Popular Jobs in Japan for Foreigners

What kind of work do foreigners do in Japan?

And what kind of jobs are popular?

For those who are looking to work in Japan for the first time, or for those who are looking for a new job in Japan, we have compiled a ranking of jobs that are easy for foreign nationals to find in Japan.

This article will help you understand which job you should get in Japan.

Popularity means that the job is in demand, and it is relatively easy to be hired.

Instead of applying for a job with a low hiring rate, apply for a job that is available immediately.

Earn money while you work and study Japanese at the same time, and once you reach the N1 level, you will be ready to take on the job you want to do.

 

5 popular jobs for foreigners in Japan

 

No. 5 Receptionist job

Receptionist jobs at hotels and other places are very popular among foreigners.

In particular, hotels in Tokyo, where many foreign tourists use the hotels, need personnel who can speak foreign languages.

Since not all Japanese can speak English, foreigners who can speak Japanese are in high demand because they can serve customers in English and other foreign languages.

In addition, if you can speak Japanese, you will be able to serve not only foreigners in your native language but also Japanese people, which will increase your employment rate.

Another advantage of receptionists is that they can work long, stable, and stable jobs.

 

No. 4 Sales business

Sales and marketing jobs, especially overseas sales, are in great demand among foreign nationals.

This is because foreigners are more familiar with the culture and manners of the country they are from and are fluent in the language.

Salespeople are paid more than other occupations because they can get commision when they sell products, but it is very difficult for them to make a profit because of the negotiation skills required.

If you can speak N1 level Japanese and have excellent communication and negotiation skills, we recommend a career in sales.

If your sales performance is good, your bonus will be reflected in your sales performance, so you can earn a lot of money.

 

No. 3 Engineer

Engineering is one of the most popular jobs for foreigners in Japan.

If you have engineering skills, you are not required to have Japanese language skills such as N1 or higher, but N3 level is necessary because you cannot communicate without basic daily conversation.

In the case of IT engineers, the programming language itself is English, so foreigners who are native English speakers can acquire skills more easily than Japanese.

Recently, Japanese major companies have been actively recruiting foreign engineers.

If you have the skills and experience, you can earn a higher annual salary than Japanese nationals, so working as an engineer in Japan is a great advantage.

 

No. 2 language teacher

Working as a language teacher has always been a popular job.

There are many types of teachers, such as instructors at English conversation schools and English teachers at high school.

English conversation instructors work part-time, not as full-time employees, so their long-term stability depends on their own personal skills.

This is a great job for temporary work, such as working as an English conversation teacher while studying Japanese in Japan with a college student visa.

 

No. 1 Factory jobs

One of the most popular jobs in Japan for foreigners is technical work, such as in factory factories

One of the features of this job is that it does not require much more Japanese than other jobs, so foreigners who have not been in Japan for a long time or those who have difficulty with Japanese can work in this job.

Another reason is that by acquiring technical skills in Japan, you will be able to work in the same job immediately after returning to your home country as an experienced worker.

 

Here are jobs that are popular among foreigners.

No,5 Receptionist job

No,4 Sales business

No,3 Engineer

No,2 Language teacher

No,1 Technical jobs, such as in factory

 

The above 5 job opportunities are popular among foreign nationals, and are relatively easy for foreign nationals to work, so please be proactive in applying.

First, you should try to get one of these jobs, and once your Japanese language skills have improved to a certain level, you can try another job you like.

 

Jobs where foreigners are actually working

 

We have introduced the jobs that are popular among foreign nationals, and now we would like to introduce three jobs that foreign nationals are actually working at.

 

① Engineer’s work　

As mentioned above, engineers are not required to have high Japanese language skills such as N1 if they are skilled.

Of course, if you have a high level of Japanese language skills, you will be able to provide skill training to Japanese engineers and manage Japanese engineers, which will lead to a higher annual salary.

There are many foreigners who are employed in the following types of jobs.

 

Mechanical design engineer

IT engineers such as software development development

Machine operator in a factory

Automobile maintenance, etc.

 

② Food Industry and Accommodation Industry

The following jobs, which often involve contact with foreign tourists, are actively hiring foreign nationals.

 

Hotel front desk

Izakaya Restaurant

Convenience stores, etc.

 

In particular, there are few Japanese workers in the food and beverage industry, which is suffering from hiring human resources.

Recently, I have been seeing more and more foreigners are working at Izakaya and other places.

Hotel cleaning and housekeeping jobs are also occupations in which many foreigners work.

 

③ Hospitality industry

The following is a list of specific types of jobs in the hospitality industry.

 

Duty Free Shops at Airports

Electronics stores in Akihabara

English conversation teacher, etc.

 

These occupations are in high demand by foreign nationals because foreign tourists speak only English.

Convenience store and supermarket jobs are also very popular, especially among international students.

Because those jobs are understaffed, so they can work right away.

Also, there are many opportunities to learn Japanese through customer service with Japanese people.

The best way to study Japanese is to learn Japanese not only at school, but also practically.

Convenience stores are popular with students because they are open 24 hours a day and students can work while attending school.

English conversation teachers can also work immediately, but their employment is part-time, so they should work temporarily to earn money while studying Japanese.

Once you have passed the N2 exam, you should actively apply for other jobs.

When applying for jobs, do not apply to one company at a time, but apply to multiple companies at the same time.

Then you will receive a number of job offers, from which you can choose the best company to work for.