Hey, Iâm hoping to work at a craft brewery somewhere in Japan. Can you guys give me an introduction?
Weâd love to help you out, and also help any brewery looking for personnel, but canât really assist you much. On our online forum there is a place for âbeer-related jobs in Japanâ (japanbeertimes.com/forum), but thatâs all we offer. We think youâre better off attending festivals, speaking with brewers and asking industry insiders about jobs. Coming from overseas? Youâll need a work visa, which isnât easy (or cheap) for a company to getâyouâd have to be a brewer with experience and maturity for most breweries to take a chance with you. Cultural differences are also a big issue. Language is the most obvious barrier. Other problems may arise with work customs. Just because youâve finished your job doesnât mean you can leave; the team leaves the brewery together. If youâve got spare time at the end of the day, maybe you should help others finish their job, even if they were dragging their feet. Who knows? Maybe youâre the slowpoke keeping everyone there! Then thereâs the issue of pay. Most brewers donât get paid much, certainly not in the beginning, and Japan is generally not a cheap place to live. We know of many head brewers that struggle to get by. Assistant brewers must love „100 cup ramen. And entry-level brewing staff? We hope you have some savings to live on.
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