After the devastating earthquake and Tsunami and the nuclear power plant incident there were a lot of useful sites created for foreigners living inside/outside of Japan. Here are the list of information sites we found on the internet.

がいこくじんのためのきんきゅうじ　じょうほう
Emergency Information for Foreigners
http://ajalt.exblog.jp/

East Japan Earthquake - Guides for people living in Japan
http://notice.yahoo.co.jp/emg/en/

Information on Radiation Levels in Japan
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/issues_enjeux/article-eng.asp?id=1106

Radiation Information
http://helpingjapanusefullinks.blogspot.com/2011/03/radiation-information.html

helping japan - useful links
http://helpingjapanusefullinks.blogspot.com/

MIT NSE Nuclear Information Hub
http://mitnse.com/

IAEA home page
http://www.iaea.org/About/japan-infosheet.html

If you search on YouTube, there are a lot of videos made by foreigners living in Japan about how to get a job here.
For some of you the contents of these videos might be rather funny than useful but we thought it might be interesting to see what job seekers actually think since they experience the process of finding a job in Japan first-hand.











This one below looks funny at first but it's actually quite useful. A must-see video before you take an interview!

Now that summer holidays are over and it's time to get serious about finding a job (many people start to look for a new job in spring and autumn), we will introduce upcoming job fairs for foreigners or bilingual Japanese.
Even if there isn't a particular job or position listed in which you are interested, it can be beneficial to join such job fairs in order to get some ideas about the current Japanese job market or about what skills you need to apply for a job.
Here is a list of upcoming job fairs that will take place in Tokyo or Osaka.

7th Daijob Go Global Career Fair 2010
Date: 2010/10/22
Place: Shinjuku Center Building
URL: https://www.daijob.com/en/cfair/eventmain
This job fair is hosted by Daijob, one of most well-known online job resources in Japan. This fair is open for all nationalities regardless of age or experience. Attendance is free of charge. See detail in the URL above.

Global Leader
International Job Fair for foreign students
＜Tokyo Venue＞
Date: 2010/12/11
Place: Akiharaba UDX
URL: http://www.jobfair.jp/jp/fair2010_tokyo.php
＜Osaka Venue＞
Date: 2010/12/18
Place: Umeda Center Building
URL: http://www.jobfair.jp/jp/fair2010_ohsaka.php
These job fairs will be held in Tokyo and Osaka and are hosted by Global Leader, an online job resource for foreign students, powered by Vein Carry Japan Inc. They provide useful information for foreign students who want to work in Japan.

第１０回アジア人材 就職・転職説明会
Date: 2011/2/26
Place: Tokyo International Forum
URL: http://asiajobfair.net/
This one is for Japanese and foreigners who want to work in Japan or other Asian countries, scheduled to be held in the beginning of 2011. See details in the URL above (in Japanese).

As we mentioned in another article "What are the visa requirements for foreigners in Japan?", getting an appropriate visa is required for any foreigner who wants to work in Japan. We have collected some more resources below.

・Japan Work Learn Live
Work visa process

・Hiragana Times
Visa Information

・All about Teaching English in Japan
Japan Visa Information & more

・japan-guide.com
Immigration

This one is not about how to obtain an appropriate visa, but about who can work in Japan. The site also explains the Labor standards law
・外国人労働に関する知識 (Knowledge concerning foreign workers)

This site is for the students who want to change their visa status.
・在留資格の変更とは

Guide to Japanese visas by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

As you may already know by now, the immigration process takes a long time, but it is an essential step to start working in Japan.

For those of you who need professional help, here is a list of Immigration lawyers' websites:

・Nito Immigration Lawyer's Office ,

・Gyoseishosi Hayashi Office

・Awao Law Office

・Tsukasa Adminstrative Scrivener Office

・Nissato Legal Visa Office

Recently we have found (through Twitter) a very intresting website called ODesk. It is a website for freelancers looking for a job and companies looking for contract workers.

Companies can find qualified workers online and vice versa. Companies and freelance workers can work as a team online. They have an automated billing and payment system on the site and workers get paid for the time they worked. It seems like everything is done online and there are no cumbersome procedures. See this youtube video to explain how it works

If you're interested, click below for further details.

ODesk

We had previously mentioned that most Japanese companies still regard internships as a burden on their normal business operation and thus there are few companies around that offer internships on a regular basis. However, as we continued our research on the matter we have been able to identify some companies and organizations in Japan that accept interns or have done so at least once in the past. The information listed below is according to the German Academic Exchange Service website.

Here are a list of companies providing internships programs.

・Deutsche Bank AG
・Ebara Corp.
・Fair Trade Commission
・Fanuc Ltd.
・Fuji Research Institute Corp.
・Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd.
・Gekkeikan Sake Co., Ltd.
・Haarmann, Hemmelrath & Partner
・Hazama Corp.
・Hitachi Ltd.
・Infineon Technologies Japan K.K.
・Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
・Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd.
・The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
・Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
・Kioicho Sohgo Law Office
・Kisho Kurokawa Architect & Associates
・Maki and Associates
・Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
・Matsuzakaya Co., Ltd.
・Merck Ltd.
・Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
・Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.
・Mitsubishi Corp.
・Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
・Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
・Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
・Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.
・Nagashima Ono Tsunematsu Anwaltskanzlei
・NASDA
・NASDAQ Japan, Inc.
・Patentanwaltskanzlei Yuasa
・Roland Berger & Partner Japan Ltd.
・Sanford Japan Ltd.
・The Sankei Shimbun
・Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
・SAP Japan Co., Ltd.
・Shigeru Ban Architects
・Shiseido Co., Ltd.
・Siemens K.K.
・SKW East Asia Ltd.
・Sony Corp.
・Takenaka Corp.
・Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS)
・The Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry
・Toshiba Corp.
・Toyota Motor Corp.
・Wella Japan Co., Ltd.
・Yanase & Co., Ltd.
・Yokogawa Electric Corp.

Source: German Academic Exchange Service
If you're German speaking and looking for a internship programs, click above for further details. Unfortunately there is no English page but it might also be good to apply directly to the companies.

We have introduced websites, books, and schools for studying Japanese before (see also: How to study Japanese, JLPT-The Japanse Proficiency Test). This time we're going to take a look at those useful websites for Japanese proficiency test study.
There are plenty of Japanese-language learning sites specialized in JLPT created by foreigners who have already experienced JLPT.

Here is the list of the websites created for JLPT study.

Japanese Language Proficiency Test Vocabulary lists

JLPT vocabulary lists

JLPT vocabulary

JLPT Kanji Project

MLC Japanese Language School in Meguro, Tokyo Japanese Lesson for English Speakers.
Lots of Japanese Language Free Study Material, Download Work Sheets, Word Lists, Japanese Language Proficiency Test Aid, AV Learning Aid

The JLPT Study page (N4-N2)

renshuu.org.

Using a professional career support consulting service can be a good way to get to know your strong / weak points.

ei2 Career Support provides everything you need on your job search from resume consultation to interview coaching. They also hold group workshops that cover basic, hands-on techniques on one of the job search skills.
Chief Consultant, Connie Sim, started her recruitment-related career with an employment counseling program in Canada. Later, she worked as a Recruitment Consultant at an agency specialized in seeking bilingual talents for foreign firms in Tokyo. Before joining ei2, she was the Recruitment Assistant Manager managing all recruitment needs of a global foreign IT consulting company in Tokyo.
The interesting advices for job-seekers on the website originate from her wide experience in recruiting field. See Advice for job-seeker.

For further details, please check out their web site (The service is available for both Japanese and foreigners) .

We have said that it would be very difficult to find internships in Japan. Most of the very few Japanese companies who do accept interns still consider it as a burden on their normal business operation. Having said that, there are still some websites providing internship programs in Japan.
As we get many inquiries about internships in Japan, we will introduce some of the websites.

KOPRA

KOPRA is the abbreviation of the German term "KOordinationsstelle fuer PRAktika" (International Internship Platform). It strives for improving mutual understanding between Europe and the region of East Asia through international internship exchange.
This European organization provides free informational assistance about visa, housing, living costs etc. for companies and interns. This supporting system reduces the administrative load of internships from companies. The assistance also eases candidates' anxiety from moving abroad.
Due to the financial crisis which has been spreading worldwide, it is now more difficult to find an intern job in Japan. Nevertheless, this organization seems to be still able to provide many internships. Check the website.

Intrax Internships abroad

For students in the US, the American organization Intrax is a leader in work-based cultural exchange programs. Since 1980, Intrax has consistently delivered innovative quality programs through their dedication to operational excellence and outstanding participant experiences. For over 25 years, Intrax has been an official sponsor designated by the U.S. Department of State to administer the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa program.
They provide internship programs in Europe and Asia. There are still some jobs in Japan available for this summer. Hurry up and check the website!

Pasona Internship Program

The Pasona Internship Program is a non-profit organization which allows outstanding undergraduate and graduate students to participate in a two month internship at a Japanese company. The internship provides the student with valuable opportunities to learn Japanese business practices and to receive on-the-job-training. Since the start of the program in 1987, over 300 students have had the unique experience of working for a Japanese company.

Labo Intern program

The Labo Intern program offers young adults the opportunity to live and work in Japan for ONE YEAR.
Labo is a family-based Japanese youth organization. Children in Japan between the ages of 3 and 18 join Labo in order to improve their English-language ability as well as to learn about other cultures and expand their personal horizons. Using international bilingual songs, stories and games from around the world, members learn about the world and about working with one another.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time of application, and may not be over 25. Applicants also must be citizens of the USA, Canada, New Zealand or Australia.
Ten months are spent working in Labo offices throughout Japan. Responsibilities vary from district to district, and from person to person. Interns spend two months studying Japanese at Labo's NIHONGO Institute in Tokyo.

What is BJT?

The Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT, ビジネス日本語能力テスト) is a test administered by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) designed to objectively measure a person's proficiency at communication using Japanese in a business environment. From April 2009, the administrator of the BJT has changed from JETRO to the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation （日本漢字能力検定協会）.

The test is held twice a year. About 2 months later the results will be sent to the applicants.

The first part is the Japanese Listening & Reading Comprehension Test.
All questions are multiple choice, a candidate must choose from four possible answers. It consists of three sections.

The second part is the Japanese Oral Communication Test.
Only those candidates who score 530 or above in the first part of the test qualify to take the Oral Communication Test. This consists of two sections. The first is a 15 minute one-on-one interview between the candidate and the examiner, where the candidate's job is discussed along with topical business subjects. The second is a 15 minute role-play of various business situations.

The BJT score is from 0 to 800, and evaluated on a scale of six levels from J5 to J1+.

How to apply for the test

You can apply for the test online, or at convenience stores and bookstores. The examination voucher will be sent about 2 weeks before the test date. (See official website below)

Even the Immigration authorities refer to BJT scores to determine foreigners' eligibility for international student visas

The Immigration authorities use BJT (as well as JLPT) scores to determine foreigners' eligibility when they evaluate applications by foreigners entering Japan.
(For example, BJT scores of 400 points or higher, you can enter a college or university in Japan)
It is also utilized by many businesses and schools.

See official website of Business Japanese Proficiency Test:

Business Japanese Proficiency Test

This year's (2010) first application period ends May 14th, so those of you want to try out, be hurry!!

If you're studying Japanese and you want to try applying for jobs at Japanese companies, you will surely need a Japanese resume. Of course you can use a translation service (see our service page), but it is a good try to create a Japanese resume by yourself. job110.jp provides you a Japanese resume template. You can find explanations in English for each category so you just have to follow the explanations when filling in!

Do it yourself - job110's Japanese resume template

Internet jobsites for foreigners (in Japanese)

If you can read Japanese, try these Japanese websites for foreigners (please also see our articles "Internet job sites" and "Internet job sites 2, 3").

外国人求人ネット

外国人人材募集J-job

ラグ・ジョブ

Global Power

J-Life (留学生向き)

More English websites related to job search in Japan

Recently, there are plenty of internet job sites for foreigners in Japan. Some websites also include general information about everyday life issues in Japan.
Here is a selection of job search-related websites. (please also see our articles "Internet job sites" and "Internet job sites 2")

Jobseekjapan.com

Jobs.com

Escape Artist.com

dotJapan

Jobs77

JOB of mine

Perkle

ELTNEWS.com

HotJobsJapan

b-cause

Many of you might have known this website already. b-cause is a company specialized in introducing jobs to foreigners living in Japan. Foreigners from 82 countries that are registered at b-cause also offer multilingual services for Japanese companies.

Managed by: b-cause,Inc.

The company was founded by 7 students from abroad and became a profit organization in 2001. They provide not only job information but also information about everyday life in Japan such as how to call police, etc.

HIWORK

Managed by: b-cause,Inc.

There is another jobsite called HIWORK to provide job information for foreigners living in Japan. I think the b-cause website is more focused on part-time jobs and temp staff jobs whereas HIWORK concentrates more on regular employment. They also run website for international exchange events.

国際交流イベント

Participating in meetings of chambers of commerce of your home country can be a good way to meet people. Although the membership fee is rather expensive, you might meet some important people from the companies you want to work for.

The list of foreign chambers of commerce in Japan

在日外国商工会議所リスト
This list is provided by The Tokyo Chambers of Commerce website

Foreign chambers of commerce and industry
Provided by FPCJ (Foreign Press Center in Japan)

There was a request by several job seekers who participated in the survey we conducted last summer. They asked for a list of foreign affiliated companies in Japan. We thought it would be useful information for many foreign job seekers in Japan. In fact, rather than just focusing on recruiting companies and publicly displayed job ads, direct contact i.e. an unsolicited application sometimes can be a successful way to approach a company. Even if it's not very common in Japan, this approach helps to avoid that the CV ends up in a pile of hunderts of other applications. Just make sure that you send it to the right person.

The list of foreign affiliated companies in Japan

There are probably too many foreign affiliated companies throughout Japan to list all of them, but the following lists should provide quite enough to begin with.

外資系企業一覧　Asahi-net
This is we consider the ultimate list of foreign affiliated companies in Japan provided by Asahi-net. Although it is written in Japanese, it has URLs of all companies listed.

Others

外資系企業一覧　Foreign-affiliated companies in Japan
This website lists more than 1500 foreign affiliated companies and their country of origin.

Wikipedia　外資系企業一覧
Well-known Wikipedia's list (in Japanese) is rather limited, but you can get here some more objective information about the bigger international companies in Japan.

www.job110.jp was officially launched on August 1, 2009. The objective of this site is to help foreigners in their job search in Japan by providing value-added information and first-hand advice.

We have seen too often how challenging and at times even frustrating the job search can be for foreigners. The situation has been further aggrevated by the present economic crisis in which companies have become even more hesitant to hire non-Japanese.

As good job opportunities are limited, we think it is very important that foreigners have an in-depth understanding of how they can search for jobs in Japan. We have compiled this information based on our experience and first hand interaction with foreign job seekers.

Except for the "Services" section all information is provided free for charge. We hope that this site will develop into a reliable online resources for foreign job seekers in the years to come.

This site is powered by Gaipro, Inc.  

 

note: The vast majority thinks of employment opportunities for foreigners in Japan as limited. Most consider the required Japanese language skills as the highest hurdle to the job market.

1. Where to apply - 34%
2. Where to network - 19%
3. More specific job agencies - 15%
4. Language support in the application process - 10%
5. Interview training - 8%
6. Visa support - 4%
7. Others - 10%

Note: For most participants of the survey the difficulties began with locating the right companies to apply. Information like lists of foreign companies seems to be in high demand. Another need according to the participants is advice how and where to network to get the 'right' contacts. Many also mentioned a need for more diversified job agencies, especially such for lower positions.

Note: Even though 50% of survey participants said that their biggest obstacle in their job search in Japan are (insufficient) language skills, interestingly when the same participants were asked what they need most to make their job search a success 29% replied "connections" vs. 27% "language skills". Probably this reflects the thinking among some survey participants that it will never be possible to learn or master Japanese quickly enough. Therefore they might think that connections are more practical in the short term.
It's true that connections are very important in Japan be it in business in general or when searching for jobs. However, they can never completely replace the advantages and/or goodwill generated by speaking or at least trying to speak in Japanese.

1. Connections - 29%
2. Japanese language - 27%
3. Skills and experience - 24%
4. Financial ability - 7%
5. Information - 5%
6. Cutural awareness - 5%
7. Visa sponsorship - 2%

 

Note: 50% of survey participants listed Japanese language skills as the biggest obstacle in their job search. Improving Japanese language skills therefore is one key to success in Japan!

1. Japanese language - 50%
2. Cultural barrier - 13%
3. Discrimination - 7%
4. Lack of information - 7%
5. Mismatch of skills and experience - 7%
6. Visa sponsorship - 3%
7. Japanese people are not used to working with foreigners - 3%
8. Japanese employers not familiar with visa procedure - 3%
9. Economic downturn - 3%
10. No difficulty - 3%

Note: When survey participants were asked about difficulties in their job search there were many responses. However, when it comes to positive experiences almost half of the participants answered "none". This clearly depicts how tough the job search can be in Japan.

 

1. None - 46%
2. Employers appreciated my Japanese skills - 14%
3. Yes (but no specific description) - 11%
4. Employers liked my motivation to work - 7%
5. Some employers emphasized personality over language skills - 4%
6. Employers were impressed about the quality of my profile - 4%
7. Japanese people are normally polite and friendly - 4%
8. Employers liked my international experience - 4%
9. Employers provided useful additional information - 4%1
10. Visa sponsorship - 4%

Note: According to our survey the difficulty mentioned most when searching for jobs in Japan was language ability.
This difficulty actually has two components. Firstly, candidates have difficulty speaking at Japanese at a level their prospective employers desire. Secondly, candidates don't have access to all job information because most of it is only available in Japanese and very rarely in English or another foreign language for that matter.

 

1. Japanese language ability - 37%
2. Discrimination towards "Gaijin"- 30%
3. Lack of information - 10%
4. No difficulties - 10%
5. Not knowing where to get help - 3%
6. Visa issues - 3%
7. Culture "gap" - 3%
8. Age - 3%

Feeling frustrated searching for a job in Japan? Do you feel that nobody really understands your situation? Well, you are not alone! At job110.jp we have conducted a survey among foreign job seekers, the objective of which is two-fold. Firstly, we want to show you what kind of issues foreign job seekers encounter in Japan. Secondly, based on these findings we want to provide possible solutions to these issues to tackle the job search head on.

Profile of survey participants: Age, Japanese level, ideal salary...

Age: Foreigners 20 - 50 years of age

88% in the age bracket 25 - 45

Nationalities: British, American, German, Swiss, Chinese, Filipino,...

Professions: Engineer, English instructor, consultant, editor, unemployed, student,.... 

   

 

It could be. It takes time to come across job vacancies and postings that match your qualifications well. It takes time to spread the word that you are looking for a job.

But if you have already found several job postings for which you think you were qualified, for example 7 of them, and for each you carefully prepared an application and you have not received one single invitation to an interview then it might be time to reflect upon your application strategy and method.

Attend luncheons and seminars where there is free time to mingle with various people. Chances are that there are some headhunters around who are on the lookout for candidates.

Try to seek interaction with various kinds of people through your job (customers, suppliers, other organizations). If you are always behind a desk at the office, your exposure will also be limited.

Many of the job seekers say that there is no chance to work in Japanese companies if you don't speak Japanese fluently.  In fact, most of the companies (even foreign companies) require native level or JLPT 2 or even 1 of Japanese ability unless you're an executive.  

 

Study by yourself

・Japanese text books

There are numerous Japanese text books for foreigners. Here's a list of popular Japanese text books.

1. JAPANESE FOR BUSY PEOPLE 1-3
The most popular Japanese text book for foreigners, Kana-version and Romanized version, CD-ROM included. Published by Kodansha International.

2. Minna no Nihongo みんなの日本語初級 (for elementary)
Japanese text book for elementary level. Published by スリーエーネットワーク, Japanese, English, Chinese version, and CD-ROM version are also available.

3. The hand book of Japanese verbs
A reference book for usage of verbs that you can use continually throughout your studying. Published by Kodansha International.

4. GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese 1-2
A text book for first-time students of Japanese, written in Japanese and English. Exercises with illustrations, very easy to understand. Published by Japan Times.

The importance of Japanese language skills varies significantly according to the position.

For example:

Foreign language teacher: minor importance

IT-related job: good to have but not always compulsory

Regular employee at Japanese company: very important

Executives with foreign companies: good to have but not always necessary

Apprenticeships and traineeships are common practice in the US and Europe but they are not in Japan. Therefore be forewarned: It will be very difficult to find something. Most of the very few Japanese companies who do accept interns still consider it as a burden on their normal business operation.