Local competition is fierce. Those considering going to Australia should make thorough preparations beforehand, such as improving their fluency in English.

Many Japanese tend to overestimate how easy is to find jobs overseas, and in countries with good wages (but few available spaces) for unskilled work like Australia living on charities can be a real possibility. Of course being fluent in the local language is a must, but informing themselves about the conditions of work at their destination is also extremely important.

The advice is good but for other reasons too. So many Japanese working holiday makers end up being ripped off by their fellow Japanese, working below minimum wage in Japanese restaurants or for nothing on farms because the cannot speak English well enough and rely on middle-men sharks. A Japanese face is not necessarily a trustworthy face: that would be other advice

For better context about this quote, it should be first understood that young Japanese are increasingly seeking to go abroad (especially to Australia), in order to find better paying jobs due to the unwillingness of domestic J-business to give proper pay, and how the weak yen makes jobs located abroad all that much more attractive. And Australia is also where they believe they can (supposedly) develop their English skills.

Here's a story on that: "Japanese flock to Australia in record numbers on 'working holiday'"

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/3408/

But more specifically about this quote, its been in the news recently how the increasing numbers of Japanese who go to Australia on work holiday visas end up struggling while there because they can in fact speak the English they spent 6 to 12 years "learning" in J-schools (and how then "studying" English after they do move to Australia is not enough), and how Australia is actually much more expensive than they thought (which goes hand-in-hand with that higher pay and weak yen), and how they also can't get hired anywhere without being able to more skillfully communicate in what has become an increasingly competitive job market for not just Japanese going there, but also with the 50 other countries involved in the work-holiday visa program who also see Australia as a opportune spot.

Here's an article on all that, and how those Japanese trying to work in Australia need charity support just to survive: "Jobs difficult to find for those on working holiday in Australia"

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15395932

Sorry, in the above second paragraph I mean to say "they can not in fact speak the English..."

I always tell Japanese that the English they study won't always be what they'll hear and that I sometimes have trouble understanding my acquaintances from Australia, Wales and especially Ireland. Most Japanese are woefully underprepared for the speed, accents, pronunciation and for colloquial English, which is so different from region to region and country to country.

They'd also need a good deal of savings to take with them. Australia is now a frightfully expensive place to live thanks to high prices for accommodation, food, fuel/transport, and utilities - all things that Japanese WH-makers will need to consider before going there. On top of that is the flagrant wage underpayment and agent skimming as Moonraker said. Without enough money, the dream will become a nightmare in no time at all, and they'll come back to Japan with a very negative impression of Australia.

And yet the unworldly, confined to their rooms, don't want to hear or accept it.

I suggested my daughter, who's 19, went somewhere on a working holiday and the first thing she said was "you can't make money doing that any more".

I was an English teacher in the early 90s, and back then, the expectation among Japanese was not that you would "make money" by doing a working holiday. The expectation was that you would "improve your English" or "experience another culture". Most Japanese back in the day would save up before going.

I suspect this idea of working holiday as "dekasegi" (working away to save money) will be a short lived thing not worthy of the megahype it might be getting on Japanese tv.

Sorry, in the above second paragraph I mean to say "they can not in fact speak the English..."

This brings to mind how many foreigners working in Japan can't read and write at a grade 3 elementary school level, yet expect to advance in the workplace.

It depend on the person. English is not need if you have smarts. I can get a job in Japan and I can't even do English good let alone Japanese and can I pull a minimum 20,000 yen a month. First you need is a oversea licence. Buy a small register Motor bike when you arrive. Buy a tent and hit the the pickers guild. Head to the areas where they want pickers, If you know how to operate a header for cropping wheat. Most farmer are looking for a night operator. It similar to cropping rice but a bigger machine and at night. The soft ware these day take most of the load you are just there for the ride. The biggest decision is when to push the offload button. $24 an hour minimum. The farmer might offer you to camp on the farm. But don,t go through anyone. It not hard it only seem to be hard. Like I said turn up on the tourist visa get use to the place and if you go smart you will get a minimum wage of $24 an hour and camp on the rivers banks. after 3 months fly home on Jetstar on a return fight for under $1000 if your planing on coming back

"...I can't even do English good let alone Japanese and can I pull a minimum 20,000 yen a month."

Twenty thousand per month? Are you certain?

Data: Where did I say work illegal. I said get use to the place. fly home then return with work visa. I assume anyone with smart would realise that.

I said get a feel for the place. Feel the place out. I guest you don,t understand doing recon. I did not say "work on your tourist visa". Mate if you lack smarts, street smart, how the world really works. You not going enjoy the work available because a person lacking smart will be used up and bleed dry which has happen when doing the appropriate way which would be the way you would approach such a task. There people out there with low education but know how the world work way differently then you.

Data; There is a world out there that when you do it the appropriate way you get done over. E.G You know about 7Eleven 175 million owed in wage after using up these workers and bleeding them dry. They were all overseas students that applied to student work visas. doing it the appropriate way. Yeah stupid.

Data: I must really annoy you. how does "It similar to cropping rice ." imply go work on rice farms ???? If you travel around Australia you can pay big money for an accommodation. I suggest camp on the river bank and save your money. If you understand the meaning or term "camping on the river bank" . LOL. I said "They were all overseas students that applied to student work visas." how would a person on a working holiday get a student visa ????? this makes no sense at all. If you are on a working holiday in Australia you apply for a working visa that comes with conditions. You seem to be very confused with Australia visas and what they allow and there condition.

We're ? maybe you who can't understand the difference between a working visa from a student working visa. Students are only allow to work 20 hours per working week. This is how the corporate criminal 7 Eleven end up with 175 million from wage theft. 7 Eleven owners would pressure the student worker into doing overtime sometime up to 40 hour and only paying 20 hours and if they report the owner boss to authorities the owner /boss will show thee authorities the wage spead sheet showing the worked overtime. So take me advise not Data advise which is right for the bosses but not for the workers. You take my advise and should come over sus out the situation then apply to a work visa when you had found a good boss and a good job. Cut out the devil middle man which Data suggest you to go through and get ripped off.