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Working in Japan

How to write a rirekisho (Japanese résumé), step by step

By the Hanabuddies team · · 3 min read

Applying for a job in Japan usually means two documents: the rirekisho (履歴書), a résumé on a standard form, and the shokumu keirekisho (職務経歴書), a summary of your work experience. This guide walks through the rirekisho section by section and covers the mistakes international applicants make most often.

What a rirekisho is

A rirekisho is a fixed-format résumé that almost every Japanese employer recognises. Because the layout is standard, recruiters notice quickly when something is missing or out of place. Most people now type it using a free template, and A4 is the usual size. If the employer asks for a handwritten one, write neatly in black pen and start again rather than correcting mistakes.

Section by section

  1. Date (日付). The date you send or hand in the form. Use either the Western year (2026) or the Japanese era (令和8年), and use the same style everywhere in the document.
  2. Name (氏名) and reading (ふりがな). Write your name as it appears on your passport or residence card, and give the katakana reading in the furigana line. If the label says ふりがな use hiragana; if it says フリガナ use katakana.
  3. Photo. 3 cm wide by 4 cm tall, taken in the last three months, facing the camera, against a plain background, in business clothes. If you attach a printed photo, write your name on the back.
  4. Date of birth, address and contact details. Add furigana to your address. Newer templates make the gender field optional.
  5. Education and work history (学歴・職歴). Write 学歴 as a centred heading, then list your education from oldest to newest, usually starting from high school graduation, using 入学 (entered) and 卒業 (graduated). Then write 職歴 and list each job with 入社 (joined) and 退社 (left). For your current job, add 現在に至る (to the present). Finish with 以上 (end) aligned to the right.
  6. Licences and qualifications (免許・資格). Use official names and the date you obtained each, for example 日本語能力試験 N2 合格.
  7. Motivation (志望動機) and self-promotion (自己PR). This is the part recruiters read most closely. Explain why this company and this role, with one or two specific examples. A generic paragraph is easy to spot.
  8. Personal requests (本人希望記入欄). Unless you have a real constraint, such as a start date, write 貴社の規定に従います (I will follow your company’s policy).

Mistakes international applicants often make

  • Mixing date formats, or using the day/month order from home.
  • Gaps in the history with no explanation. A short note such as 語学留学 (language study abroad) is enough.
  • A casual or cropped photo.
  • Copying the same motivation into every application.
  • Polite language (keigo) that is almost right. It stands out more than plain, correct Japanese.

The shokumu keirekisho

Unlike the rirekisho, the shokumu keirekisho has no fixed form. It is usually one or two A4 pages with a short career summary, the details of each role and what you achieved (with numbers where you can), your skills, and a short self-promotion. For mid-career hires it often matters more than the rirekisho itself.

Get a second pair of eyes

Our careers coaching covers both documents. We check the format, the Japanese and the story your history tells, then run mock interviews so you’re ready for the questions that follow.