Start with when you can work, then compare housing and everyday transport. Choosing a live-in job means choosing both a workplace and somewhere to live, not just a destination for a holiday.
This checklist adapts our Japanese guide for English readers. It is not a list of vacancies or a promise of employment. An English article does not establish that a particular employer offers English-language support or that you meet its application requirements. Confirm your eligibility and the necessary procedures with the recruiting organisation before making commitments.
Set out your dates, work preferences and living needs
Write down the day you can arrive, the first day you can work and the day you must return home. Arrival, moving into accommodation and starting work may be different dates; check each with the contact handling the vacancy.
Separate jobs you have done before, tasks you would like to try and work you want to avoid. For living arrangements, note whether you need a private room, whether you can bring a car and how you expect to shop for daily essentials.
A region you would enjoy visiting is not necessarily convenient for commuting or everyday errands. If you have not chosen an area, start with practical requirements such as no car, a private room or a fixed period of availability.
Check what the accommodation actually includes
Ask whether the room is private or shared, whether bathrooms, toilets and laundry facilities are communal, and whether internet access is available in the room. Check whether meal arrangements differ between working days and days off.
List any dorm charges, utilities and meal costs you would pay yourself. Ask about bedding, cooking equipment and permitted move-in and move-out dates. The words accommodation available do not mean that every cost is included or that the room is private.
Treat commuting and shopping as separate journeys
A workplace shuttle may not be available for shopping on your days off. Check the route between the accommodation and workplace, shuttle times, and how to reach a supermarket or medical facility separately.
For winter work, ask about walking and public transport when there is snow. Tourist transport information is not a substitute for the employer's commuting arrangements. Our winter transport guide can help with travel preparation, but does not confirm your daily route to work.
Confirm the offer before accepting
- Duties, daily working hours, breaks and how days off are arranged.
- Employment dates and whom to contact if your plans need to change.
- Accommodation and meal conditions, including items you pay for yourself.
- How travel to the workplace region is paid for, and any conditions attached to reimbursement.
- Commuting arrangements and contacts for problems at work or in the accommodation.
Read both the vacancy information and the contract actually offered to you. Ask the responsible contact about missing or unclear details before deciding. This guide does not determine your right to work or the requirements of a particular vacancy.
Copy this note before contacting a recruiter
Fill in what you know; write “to discuss” where you are undecided.
- Earliest arrival date:
- First available working day / date you need to finish:
- Preferred area / conditions more important than the area:
- Work you have experience in / work you would like to try:
- Housing needs: private room, shared facilities and internet:
- Bringing a car / commuting method / shopping on days off:
- Questions that must be answered before you decide:
Mark each preference as essential or flexible to make comparisons easier. Keep the note yourself and use it when contacting the relevant service or employer. It is not a form for submitting personal information to this website.
Compare two offers using the same seven lines
Create columns labelled A and B in your own note, then complete the same items for both:
- Employment dates and accommodation move-in and move-out dates.
- Duties, working hours and days off.
- Housing facilities and costs you pay yourself.
- Meals on working days and days off.
- Commuting and shopping transport.
- Treatment of travel expenses to the region.
- Unconfirmed conditions and the person to ask.
Do not interpret an empty box as no charge or no restriction. For example, if one offer lists meal costs and the other leaves them blank, ask about the missing costs before comparing them. Keep a record of verbal explanations and resolve differences from the written offer before accepting.
Keep job applications separate from travel planning
Use your preferred area, dates and comparison note when checking individual services or employers. The Japanese version of this guide includes the existing job-search signpost. That link does not establish English-language support, eligibility for international applicants or a guaranteed placement.
Northern Land Hokkaido is a travel and regional-information publication. We do not accept job applications or applicants' personal information. Register, enquire or apply through the relevant service or recruiting organisation.
For moving your belongings, see luggage forwarding in Hokkaido. For days off, use the activity-booking checklist. Confirm holiday bookings separately from your employment and housing arrangements.
Northern Land Hokkaido Team — Sapporo, Japan