At spot 9 in the top 10 of GAP year destinations is Japan; the country where the past meets the future. The Japanese people are very polite and friendly towards foreigners, which makes it an excellent GAP year destination. The two most popular GAP year destinations within the country are Tokyo and Kyoto. The country has a strong and colourful culture. Thousands of old temples are preserved throughout the country. It is a hard decision to choose between the two cities. When you have chosen to go on a Japan GAP year be aware of their customs. Japanese people are extremely polite and can easily be offended. It takes a study to get to know their customs.
 Tokyo is an enormous city with a lot of tall buildings, flashing lights and modern fashion. Like everywhere else in Japan they manage to do that without losing their old traditional ways and looks, although it is common to see a Buddhist temple next to a McDonalds. The city has a population of 12 million, so don’t count on a large accommodation during your GAP year job. Tokyo is the fashion capital as well, while walking in the streets you will notice the extreme hip youngsters. If you are looking for a good nightlife, the centre of Tokyo is open 24/7!
As mentioned, another popular destination is Kyoto. You will find the real Japanese GAP experience here. This has been the capital of Japan till 1868, and still is titled as the cultural capital. It lies about 500 km south of the Tokyo, in the Kansai region. The city of Kyoto has over 2000 temples, a dozen palaces and a handful of city parks. If you want to discover the culture of Japan, Kyoto would be the better choice of Japan GAP destination. Kyoto is not as flashy and hip as the capital, but the cultural output of the city is enormous.
When it comes to Japan GAP job offers in the biggest cities the variety is not as wide as you might think. In Tokyo and Kyoto the main jobs available are paid internships. Where other big cities around the world are screaming for au pairs; Japan doesn’t seems to be in need of those. During the years the Japanese cities opened a lot of centres for disabled people. They are always in need of volunteers; your main activities will be guiding and interacting with these people on their trips. This way you are able to see different parts of the city while working, socialising with locals and picking up some Japanese words on the way!
In the larger cities it is common for people to understand and speak a little English. Although because of the great difference between the languages the pronunciation and grammar are often at a low level. There is need for English teachers throughout the country. This Japan GAP year job is available as a volunteer job or a paid internship.
 Japan is an enormous island with a big cannel between them and the rest of Asia. The fact that they have always been a separated country shows in two different ways. They developed their culture with minimal influence of other countries and they have a unique flora & fauna. Volunteering for a Wildlife or Environment GAP job is a great experience in this country. The hills of Japan are full of secrets waiting to be discovered.
A popular GAP year job in any country with the right conditions is being a skiing instructor. Especially Niseko in the north of Japan is a very popular destination among tourists looking for hills covered in snow. There are a lot of skiing facilities at the mountain. Within the different sort of GAP jobs there are several functions and work places available. These are just a couple of examples of GAP Year job offers in Japan. |
