Mareen, an 18-year-old German citizen, spent three weeks in Japan, loved it, and now wants to come back.

"I thought about working as an au pair. But I can't find an agency that cooperates with Japanese families. I'd like to visit in July or August, and would like to stay for six to 10 months. How can I find a family? Or is there some other way to visit Japan again?"

Mareen, you won't find such an agency because no such thing exists. Japan does not have an au pair system, whereby a young person takes on duties in a home such as housework, language exchange, or looking after children in exchange for room and board. Like baby-sitting, housekeeping and even cleaning, it is still a largely alien notion in a culture where families have traditionally stayed close and helped one another. Now search the Web site www.newaupair.com and prove us wrong.