Part-Time Jobs in Japan (Arubaito): Finding Work and the Japanese You Need
Many international students and working holiday makers in Japan take a part-time job, called アルバイト (arubaito) or バイト (baito). Popular choices are convenience stores, restaurants, hotels, warehouses and English teaching. Students need permission from immigration to work, usually limited to 28 hours a week during term. Most jobs need at least basic spoken Japanese, around JLPT N4 to N3, plus a simple Japanese résumé and a short interview. Practising your self-introduction and a few interview answers beforehand makes a big difference.
Can you work?
Whether you can take a part-time job depends on your residence status. International students usually need a permit for activities outside their status (資格外活動許可), often granted at the airport or by applying to immigration. Working holiday visas generally allow part-time work. Rules on hours and types of work apply, so always check the current conditions with immigration or your school. This article is not immigration advice.
Common part-time jobs and the Japanese they need
| Job | Typical Japanese needed |
|---|---|
| Warehouse, factory line, cleaning | Basic instructions and safety words |
| Kitchen staff | Basic; menu words and kitchen calls |
| Restaurant or café floor staff | Polite customer phrases, taking orders |
| Convenience store | Good listening and polite set phrases, often N3 level |
| Hotel front desk | Keigo and phone skills, often N2 level |
| English teaching or tutoring | Little in class, but some for parents and staff |
For more on hotel, restaurant and tourism work, see hospitality jobs in Japan, and for customer phrases, Japanese customer service phrases.
Finding a job
- Job sites and apps for part-time work, many with filters for foreigners welcome (外国人歓迎).
- Your university’s career or international student office.
- “Staff wanted” signs (スタッフ募集) in shop windows.
- Friends and classmates who already work somewhere.
Applying and the interview
Most employers ask for a 履歴書 (rirekisho) and a short interview (面接). Part-time interviews are usually friendly and short, but they are in Japanese. Expect questions such as:
- 自己紹介をお願いします。 Please introduce yourself.
- 週に何日入れますか。 How many days a week can you work?
- どうしてこの仕事を選びましたか。 Why did you choose this job?
- 日本語はどのくらい話せますか。 How much Japanese can you speak?
- いつから働けますか。 When can you start?
Our guides to writing a rirekisho and a Japanese self-introduction will help you prepare.
On the job
You will learn set phrases quickly: いらっしゃいませ to welcome customers, お疲れさまです to coworkers, and 失礼します when you leave. Arrive a little early, tell your manager as early as possible if you can’t come, and ask when you don’t understand: すみません、もう一度お願いします。 A part-time job is also one of the best ways to improve your Japanese, because you hear the same useful language every shift.
Prepare with a tutor
A few online lessons before you apply let you practise your self-introduction, interview answers and the phrases for the job you want, with a native tutor playing the manager or the customer. It is the quickest way to walk into the interview feeling ready.