Working in Japan
Job hunting, résumés, interviews, keigo, emails and workplace culture for international professionals.
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Asking for Time Off in Japanese: Sick Days, Lateness and Leave
How to call in sick, say you’re running late, ask for paid leave, leave early and thank your team afterwards in polite workplace Japanese, with ready-to-use phrases.
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Business Japanese Lessons: What You Learn and How to Choose a Course
What business Japanese lessons cover: keigo, emails, phone calls, meetings, presentations and interviews, who they suit, the level you need to start and how to choose a business Japanese tutor.
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Career Coaching for Jobs in Japan: What It Covers and When It Helps
What career coaching for Japan covers: rirekisho and shokumu keirekisho review, job search strategy, mock interviews in Japanese, and how to choose a coach.
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Finding a job in Japan as a foreigner
Where to look for work in Japan, how much Japanese you need, how work visas tie to a job offer, which documents to prepare and how long the process takes.
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Your First Week at a Japanese Company
How to get through your first week at a Japanese company: your self-introduction, greetings through the day, asking questions, taking notes and what to expect.
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How to Give a Presentation in Japanese
Structure a presentation in Japanese and learn the opening, signposting and closing phrases, how to handle questions, tips for Japanese slides and how to practise.
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Giving a Short Speech (Aisatsu) in Japanese: Structure and Set Phrases
How to give a short speech in Japanese for a welcome, farewell, toast or company event: the four-part structure, closing phrases for each occasion, modesty, length, words to avoid and how to practise.
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Group Discussions in Japanese Job Hunting: How They Work and How to Prepare
How group discussions in Japanese recruitment work: the flow, typical topics, roles, what recruiters look for, useful Japanese phrases, mistakes to avoid and online discussions.
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Hospitality Jobs in Japan: Hotels, Ryokan, Restaurants and the Japanese You Need
Working in hotels, ryokan, restaurants and ski resorts in Japan: the kinds of jobs, visas, the Japanese level each needs, everyday customer-service phrases and interview tips.
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How to Resign from a Japanese Company Politely: Steps and Phrases
How to leave a job in Japan smoothly: notice periods, telling your manager first, taishoku negai vs taishoku todoke, handover, your last day, visa notifications and the Japanese phrases to use.
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How to Write a Jiko PR (Self-Promotion) for Japanese Job Applications
How to write a jiko PR for a Japanese résumé: how it differs from shibō dōki and gakuchika, the four-part structure, choosing your strength, an example and common mistakes.
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How to Write a Shibō Dōki (Reason for Applying) for a Japanese Job
How to write a shibō dōki for a Japanese résumé, entry sheet or interview: the three-part structure, a full example in Japanese with translation, common mistakes and how to say it out loud.
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How to Write a Shokumu Keirekisho (Japanese Work History CV)
How to write a shokumu keirekisho for jobs in Japan: how it differs from the rirekisho, the usual sections, choosing a format, writing achievements and common mistakes.
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Internships in Japan for International Students: Types, Applying and Japanese Level
The types of internship in Japan, how they connect to graduate job hunting, what you need to apply, how much Japanese you need and how to make the most of it.
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How to write a business email in Japanese
The six parts of a Japanese business email, from the addressee and opening greeting to the signature, plus set phrases, a short example and common mistakes.
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Writing Chat Messages at Work in Japanese (Slack, Teams and More)
How to write natural Japanese chat messages at work: how chat differs from email, openers, key phrases, making requests, replying and reacting, tone traps and time zones.
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Japanese for Architects and Designers: Drawings, Site Visits and Client Feedback
Japanese for architects, interior and product designers working with Japanese clients or firms: drawing and site vocabulary, Japanese units like tsubo and tatami, presenting designs, and reading indirect feedback.
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Japanese for Athletes and Coaches Moving to Japan
The Japanese professional athletes and coaches need in Japan: training calls and dressing-room phrases, injuries, team culture (senpai, kantoku, greetings), a learning plan before and after the move, and help for your family.
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Japanese for Cabin Crew and Airline Staff: Service Keigo, Safety and Interviews
The Japanese cabin crew and airline staff need: greetings and boarding, in-flight service phrases, safety instructions, handling requests and complaints, announcements and airline interviews.
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Japanese for Care Workers (Kaigo) in Japan: Tests, Phrases and Care Records
The Japanese level needed for elderly care work in Japan, the usual language tests for Specified Skilled Workers, everyday phrases with residents, care record vocabulary and how to prepare.
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Japanese for Chefs and Culinary Students: Kitchen Calls, Techniques and Hierarchy
The Japanese chefs need for a kitchen in Japan or under a Japanese chef: kitchen calls, the kitchen hierarchy, cooking techniques, tools and ingredients, hygiene and allergies.
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Japanese for Doctors, Nurses and Healthcare Staff with Japanese Patients
Japanese for clinicians who see Japanese patients: phrases for history-taking and reassurance, how patients describe pain, cultural points in the consultation, written instructions and when to use a qualified interpreter.
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Japanese for Software Engineers in Japan: What You Really Need
Do software engineers in Japan need Japanese? Where it matters (stand-ups, Slack, specs, clients), the level often asked for, key tech vocabulary and how to study.
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Japanese for Finance Professionals: Numbers, Results and Client Meetings
The Japanese finance professionals need: large numbers in man and oku, financial statement and market vocabulary, keigo for client meetings, and a realistic study plan around your work.
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Japanese for HR Professionals: Hiring, Rules and Staff Conversations
Key Japanese HR vocabulary and practices for HR teams working with Japanese staff: graduate and mid-career hiring, work rules, paid leave, social insurance, transfers, evaluations and resignations, plus phrases for one-to-one meetings. Language help, not legal advice.
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Practice for Teachers of Japanese: Keeping Your Own Japanese Sharp
For non-native teachers of Japanese at schools and universities: keeping spoken Japanese natural and current, pitch accent and keigo, JLPT N1, a native check on materials and letters, and support for school trips and exchanges.
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Japanese for Lawyers and Legal Professionals Working with Japan
Japanese for lawyers, paralegals and in-house counsel with Japanese clients: key contract vocabulary, how Japanese legal drafting reads, the different legal professions in Japan, client etiquette and a realistic study plan.
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Japanese for Researchers and Academics Moving to Japan
The Japanese international researchers need in Japan: lab life, university administration, seminars and life outside the lab, and how to study around research.
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Japanese for Sales Professionals: Visits, Proposals and Reading “We’ll Consider It”
What sales people need to know to sell to Japanese customers: relationship-first selling, visits and business cards, proposals and quotes, slow group decisions (ringi and nemawashi), key vocabulary and polite phrases, and what “we’ll consider it” really means.
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Japanese for Tour Guides and Tourism Staff Serving Japanese Visitors
Japanese for tour guides, travel agents and tourism staff: phrases for running a tour, what Japanese tour groups expect, explaining sights simply, handling delays and apologies, and working in tourism in Japan.
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Japanese Job Titles and Company Hierarchy Explained
A guide to Japanese job titles such as shachō, buchō and kachō: what they mean, how to address colleagues, talking about your boss to clients, senpai and kōhai.
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What Level of Japanese Do You Need to Work in Japan?
The Japanese level jobs in Japan really expect: what “business level” and N2 mean on job adverts, typical levels by type of job, why speaking matters in interviews, visas and how long each level takes.
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Japanese Phone Calls at Work: Phrases and a Sample Call
How to answer the office phone in Japanese, put calls through, take messages and call another company, with key phrases, a sample call and tips for nerves.
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Small Talk at Work in Japanese: Lunch, Breaks and Nomikai
How small talk works at Japanese workplaces: safe topics, aizuchi, everyday phrases with pronunciation, what to say before meetings, at lunch and at work drinks (nomikai), and polite vs casual speech.
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Japanese workplace culture: what international employees should know
Hōrensō, nemawashi, punctuality, seniority and after-work events: a balanced guide to common habits in Japanese workplaces for international employees.
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How to Write a Job Application Email in Japanese, with a Template
How to write a Japanese job application email: subject line, addressee, opening, attachments and closing, a short template, replies to interview invitations, thank-you emails and common mistakes.
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Negotiating Salary in Japan: When and How to Ask Politely
How salary negotiation works in Japan: understanding bonuses, allowances and fixed overtime, when to ask, polite Japanese phrases and what else you can negotiate.
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Nomikai Etiquette: How to Handle a Japanese Work Drinking Party
What a nomikai is and how to handle one: invitations, seating, the kanpai toast, pouring drinks, not drinking alcohol, leaving early, useful phrases and the next-morning thank you.
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Part-Time Jobs in Japan (Arubaito): Finding Work and the Japanese You Need
How international students and working holiday makers find a part-time job (baito) in Japan, the permission you need, the Japanese level for common jobs, interview questions and phrases for your first shifts.
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Performance Reviews at a Japanese Company: Self-Evaluation, Mendan and Phrases
How performance reviews (jinji hyōka) usually work at Japanese companies, how to write a self-evaluation, useful Japanese phrases for the review meeting and how to read indirect feedback.
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Relocating to Japan with Your Company: How to Prepare Your Japanese
Transferring to your company’s Japan office? Why Japanese matters even in an English-speaking role, a learning timeline before the move, your first days in the office and support for your family.
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How to Write a Research Plan (Kenkyū Keikakusho) for a Japanese Graduate School
What a kenkyu keikakusho is, when Japanese graduate schools and scholarships ask for one, a typical structure, academic writing style, contacting a professor first and common mistakes.
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Shūkatsu for International Students: Japan’s Graduate Job Hunt Explained
How shūkatsu, Japan’s graduate job-hunting season, works for international students: the timeline, entry sheets, aptitude tests, group discussions, interviews, common challenges and how to stand out.
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Speaking Up in Japanese Meetings: Phrases for Agreeing, Asking and Disagreeing
Phrases and habits for speaking up in Japanese meetings: agreeing, adding ideas, asking questions, disagreeing politely, confirming next steps, and how nemawashi works.
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The SPI Test in Japanese Job Hunting: What It Is and How to Prepare
What the SPI aptitude test used by Japanese employers includes, how you take it, why the verbal section is hard for international candidates, how to prepare and how to approach the personality test.
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Teaching English in Japan: How Much Japanese Do You Need?
Do you need Japanese to teach English in Japan? What JET, dispatch ALT companies and eikaiwa expect, plus Japanese for the staff room, students and town life.
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Should You Send a Thank-You Email After a Japanese Job Interview?
Thank-you emails after interviews aren’t expected in Japan, but a short, polite one doesn’t hurt and can help at foreign-owned companies. When to send it, the subject line, a sample email in Japanese, and what not to write.
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Translating Japanese Academic Papers and Sources for Your Research
How students and researchers can use Japanese sources: finding Japanese papers, choosing between a summary and a full translation, academic Japanese, abstracts into Japanese and briefing a translator.
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Understanding a Japanese Job Offer: Naitei, Working Conditions and What to Check
How Japanese job offers work: naitei and the paperwork, key terms such as base salary, bonuses, fixed overtime and probation, questions worth asking, and accepting or declining.
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Working at a Japanese Company Outside Japan: The Japanese and Culture That Help
Working for a Japanese subsidiary in the US, UK, Europe or Australia: how head office decisions work, why some Japanese helps your career and what to learn first.
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Working Remotely for a Japanese Company: Language, Hōrensō and Online Meetings
Working remotely for a Japanese company from abroad: how much Japanese you need, chat and email, hōrensō updates, online meeting phrases, nemawashi and time zones.
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Working with Recruiters in Japan: How Agents Work and How to Use Them Well
How recruitment agencies in Japan work for international candidates: types of recruiters, the process from registration to offer, tips for getting the most from them and useful Japanese phrases.
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Do You Need a Cover Letter in Japan? The Sōfujō and Where Motivation Goes
Japanese job applications don’t use a Western-style cover letter. Where your motivation goes instead (the shibō dōki), how to write the short covering note (sōfujō) for posted applications, a sample layout and how email applications differ.
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Writing Reports in Japanese: Structure, Style and Useful Phrases
How to write Japanese work reports, minutes and daily reports: conclusion-first structure, choosing between plain and polite style, useful phrases and common mistakes.
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Keigo basics: polite Japanese for work
The three kinds of keigo, the respectful and humble verbs to learn first, everyday work phrases and the mistakes learners make most often.
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Job interviews in Japan: questions, manners and how to prepare
What to expect in a Japanese job interview: the usual rounds, common questions in Japanese, interview manners, online interviews and how to prepare.
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How to write a rirekisho (Japanese résumé), step by step
A section-by-section guide to the Japanese résumé (rirekisho) and the shokumu keirekisho, with the mistakes international applicants make most often.