alo taylor, i'm back to pick your brain again

i've heard of 'work-in-japan' where u can find temp/short term work while you 'visit' japan. at least the idea is to earn some money while you 'holiday'. i've looked around some sites but stuff like teaching english seems to be a min. of 1 year. i remember you're teaching english there as well. did you start of with something like that? And: -
1. what other kind of short-term work are there?
2. how easy is it to find a placement?
3. on average, how much is rental?
4. would the 'work' leave me with any 'real' time to holiday?
5. are there homestay/youth exchange programmes?
6. what are the other options to an extended (say about 1 month) holiday in japan without burning a hole in my pocket?
sorry for the long questions

my friends and i are planning a long holiday and we're just exploring all the options. that and work has left me longing to get away for a good long while