working holiday canada

good morrow

i want to apply for a working holiday in Japan, however i have some concerns.

i am 27, according to this Japanese government website the age limit is 30. http://www.toronto.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/english/visiting-japan/wh.html

however according to the ministry of foreign affairs its 25 but maybe extended to 30 http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/w_holiday/index.html

i e mailed the consulate about this but they have not got back to me.

i worry that if i get rejected based on my age it may be difficult to visit my girlfriend in osaka. if immigration sees i have a rejected visa when i arrive at the airport.

and my final question is do i need a guarantor for a working holiday?

As far as I am aware, Canada is 18 to 30. I haven't heard of it changing recently.
I was 25 when I applied for a Working Holiday Visa in Canada for Japan back in 2014, and turned 26 while I was in Japan.
The website for the consulate in vancouver (which is where I went) http://www.vancouver.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/en/visa/working_holiday.htm says 18-30. I'm pretty sure you should be fine.
You might not have gotten a reply yet because of the holidays.

You do not need a guarantor.

It's normally 18 to 25, but 26 to 30 is also possible with special permission. http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/w_holiday/

i got e mail from them now. they said they accept up to the day before your 31st birthday. they didnt mention the special permission thing. that still has me a bit worried.

It would not be surprising if in practice it is virtually always granted. There are many such cases...

should i buy plane ticket before i apply or after?