Working holiday in Japan and registering address… would someone let me use their address?

4 comments

1. This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.

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   **Working holiday in Japan and registering address… would someone let me use their address?**

   Hey there,

   I’m looking to move back to Japan with the intent of travelling in a van (currently thinking for a year) and possibly doing very short stints of work in hostels or what have you, which is why I think the best option would be a working holiday visa. However, I have run across the issue that you are required to register an address. The link to the thread below has some good discussion on the problem.

   [https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/comments/10a388u/working_holiday_in_japan_without_registration_of/](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/comments/10a388u/working_holiday_in_japan_without_registration_of/)

   Does anyone have any solutions to having an address while travelling? I have some friends in Japan from the last time I lived there and was wondering if it’s possible to register with them. But before I ask anyone, would there be anything negative about registering an address with someone (eg. any reason why they wouldn’t want to)? Other than the NHK guy coming around and bothering them?

   Another option I thought of would be to find an extremely cheap place in the countryside to rent just for the sake of having an address, but I would rather not spend unnecessary money when I’m already travelling on a budget, and I imagine this would be easier said than done.

   Any creative ideas appreciated!

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2. Whoever provides the address is responsible for you should anything go wrong, whether it be health wise, financially or legally.

   There are services you can pay for such an address, but it has to be an address of a Japanese resident, not just a random address you get from renting a place or asking a stranger on reddit. (its also kinda illegal)

   Also, travelling around in a van in Japan? That sounds so impractical and dodgy, I’d imagine a 12 year old thought of it.

   Seriously, do some more research.

3. I’m just wondering where you would get the van in the first place? You won’t be able to buy a van because you won’t have a registered parking space for it.

   Renting a van for that long of a time, besides it probably being impossible at one company, becomes prohibitively expensive

4. Just to point out, the comments were not a direct shot at you but rather at your plan, as you will not only find it impracticable (I.e. places you apply to work for while on your working holiday WILL ask for fixed address details when you apply, and if you keep using the same friends address, you will be found out and reported to immigration) and illegal, as an actual fixed living address is required (regardless of how much you plan to travel – have known people who have traveled the whole of Japan and still had a fixed place of residence). When immigration catches you and they WILL, the penalties will be severe and you will likely be blacklisted from applying for a working visa of any kind again. Although travelling the country in a van while working (backpacking as it’s commonly called) is common is most parts of Europe, and other western countries such as Australia, and New Zealand (where I am orginally from), Japan is a whole different ‘kettle of fish’ when it comes to legalities of working VISAs. Not that you CAN’T do most of what you are planning, however, the not having/declaring a fake fixed address of residence need further thought, even if it’s locating the cheapest den possible to minimize costs and registered that as your fixed address while you travel (you will though as mentioned by others need a resident in Japan to act as your guarantor, so your only choice there may be to pay for that service with one of the many in companies which offer the service in Japan (most don’t come cheap).