Are you interested in starting your professional career in Japan but have concerns regarding the available employment opportunities for foreign workers? Or perhaps you have the assumption that the language barrier might prevent you from getting a job in Japan? In this article, we’ll provide you with all of the necessary information you need to know about building your career in Japan, from the required visa, acquiring part-time jobs, as well as full-time job opportunities to assist you in taking the first step to fulfill your dreams of working in the land of the rising sun.

Get The Right Visa

Before delving into the job opportunities that Japan has to offer, let’s discuss the important requirement that you must obtain to legally work in Japan, visas. There are almost 15 different types of visas you can apply for that permit you to work in Japan depending on the type of work you do, the duration of your stay, and where you are in your career path. Do note that you can only get one type of visa at a time despite you being eligible for more visa types. You can check the full list of available working visa options here but generally, you can differentiate the contents of the permit up to three main types:

General Visa

For instance if you’re a university or Japanese language school student, you will obtain a student visa (last up to 4 years and 3 months) that can allow you to work in Japan on a part-time basis by applying for the ‘permission to engage in activities other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted’ permit at the immigration services bureau. This falls under the ‘General Visa’ category along with training visa *(last up to 1 year), *cultural activities visa *(last up to 3 years), and *dependent visa (last up to 5 years or less) where you have a spouse or parent currently obtaining a work visa in Japan. With this visa, as it is non-working based, you are only allowed to register for a work permit that authorizes you to work for up to 28 hours a week, with 40 hours a week being permitted for students during a semester break.

Working Holiday Visa

If you want to perhaps get used to the Japanese environment before finalizing your decision to work in Japan, depending on which country you’re from and how old you are, you can also apply for a working holiday visa that permits you to work under certain circumstances. You are not allowed to work at places that affect Japanese public morals such as bars, nightclubs, or gambling establishments for a start. There is no specific work limit as your stay in Japan will only last for 12 months with certain conditions for extensions so you can technically work full-time in Japan. Think of it as funding your long vacation to Japan while gaining some experience in a Japanese work environment.

Working Visa

Ultimately, when it comes to building your professional career in Japan, obtaining a working visa is your goal. This visa will allow you to work in jobs that require a certain degree of professional knowledge and skills. Depending on your field of work, it can last up to 3 or 5 years. In most cases, you will need your employer to sponsor your visa where they will submit a certificate of eligibility on your behalf to the Japanese immigration agency. However, if you’re aiming to work as a freelancer, you can apply for an ordinary working visa yourself while providing evidence that you have signed legitimate contracts with different clients in Japan with a financial statement that you generate enough income to support yourself (a minimum of 200,000 yen per month).

Do You Need to Be Able to Speak Japanese?

When it comes to pursuing a career in a foreign country, the requirements of being able to communicate in their official language can differ depending on your field of work. However, in the case of Japan, with Japanese being the official and most spoken language in the country, understanding and communicating in Japanese can be an important asset for you in your job hunting process. Nonetheless, there are jobs available in Japan for non-Japanese speakers in fields where there is limited interaction with customers and staff such as cleaning, working in a factory, or a restaurant’s kitchen. English teaching jobs or waitressing are prominent in the job market and are among the most popular options for foreigners with a limited Japanese conversation ability.

Some would argue that you will eventually learn to communicate in better Japanese as you climb up the career ladder in Japan due to constant exposure to the language itself, so do keep that in mind when you’re contemplating about the language barrier. The idea of learning Japanese might seem like a daunting feat but know that there are many ways for you to learn Japanese in a way that is fun and interesting. Having the right mindset when it comes to learning Japanese is the key factor to being fluent at the language so find the right method that works for you, and don’t give up on your Japanese studies if you’re aiming to pursue your professional career in Japan.

Part-Time Jobs in Japan

In Japan, part-time jobs or アルバイト (arubaito) are offered in various industries such as hotels, restaurants, convenience or retail stores, and english teaching. It is a great opportunity for you to gain an experience of working in Japan as well as improving your Japanese conversation skills in a way that your textbook may not be able to teach you in full. It will also help you boost your work portfolio as full-time job employers will take your part-time work experiences into consideration when reviewing your job application. For part-time jobs, Japanese requirements as we mentioned before differ depending on your job, and a lot of employers will also pay close attention to your manners, working habits, as well as willingness to learn. In other words, character matters just as much as your communication skills.

As discussed above, having a general visa or a working holiday visa allows you to register for a part-time job permit in Japan, but do pay attention to these legal requirements for you to secure your desired part-time job. First, do note that the minimum wage for part-time job workers differs depending on the prefecture. From October 2023, the minimum wage was recently updated to be 1,113 yen per hour in Tokyo and it is illegal for you to receive anything lower than that amount. Your income is also taxable if it exceeds a certain threshold, but most companies will automatically deduct your income taxes on your behalf so make sure you receive a confirmation about your taxes beforehand. At most you’re only allowed to work for 40 hours a week (28 hours for students within their school semester), with 44 hours being an exception for some industries.

Full-Time Jobs in Japan

Finally, you need to keep an open mind when it comes to applying for full-time jobs in Japan. The job market is constantly shifting with the growth of international companies in Japan having provided more avenues for foreign workers who are not fluent in Japanese as they mostly have a foreign clientele. However, preference in general will still be given to those who can communicate in Japanese to a certain degree. One good feature about the Japanese job market is that the university major you choose will not limit you to what sort of career path you want. Although professions in specialized fields such as medicine and engineering might be a different case, but if for instance you want to pursue a career in marketing but do not have the relevant degree to do so, if you are fluent in Japanese, you’ll be a preferred candidate for most job offers.

It is safest for you to be accepted into a company prior to entering Japan, but as we mentioned above, there is a place for self-employed workers in the Japanese job market. The need for more human resources in the Japanese workforce also means that new opportunities are in development from the Japanese government to make it easier for workers from overseas companies to reside in the country. Japan has also been encouraging foreign business managers to grow their business in Japan to boost the nation’s development via Startup visa. So don’t give up on your dreams of working in the land of the rising sun as with good preparation and understanding of Japan’s working culture there will be opportunities available for you if you open the right door.