Okay, sounds like a crazy question but… I was planning a climb of Fuji later this month, and noticed that almost every mountain hut has postings for staff. I also noticed that very few of them speak any English despite there being a ton of gaijin climbers.
So, the question is, has anyone seen a foreigner working in a mountain hut? Would there be any specific reason they couldn’t? It would fit fairly well with the school holidays, and I would think having someone fluent in English (especially if they make this clear on their website) would bring in more overseas guests?
Heh, it’s 5am and I may have found my dream job. Or else I’m just not awake yet.
11 comments
No reason you couldn’t unless you’re on a visa that doesn’t allow such work.
Sure, you can. I’ve seen a couple of foreign employees at various mountain huts across Japan.
No specific reason if you have the correct visa.
How is your Japanese? I’m guessing its needs to be pretty good.
I was lucky enough to be a guide way back when for a summer gig
One of the top 3 things I have done in my 62 years
Try
https://www.navymwryokosuka.com/
Send them an email to see if you qualify if you are interested.
They are looking for guides so not sure if that is what you are searching for…
So long as you have the necessary visa category discrimination based on nationality is prohibited.
Not Mt Fuji but there was a job ad (in Japanese) for something similar at a popular hiking spot in my area.
It was a seasonal thing so I thought hey cool this could be a nice side hustle. So I gave them a call and asked about it. In my case, I was told no for two reasons. One is that there wasn’t a real need for someone who can speak English because they rarely had any foreign hikers, and even if they did it’s manageable by the onsite staff using English pamphlets and such. The second one was because, in case of an emergency, they needed someone who can reliably handle incidents and communicate fully in Japanese (to responders and such). Despite telling them I actually have volunteered many times in my local disaster training seminars so communication shouldn’t b a problem, still was told the “sumimasen but no.”
Mt Fuji is a totally different case though so I think you might have better odds than me lol.
It isn’t exactly legal to not hire you because you are not Japanese; though they can not hire you because of language, skillset, visa …(racism, xenophobia…)
Might as well apply and see what happens? Used to be all Japanese working the register at the combini, now I challenge you to find a combini fully staffed without gaijin, so Mt Fuji could be the Next Big Thing in Gaijin baito.
Being capable to process anything people would ask or require from you, including emergency information, in Japanese, is a skillset almost zero non-natives have.
IMO, mt fuji would not be a good place to do this. Especially when there are so many other places and choices–[like this.](https://www.inkknot.com)
I considered some of those places for a while (retired and PR, so no conflicts that way), but while most don’t specifically exclude older people, their ideal candidate/worker is much younger.
And besides front desk work (talking to those foreigners), hospitality involves cooking, dishwashing, cleaning, etc. And the nature of their busy times mean it’ll often be a split shift, early morning and evening work, with midday free.
>… I may have found my dream job.
Your “dream job” may your nightmare enslavement.
The Mount Fuji hut masters are some worst employers on the planet with yelling at their employees cum slaves 24/7 for 12 weeks straight (no days off). The hut masters never sleep for the entire 12 week season just nap during lulls in hikers from 10am to 4pm. This sleep deprivation makes them crazy and mean to everyone, both guests and especially their staff. THE. WORST. PEOPLE. ON. THE. PLANET.
One thing to note is that it’s a tight knit community and so the best way to get hired is to make friends with one of the guides so that they introduce you. That’s how someone in my circle got hired.
I saw a foreigner working in one of the huts. Not sure if she’s full gaijin or partly Japanese but she speaks really good Japanese from what I can tell. I can’t remember which stop it was but we were doing the Yoshida trail.