SKI JOBS IN JAPAN’S BEST RESORTS
We find you jobs in Japan’s best resort areas, deliver you & support you 24/7 while you’re there. Lift, Restaurant, Rental, and many other positions available!
Live, work, and breathe the “real” Japan. Working in Japan’s resorts, you’ll meet great people, learn Japanese fast, experience Japan’s culture, hospitality, world-class powder, and ski for free!
We work with the best Resorts in the country; Hokkaido (Niseko), Hakuba, Nozawa, Niigata…
Watch our past staff videos below, read about our ski programs, and
click here to learn why boobooSKI’s positions are better than others.
JAPAN’S SKI RESORT AREAS
HAKUBA
Hakuba is made up of 9 major ski resorts and dozens of hotels. With over 200 runs and conveniently located only several hours from Tokyo, Hakuba is a great choice for tourists and locals alike.
NIIGATA
Often overlooked by foreign tourists, Niigata has a couple of spectacular ski resorts which draw many Japanese tourists. Easily accessible from Tokyo by the bullet train.
NOZAWA
Nozawa is becoming one of the most popular ski resorts in Japan, thanks to its amazing snow and fascinating village. Most famous for the Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival which is held in late January.
HOKKAIDO
Niseko is Hokkaido’s most well-known ski area. However, compared with other areas such as Hakuba, Nozawa and Niigata, Niseko is very international/Westernised.
JAPAN SKI STAFF VIDEOS
SKI JOB DESCRIPTIONS
No qualifications are required for our Ski resort jobs in Japan.
The positions you’ll be eligible for depend on your Japanese speaking ability. After you apply online, we’ll call you to assess your Japanese. The positions listed below are in ascending order (easiest to hardest) of Japanese ability required (click for full details):
Ski Instructor
Visit our Ski Instructor page for details
Lift
Working Hours: A typical day starts at 7:30am and finishes at 4:30 or 5:00pm.
‘Overtime’ is any work in excess of 10 hours so is not something Lift Assistants will have.
Primary duties include clearing away snow from around the boarding ramp onto the lift. Wiping off snow that has settled on the lift seats as they come down the mountain. Checking customer tickets and clipping if required. Helping customers safely board the lifts; giving verbal instruction to customers who aren’t familiar with riding lifts. Stopping lifts in case of emergency. On snowy days lift seats will need to be regularly cleaned (brushed) before customers sit down. In the event of heavy snowfall, lift paths may need to be cleared. A physically demanding position. At most resorts you will work on a 20-30 minute rotation system where you’ll rotate between the different duties.
NOTE: In general, Japan is still a smoking society. Most lift offices (where you spend about half your working time) have at least a couple of staff who smoke inside. Therefore, if you are sensitive about smoking, it might be best not to apply for a lift job.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.
Housekeeping
Working Hours: On average you’ll work a 9 hour shift (1 hour unpaid lunch break) sometimes between 7am – 10pm, covering either the earlier morning/afternoon or the afternoon/night.
Regular Duties: Cleaning rooms after customers have checked out. Removing dirty linen, and resetting the room with clean bedroom and bathroom linen. Collection of rubbish and cleaning of bathroom. Vacuuming and wiping of visible surfaces to make clean for new customers. Restocking of room fridge and other amenities. This is not a glamorous job, but very important for the running of a hotel.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.
Restaurant/Waiter/Waitress
Restaurants vary in size and type: (Cafeteria / Subway / KFC / Häagen Dazs / Cafe / Japanese Restaurant/ Yakiniku etc).
Working Hours: This depends on your restaurant, however you can expect an average 7-9 hour shift (with a 1 hour unpaid lunch/dinner break).
Preparation: Primary duties include briefly sweeping/vacuuming your work area each morning.
Regular Duties: Serving drinks and dishes to customers at their tables or at shop counters, clearing them away after customers have finished, and wiping down tables in preparation for the next customers. Some of the ski resorts have self-serve facilities, whereby customers serve themselves (leaving only the clearing of tables for staff). Serving of food onto dishes for customers, and simple food preparation duties, such as making hotdogs, sandwiches or pizzas; hygiene is of utmost importance. Showing customers to tables and taking orders (if required) is generally done by Japanese staff.
Fast food / ice cream restaurant staff: In addition to the above duties, handling cash is also a primary duty for all staff, so care must be taken to give correct change.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.
Ski Rental
Working Hours: A typical day starts at 8:30am and finishes at 5:30pm (1 hour unpaid lunch break). At some resorts (in particular, Niigata resorts) rental is open until late, so you could work anytime up until 9:00pm depending on your shift.
Morning Preparation: Primary duties include briefly sweeping your work area each morning, and filling cash registers with the days ‘float’.
Regular Duties: Helping customers with any queries and offering recommendations about Ski Equipment (eg. Skis, Snowboards etc). Briefing customers on the safety and handling of equipment. Taking customer details (name, address, contact numbers) when organizing rental equipment. Ringing up customer rental charges on the cash register and controlling cash inflows-outflows (great care needs to be taken in giving the correct change to customers). Helping customers choose appropriate sized equipment (according to body weight and height, etc.). Adjusting stances on skis/boards to suit boot sizes. Waxing of skis/boards and general maintenance of equipment. Collecting rental gear from customers at the end of each work day and checking stock levels to make sure all rental equipment has been returned. Closing and balancing cash registers at the end of the work day.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.
Gift Shop
Working Hours: A typical day starts at 8:30am and finishes at 5:30pm (1 hour unpaid lunch break). Evening work is sometimes available between the hours of 5:30pm – 10:00pm.
Morning Preparation: Primary duties include briefly sweeping your work area each morning, and filling cash registers with the days ‘float’.
Regular Duties: Helping customers with any queries, and offering recommendations about gifts and cakes. Ringing up customer purchases on the cash register and controlling cash inflows-outflows (great care needs to be taken in giving the correct change to customers). In limited cases, gift-wrapping may be required. Closing and balancing cash registers at the end of the work day.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.
Bellhop
Working Hours: An average shift is 9 hours (1 hour unpaid lunch break). Shift times may vary greatly throughout the month. A typical day starts anywhere between 7:00am and 12:00pm and finishes 8 or 9 hours later. Overtime is applicable to shifts exceeding 10 hours of work.
Morning Preparation: Primary duties include briefly sweeping your work area each morning.
Regular Duties: Taking care of customers’ baggage and delivering baggage to rooms (no tipping in Japan). Guiding customers to the front desk for check-in and helping with any other queries.
Additional Duties: As the initial contact point with customers entering the hotel, greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’ is crucial.
Ticket Sales
Working Hours: A typical day starts at 8:30am and finishes at 5:30pm (1 hour unpaid lunch break). Evening work is sometimes available between the hours of 5:30pm – 9:00pm depending on your resort and shift.
Morning Preparation: Primary duties include briefly sweeping your work area each morning, and filling cash registers with the days ‘float’.
Regular Duties: Selling customers tickets and helping with any queries. Ringing up customer purchases on the cash register and controlling cash inflows-outflows (great care needs to be taken in giving the correct change to customers). Closing and balancing cash registers at the end of the work day.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.
Information/Concierge
Working Hours: Shift start times may vary throughout the month. A typical day consists of a 9-hour shift (1 hour unpaid lunch break) anywhere between 7:00am and 9:00pm. Overtime work is sometimes available depending on your resort and how busy the day is.
Morning Preparation: Primary duties include briefly organizing your work station each morning.
Regular Duties: Taking care of customers’ enquiries and offering recommendations about events / restaurants / sights / facilities etc.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’ is crucial.
Hotel Front Desk
Working Hours: An average shift is 9 hours (1 hour unpaid lunch break) . Shift times may vary greatly throughout the month. Reception is open 24hrs and shift times can fall anytime during the day. Shifts are rarely split; you will be working a 9 hour block. Overtime work is applicable to shifts exceeding 9 hours.
Morning Preparation: Primary duties include briefly sweeping your work area each morning.
Regular Duties: Helping customers check-in and check-out. Taking the occasional reservation and answering the telephone (putting telephone calls through to other departments). Helping customers with any queries about hotel facilities etc. and offering recommendations about services. Ringing up customer bills on the cash register and controlling cash inflows-outflows (great care needs to be taken in giving the correct change to customers).
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.
JAPAN RESORT LIFE
Living and Working in Japan is a unique and exciting experience. With the right attitude, you’ll make lots of Japanese friends, improve your Japanese, and (if you don’t party too much), leave your Resort with enough cash to explore the amazing wonders of Japan, and visit your new friends in their hometowns!
Japan Resort life will be very different to your routine back home though. Learn more below:
DORMITORY ACCOMMODATION
Resort staff live in staff dormitories, with rooms for 2-4 Japanese or foreign staff. It’s rare to have a dorm room to yourself. Resorts sometimes place foreign and Japanese staff together in rooms, as it’s a great way to make friends and learn the language. However, due to some unfortunate incidents with foreign staff in the past (messy, noisy, etc.), foreign staff are usually placed together.
All dormitories are single-sex, and some have a curfew. Male and female dormitories are strictly separated. Entering dorm rooms of the opposite sex can get you fired. However, most dorms have common rooms where everyone can socialize. Where no common rooms are available, staff hang out in the dining room, nearby bars, restaurants etc.
Dorm accommodation is simple but adequate. All facilities are communal. Dorms usually include bunk beds, futons, sheets, blankets, pillows, washing machines, microwaves, toasters, and hot pots (to boil water). Ski Resort dorms also have room heaters. Beach Resort dorms have air-conditioning.
Communal Bathing: In Japan, single-sex communal baths are part of the culture. Bathing facilities at all Ski Resorts are communal. There will be a single room, with a line of showers situated next to each other (where you first wash your body), and a single bath which fits about 4-6 people (which everyone gets into after their body is clean). At Ski Resorts it’s common that bathing facilities are only accessible in the evening between, for example, 16:00pm – 22:00pm.
You will be required to bathe naked with the other staff. Please understand this has been part of the Japanese culture for hundreds of years.
If this will be a problem, please consider whether Resort work is for you.
Want to know more about dorm life? Read Jessica’s blog, living and working in Hakuba.
MEALS
Breakfast and dinner are served at set times in the dorm or resort cafeteria, while lunch is usually brought to you in a lunchbox at your work post.
Meals are simple, Japanese-style dishes; nothing fancy, but nutritious and satisfying. There may be quite a few deep-fried dishes, and not as many fruits and vegetables as you’re used to. If you grow tired of the dormitory food every day, you can eat out with your friends, or buy food from the local supermarket/convenience store instead.
SPECIAL DIETS: Resorts cannot cater to specific dietary needs (vegetarian, gluten-free, diabetic etc), as they have to prepare meals for hundreds of staff at once. In addition, staff aren’t permitted to use kitchen facilities to prepare their own food, so if you have dietary constraints, you’ll need to buy your own food every day.
VEGETARIANS: Please be aware that it is extremely difficult to live and work in Japan as a vegetarian. Read our Blog post from a past Vegetarian staff for details.
FREE TIME
Living and Working in Japan’s Resorts, you’ll be surrounded by beautiful scenery, and loads of fun activities! Carving fresh tracks in champagne powder, or lazing on tropical beaches in the sun will become routine activities.
On your days off, and before/after work, you’re free to do as you please (within resort guidelines). In some Ski resorts, you’ll also have the opportunity to do night-skiing/boarding after work.
SKI JOB FAQ’s
Dummy Text
Working Hours: A typical day starts at 7:30am and finishes at 4:30 or 5:00pm.
‘Overtime’ is any work in excess of 10 hours so is not something Lift Assistants will have.
Primary duties include clearing away snow from around the boarding ramp onto the lift. Wiping off snow that has settled on the lift seats as they come down the mountain. Checking customer tickets and clipping if required. Helping customers safely board the lifts; giving verbal instruction to customers who aren’t familiar with riding lifts. Stopping lifts in case of emergency. On snowy days lift seats will need to be regularly cleaned (brushed) before customers sit down. In the event of heavy snowfall, lift paths may need to be cleared. A physically demanding position. At most resorts you will work on a 20-30 minute rotation system where you’ll rotate between the different duties.
NOTE: In general, Japan is still a smoking society. Most lift offices (where you spend about half your working time) have at least a couple of staff who smoke inside. Therefore, if you are sensitive about smoking, it might be best not to apply for a lift job.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.
Housekeeping
Working Hours: On average you’ll work a 9 hour shift (1 hour unpaid lunch break) sometimes between 7am – 10pm, covering either the earlier morning/afternoon or the afternoon/night.
Regular Duties: Cleaning rooms after customers have checked out. Removing dirty linen, and resetting the room with clean bedroom and bathroom linen. Collection of rubbish and cleaning of bathroom. Vacuuming and wiping of visible surfaces to make clean for new customers. Restocking of room fridge and other amenities. This is not a glamorous job, but very important for the running of a hotel.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.
Restaurant/Waiter/Waitress
Restaurants vary in size and type: (Cafeteria / Subway / KFC / Häagen Dazs / Cafe / Japanese Restaurant/ Yakiniku etc).
Working Hours: This depends on your restaurant, however you can expect an average 7-9 hour shift (with a 1 hour unpaid lunch/dinner break).
Preparation: Primary duties include briefly sweeping/vacuuming your work area each morning.
Regular Duties: Serving drinks and dishes to customers at their tables or at shop counters, clearing them away after customers have finished, and wiping down tables in preparation for the next customers. Some of the ski resorts have self-serve facilities, whereby customers serve themselves (leaving only the clearing of tables for staff). Serving of food onto dishes for customers, and simple food preparation duties, such as making hotdogs, sandwiches or pizzas; hygiene is of utmost importance. Showing customers to tables and taking orders (if required) is generally done by Japanese staff.
Fast food / ice cream restaurant staff: In addition to the above duties, handling cash is also a primary duty for all staff, so care must be taken to give correct change.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.
Ski Rental
Working Hours: A typical day starts at 8:30am and finishes at 5:30pm (1 hour unpaid lunch break). At some resorts (in particular, Niigata resorts) rental is open until late, so you could work anytime up until 9:00pm depending on your shift.
Morning Preparation: Primary duties include briefly sweeping your work area each morning, and filling cash registers with the days ‘float’.
Regular Duties: Helping customers with any queries and offering recommendations about Ski Equipment (eg. Skis, Snowboards etc). Briefing customers on the safety and handling of equipment. Taking customer details (name, address, contact numbers) when organizing rental equipment. Ringing up customer rental charges on the cash register and controlling cash inflows-outflows (great care needs to be taken in giving the correct change to customers). Helping customers choose appropriate sized equipment (according to body weight and height, etc.). Adjusting stances on skis/boards to suit boot sizes. Waxing of skis/boards and general maintenance of equipment. Collecting rental gear from customers at the end of each work day and checking stock levels to make sure all rental equipment has been returned. Closing and balancing cash registers at the end of the work day.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’.
Information/Concierge
Working Hours: Shift start times may vary throughout the month. A typical day consists of a 9-hour shift (1 hour unpaid lunch break) anywhere between 7:00am and 9:00pm. Overtime work is sometimes available depending on your resort and how busy the day is.
Morning Preparation: Primary duties include briefly organizing your work station each morning.
Regular Duties: Taking care of customers’ enquiries and offering recommendations about events / restaurants / sights / facilities etc.
Additional Duties: Greeting customers with a nice smile and a friendly ‘hello’ is crucial.