Japan

Travel Japan on your gap year. Ideas for gap year travel to Japan.

Japan gap year - Gap year programmes in Japan

The far-eastern country of Japan remains something of an enigma to the majority of us in the west. Most people associate Japan with its cutting edge modern technology. Japan, however, is also a land of ancient gods and customs and is deeply traditional in many respects. As well as being the home of neon-lit cities, Japan also boasts some beautiful countryside and serene landscapes. Cities in Japan are some of the busiest and most hectic anywhere, yet most of the people you find in them are likely to be some of the most polite and charming you've ever come across. It's precisely this myriad of contradictions within Japan which makes it such a fascinating country to explore on your gap year.

Arguably the main attraction of travelling in Japan is the distinct feeling of being in a land and culture quite unlike any other on the planet. The best way to get to the heart of the culture in Japan is by living and working there. On a practical level the cash you earn helps to fund your travel in Japan and, at the same time, you get to experience culture in Japan on a more intimate level than a passing tourist.

Geographically Japan is located on the far eastern coast of Asia and is actually made up of some 6800 volcanic islands. Japan has a population of 127 million people living in a land area one and a half times the size of Britain, which makes for a somewhat crowded experience in much of Japan. This is exacerbated by the fact that the majority of Japan's population lives on the main island of Honshu. Running from north to south, Japan's three other main islands are Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu. All of these islands are joined to Honshu by a series of bridges and tunnels that are the very model of Japanese efficiency and technology. High speed trains dash from one side of Japan to the other with incredible punctuality. Travelling on these bullet trains is an essential part of the whole Japan experience - one minute you can be looking through the window at a rural scene of rice paddy fields, and a few minutes later the view might change to reveal an ultra-modern metropolis looming on the horizon.  

If you'd like to experience Japanese culture to the full and get some paid work in Japan on your gap year then Real Gap's ‘Paid work in Japan' is ideal. The programme takes all of the initial hassle out of sorting out a working holiday visa for Japan and, once you arrive in Japan, there is loads of support and help with finding a job. There are all kinds of jobs available in Japan under this programme - ranging from teaching English to acting! Participants are encouraged to enrol with a language in school in order to learn some Japanese during their time in Japan and there is even help with finding your accommodation. The programme is extremely flexible in that you can work as little or as much as you like and there are support offices throughout Japan, not just in Tokyo.

Real Gap's Work and Travel Japan programme starts in Japan's capital city - Tokyo. Tokyo is the ultimate modern city and the atmosphere there is one of sheer energy. Tokyo is also the best place to check out some of Japan's traditional performing arts, such as sumo wrestling or the Kabuki plays. Incredibly the population of Tokyo is such that there is an estimated 14,000 people per square mile! Rather than detracting from the overall experience, however, Tokyo's crowded feel somehow adds to its exciting and vibrant atmosphere. You can't help but be impressed with some of the solutions Japan has come up with to help solve this problem - such as the ‘capsule hotels', which have sleeping pods in which to spend the night rather than entire bedrooms. 

Japan's second largest city is Osaka. Like Tokyo, Osaka doesn't have a long list of tourist sights to tick off and ‘do' but is simply a great city to stroll through and soak up the unique atmosphere. Cities in Japan generally most come to life at night and Osaka is no exception to this rule. After dark Osaka is transformed in to a dazzling neon-lit world that really captures the imagination. A popular evening meal in Osaka is tako-yaki (fried octopus ball), and there's no better way to experience nightlife in Japan than by going out for some sushi before hitting the bars and clubs.  

Travelling in Japan isn't, however, all about city life and there are plenty of attractive wide-open spaces to be found if you look in the right places. You never have to travel too far in Japan before you come across an ancient temple and there are numerous outdoor activities to enjoy in some beautiful locations - including skiing, trekking, scuba diving and surfing off one of Japan's subtropical islands.  

There's no easy way to sum up a country as diverse and contradictory as Japan. To understand Japan you really just need to go there and experience life in Japan for yourself. 

Japan gap year - Gap year programmes in Japan


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