Job Hunting as a Foreigner in Japan

Finding a job in Japan isn’t easy. If you plan to work here but don’t know where to start, this quick guide is for you.

1️⃣ Japanese Level

No or little Japanese：IT, English teaching, ski resorts, foreign firms

N3 ：Mostly labor jobs, part-time

N2 ：Accepted by dispatch agencies, possible office or CS roles

N1 ：Standard requirements for full-time in Japanese firms & pro fields

2️⃣ Visa

Overseas job seekers without a visa: industries most likely to hire abroad inc. IT, gaming, finance, global brands.

Working Holiday: 1 year max, food/service/tourism, rarely leads to full-time

Student Visa: 28h/wk part time, need job offer to switch to work visa

Work Visa: IT, translation, design, marketing, consulting, and trade are the fields most likely to secure visa sponsorship

3️⃣ Job Sites

English friendly

WeXpats Jobs / YOLO JAPAN

Low level Japanese entry jobs

GaijinPot / JobsinJapan

English teaching and service jobs

Daijob

A long-established job site for foreigners

CareerCross / BizReach

Management and executive jobs

Japanese interface

Rikunabi / MyNavi / Indeed Japan

Main stream full-time site

Doda

Career change site

TownWork / Baitoru

Part time site

Recruit Staffing / PERSOL

Largest dispatch agency

4️⃣ Work Culture

Punctuality is survival: even 1 min late needs apology

Sick leave is rare: still go to office when sick or use vacation days

Strict hierarchy: always use honorifics, show respect to seniors

Group responsibility : mistakes shared by the team

Sio

Resetting life in Osaka after years in the UK, France, Spain, Canada & Argentina. Seeing Japan from the outside, living it from the inside.

WhatsApp / WeChat +853-62223891