Working Holiday "off the beaten track"

[Firebird]

Well, after ive been a member of Japanforum for some weeks and have been reading many advises and threads in the traveling section i come to introducing myself and asking my questions to Traveling in Japan.

My name is Dennis, im 24 and im from Germany. I have been learning Japanese since around 6 months to have at least some language when i arrive there. I have already been on a Working Holiday in Australia and that worked out fine, so now im heading to Japan. (my german blog to Australia is Japan 2008/2009 )

Now to my plans: Flight 24.06.2008 (booked) to Tokyo.
Staying in Tokyo for 6 weeks (of wich are 4 weeks japanese conversation class (booked))
Heading to Hokkaido, meeting a friend from Australia in Sapporo and buying a car. Traveling around Hokkaido by car, maybe some woofing. (time around 2 months)
Around september heading back towards Tokyo for staying there during the winter. I will travel from Hokkaido to Tokyo by car, but will defenetly try to leave the car somewhere outside Tokyo.
Getting a monthly trainticket and a accomodation in a Gaijinhouse/apartment in Tokyo and getting a job. Working and chilling in Tokyo till Spring.
Leaving Tokyo south (again with the car) and moving all the was south.
Getting some last days in Okinawa (maybe some more woofing) and then heading to South Korea.

I know this are big plans, and im sure im gonna change them here and there (as i did in australia) but its just to give u an idea of traveling. Now to my questions:
Accomodation: I plan to sleep in the car during the warmer days, just somewhere next to the roadside outside the Towns in rural areas or on camping places. Do you think this is possible at all?
I also plan to use couchsurfing and hospitalityclub: Anybody got expierence?
How about woofing, any expierence?
In Tokyo i will stay in a Gaijin House or apartment during winter. I have seen a link somewhere on the Forum to Apartment wich cater gaijins and dont have the high "buy in" (agent fee,...) but i cant find the link again, so post it if you know it.
Of course if nothing else works i will stay in Hostels, Ryokans, etc..

Car: Well, this is the part wich will probably be the most difficult, but trains are expensive, you cant get everywhere and you dont have the freedom you have in a car, so i want to try it.
Driving left shouldn´t be a problem, as i already did this in Australia.
Registration will be difficult, does anyone have an idea how it will be for a gaijin on a work visa (i know its possible and my german license is ok when i get a translation).
I want to try to avoid the highways if outside the cities because of the toll. I have time, so i can go throught the overland streets. What is the speed limit? I think i have been reading about 60km/h?
How expensive is speeding? Im not a speeding fan, but how about getting caught with 70-75 on a street where the limit is 60?

Alien registration: It says you have to change your address everytime u move? How about my plan, i would have to change it every day..... Does anyone know about that?

Bank account: Any Problems opening a bank account as gaijin? I heard its not so hard if you already have the alien registration. How about the costs of banking? Does it cost to take money out of the atm? Are differences between banks? How about the name stamp? Can i get one as foreigner wich will work? Or do i have to / can i use my signature?

Mobile Phone: Can i just get a used mobilephone and get it working (like here u just get a new card)? What does it ~cost to send mails(sms)? Are incoming calls free (in germany they are alway free)? How is the reception "off the beaten track"?

Voip: VoipDiscount | Free Calls and SMS sounds pretty good to me. Has anyone tried it yet? Any experience? If i understand it right u can put some money on your account and than call some countries for free for 120 days. So i could put money on it 3 times in the year and call back to germany for free from my laptop (if i got internet off course)
Ah by the way, how about finding free wlan spots? Are there many around Tokyo? If not, do internetcafes allow laptops? are they charged higher?

Anyone else doing a WHV Year? It seems that there are very few young people doing it in Japan (around 6500 in 2007 from wich 3500 are Koreans! and only 250 Germans)

Sorry, for this many questions (and the mistakes), but that is just whats going through my head at the moment, so i hope someone can help me with at least some of them.
I´m sure i will find some more questions in the future, so ill just post them here.
Well, thanks in advance for any answers, suggestions, help,..... Anything is apreciated!

Ja mata in Tokyo
Dennis

Ah, well i will be writing a webblog from this time in Japan (in german) and i will probably be also writing one in English, but i will inform u of the adress when i started it.

[Firebird]

Well, it seems i asked to many questions at once, or to diffucult ones, so if you know any answer, even 1, i would like to hear it ; )
Dennis

[samurai007]

I may be wrong about this, but Japan didn't strike me as the kind of country where it's easy to do all that stuff. Some countries are more laid back about immigrants working here and there as the need and opportunity present themselves, buying and registering a car, etc. In America, Canada, Australia, much of Europe, no problem. But Japan is a bit tougher. They like foreign residents on work visas to come to Japan with a job and a Japanese guaranteer to vouch for them. Foreign residents are supposed to register their address with the local police. Buying a car requires keeping the shaken up to date and other things which can be extremely expensive (How are you going to just "leave your car" someplace outside Tokyo for the winter?).

I don't think they'd be too happy about someone coming to Japan, working here and there, sleeping in their car, etc. I'm not saying it's necessarily impossible, but Japan is just not that relaxed and permissive of foreigners who want to live and work there.

[Firebird]

Well, there is a working holiday visa for getting to know the culture better. Like i said (maybe not?) i´m not planning to imigrate into Japan and im not planning to stay longer than the Visa allows.
I know it will be very difficult to obtain a car, but i still want to try it. If it doesn´t work, i will travel by bus or train.
I´m also aware of the problem with the Shaken, so i hope to get a car with 1 year shaken left and then just give it away for some bucks (or free if i have too) after the year. Because of the Shaken, used cars are very cheap in Japan and the Petrol is not more expensive than here. About sleeping in the car, i will se how that works, maybe it doesn´t, like i said my plans are not fix.

About working here and there: i plan to mainly work during the whole winter time in Tokyo. Leaving the car outside will probably be more difficult, but i wont bother to much with it now. Taking the car insinde Toyko might just be to crazy, so i thought about leaving it on the outskirts of tokyo and taking the train inside.

One more time: I´m not on a work visa, but on a working holiday visa MOFA: The Working Holiday Programmes in Japan and also have a look here: Working Holiday / Japan Association for Working Holiday Makers
and i´m not planning to emigrate or overstay!

Edit: by the way, most people don´t know about this Visa. There are around 6500 people a year going to Japan on a WHV, thereoff around 3500 are Koreans and just around 250 Germans, so thats very few considered to Australia/NZ/Canada, but thats making it even more interesting for me (i have already been to Australia 1 year). I´m well aware that it is gonna be more difficult and probably more expensive than Australia, but i have saved up some money. If all ties brake i can still come home earlier, but i don´t want to do that!

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by Firebird

Well, there is a working holiday visa for getting to know the culture better. Like i said (maybe not?) i´m not planning to imigrate into Japan and im not planning to stay longer than the Visa allows.
I know it will be very difficult to obtain a car, but i still want to try it. If it doesn´t work, i will travel by bus or train.
I´m also aware of the problem with the Shaken, so i hope to get a car with 1 year shaken left and then just give it away for some bucks (or free if i have too) after the year. Because of the Shaken, used cars are very cheap in Japan and the Petrol is not more expensive than here. About sleeping in the car, i will se how that works, maybe it doesn´t, like i said my plans are not fix.

About working here and there: i plan to mainly work during the whole winter time in Tokyo. Leaving the car outside will probably be more difficult, but i wont bother to much with it now. Taking the car insinde Toyko might just be to crazy, so i thought about leaving it on the outskirts of tokyo and taking the train inside.

One more time: I´m not on a work visa, but on a working holiday visa (example the NZ site Japan Working Holiday Scheme) and also have a look here: Working Holiday / Japan Association for Working Holiday Makers
and i´m not planning to emigrate or overstay!

America doesn't have those Working Holiday Visas, so I don't know much about them.

Are you going to leave the car with people you know, or just abandon it somewhere? If the latter, it may well be gone (or not working) when you return.

[Firebird]

Yeah, as you can see, i editet it because i know that most people don´t know about that visa, so no worries, didn´t want to sound bad or anything.
About the car thing, i´m not still not sure how that will work out, thats the biggest question mark right now....
I just know that it is possible on the WHV and that i want to try it, thats it. As i know from Australia, everything will come in a different way than planned, so i don´t worry to much about the details now.
Ah, what i wanted to add: I know i´m a big dreamer and stuff, but im not one of the kiddys who "want to go there and be a mangaka", or "just live in Tokyo", "go there someday". I got the ticket, i got the insurance, i got some money, i quit my job, i´m learning japanese, i got some connections and im applying for the visa today.
But thanks for the reply anyway

[KabochaKorokke]

A bit late with this, i see the original post was over a year ago, still...

I am very interested in this kind of easy going travelling, too, and since there is SO much wild countryside in Japan, (while there are dangerous wild bears and some boar, there are fewer human villains, so far) - I think a lot about 'wild terrain' and winter camping, (and the kind of 'car camping' described in this thread. ie in an ordinary car, not a specific 'camping car') - a way to travel which is acceptable in many parts of Europe, and which I have done many times without the smallest problem. I know that parking in Japan is quite severely restricted and I have seen few official 'public car parks' of the kind that are available around European towns and resorts etc.

In Japan there is plenty of fresh water, and basic food supplies are not at all expensive, good public baths and toilet facilities are readily available, countrywide.
Talking about it with Japanese people - is not easy (especially as i dont speak Japanese!) - there does seem to be a faint 'shock horror' response. Im not sure why, but have yet to find Japanese people who are willing to discuss their objections and how any problems are overcome.
Is there anyone who has camped in wild terrain on this list please? Who can add any opinions?
As for hostels, and cheap, basic ryokan, I have stayed in both, many times - and found the service, most often, with only one exception, truly excellent, high standards of cleanliness, and often better facilities than the more expensive hotels.(eg internet access and cooking facilities).

Tatami room and futon sleeping seems to me to be best and cleanest way to sleep, too.
I have no confidence in the fitted carpet, & thick western style mattresses - that cant be cleaned nearly so easily as a futon and bean pillow, on tatami.
I hope there will be more contributors to this thread who have experience and ideas how to travel in these very basic ways.

[Firebird]

Thanks for the answer. I came back 2 month ago and i will write some answers to my own questions soon wich will include some budget. Right now i´m quite busy but ill write something shortly.