Visa waver and volunteer questions

Hello everyone, I have a few queries.
Now this relates to visa status or wavers and its a very murky area which is why I am confused.
I am currently in South Korea on a tourist waver, you know the 90 days waver for certain countries - mine being the United Kingdom.
I have been using wavers for the past year, because when I called up South Korean immigration they said it is possible to do this, as long as I don't work. If I am stopped at customs for doing this several times, its only due to suspicion of work they may interrogate me. Its perfectly possible to just keep renewing my waver with a holiday away and coming back after a few days.
Now I wonder is the same possible in Japan? Can I come to Japan do a visa waver every 3 months?
Additionally, in South Korea it is also possible to as a tourist work at a hostel or houselet - for a bed and sometimes food. I wonder is that also possible in Japan? ~ That is volunteering without need of any formal visa of sorts?

Thank you for your time.

Japan has a maximum of 180 days per year - so you can only renew your visa once.

You cannot work in Japan on a tourist visa - and that includes working for a bed in a hostel.

Didn't you know that the owner of a renowned hostel and volunteer (exchange) workers were arrested?

This volunteer activity "work for a hostel/hotel/restaurants and get free bed/food" is an ILLEGAL WORK here in Japan.

Sometimes people including trollers here say that "oh, ok, you can do that, my friend did it bra bra bra..." but it is PROHIBITED and just that his/her friend was not cought by immigration/police.

Is it too late to apply a visa for Wroking Holiday?

Thank you for your comprehensive answers, it is nice to see that in 2017 this discussion has reached a more mature conclusion.
I was reading a post on here before from perhaps 2007 or so and I was shocked at some of the comments or supposed 'advice' to the fellow talking about visa running.. even for business contract work and fake degrees..
It made me a little sad to see people suggest such illegal and outright disgusting practice to a country, simply because it wasn't their own..

I appreciate your replies.
Additionally, i processed a working holiday 2 years ago but only spent 1 month in the country on it before leaving again after i decided to be with my girlfriend in South Korea at the time as she was Korean. Perhaps a decision i still regret as i didn't take full advantage of my working holiday visa, but still i will be finished with university in a year or so and can just come and live there as a worker in any case, so i wont feel too disappointed after all, perhaps might even feel glad i got to spend a long period of time in a neighbouring country before the stresses of full time contracts and 20 paid holiday time a year happens once i live and work in Japan as an ALT or such:)