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Symbolic image Apprentices of the BPI during a demonstration of a working tool. Foto: www.inframe.at

Austrian-Japanese Youth Exchange

Encounters with two Japanese youth organizations – www.oejab.at/japan

Young people from ÖJAB can travel to Japan and volunteer to accompany Japanese guests in Austria.

The travel report (in German) of the most recent youth exchange to Japan in August 2025 is now online! A ten-member group of young people was sent by ÖJAB to Kai-You-Kai in Wakayama and experienced a varied and personal travel program over the course of two weeks.

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The independent Austrian non-profit organization Austrian-Japanese Youth Exchange (Ger.: Österreichisch-Japanischer Jugendaustausch – ÖJJ) has three member organizations: first and foremost ÖJAB, and in an advisory and supportive role, the associations Austrian-Japanese Society (Ger.: Österreichisch-Japanische Gesellschaft – ÖJG) and Österreichisches Ferienwerk.

Through ÖJJ’s activities, young people from Japan visit Austria and young people from Austria visit Japan in alternating years. Depending on the program, group sizes range from 6 to 12 people, and the duration of the visit is between one and two weeks. 

ÖJJ collaborates with the YUAI Foundation in Tokyo and the youth organization Kai-You-Kai in Wakayama Prefecture. The exchange programs are non-commercial, largely volunteer-based, and funded through sponsorships and donations. Austrian participants pay for their flight and a small contribution towards costs.

Through this initiative, ÖJAB aims to promote intercultural dialogue and learning among young people. ÖJAB has maintained a close partnership with Japan since 1965.

Oblique view of the famous Byōdō-in temple in Kyoto: A sprawling temple with curved, black roofs and red wooden pillars. The temple stands on an island in a lake and is surrounded by trees.The charm of Japanese culture and nature can be discovered during a youth exchange.

Youth Exchange Means: Discovering Culture, Making Friends, and volunteering

The goal of the exchange is to experience the other country’s culture, history, and way of life beyond typical “tourist” visits, to develop deep mutual understanding, and to foster cross-border friendships. Therefore, the program includes not only sightseeing but also visits to educational institutions, meetups with local youth, and in some cases short stays with host families.

Young people who travel to Japan with ÖJJ in return help host and accompany Japanese guests in Austria. This turns one-time encounters into lasting friendships and communities.

A mixed group of young people stands in front of the white Wakayama Castle with its green roof, holding a blue banner that reads "IYEO". The sky is a brilliant blue.A youth group from the Austrian-Japanese Youth Exchange in front of the historic Wakayama castle, together with members from Kai-You-Kai. Kai-You-Kai is a member of the nationwide umbrella organisation IYEO. Photo: Zoltan Hajduk

Who Can Participate in the Austrian-Japanese Youth Exchange?

Young people aged 18 to 30 who belong to one of the ÖJJ member organizations can participate. You are considered an ÖJAB member if you currently live or have lived in an ÖJAB student or youth dormitory, have attended courses in ÖJAB’s Education & Integration sector, or are otherwise a member. You can become a member of the Austrian-Japanese Society by joining via www.oejg.org.

Participants should also have a long-term residence in Austria, possess good German language skills, and hold a citizenship that allows visa-free entry to Japan (as ÖJJ does not meet the requirements for issuing visas). 

  • Three people smile as they walk through a Japanese shrine's path, lined with numerous bright red torii gates. The torii are inscribed with black Japanese characters and form a long, tunnel-like passage. Sunlight filters through the gates in places, illuminating the path.Exchangees from the Austrian-Japanese Youth Exchange walk through the torii gates of Fushimi Inari-Taisha, a well-known Shinto shrine in Kyoto.
  • Eight people pose smiling on a wooden viewing platform in front of a sweeping cityscape. Some are waving or flashing a victory sign. In the background, numerous historic buildings, churches, a river, and wooded hills are visible. The weather is clear.A youth group from YUAI in Japan at Fortress Hohensalzburg.
  • A large group of about 15 people sits around a long wooden table in a traditionally furnished restaurant with wooden beams and sliding doors. Many of those present smile at the camera, some wave or make hand gestures. On the table are small plates with appetizers, chopsticks, bowls, sake bottles, and drinks. The photograph conveys a friendly, convivial atmosphere during a shared dinner.A youth group from Austria together with YUAI members in a typical Japanese restaurant.

Partner Organizations and ongoing Projects in Japan

YUAI Foundation

International networking and stimulating political exchange
In a traditionally furnished Japanese house, several people are kneeling on tatami mats. Some are young and European, some older and Japanese. All are formally dressed. In the hallway behind the room, next to the open paper sliding doors, several more people can be seen standing.

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Kai-You-Kai

Young & volunteer-driven – rural Japan behind the scenes
A workshop, open to the outside on the left. Several frames of Japanese paper, leaves, and cut-out paper shapes lie on a metal table. Young European travelers are working on the paper under the guidance of an older Japanese woman. One participant holds one of the frames, while others decorate their own stretched paper. In the background, a few people watch or work themselves. The interior of the workshop displays traditional Japanese architecture. Green plants are visible outside. Photo: Zoltan Hajduk

continue to Kai-You-Kai

Support the Youth Exchange with Japan!

The Austrian-Japanese Youth Exchange is searching donors to help finance the program’s material costs in the coming years. Your donation can help ensure that this exchange continues and that young people can gain international experiences and build new friendships!

Contact: Wolfgang Mohl, 01 5979735-826, japan@oejab.at

Donation Account:
Account Name: Österreichisch-Japanischer Jugendaustausch
Bank: Erste Bank der oesterr. Sparkassen AG
IBAN: AT30 2011 1840 3542 6600
BIC: GIBAATWWXXX

Contact

The association ÖSTERREICHISCH-JAPANISCHER JUGENDAUSTAUSCH – ÖJJ

Main Office address: Mittelgasse 16, 1060 Wien. 
ZVR number: 695062674. Web: www.oejab.at/oejj 

E-mail: japan@oejab.at

Member organizations:
ÖJAB – Österreichische Jungarbeiterbewegung (Austrian Young Workers Movement)
Österreichisch-Japanische Gesellschaft (Austrian-Japanese Society; www.oejg.org)
Österreichisches Ferienwerk

Managing board:

Chairman: Mag. Wolfgang Mohl (ÖJAB)
Telephone: 01 597 97 35-826

First vice chairman: Ing. Karl Steinböck (Austrian-Japanese Society)
Second vice chairman: Nikolaus Petronczki, BA (ÖJAB)

Secretary: Nikolaus Petronczki, BA (ÖJAB)
Deputy secretary: Ines Lagler, MA, M.A. (ÖJAB)

Treasurer: Kesandra Jakob, BSc (ÖJAB)
Deputy treasurer: Barbara Bergauer (ÖJAB)

Further management members (alphabetical order): Coco Akdedian (ÖJAB), Thomas Angster, BA (ÖJAB), Mag. Renate Neundlinger (ÖJAB), Mag. Konrad Prommegger (ÖJAB), Werner Wiessböck (Austrian-Japanese Society)

Internal audit:

Auditor: Mag.(FH) Bettina Pöltl (ÖJAB)
Deputy auditor: Dieter Fröhlich (ÖJAB)


Honorary chairman: Eduard Schüssler