reasons, would be euthanized. Another reason are Japan's regularly occurring natural disasters, such as landslides and floodings, which often force people to stay for an extended period of time in temporary homes where pets can not be accommodated. Some dogs are from Fukushima, where after the nuclear disaster residents had to leave their homes permanently and now live in small city apartments where dog ownership is not possible.
 
The home is run by Susan from Canada and her husband Hitoshi from Japan as a nonprofit organization. Hitoshi works full time at the shelter while Susan has another day job. There are two local paid employees and several local long-term volunteers who are mainly concerned with feeding and cleaning the dogs, and cleaning the shelters.
 

How can you get involved?

 
Your main activity is to walk the dogs. This is usually done in small groups of up to 10 dogs, but some dogs must be walked alone. This activity can be exhausting and must be carried out whatever the weather condition is. You should therefore be physically resilient and must have no problems with rain, dirt, heat, cold, dog smell, barking dogs, mosquitoes, etc. The dog shelter is located in a forest and you will definitely be confronted with these natural conditions.
 
Foreign short-term volunteers usually do not get involved in the feeding of dogs, and in the cleaning of dogs and their homes. However, if you have experience in dog keeping, you can also perform these tasks, or if you spent several months at the project, you can also learn how to do it.
 
Usually the working day starts between 9:30 and 10 o'clock in the morning. The duration depends a lot on the dogs, because sometimes walking the dogs is faster and sometimes takes longer.
 
As a volunteer, you should bring along wellington boots, sturdy shoes, a rain jacket, a winter jacket (during winter), insect repellent, and clothes that may get dirty. You should also be vaccinated against tetanus.
Info Box
infoboxheader01 3 en
Location: Tokushima, Japan
Availability: all year
Minimum age: 20 years
Minimum Duration: 3 weeks
Maximum Duration: 12 Months (depending on visa)
Required Language Skills: English
Accommodation: Volunteer house in the village or apartment in the city
infoboxheader02 3 en
Supervision possible: Yes
Qualification supervisor: Dog trainer
Minimum qualification of intern: none
Further contribution to the project: No
Remuneration: No
Volunteering
Volunteering possible: Yes
Required qualification of interns: none
Further contribution to the project: No
It is expected:
Professional work, the "right" attitude
 
Accommodation
 
Volunteer House
 
Accommodation is provided to volunteers free of charge in a house which has three bedrooms, a kitchen and a small living room. It is self-catering. Depending on the number of other volunteers, you have a single room or share a room with other volunteers.
 
The house is in a convenient location near Jizobashi station. There are convenience stores 2 minutes walk as well as a supermarket about 10 minutes from the house. The dog shelter staff will pick you up from your home 5 times a week and take you to the shelter (about 10 minutes by car) and back again.
 
You will share the house with 3 cats.
 
 
Rates
 

I. World Unite! Service Package

Mobile/Cell Phone Users: If you don't see the rates for your desired duration of stay, hide other (shorter) durations of stay.
  Visa Category 1*
Visa Category 2*
 wu servicepackage
1 Person
800 EUR 1200 EUR
2-4 Persons
(Per Person)
 700 EUR 1100 EUR
 
Convert to USD, GBP, AUD, CAD and other currencies.
 
* Visa Category 1: You enter Japan via Temporary Visitor Status (free stamp on arrival to Japan for 90 days for most nationalities. This stamp can be extended for citizens of the UK, Ireland, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein easily by another 90 days [extension costs ca. 4000 JPY]; no age restrictions) OR you enter Japan via Working Holiday Visa (free, but needs to be applied for in advance, available for citizens of UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, France, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Poland, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong) aged 18-30 years for a maximum of 365 days [some nationalities only 180 days] OR you enter Japan on another visa category that we don't need to apply for a Certificate of Elegibility for OR you are Japanese national and you don't need any visa for Japan.
 
* Visa Category 2: Any nationality and duration of stay that is not covered by the previous category. In this case we have to apply for a Certificate of Elegibility in Japan that you need to apply for your visa at the Japanese embassy of your home country. We will inform you about all details. Further costs for official fees may apply.
 

The World Unite! Service Package includes:

 
  • Arrangement of your Placement
  • Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
  • Access to the World Unite! Online Resource Centre which has Preparation Materials including Intercultural Preparation, compiled particularly for your destination (PDFs, Videos)
  • Preparation Session via Skype, together with further participants
  • (If required) arrangements of the Documents you need for your Visa Application, but not the official government fees for the visa (if they apply, see details above)
  • Support with Residence Registration, Mobile phone contract, opening a bank account (if needed and possible, depending on visa category)
  • Pick-up and Transfers on arrival from Haneda or Narita airport (but not travel from Tokyo to Tokushima)
  • Personal support staff in Tokyo (English and Japanese speaking) and at our international office
  • Issuance of Confirmations/Certificates for your university, scholarship, insurance, etc. and filling out/signing Internship Contracts for your university
  • Accommodation (without meals) is provided free of charge by the dog shelter
  • Costs for 10 seedlings of indigenous trees that we plant on the slopes of Kilimanjaro
 

The Rates do NOT include:

 
  • Meals
  • Travel to/from Japan (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
  • Travel from Tokyo to Tokushima and back (approx. 10,000 JPY one way; we will assist you)
  • Official fees for Visa (see below)
  • Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
  • Personal Expenses
  • Vaccinations
 

Overview of other costs:

 
  • Self-catering from around 200 EUR/USD per month (estimate)
  • Mobile phone contract: ca. 10-20 EUR/USD per Month (Estimate)
  • Health Insurances around 30-50 EUR/USD per Month
  • Volunteer insurance (around 5 USD one-time fee payable at the dog shelter)
  • Travel from Tokyo to Tokushima and back (approx. 10,000 JPY one way)
 

How do I pay?

 
Once all your questions have been answered and you confirm that you want to participate, we will email you an invoice. You can pay it via bank transfer, credit card or via Paypal. You will pay a deposit of 200 EUR / 250 USD when the invoice is issued. One months prior to your arrival you will pay the remainder for your Service Package.
 
The payment modalities for rent and possible further costs (e.g. internship supervision fees, as stated in info box of the respective project description) depend on your host country and placement. We will inform you beforehand. In many cases these costs are paid on site, but for some countries and placements they need to be paid partially or fully in advance.
 
 
Extras
 

Other Projects That Might Interest You:

 
 
These projects are suggestions for alternatives that may interest you or those that could be chosen as COMBINATIONS. The combination of projects in different organizations is often possible and usually cheaper than two individual bookings. Please contact us to know more. Also please check out our Working Holiday support services!
 
 

Japanese Language lessons in Tokyo!

 
Japanese language skills are of massive advantage in Japan. You can book Japanese language lessons for your stay in Japan. You find all details here.
 

Travel Health Insurance

 
We recommend the following travel insurance that is meant specifically for participants of internships, volunteering, language study, working holiday, and courses abroad. It is available for travelers of all nationalities and usable for all countries, except your home country. You can also add a journey liability insurance.
 
Just click on the link, fill in the form and you will get a confirmation email.
 
 
 
Getting There
 
We recommend you to travel to Tokyo first to meet our team and get some preparational briefing. From Tokyo, the easiest and most affordable option is to take a night bus (we will assist you with this).
 
Tokyo has two large international airports: NARITA and HANEDA, which are served by many airlines. Haneda Airport is located closer to the city centre and is therefore our preferred option. If you find cheaper flights to Narita you can however also choose Narita.
 
You will book a flight on your own. Please try to arrive on a Friday any time between 8am and 8pm. We will pick you up from the airport and will bring you to your accommodation in Tokyo by public transport.
 
 
    BOOK NOW OR INQUIRE!
 

Business and Media Internships: Startups in Tokyo

Internship and Remote Internship possible
 
header internshiptokyo
 
This placement is possible as a Remote / Virtual internship from home! Typical tasks for Remote Interns: Writing texts in English and possibly other foreign languages, Researching about Foreign Markets, Social Media Marketing. The remote internship is 600 EUR for the first month and 300 EUR for any additional month or part thereof. Just submit the inquiry/order form form and mention "Remote Internship"! P.S. You can get financial support for your remote internship out of Japan from the Dokusan Scholarship!
 

Internships with internationally oriented start-ups in Tokyo

 
We arrange business and media internships with various start-up companies in Tokyo. You can do the internships with little or no knowledge of the Japanese language, as the typical tasks for interns usually make use of your foreign language skills such as English, French, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Arabic and others. Using these languages you would typically do research about foreign markets and potential customers, communicate with foreign customers and potential customers, sell to international customers, as well as create content for social media, blogs, websites, and do foreign language search engine optimization.
 
Such an internship will offer you the opportunity to acquire or to expand valuable intercultural skills. You will gain insights into the Japanese working culture, its processes, structures, priorities and requirements. Such knowledge will definitely boost your future professional career. However, in order to maximise your learning experience, you need to be open for cultural learning and act accordingly. Our intercultural preparation will provide you with the theoretical background that you should be willing and able to apply during your internship. We will talk about the expectations of Japanese companies, the communication style with colleagues and supervisors, the general attitude towards work, and expected clothing styles, amongst many other aspects.
 
We will try to consider your preferences concerning the industry and your tasks, however the available options depend on various factors including your field of study, years of study, language skills, duration of the internship etc.

Examples of companies:

 
Tourism companies
 
We work with several tourism companies that are mostly active in the upmarket individual travel sector, creating tailermade tours, activities etc directly to individual travelers, foreign travel agencies or to groups/companies (for example, incentive travel, events, meetings). Especially in relation to the Rugby World Cup 2019 and the 2020 Olympic Games, there is an increasing interest of Japanese travel companies to become more international.
 
Tasks for interns:
 
1. to prepare itineraries and programs for customized tours for foreign direct customers and travel agencies
2. to initiate and maintain partnerships with foreign travel agencies
3. to create social media content in English and in your native language
4. to prepare offers
 
Interns should have the ability to understand foreign customers needs and expectations, be creative, have an eye for detail and be able to communicate and write clearly in their native language and English.
 
Recruitment companies for foreign skilled workers
 
In Japan, there is a shortage of skilled labor in many sectors, which is why Japan eased visa requirements in 2019 to attract more foreign workers. However, especially small and medium-sized companies, which have no experience with foreign employees, as well as companies located outside the major cities, have difficulties in getting such foreign skilled workers.
 
We work with several recruitment companies focusing on various sectors such as manufacturing, the hotel industry and others. They do the matching between skilled workers and companies looking for employees and further support both the Japanese employer and the foreign worker with issues such as visa matters, relocation services and language training. The support of foreign employees often is provided for up to 18 months after their arrival.
 
Tasks for interns:
 
1. Communication with foreign applicants, collecting information, conducting interviews
2. To support foreign workers in Japan
2. Communication with foreign partners such as universities 
 
Import-export companies
 
We work with several B2C companies sell Japanese products worldwide, for example via online shops. We also work with companies that import products to Japan from abroad, such as supplies for the hotel industry.
 
Tasks for interns:
 
1. Communication with foreign customers and manufacturers
2. To write texts for websites in English and in your native language
3. To create social media content in English and in your native language
2. Communication with foreign partners such as universities
 
Media companies
 
At media companies, the focus of the tasks for interns can be on the creation of foreign-language content that is published on websites or in print media or, if you already have knowledge in the respective area, on design-related work such as layout, graphic design, image editing, video shooting, video post-production, illustration, photography, or website development with CMS or custom programming. If you have any such knowledge, please let us know in detail about your skill level (eg using a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means basic knowledge and 5 professional knowledge, eg "Adobe Photoshop = 3, Adobe Illustator = 2", Wordpress = 3 ").
 
 

How it works:

 
1. You book the service package at least 2 months before the planned start of the internship.
2. We'll send you resume templates and instructions about the application photo, as expected in Japan.
3. You send us back your documents and we organize a Skype interview with a company.
4. Before the Skype interview, we will prepare you extensively for it, and we will also be present during the interview to avoid possible misunderstandings. In this way, you will certainly get the internship.
5. The company confirms your internship.
6. Prior to your arrival, you participate in our intercultural preparation via Skype.
7. You arrive on a Thursday and usually start your internship on the following Friday or Monday.
8. Our coordinators in Tokyo are always available to support you.
 
Info Box
infoboxheader01 3 en
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Availability: all year; you should arrive on a Thursday and your placement would then start on the following Friday or Monday
Minimum Duration: 5 weeks
Maximum Duration: 12 Months (depending on visa)
Required Language Skills: English
Accommodation: Share House, Host Family
infoboxheader02 3 en
Supervision possible: Yes
Qualification supervisor: Business and Media professionals
Minimum qualification of intern: none
Remuneration: none
Volunteering
Volunteering possible: No
Required qualification of interns: -
Further contribution to the project: -
It is expected:
Professional work, the "right" attitude
 
Accommodation

Accommodation in Tokyo

 
mostpopular

mostpopular

Share Houses in Tokyo:

World Unite! Share House Shiohama
 
 
We are operating our own share house in Tokyo (close to Kiba Station), only for our own World Unite! participants. It has 9 dorm rooms of different sizes, each for 4-8 persons and 5 twin rooms on three floors. There are two communal areas with fully equipped kitchens, 6 showers, 4 toilets and 2 bathrooms. There is Wifi Internet on all floors without additional cost. All rooms are equipped with modern ACs for cooling and heating. Furthermore, habitants can make use of a coin-operated washing machine, a laundry dryer, a free luggage storage room, and a 200 sqm rooftop terrace with sunbeds, tables and a fantastic view on Tokyo Skytree, the world's second highest building. You can rent a bicycle from us at very affordable rates.
 
The building is located in a quiet residential area, just next to a small public park. In direct vicinity there are numerous convenience stores, a supermarket, restaurants and vending machines. Within a 10 minutes' walk you can reach a large shopping mall with supermarket, many shops and multiplex cinemas, and also the large Kiba Park. All internship placements, many jobs in central Tokyo, and the language schools we cooperate with are easily reachable by subway (Tozai Line and JR Keiyō Line). The Community Centres of Koto-Ku and Toyosu can also be reached by foot, just as Tokyo Bay with its entertainment facilities and excursion boats departing from Toyosu's "Lala Port".
 
Share House Warabi
 
The Warabi sharehouse is located in the Saitama prefecture of the Tokyo metropolitan area, 15 minutes to walk from Warabi train station. It has 36 rooms for single, double and 4-share occupancy, all with air conditioning for cooling and heating, and with a balcony. There is a common lounging area with TV and sofa, a fully equipped communal kitchen, toilets and sinks on each floor, a shower area with 6 shower booths, Wifi at all rooms, Bicycle parking, 4 coin-operated washing machines and 2 coin-operated dryers as well as a small ornamental Japanese garden. A supermarket, several convenience stores as well as a shopping malls are a few minutes' walk away. You can rent a bike from us at the Sharehouse for a reasonable price.
 
Our team members come to the Warabi Sharehouse at least three times a week to provide support to our program participants. All services such as job counseling, resident registration, bank account opening, etc. are offered there.
 

Host families

 
Staying with a Japanese host family gives you the possibility to fully immerse into Japanese everyday culture.
 
The families usually live in the outskirts of Tokyo and in the neighbouring prefactures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa, as in very central locations of Tokyo there are few apartments that are big enough to accommodate foreign language students besides the actual family. The commuting time by train from the host family to the internship placement, your job, or language school does usually not exceed one hour. A commuter ticket is around 15,000 to 20,000 Yen per month.
 
The host families will serve 2 meals per day (breakfast and dinner) on weekdays and 3 meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) on weekends. You will either sleep in a Western bed or on a Japanese futon. There is usually someone at the host family who can speak basic English. The families are usually familiar with foreign guests.
 
The host family accommodation costs are 3500 Yen per night. Additionally, a one-time fee for the arrangement of the host family of 100 EUR is charged, independent of the duration of stay.
 
 
Rates
 

I. World Unite! Service Package

Visa Category 1 (see below):
 
5 weeks: 800 EUR
6-8 weeks: 1050 EUR
9-12 weeks: 1300 EUR
13-16 weeks: 1550 EUR
17-20 weeks: 1800 EUR
21-24 weeks: 2050 EUR
 
Visa Category 2 (see below):
 
A surcharge of 400 EUR applies.
 
 
Convert to USD, GBP, AUD, CAD and other currencies.
 
* Visa Category 1: You enter Japan via Temporary Visitor Status (free stamp on arrival to Japan for 90 days for most nationalities. Available for citizens of USA, UK, Brunei, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, former Yugoslavia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay. This stamp can be easily extended for citizens of the UK, Ireland, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein by another 90 days [extension costs ca. 4000 JPY]; no age restrictions) OR you enter Japan via Working Holiday Visa (free, but needs to be applied for in advance, available for citizens of UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, France, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Poland, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong) aged 18-30 years for a maximum of 365 days [some nationalities only 180 days] OR you enter Japan on another visa category that we don't need to apply for a Certificate of Elegibility for OR you are Japanese national and you don't need any visa for Japan.
 
* Visa Category 2: Any nationality and duration of stay that is not covered by the previous category. In this case we have to apply for a Certificate of Elegibility in Japan that you need to apply for your visa at the Japanese embassy of your home country. We will inform you about all details. Further costs for official fees may apply.
 

The World Unite! Service Package includes:

 
  • Arrangement of your Placement
  • Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
  • Access to the World Unite! Online Resource Centre which has Preparation Materials including Intercultural Preparation, compiled particularly for your destination (PDFs, Videos)
  • Preparation Session via Skype, together with further participants
  • (If required) arrangements of the Documents you need for your Visa Application, but not the official government fees for the visa (if they apply, see details above)
  • Support with Residence Registration, Mobile phone contract, opening a bank account (if needed and possible, depending on visa category)
  • Pick-up and Transfers on arrival from Haneda or Narita airport
  • Personal support staff in Tokyo (English and Japanese speaking) and at our international office
  • Local orientation about life in Tokyo
  • Accompanying you to your placement on your first day
  • 24 Hours emergency support by local support team
  • Issuance of Confirmations/Certificates for your university, scholarship, insurance, etc. and filling out/signing Internship Contracts for your university
  • Wholesale term membership for Western Food
  • Costs for 10 seedlings of indigenous trees that we plant on the slopes of Kilimanjaro
 

The Rates do NOT include:

 
  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Travel to/from Japan (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
  • Official fees for Visa (see below)
  • Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
  • Personal Expenses
  • Vaccinations
  • Local Transport (Estimated amounts see below)
 

II. Accommodation Costs

 
Mobile/Cell Phone Users: If you don't see the rates for your desired duration of stay, hide other (shorter) durations of stay.
All Rates in Japanese JPY! Convert Currency
   
   
 
mostpopular2
Share House		 Dorm room bed (4-8 share) p.p.
 1500 JPY per night  
Twin room sharing p.p.
 1800 JPY per night  
Single room upon request  
 
The minimum rental duration is 5 weeks. Incl. Water, Electricity, Heating, Wifi, Cleaning of shared areas. A returnable deposit of 38,000 JPY has to be paid. 
 

Overview of other costs:

 
  • Self-catering from around 200 EUR/USD per month (estimate)
  • Small local expenses (Mobile phone contract, Local Transport): ca. 90-100 EUR/USD per Month (Estimate)
  • Insurances around 30-50 EUR/USD per Month
 

How do I pay?

 
Once all your questions have been answered and you confirm that you want to participate, we will email you an invoice. You can pay it via bank transfer, credit card or via Paypal. You will pay a deposit of 200 EUR / 250 USD when the invoice is issued. One months prior to your arrival you will pay the remainder for your Service Package.
 
The payment modalities for rent and possible further costs (e.g. internship supervision fees, as stated in info box of the respective project description) depend on your host country and placement. We will inform you beforehand. In many cases these costs are paid on site, but for some countries and placements they need to be paid partially or fully in advance.
 
 
Extras
 

Other Projects That Might Interest You:

 
 
These projects are suggestions for alternatives that may interest you or those that could be chosen as COMBINATIONS. The combination of projects in different organizations is often possible and usually cheaper than two individual bookings. Please contact us to know more. Also please check out our Working Holiday support services!
 
 

Japanese Language lessons in Tokyo!

 
Japanese language skills are of massive advantage in Japan. You can book Japanese language lessons for your stay in Japan. You find all details here.
 

Travel Health Insurance

 
We recommend the following travel insurance that is meant specifically for participants of internships, volunteering, language study, working holiday, and courses abroad. It is available for travelers of all nationalities and usable for all countries, except your home country. You can also add a journey liability insurance.
 
Just click on the link, fill in the form and you will get a confirmation email.
 
 
 
 
Tokyo
 
 
Tokyo is located approximately in the center of Japan. With nearly 38 million people in the Tokyo metropolitan area, it is the largest metropolitan area in the world and also one of the most densely populated. The city has the highest economic power worldwide. The actual downtown area has about 9 million inhabitants, and is subdivided into 32 districts.
 
For those who are familiar with Tokyo, the following names will definitely ring a bell:
 
Shibuya - Fashion center, especially for young people, and Nightlife
 
Shinjuku - the station has the world's largest passenger volume, the red light district Kabukicho and the creative music and artists hub, "Golden Gai"
 
Asakusa - Here tourists visit the Buddhist temple Senso-ji
 
Odaiba - artificial island in the Tokyo Bay with attractions such as the Toyota Museum, Cirque du Soleil, the Sega Joypolis theme park, several large shopping malls, Science Museum, Onsen etc.
 
Ginza - the luxurious boulevard with the flagship stores of all major brands
 
Ueno - known for the many museums and the great Ueno Park
 
Roppongi - District where many Americans live, international nightclubs are present, as well as most embassies are located
 
Akihabara - the Mecca for electronics enthusiasts and the otaku culture with anime, manga, video games and maid cafes
 
Sumida - with many museums and the Skytree, at 634 meters, the second highest building in the world, with a big Shopping Centre
 
Shiodome - postmodern skyscraper district with high population density. Here are some TV stations that promote their programs in the studios. Right beside are the Hamarikyu Gardens with a traditional tea house
 
Toyosu - new district on central island at the Tokyo Bay with new skyscrapers and shopping centers. The majority of the new sports venues for the Olympic Games 2020 will be located here and in the bordering districts Ariake and Odaiba.
 
On of our accommodation is located in Kiba, a very central location. You can reach all parts of central Tokyo easily by public transport (Tozai Line). Our other accommodation is located in Kita-Toda in the Saitama Province from where the two trendy neighbourhoods of Shibuya and Shinjuku are particularly fast to reach by train.
 
The months of May to November are warm to hot in Tokyo (July to September, very hot). The winter usually only starts in January and then, it takes a relatively long time, often until May, until it gets really warm again. However, the winters are temperate and rather similar to the Euro-Mediterranean region, or California.
 
Getting There
 

Travelling to Tokyo

 
Tokyo has two large international airports: NARITA and HANEDA, which are served by many airlines. Haneda Airport is located closer to the city centre and is therefore our preferred option. If you find cheaper flights to Narita you can however also choose Narita.
 
You will book a flight on your own. Please try to arrive on a Friday any time between 8am and 9pm. We will pick you up from the airport and will bring you to your accommodation in Tokyo by public transport.
 
FAQs
 

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

 
Are there fixed start dates for the project, which I must adhere to?
You should arrive on a Thursday at one of the two airports of Tokyo, Haneda (preferably) or Narita between 8am and 11pm.
Can I stay longer at my accommodation after my volunteering/internship or arrive earlier?
Yes, this is possible. Just let us know from when to when you need accommodation and we will book it for you.
During my stay, can I travel around the country?
During your internship or Working Holiday jobs, you travel around during your free time, holidays or weekends. If you plan to do longer travel, you should do so before your internship commences or after you will have finished it.
Can I travel alone to Japan as a young woman?
No problem. Japan is probably one of the safest countries of the world.
Will I be the only foreign volunteer/intern in the project or at my site?
We have more than 100 participants of our Working Holiday, internship, volunteering and language programs in Tokyo at any time that you can stay with if you are accommodated at one of our share houses. You may be the only intern/volunteer at your specific project though.
What vaccinations do I need?
Our Info - PDF that you get as a participant, gives detailed information on health care. Also refer to Recommended Vaccinations.
Where will I live?
You The majority of our participants stay at one of our Share Houses. Details are in the tab "Accommodation". If you attend Japanese language lessons through the language school we cooperate with, you can also opt for host family accommodation with a Japanese family.
Does my accommodation have internet facilities?
Yes, there is wifi internet.
How can I do my laundry?
The share houses have coin washing machines.
Can I cook in the accommodation?
Yes, there are well-equipped kitchens at the share houses. Details are in the tab "Accommodation".
I am a vegetarian. Can I get vegetarian food?
Vegetarianism is uncommon in Japan. You may have difficulties to find vegetarian dishes at restaurants. Supermarkets and vegetable/fruit shops however sell a wide range of vegetables that you can buy to prepare your own vegetarian food.
What language skills do I need?
You should be able to make yourself understood in English. If another language is required, this is indicated in the info-boxes of the respective projects.
 
 
    BOOK NOW OR INQUIRE!
 

Ecotourism and Outdoor Tourism Internships: National Parks in Japan

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We can offer ecotourism and outdoor tourism internships in various National Parks in Japan. Most of the offers are explorations of nature by bike, kayak, sailing boat or on foot. Also cultural encounters are often part of these activities.
 

Outdoor activities at Ise-Shima National Park

 
We can arrange internships at various companies that are offering outdoor and ecotourism activities at Ise-Shima National Park. At the companies, there are tourism professionals who can supervise interns. All internships in Ise-Shima are possible with a minimum duration of one week only!
 
The Ise Shima National Park in Mie Prefecture is known for its densely forested hilly coastal landscape with many bays and small islands along the coast.
The theme of the National Park is harmony between human and nature, which has been put into practice here for thousands of years. A famous attraction of the park are the Ama women who are traditional divers. Without any any diving equipment they are gathering abalone, turban shells and other seafood from the ocean ground in an environmentally friendly way. The ama culture is also known as the cradle of pearl cultivation. Their techniques and knowledge are recognized as a UNESCO cultural world heritage.
 

Provider of Ama tours and nature tours in Toba

 
The six women of this tour operator are pioneers of ecotourism in Japan. As early as in 2009 they already won the National Ecotourism Award for their innovative tours.
 
The tours include visiting the Ama women who explain their techniques. Afterwards, visitors can enjoy freshly caught seafood, which has the reputation to be the best of Japan. Up to the Heian period (794-1185), only seafood from Ise-Shima was served at the imperial palace.
 
Furthermore there are boat tours with lunch at a fishing village, and during the summer months (June-September) tours to watch Sea Fireflies (Vargula hilgendorfii). Sea Fireflies are nocturnal small water animals that have been existing for 400 million years, known for their blue bioluminescence.  
 
The customers of this tour operator are both from Japan and from abroad. During the summer months, they also receive Japanese student groups almost every day.
 
As an intern, you will accompany the tours and support the guides. In addition, at the office in central Toba City, you'll be helping with social media marketing, writing texts for websites and flyers, doing translations, as well as answering inquiries and communicating with clients in English and other languages ​​that you know.
 
The internship is possible in English. Accommodation is at a single room at a traditional Japanese ryokan next to the visitor center. The costs are 4000 JPY per night for sharing a twin room, including 3 meals, or 6000 JPY per night for a single room. Pictures of the accommodation can be found in the gallery above when you click through to the end of the pictures.
 

Fisherman's Guesthouse and Experience in Ise-Shima

 
A small fishing company with several employees, besides their main activity of fishing, is also providing tourism experiences related to fishing, and is running a holiday home.
 
As an intern, around 60-80% of your time will be spent on fishing-related activities, and 20-40% on tourism-related activities (more tourism-related activities during the summer months of July to September, less tourism-related activities in the off-season).
 
The fishing-related activities include: Red Snappers are bred in large, floating cages in the bay. Every morning at 6am you will go by boat to the cages to feed the fish. If the company has orders for fish, some fish will be taken from the cages, packaged and transported by truck directly to the customers or to the fish markets of Nagoya or Fukui. You will assist with all these activities. If you are interested, you can also join the truck to get to know other parts of Japan.
 
The tourism-related activities include: Tourists can join the fishing boat and learn how to catch fish by net from the cages as well as from the sea. Then they get a Japanese cooking lesson and learn how to prepare the freshly-caught fish in a Japanese style. There are also lessons on how to properly fillet fish, on how to cut fish for sushi/sashimi, and how to smoke fish.
 
You can be a tour guide (either as an assistant or on your own) in English and possibly other foreign languages that you know, providing the boat trips and cooking lessons (you will learn how to do all of this). Also you can assist with social media marketing, answer inquiries and do communications with clients.
 
The internship is possible all year round, but few tourism-related activities take place during the winter months. Your internship will be on 5 days per week for about 8 hours per day. As an intern, you should enjoy to eat fresh fish. Accommodation is in a village house for JPY 3500 per night. There is a kitchen at the house and food ingredients will be provided to you without additional costs.
 

Outdoor Tours at Tomoyama-Park

 
Tomoyama Park is part of Ise-Shima National Park, located around the quiet Ago Bay, home to pearl cultivation. The provider offering this internship runs kayak tours, bicycle tours and guided hikes in the Tomoyama Park. In cooperation with other providers further activities such as water zorbing and diving are offered to tourists.
 
With either 3 tours of 1.5 hours or 2 tours of 3 hours per day during the summer season and up to 60 kayaks joining each tour, accompanied by multiple guides, this company is one of the largest and most professional outdoor tour operators in the region. Customers also include foreign travel groups who spend 2 days of their 10-days Japan itinerary inside the Ise Shima National Park, doing all kind of outdoor activities.
 
As an intern, you would ccompany the various tours, support the marketing and PR activities in English as well as in other languages you might know, e.g. production of TV programs and content for Youtube, Instagram, and assist in product development for your home markets.
 
Your internship will be on 5 days per week. The internship is available all year round. Accommodation is in a municipal hostel next to the company's visitor center inside Tomoyama Park and food is delivered to you. The cost is 3500 JPY per night.
 

Sunny Coast Kayaking

 
Sunny Coast offers half-day and full-day kayak tours in Ise-Shima National Park, starting from the village of Okasho. The one-man business is run by a passionate kayak athlete who is guiding all tours himself. He also runs a shop for kayaking supplies.
 
In the summer months there is a daily tour from 9:30am to 12pm and another from 1:30pm to 4pm, with a maximum of 6 kayaks (singles or doubles) per tour. The winter months are typically sunny and the bay usually has very calm water, so tours are possible all year round.
 
As an intern, on 5 days per week, you will accompany tours, supporting the guide, prepare equipment for tours, do social media marketing from the office, and answer inquiries in English.
 
Internships are available year-round except for the peak month of August, when the company owner is too busy with the tours to take care of interns.
 
Accommodation is in a hotel of high standards. You will pay 3500 JPY per night for a single room. The real cost of athe ccommodation are about twice that amount, but the city of Okasho will cover the extra costs. The room has a fridge, but no kitchen. You can cook in the kitchen of the kayaking centre and ingredients will be provided to you at no extra cost. Photos of the hotel can be found at the end of the picture gallery.
 

Countyside Tourism, bicycle tours in Takayama

 
We can arrange an ecotourism internship with a tour operator that in the region of Takayama/Hida, about 4 hours by train west of Tokyo, offers full-day and half-day guided bicycle tours in English and Japanese, showing visitors "Rural Japan".
 
On the tours, the lives of the rural population are shown and visitors get insights that go far beyond the information found in typical guidebooks. You will learn first-hand about rice cultivation and you will visit a farmer's market, where the stories of the farmers are at least as good as their produce.
 
In addition, the tour operator offers guided walking tours in Takayama with a culinary focus, where visitors can witness the production of sake, soy sauce and miso, as well as guided cross-country skiing tours in winter, during which the snow is mostly high in the region.
 
Interns join the bicycle tours as assistant guides, they provide information at the company's reception desk in Takayama, assist with marketing, for instance writing texts for the company's website, and they join community activities. Basic Japanese language skills are expected. Applicants must pass a skype interview. The minimum duration of the internship is 1 month. The working hours are usually from 9am to 6pm with a one-hour lunch break on 5 days per week. Sometimes the work might start earlier.
 
Single-room accommodation on a self-catering basis is provided free of charge at an apartment, which is approximately 15 minutes by bicycle from the office. In case the apartment is occupied, you will stay with a host family free of charge that also provides breakfast and dinner at no cost. If you stay with a host family, it is expected that you assist with housekeeping and babysitting.

 

Diving school, sailing tours and traditional guest house in Shizuoka

 
During the summer months (June-October) we can arrange tourism internships in Numazu-shi/Shizuoka.
 
You assist in the provision of watersports activities (scuba diving, sailing, canooing) and in running a small guest house. Actual tasks at the guest house include cooking, serving meals, managing bookings, and preparing rooms. Interns who don't have any diving experience can get free diving lessons in the beginning of their stay, and will then be an assistant to the watersports instructors, e.g. they will hand out the diving equipment to clients and will make sure it is applied correctly.
 
During the summer months, every day a small number of tourists are staying at the guest house (around 2-11 persons), but there are also regularly large groups of up to 80 college students coming for diving and sailing tours. The guest house only has 3 rooms: two rooms with 4 beds each and one triple room; thus the total bed capacity is 11 guests.
 
Interns get free accommodation and meals. For the official PADI license and the PADI handbook costs of around 20,000 JPY (around 150 EUR) apply.
 
No Japanese language skills are required, but it is mandatory to be able to communicate in English.
 
Internship Report of Michaela.
 
 

Shin-Etsu Hiking Trail

 
The Shin-Etsu Trail runs along the ridge of the Sekida Mountains, which form the boundary between the prefactures of Nagano and Niigata. In the past the trail was used to transport salt and marine products from Niigata and paper and mustard seed oil from Nagano. The area which is located at an altitude of around 900-1300 above sea level boasts a rich ecosystem of dense beech forests. The 80 kilometers of the Shin-Etsu Trail can be hiked within 5-6 days; there are accommodation options in guest houses and campsites.
 
Interns and volunteers with Japanese language skills at conversation level can support an NGO that maintains the hiking trail in good condition and informs visitors about nature, local history and culture.
 
 

Ogasawara Islands Nationalpark

 
The Ogasawara Islands (also known as Bonin Islands) that are located around 1000 km south of Tokyo have never been connected to the Asian continent and have therefore, similar to Galapagos Islands, developed a unique ecosystem. They are a UNESCO world heritage. 70% of the islands' plants are endemic, just as numerous species of finches, snails and flying foxes. One can often spot Green Marine Turtles, Humpback Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins. Only 2 of the 30 islands are inhabited.
 
Tourist activities on the islands include diving tours, boat excursions and walking trips guided by biologists on beaches and at the islands' interior.
 
Interns and volunteers with Japanese language skills at conversational level can do a placement with the Ogasawara Tourism Association and support the guides and staff with tours and other tourist activities.
Info Box
infoboxheader01 3 en
Location: Several location, see text
Availability: all year
Minimum Duration: See text
Maximum Duration: 12 Months (depending on visa)
Required Language Skills: English or Japanese- see text
Accommodation: See text
infoboxheader02 3 en
Supervision possible: Yes
Qualification supervisor: Biologists, tourism professionals
Minimum qualification of intern: none
Further contribution to the project: No
Remuneration: No
Volunteering
Volunteering possible: Yes
Required qualification of interns: none
Further contribution to the project: No
It is expected:
Professional work, the "right" attitude
 
Rates
 

I. World Unite! Service Package

800 EUR one-time fee for any duration.
 
In case of 2 persons: 700 EUR per person for any duration.
 
Convert to USD, GBP, AUD, CAD and other currencies.
 
* Not all durations are possible for all nationalities and age groups due to visa restrictions.
 

The World Unite! Service Package includes:

 
  • Arrangement of your Placement
  • Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
  • Access to the World Unite! Online Resource Centre which has Preparation Materials including Intercultural Preparation, compiled particularly for your destination (PDFs, Videos)
  • Preparation Session via Skype, together with further participants
  • (If required) arrangements of the Documents you need for your Visa Application, but not the official government fees for the visa (if they apply, see details above)
  • Support with Residence Registration, Mobile phone contract, opening a bank account (if needed and possible, depending on visa category)
  • Pick-up and Transfers on arrival from Haneda or Narita airport or next international airport
  • Personal support staff in Tokyo (English and Japanese speaking) and at our international office
  • Local orientation about life in Tokyo
  • 24 Hours emergency support by local support team
  • Issuance of Confirmations/Certificates for your university, scholarship, insurance, etc. and filling out/signing Internship Contracts for your university
  • Costs for 10 seedlings of indigenous trees that we plant on the slopes of Kilimanjaro
 

The Rates do NOT include:

 
  • Accommodation and Meals (please refer to the project description for details)
  • Travel to/from Japan (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
  • Official fees for Visa (see below)
  • Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
  • Personal Expenses
  • Vaccinations
  • Local Transport (Estimated amounts see below)
 

II. Accommodation Costs

 
Please refer to the text of the project description about details whether and which costs apply for accommodation.
 
 

Overview of other costs:

 
  • Self-catering from around 200 EUR/USD per month (estimate)
  • Small local expenses (Mobile phone contract, Local Transport): ca. 90-100 EUR/USD per Month (Estimate)
  • Insurances around 30-50 EUR/USD per Month
 

How do I pay?

 
Once all your questions have been answered and you confirm that you want to participate, we will email you an invoice. You can pay it via bank transfer, credit card or via Paypal. You will pay a deposit of 200 EUR / 250 USD when the invoice is issued. One months prior to your arrival you will pay the remainder for your Service Package.
 
The payment modalities for rent and possible further costs (e.g. internship supervision fees, as stated in info box of the respective project description) depend on your host country and placement. We will inform you beforehand. In many cases these costs are paid on site, but for some countries and placements they need to be paid partially or fully in advance.
 
 
Extras
 

Other Projects That Might Interest You:

 
 
These projects are suggestions for alternatives that may interest you or those that could be chosen as COMBINATIONS. The combination of projects in different organizations is often possible and usually cheaper than two individual bookings. Please contact us to know more. Also please check out our Working Holiday support services!
 
 

Japanese Language lessons in Tokyo!

 
Japanese language skills are of massive advantage in Japan. You can book Japanese language lessons for your stay in Japan. You find all details here.
 

Travel Health Insurance

 
We recommend the following travel insurance that is meant specifically for participants of internships, volunteering, language study, working holiday, and courses abroad. It is available for travelers of all nationalities and usable for all countries, except your home country. You can also add a journey liability insurance.
 
Just click on the link, fill in the form and you will get a confirmation email.
 
 
 
 
Getting There
 
Depending on the location you can fly directly to the nearest airport in Japan from where we would arrange pickup. We will provide details to you.
 
Alternatively, you can travel to Tokyo, meet our team and then proceed to your placement by train, domestic flight or ship.
 
Tokyo has two large international airports: NARITA and HANEDA, which are served by many airlines. Haneda Airport is located closer to the city centre and is therefore our preferred option. If you find cheaper flights to Narita you can however also choose Narita.
 
You will book a flight on your own. Please try to arrive on a Thursday any time between 8am and 11pm. We will pick you up from the airport and will bring you to your accommodation in Tokyo by public transport.
 
 
    BOOK NOW OR INQUIRE!
 

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