inquiry about training in japan

a great day to everybody!

can anyone help me with a piece of advice on the following matter. i would really want to help a friend go train in japan for 3-5 months. he has been practicing Aikido for more than 13 years now and modeled his way of life so he would be able to devote as much time to Aikido as possible. naturally, he would like to experience what it is like to train in japan. no need to say that there are lots of complications along the way, some of them being quite manageable while others a little less so.

the most serious obstacle in the case of my friend is (as banal & profane as it gets) money. so i thought of two possible scenarios: a) find a short-term uchi-deshi program that allows you to train and gives shelter in exchange for unpaid work, b) find any sort of a job, never mind the lowest profile, in japan that would provide for the MINIMUM living expenses. honestly, the second variant seems less feasible to me but you never know, as they say.. i have a few friends in tokyo that might be of help, but at this stage it's only theory. there is also an organized russian community in tokyo that theoretically may be of assistance.. any other suggestions or voices of experience?

i have already found out about the visa procedures and travel to japan. those to-dos are achieveable. the main head-ache is how to support oneself while staying in japan because other than paying for visa and travel and a humble sum for contingencies, my friend just does not have the resources to make his wish a reality.

i do hope that someone out there might have insightful comments, share their knowledge or help in some other way. a big THANK-YOU to each of you in advance.

a. sizikov,
st. petersburg, russia.

Alexandr,

Have you checked Japanese embassy's web site for work opportunities? I looked into working in Japan a while ago and I remember they needed Russian tutors. Also, maybe something in trade or travel business. After all, Russia and Japan are neighbours.

Also, where does your friend train in St.Petersburg? Lenkai dojo should have info on traveling to and living in Japan, I am sure a few people did it in the past. Or, you can try to contact St.Petersburg Aikikai through their web site www.aikido.spb.ru

Hope this helps

P.S. say hi to your friend, I used to train in Lenkai when I lived in Russia

Have you ever heard of the JET program? That or any other foreign language school could be a good entry. (if your friend doesn't speak japanese, than enrolling in a japanese language school is an easy way to get a student visa)