Long term stay in Japan?

Hey im trying to find out if there is any options for me to stay in japan for an extended amount of time, I don't have a bachelors degree so that is out of the question. And im only wanting to stay for about a year or so, so I dont plan on spending 4 years waiting to get one just for that. Unfortunately im a US citizen so no working holiday visa for me :/.

So is there any other ways to be able to stay in Japan for about a year? Maybe going to school for some basic class like learning Japanese? If so would I be able to do that and support myself working part time with that working visa?

Any help would be appreciated:)

You can get a student visa for learning Japanese, but you must be enrolled at a language school full-time (enrolment fees usually paid upfront). A student visa allows part-time work for a certain number of hours a week also. You would need to have sufficient funds to support yourself for at least a few months as well as to pay the school fees; you can't assume you will find a job straight away, and a part-time job won't pay all your living costs.

Just to add to the PP.
You also need to actually go to the school every day. Attendance gets checked and if it falls under a certain threshold (not sure the answer exact percentage but it is high) you can loose your visa.
A student visa is great if you want to study Japanese and it is for sure a nice experience and you get something valuable for your future life. But if you just want to travel Japan for a year it�fs not for you.

For some countries tourist visas can be extended to 6 months and in case you have a considerable amount of money (don�ft remember it right now but maybe something like 30 million Yen) you can get a 1 year tourist visa.

Enjoy your life in Japan!

Studying Japanese would be something I would actually be interested in, it's not like I would just be using it as a way to stay and not attend classes. However it's nothing I would be doing for my career just more of an experience, lifes short and focusing a lot on money isnt my driving force in it.

Sucks holiday visas aren't offered for US citizens because that's exactly what I would like. Does seem like taking the schooling rout would require a decent chunch of change upfront tho

Short answer - no.

Longer answer - you have to do it under the restrictions of the visa system. That might be as simple as making four 90-day visits in a year with trips back to the US in between. Be prepared to answer questions at immigration and also prove you are not working in the country. Also, your tax position will change significantly and from what I read the USA tax system is pretty diabolical for its citizens living overseas.