Mareen, an 18-year-old German citizen, spent three weeks in Japan, loved it, and now wants to come back.
"I thought about working as an au pair. But I can't find an agency that cooperates with Japanese families. I'd like to visit in July or August, and would like to stay for six to 10 months. How can I find a family? Or is there some other way to visit Japan again?"
Mareen, you won't find such an agency because no such thing exists. Japan does not have an au pair system, whereby a young person takes on duties in a home such as housework, language exchange, or looking after children in exchange for room and board. Like baby-sitting, housekeeping and even cleaning, it is still a largely alien notion in a culture where families have traditionally stayed close and helped one another. Now search the Web site www.newaupair.com and prove us wrong.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.