Bartending Apprenticeship in Japan?

Hello forum,

Bartending has been a dream job for me since my high school days.

I'm working as a bartender in a café style restaurant bar in Germany at the moment (my current goal is to reach a min. 2 years of work experience in gastronomy). However, I would like to broaden my views more on cocktails and the craft itself, which is not really the specialisation here, nor do they really care about cocktails that much.

I would like to study the art of bartending in Japan, if that's possible. Salary is the least concern of mine right now. Doesn't matter if it's via part-time or etc. as long as I can get work experience and a roof above my head .

So here are my question: What are the steps necessary to become a part of the world of Japanese bartending? How do people find bartender masters in Japan that are willing to teach them? And lastly, is there even a chance for me?

Bartending won't get you a work visa...that's for sure. Learning bartending in Japan is like learning hair dressing, those who studied that in Japan usually find out Japan Immigration won't give them a work visa just to make hair cuts, I suppose it is also the case for those who want to make cocktails.

Best way is to network, go to seminars, go to exhibitions worldwide.
Have really good skills since there are to many competition.

If you have that done you may think to take over or start a bar in Japan because there is no other way to get a visa.

There is Japan Food Beverage Business Academy, a school you can attend to learn about bartending and café management, but this school (as far as I can see) is not accredited to sponsor non-Japanese students for any student visa, meaning all you can do is come on a 90-day Temporary Visitor status and just learn within that period, and no work is allowed, not even part-time work. The same with places like Academie du Vin in Tokyo, for sommelier (just in case you are considering something like this), and for that Europe is better.

Indeed, even if you built some experience, I donft think there is any work visa category under which you can do bartending; gskilled laborh visa category includes some gastronomy-related jobs, but that is in case you want to work as a chef in the cuisine of your own country, so you need to be trained in German cooking to a professional level (or at least European/Western cooking).

Thank you for you fast and straight-forward answers,

I am fairly inexperienced in travelling matters as such, I did not expect work visa being a hindrance. It is quite a shame, but I suppose there's always a chance to visit Japan just as a tourist or for a seminar in the future.

Germany has a Working Holiday agreement with Japan: https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/w_holiday/index.html

Might be an option.

Might be an option

Not really:
Work Conditions: The working holiday participants are strictly prohibited from working at bars, cabarets, nightclubs, gambling establishments and other premises affecting public morals in Japan.

https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/w_holiday/index.html