Since 2005, boobooSKI has helped thousands of Japan-lovers from around the globe work in Resorts in Japan.
In 2025 we introduced a Participation Fee for many applicants – although it’s waived for many people also. Please read below for full details.

Until Now

Since starting our introduction services in 2005, we offered job placement and support for participants in all job categories at no cost to applicants. The small fee resorts paid us to secure them staff was enough to cover our costs and enable us to provide our services to applicants at no cost.

In 2015 we brought in a Day 1 Transport/Orientation Fee of 10,000yen ($66USD) to help off-set some of the Day 1 costs we incur, such as traveling to meet you, the rental vans, petrol, tolls etc.

After a few incidents where we were stung with unexpected costs (such as a $3,000+ cleaning bill after someone completely trashed their dorm room), in 2023, we brought in a refundable Security Deposit of 50,000yen, refunded at the end of contracts.

Introduction of Participation Fee

As much as we would love to keep providing our services free of charge to you (with only the Day One $66 transport/orientation fee), from 2025, all but a few positions now require a small participation fee.

Participation Fee Amount

$450 USD (70,000yen)

However, with the introduction of this fee, we have abolished the 10,000yen Day 1 Transport/Orientation Fee and the Security Deposit.

What this means:

The upfront difference compared with before is only $66 (10,000 Yen).

However, whereas before the Security Deposit was refunded, the Participation Fee is not refunded – with the exception of the cases below.

Why We’re Still the Most Affordable Option

Other companies charge $1,500 or more for similar services. 

We have worked hard to keep our fee as affordable as possible, so you can still join us without significant financial burden.

Who’s Exempt from Paying this Fee

• Anyone working with us a second time. If you work with us once and then go on to work with us again, we won’t charge you a participation fee again, but will collect a security deposit which will be refunded at the end of your contract.

   

• Anyone who has done or is currently doing a Minor or Major in Japanese at University and speaks fluent Japanese.
  *In some cases if you’re studying Japanese at High School, we might have an agreement with your Japanese teacher to let students studying Japanese with them participate free (security deposit only), even if not fluent.

   

• Anyone joining our resorts as a participant of The Working Holiday Club, Torii Travels or Year Abroad. If this is you, you will have already paid those companies a participation fee to join their program – which we provide the on-the-ground support for. We won’t charge you again, however we will need to collect a security deposit from you, which will be refunded at the end of your contract.

   

• Qualified Ski Instructors working at Japanese resorts.

** If this exemption applies to you, we will collect a Security Deposit of the same amount, but that’s refunded at the end of your contract.
Read about the Security Deposit here.

Why the Fee was Introduced?

1. Maintaining Our Service in a Challenging Environment
   While resorts pay us a small fee to secure staff, our costs have increased significantly. As a small company, we can no longer rely solely on those fees to cover our expenses.

    

2. Increased Costs Since COVID-19
   The number of available positions have decreased since Covid-19.
   At the same time, our expenses such as transportation, accommodation, and recruitment logistics have risen. 
   The participation fee enables us to keep offering our services as we have done since 2005. Even with our fee, the cost of participating with us is still significantly less than what other companies like ours charge – they have fees of $1500+

   3. Higher Incidence of Early Contract Termination
   In the last five years we have seen a rise in staff quitting before completing their contracts due to personal reasons or returning to university. Regardless of the reason, when this happens, we do not receive all of our placement fee from the resort, further impacting our ability to continue doing what we do. The introduction of this fee helps ensure we can continue supporting everyone and offer you this great experience.

    

What the Fee Covers

✔ Helping you find the right job and securing your placement.
✔ Guidance and support before you arrive in Japan.
✔ Assistance with Visa Application.
✔ Airport pickup (Okinawa) and transport to your resort.
✔ A Day 1 Orientation, including help with city office paperwork, your resort contract, and settling into your dormitory.
✔ Ongoing support throughout your stay, including 24/7 assistance for emergencies
✔ Support even after your contract ends – whether it’s advice for future opportunities or general guidance or a written reference.
✔ Future resort placements at no extra cost

When Is the Fee Collected?

Winter Positions – After your Application

Okinawa Positions – After you accept the Tentative Job Offer

Why is it collected so early?

Once you’ve accepted the Tentative Job Offer, we’ll get to work to get that position confirmed. This is a time-consuming process and there’s a lot of work that goes into it as we communicate back-and-forth with the resort. 

For winter positions, there is often a long time from when you first apply until the start of the ski season. You CAN wait until after you accept a tentative job offer if you prefer, however by paying your fee at this stage, you show us you’re serious about coming and we can put the work in to get the position confirmed for you – as opposed to offering the position to someone else.

Refund Policy

✔  You can request a refund if:

• You change your mind more than 3 months before your expected start date (as stated in your Tentative Job Offer). (And for winter positions, anytime before you’ve received a tentative job offer)

   

• We are unable to get your position confirmed.
  
  Refund Method: Refunds will be carried out by PayPal. If you don’t have a PayPal account, the refund will be credited back to your credit card by PayPal.
  Currency Fluctuations: The amount refunded will be the same Japanese yen value you paid. Based on currency fluctuations, there may be small differences in the dollar amount you see credited back to your account – either slightly less, or slightly more, depending on the currency change between the time you paid and your refund. 

❌  You will not be eligible for a refund if:

• You withdraw within 3 months of your expected start date.

However, if you need to withdraw within 3 months of your start date and plan to participate in a future season (e.g., the following winter or a year later), your fee will be carried over. You will not need to pay again when you re-apply.

Final Thoughts

We have done everything possible to avoid introducing this fee, but in order to continue offering our services, we’ve had to bring it in this year. 

By keeping the cost significantly lower than other companies, we remain committed to making our opportunities as accessible to you as possible. We hope you understand that $450USD isn’t a lot for the service we’re providing, and hope you’ll still be happy to join us this year!

Remember we’re only charging this fee once. So if after doing a summer/winter with us you wish to stay on and do the following season, or a future season, we won’t charge you again. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to helping you secure an incredible experience in Japan this year!

Click here to pay your Participation Fee now and start your Japanese adventure!