I have a great idea to trek around in Japan for a year and experance the 4 seasons of this beautiful country. I did a 2 week long trip in Nov. of 06 and had the most amzing experance. The people were outstandingly helpful and kind to a stranger... ME!! I spent time in Osaka, Takayama, Shirawago, Mt. Koya, Nara and the Kiso valley. From the big cities to the small town to the religous areas never did I find anything unpleasent. I have been study the culture of old and new for several years now and find myself not satisfied with a 2 week holiday. This is the main reason for spending a whole year just traveling around. I want to find the out of the way places and meet the people and goto their festivals. Dose anyone have an idea on how to gain access to Japan for a year? I am not going to work or make money so I dont need a work visa just a general with specail premission.

Surely, staying in Japan a whole year for visiting the country would be a great thing. But the visa is going to be a very serious issue...

If you were from France, England, New Zealand and a couple of other countries, and are less than 30 years old, you could ask for a work-holiday visa...

There is probably no way to get a 1-year visa just to visit the country. The immigration will be very concern by a single question : "how can you pay for 1 year without trying to get a job?". Fair question, indeed. Your best chance would be a "cultural visa", which can be given if you intend to come to Japan to study a typical Japanese art, like ikebana. This could be a way to get a visa, and stay in Japan for 1 year... I would contact directly the Japanese embassy of your country and ask if there is a way to get around the visa problem.

sanji

Thanks for the advice. I am from the US and can get into Japan for 90 days. The culture visa would limite the area I could travel I think. The goal is to take a year and really see the county. The culture visa say you cant make any money so I think it is just a matter of showing finaces. I hope. Do you know if there is any problem with a US citizen staying out of the US for a year? I have gotten a mix responce some say I might need premission and others say I don't. Just wonder if anyone knows for sure and who do I talk too about that. Oh what if I can get someone to sponcer me? I hear that makes a big differance in getting a visa. My last option is to maybe get a job writting update articals for some website like Japan-guide or Lonely Planet or this one. I am not a writer persay but I can put toghter reports about hiking trails and such. Just something like a freelancer or something... Well thanks again for the advice.

There is no problem staying our of US for more than one year as long as you register with the American embassy in Japan. The problem here is really to get inside the country with a long visa...

The cultural visa would not really limit your ability to travel, as once you are in the country, no one will check what you are actually doing. I guess if you can prove that you have resources to stay one year in Japan without work, this would help. I would be more careful about posing as a freelancer, as there might be some background check one your work; also, I think there is a journalist visa that is reserved for professionals, so if you pretend to be a writer, you might be asked to apply for such visa, and then you really will need a sponsor.

But we would be delighted to read from you on this web site, even if I think we don't have the strength to sponsor you for a visa

sanji

Thank you very much for the advice. Since most of my trekking around will invole hidden places and lesser known areas this site will be one of the few I will do reports too. Any ideas on what I could study that would allow me to travel? Or do I simply go for a class or 2 and just take off for a while? All of it is interesting from akido to making pottery but I dont really want to get stuck in one area for months. I dont know if they report things like that. By the way AWSOME site.

Pottery would be a typical good "subject": there are potttery making areas in the whole country, this easily justify traveling around.

But again, try to discuss with the embassy, they are the one that eventually will give you the visa!

Thanks for the comment on the site

sanji