Is it hopeless to get work w/o a degree?

So, I'm a 24 year old American male, an arguably talented multi-instrumentalist musician, and I went to an American college to study Music Technology.

I found out the hard way that they don't teach you how to be a rock-star in college. So I dropped out. In hindsight, especially regarding America's economic climate right now, I still think it was a pretty good idea. (I was paying for it all out of pocket and wound up finding a decent job anyway.) It works out just fine here in Vermont, but as I've come to find out, 1: English teacher is just about the only job available to gaijin, and 2: You NEED a college diploma.

I don't see myself ever settling down in Japan, but I would very much like to live there, perhaps for about a year or so while playing music for anybody interested in hearing it or maybe even getting a band together.

So here's my question:

Could an American like myself get a work visa for such menial work as manning a factory belt or collecting trash or something? I don't even want to teach English as I have neither the patience nor desire to teach anybody anything. Really, just something I could do to keep a roof over my head during the day so I could search out music opportunities at night, via bars or the like. I'm not proud, I just REALLY don't want to teach, and I want to go back to school even less.

Are Americans traditionally not allowed to take those kinds of jobs lest native born Japanese not find work?

All I've ever really heard for advice was ''Go back to school, get your degree, & teach English.'' There's GOT to be another way!

You need a degree to get a work visa so you need to go back to college. There are 100's of questions just like this here check them out.

For an American to be able to work in Japan (because Americans are not eligible for Working Holiday Visa), you need either (1) a bachelor's degree, or (2) several or more years of work experience in the relevant field, and of course (3) an employer who would be keenly interested in your skills so as to hire you and sponsor you for a visa. (If you are married to a Japanese national, you don't need any of the above, but I assume that does not apply to you.)

- You don't have (1).
- (2) does not apply because you can't have "relevant" experience in "menial jobs." (The Japanese government does not allow non-Japanese to engage in "simple labor" kind of work, and there is no visa category for such jobs.)
- (3) would be unlikely because you don't have (2), and probably don't speak the Japanese language? Even if there were visa categories for that, garbage collection or factory operation does require good knowledge of the local language.

Factory jobs are available to foreigners, but typically these jobs go to workers from Brazil, Philippines, Indonesia, etc.

However, as an American, your chances of getting an above the board job (i.e., visa sponsorship) in that sector are slim to none.
You could make it a quest as part of a greater plan to do a documentary or write a book, but that doesn't seem like what you want to do.

If you are an accomplished musician, perhaps you should look at the agents in Japan that hire foreign talent.

There are thousands of foreign performers working in cities around the country o cruise ships, theme parks, chapels, night clubs, concert halls, etc.

It's hard to break in to and some of the agents are shady to say the least but the opportunities are always there IF you have the talent and determination.

If you only want to hang around in Japan for a year to hang around and play music, save up your money and come as a student.
Even as a student you are allowed to work part time under restrictions.