Japan, probably one of the most desirable countries in the world, attracts tourists and ACG fans with its unique culture. Nowadays, more and more people are considering working and living in Japan for an extended period. This is undoubtedly a fantastic idea. It’s not only because Japan is safe, peaceful, and clean, but also because it’s charming and beautiful. But how? How to get a Job in Japan from scratch? Can you work here in Japan without speaking Japanese? Please keep reading, and you will find the answers to these questions in this article.
Introduction
Every foreigner who works here in Japan has their own way, and situations can be very different. However, people’s experiences can always inspire us. This article aims to offer you some typical examples, including stories of people from various countries such as the United States, India, China, Nepal, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, and the Philippines. I gathered these references by interviewing my friends and colleagues. In other words, they are all REAL cases. Additionally, as a foreigner in Japan myself, I would also be glad to share my story.
To provide better references, the Japanese language proficiency levels self-evaluated by the individuals are also included, following the levels below:
zero – No Proficiency
i – Elementary Proficiency
ii – Limited Working Proficiency
iii – Professional Working Proficiency
iv – Full Professional Proficiency
v – Native / Bilingual Proficiency
Well, no further ado, let’s get started and see how people come to Japan!
1. Daniel, from the United States, Teach English
Japanese language proficiency: zero – no proficiency
Daniel was born in 2000 and came to work in Japan in 2022, right after graduating from university. He was brought to Shizuoka, Japan, by a program conducted by the Japanese government called JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme). The main aim of this program is to foster Japan’s foreign language education and promote internationalization.
Is it a volunteer program without pay? No. According to Daniel, he receives an average salary for new graduates in the local, approximately 3.5 million JPY annually (about 22,000 dollars). For an American citizen like Daniel, this salary is, of course, not very appealing. However, he is quite satisfied and leads a relaxed life here, as the cost of living is much lower than in the USA.
It’s important to note that a bachelor’s degree is necessary to become a candidate for the program. The first contract is for a one-year period, and reappointment is required with a maximum total of five years. Although Daniel loves his life here in Japan, he is unsure if he will try to stay after 2025. However, an American senior he knows joined a vocational school as an English teacher, effectively bypassing the work period limitation.
Oh yes, English is the most needed language, but it’s not the only one. Please make sure to find out if your mother tongue is required if you are interested.
2. Ali, from India, Campus Recruitment
Japanese language proficiency: iii – professional working proficiency
Ali was born in 1997 in Kolkata, India, and is currently working in Japan, as an IT engineer. He came to Japan in 2020 through campus recruitment and was employed by a Japanese IT company, where he worked for two years before leaving in 2022 to join a branch of a famous international company in Tokyo. According to Ali, he now earns almost twice what he earned when he first came here, and he hopes to become a manager in the team this year. What a wonderful leap!
Apart from Ali, nearly all the other Indian people I know working in Japan are involved in the IT industry, with a small portion in consulting and other fields. The reason is that Japan is commonly recognized as being behind in IT development, while India is renowned for its IT education and human resources. As a result, more and more Indian people are being hired by Japanese companies. Based on both Ali’s and my personal observations, working in the IT industry in Japan can provide more privileges in terms of social credits and applications for PR, just like the healthcare industry does.
3. Lin, from China, Degree Seeker
Japanese language proficiency: iv – full professional proficiency
I, Lin, was born in 1998 in Hunan, China. I’m currently working for a Japanese pharma company in Tokyo. I came to Japan in 2022 on a student visa after gaining admission to a Japanese university for my master’s degree. After I graduated, I joined my current company following two months of job-hunting activities. As a result, I chose this as my final decision out of four offers I received.
I passed the JLPT N1 before coming to Japan while I was an undergraduate in China. However, I still found it quite challenging to get through the doors of Japanese companies, especially since most of my competitors were local new graduates. I still remember participating in a group discussion for a company I applied to. Looking back on those days, I indeed faced some hard times, but it wasn’t too overwhelming. At this moment, I can summarize several strategies that students seeking jobs in Japan might find useful:
(1). Start your job-hunting one year before your graduation.
(2). Seek help from the career center at your institution.
(3). Utilize recruitment apps and websites.
(4). Prepare (write down) answers to the most common questions asked in Japan.
The way I came to Japan was likely the most time-consuming (in terms of money and energy). Anyway, I never regretted my decision, and I eventually obtained both a degree and a job. The visa I hold is called “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services.” This is the most common type of working visa in Japan, according to a report issued by the Japanese government.
4. Ahmed, from Nepal, Japanese Language School
Japanese language proficiency: iii – professional working proficiency
＊ Student visa holders cannot be permanently employed in Japan.
Ahmed is from Kathmandu, Nepal. He initially came to Japan as a student at a Japanese language school at the end of 2020. There, he learned Japanese and worked part-time jobs simultaneously. After graduating in 2023, he decided to continue his studies at a vocational school to learn accounting and secure a suitable job in Japan. At the time of writing this article, he is still in school but has already received an offer from a company. Essentially, we can say he has settled down here in Japan.
Many people I know came to Japan through language schools, and it has relatively low requirements as well. Regarding the cost, it can vary significantly. In Ahmed’s case, he came here with only one million Japanese yen (around 6.5k dollars). He even worked more than 29 hours per week, which is actually not permitted for student visa holders, to support his living expenses and academic fees. However, some wealthy students may spend one million Japanese yen in just one day. So, how much it costs to be a language student in Japan highly depends on the individual.
5. Nguyen, from Vietnam, Technical Intern Trainee
Japanese language proficiency: iv – full professional working proficiency
Nguyen was born in 1995 and came to Japan in 2019 with two friends from his hometown through a program conducted by the Japanese government called Technical Intern Training. One of his friends returned to Vietnam in the second year they were here. While this program may not be for everyone, he quite enjoys it, particularly the work of taking care of elderly people.
However, this year is the last year he can stay in Japan according to the program’s rules. After five years of living in Japan, he has acquired a relatively high proficiency in the Japanese language. Therefore, he plans to work in Ho Chi Minh City as a Japanese language teacher when he returns to Vietnam next year.
Technical Intern Training is probably the easiest way to work in Japan, with relatively low requirements. It basically doesn’t require even a high school diploma or any Japanese language proficiency. You only need to be under 35 years old and in good health. It offers many opportunities for people who are willing to work, but it also receives criticism at the same time.
6. Charlotta, from Australia, Artist Visa
Japanese language proficiency: i – elementary proficiency
Charlotta was born in 2002 in Melbourne, Australia. I didn’t have a direct interview with her, but I got permission to share her experience through a mutual friend of ours. Charlotta came to Japan in a quite unusual way. She is a musician and composes music for an entertainment company in Tokyo. According to her, it’s not easy to obtain such a visa, as you need to submit many related materials, such as a cover letter from an artistic institution, copies of the awards you’ve won, and publications. However, never say never. If you are a musician, pianist, calligrapher, or curator, why not give it a try?
7. Rita, from Brazil, Japanese Descendant
Japanese language proficiency: ii – limited working proficiency
Rita is from Brazil and is of 100% Japanese descent. Although she has been living in Nagoya, Japan, for five years, she still considers herself Brazilian and is more comfortable speaking Portuguese than Japanese.
The Japanese government grants privileges to overseas Japanese descendants in terms of working, living, and obtaining permanent residency in Japan. Since this is a unique case and you may know more about it if you are an overseas Japanese person, this article won’t delve too deeply into it. If you are interested in the history of Brazilian Japanese, please click here.
8. Catherine, from the United Kingdom, Job Relocation
Japanese language proficiency: i – elementary proficiency
Catherine is an English lady who works for a large international company that brought her to Japan. She mentioned that it was just an ordinary day when she happened to see that there were relocation opportunities available at her company. She had been interested in Japanese culture and food for a while, so she applied without thinking twice.
After several interviews and various procedures, she finally got the chance. However, she began to hesitate. Moving to another country, far from home and to a place she had never been, made her anxious. It meant leaving all her family and friends behind. Although she considered giving it up many times before actually coming to Japan, it turned out that she really enjoys her new life here!
Nowadays, as the APAC market becomes increasingly important, many companies have branches or offices in APAC countries like Japan. This is probably one of the easiest ways to come to Japan. So, please check your company’s website; something surprising may be waiting for you!
9. Hasyim, from Indonesia, Do a Business
Japanese language proficiency: i – elementary proficiency
The owner of an Airbnb room, where I used to stay, came to Japan by signing up with a company. More specifically, the company is an Indonesian restaurant. I don’t know how well it’s going, but Hasyim seems fine during the online interviews. He has also brought his parents to Japan, which was permitted by this type of visa. Hasyim didn’t speak Japanese at all when he first started his business here; the entire application process was handled with the help of an administrative professional (gyoseishoshi) he hired. How does he run the restaurant now? Well, he hired an Indonesian guy who speaks Japanese like a local.
You might think it costs a lot to do this, but that’s not necessarily the case. According to the regulations, the capital fund only needs to be above five million Japanese yen (around 320k dollars). However, the pain point is that you need to renew your visa after one year, and the Japanese immigration bureau will grant the following visa permission by checking whether your company has negative financial performance. Additionally, investing is a risky endeavor; anyone who considers this idea should be careful and think it through thoroughly.
10. Veronica, from the Philippines, Apply from Overseas
Japanese language proficiency: iv – full professional proficiency
As a big fan of anime, Veronica started learning Japanese on her own in high school and passed the JLPT N1 while in university back in Manila. After graduating, she tried to apply for jobs in Japan through various job-searching websites. It wasn’t easy, as it’s hard to persuade a company to sponsor a visa for someone from overseas. However, nothing is impossible. After years of effort, she finally got a job as a math teacher in a middle school in Hokkaido. She is very satisfied with her job now and is about to apply for permanent residency.
Conclusion
I hope these examples inspire you in one way or another. How to get a job in Japan highly depends on your personal situation. Basically, there are several factors you need to consider: budget, age, skills, degrees, and even gender. If you’re unsure what the best choice is for you, why not leave a comment to share your situation? I’ll do my best to create a personalized plan for you for free! Just leave a comment below. I’m glad to help and look forward to your questions.
Apart from the visa types I mentioned above, there are, of course, other ways to come to Japan, though they are rarer in terms of the number of visa holders. For example, there’s the spouse visa. You may have also heard of the Working Holiday Program in Japan, which is only available to a few countries and has very limited quotas.
What catches my attention the most is that Japan has launched a digital nomad visa, similar to those in Spain and Greece. This means you won’t need any direct affiliation with Japan but can live in your dream cities like Tokyo and Kyoto. However, it’s not that easy. Basically, you must have an annual income of more than 10 million Japanese yen (around 65k dollars), and you can only receive a six-month visa at a time. More details about this type of visa are yet to be known. Anyway, let’s think positively!
