The land of the rising sun has long been a popular tourist destination for people who are interested in experiencing a different culture. Visitors to the land of the rising sun can marvel at the traditional geisha dance, explore Japan's wonderful gardens, and take the time to sample the country's delicious cuisine.

You will be able to fully immerse yourself in Japan's one-of-a-kind way of life while also gaining valuable experience in Japanese commercial culture if you decide to live and work in Japan during your time there. Even though the cost of living is higher in major cities like Tokyo, these kinds of popular urban areas frequently bring together people who are also traveling internationally and contribute to the development of a sense of community.

Even though it is highly recommended that you study Japanese before you arrive in Japan, there will be opportunities for you to take classes that will get you up to speed quickly.

The existence of a public transportation system that is both highly effective and cost-effective has made traveling throughout the nation much less difficult. You could spend your free time taking the bullet train to the island of Kyushu, which is known for its active volcano, or you could travel to the northern region of Hokkaido, which is known for its many ski and snowboard resorts.

As a result of the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus, there are currently travel restrictions in place for people coming from the United Kingdom to Japan. In order to enter the country, you will need both a valid visa and an approved COVID-19 test. Check out the "Foreign travel advice - Japan" section of the "GOV.UK" website for the most recent advice on entering Japan for work.

Jobs in Japan

Major Japanese industries include:

• agriculture
• consumer products (electronics)
• manufacturing (mining)
• information technology
• pharmaceuticals
• services (banking, retail, telecommunications)
• tourism
• transport (aerospace, automobiles, shipbuilding).

It is estimated that there were 1.72 million foreign workers in Japan as of the end of the year 2020. This represents only 2.5% of the country's total working population. The employment rate for international students is lower than that of Japanese students. The government put out a call for workers from neighboring countries to fill positions in essential industries like agriculture, construction, and nursing; many of these workers answered the call and came from those countries.

The majority of Europeans working in Japan are sent there by multinational corporations headquartered in their home countries, such as Unilever, Ericsson, and IBM, all of which have a presence in Japan. These workers are then relocated to Japan.

Major companies in the country include:

• Fujitsu
• Honda Motor Company
• Japan Post Holdings
• Mitsubishi Corporation
• Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
• SoftBank Group
• Sony Corporation
• Toyota Motor Corporation.

If you want to find work that requires fluency in English, your best bet is to look in Tokyo, which is the country's financial and commercial hub. You might also find work in Osaka, Kanagawa, Bin and Shinagawa.

One of the most common and successful strategies for finding work in Japan is to become a teacher of English to speakers of other languages (TEFL).

You can search for jobs in Japan at:

• CareerCross
• Daijob.com
• GaijinPot Jobs
• Glassdoor - English speaking jobs in Japan
• Jobs In Japan
• Tokyo Connections
• WeXpats Jobs

How to Obtain Employment in Japan

You will be required to have a job lined up prior to your arrival in Japan. If you haven't been able to get a secondment from a company in your home country, then it's almost certain that you'll need to have a solid command of Japanese before you can apply for work in Japan. This is especially true if you are applying for permanent roles at Japanese companies; if achieving this is one of your goals, you will need to engage in a significant amount of planning.

Your curriculum vitae, or CV, really ought to be translated into Japanese if you are going to be applying for jobs there. You should be aware that the format will be different from what you are probably used to. For instance, a typical CV in Japan includes personal information such as the applicant's age, gender, and marital status, all of which are things that employers in the UK would never inquire about due to privacy laws and equal opportunity policies.

Job interviews in Japan are strict, serious and follow set protocol. It's therefore important to be aware of what's expected of you. For instance:

• you knock on the door three times before entering the room and shouldn't sit down until you're told to
• a candidate's personality is often viewed just as highly as their skills and qualifications
• the interview could last for an hour to an hour-and-a-half
• it's possible you'll be questioned by quite a large panel of native Japanese speakers.

Because it is customary for Japanese workers to spend the majority of their careers working for the same company and because they consider their fellow employees to be something akin to family, it is common practice for interviewers in Japan to question candidates about their reasons for wanting to work for the company as well as their hobbies and interests.

In the event that you are unsuccessful, there are organizations that can assist you in finding temporary work in Japan (in addition to providing assistance in acquiring a working holiday visa valid for one year). To be eligible for the Work Japan program offered by BUNAC, you will need to be a holder of a UK or Irish passport, be between the ages of 18 and 30, and be planning to work in Japan for a maximum of one year. You will have the opportunity to study Japanese in addition to receiving assistance in translating your resume into the local tongue and finding work in the country.

Summer jobs

If you are interested in working in Japan during the summer (which typically runs from June until September), holiday resorts frequently have openings for workers from other countries. You have a number of job opportunities available to you, such as working at a beach resort, being a sales assistant, or being a leader at a summer camp.

Alternately, you could teach English in a school or look for part-time work in the hospitality industry - particularly in large cities, where you could look for work in bars, restaurants, and hotels. Another option would be to become a private tutor for English language learners.

If you are interested in expanding your skill set while gaining valuable work and life experience, another option available to you is to engage in volunteer work. You will, however, need to put some money aside in order to finance a trip of this nature.

Organisations advertising summer work opportunities include:

• boobooSKI - representing various providers of ski and beach resort jobs, you could choose to work in Okinawa while enjoying the summer weather. Options are available from April to October.
• One World 365 - offers the chance for 18-30 year olds to work or volunteer in Japan during the summer, winter or for an entire year.

Teaching jobs

Jobs in the teaching of English are one of the most common and significant opportunities for native English speakers to find work in Japan. Opportunities abound in large urban areas such as Tokyo and other cities like it. You might, for instance, consider working as an English instructor at a private school or as a high school teacher.

You will not be required to have a teaching degree; however, due to the competition for places, you will need to be able to speak English fluently and confidently, and ideally you will hold a certificate that is recognized for teaching English to speakers of other languages, such as TEFL or IELTS. You can learn more about these requirements by visiting the teach English abroad website.

Search for teaching vacancies at:

• Go Overseas - Teach English in Japan
• i-to-i - Teach English in Japan
• Teach Away - Japan
• TEFL - TEFL jobs in Japan
• teflSearch - Japan

Internships

The Japanese government is eager to promote internships as a means for businesses to benefit from the specialized skills and knowledge of foreign students. This is because internships provide companies with an opportunity to gain competitive advantage. You will gain valuable experience of Japanese business practices as well as improve your language and communication skills if you participate in an internship there.

Those who are currently enrolled in Japanese universities will find an increased number of opportunities during their academic holidays in the spring and summer, as well as after they have completed their degrees. You can find additional information at the Study in Japan - Internship website.

At the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, you will be able to look into internship opportunities with Japanese companies if you are currently living in a country that is part of the European Union (EU).

The following organizations also offer the opportunity to participate in internships in Japan:

• Absolute Internship - a summer internship programme based in Tokyo for English-speaking students and graduates, with employment options in areas including business development, finance and marketing.
• AIESEC UK - its Global Talent programme offers paid six to 12-month international internships for students and recent graduates.
• Go Overseas - browse internship programmes across Japan.
• IAESTE - for full-time science, engineering, technology and applied arts students working towards a Bachelors or Masters. These paid placements usually last for between eight and 12 weeks during the summer, but can be longer at other times of the year.
• Internship In Japan - this Tokyo-based provider organises business, creative and technical internships through a network of over 300 companies. These range from 3-4 weeks to 21-24 weeks at any time of year. You can also learn Japanese at its partner language school while you work.
• Internship Japan - a voluntary organisation helping those from overseas to secure internship opportunities in Japan.
• The Intern Group - a leading international internship provider with a programme in Tokyo for those who've completed their high school education, plus university students and graduates.

Japanese visas

Before you can become employed in Japan and travel there, you will need to first obtain a work visa if you are a citizen of the United Kingdom. However, the kind of working visa you need will be determined by the length of time you plan to remain in the country as well as the kind of work you intend to do while you are there.

You will need to obtain a highly skilled professional working visa in order to be eligible to accept an offer of employment for a permanent or fixed-term position. The following types of travel are permitted with this visa:

• artist - photographer, artist, sculptor.
• business manager - director, owner.
• engineer/specialist in humanities/international services - copywriter, designer, foreign language teacher, IT engineer.
• instructor - high school teacher.
• intra-company transferee - worker from a global company with a Japanese branch.
• skilled labour - pilot, animal trainer, chef.
• journalist - editor, cameraperson, newspaper journalist.
• legal/accounting services - accountant, solicitor.
• medical services - nurse, dentist, physician.
• professor - university professor or assistant.
• religious activities – bishop, pastor, monk.
• researcher - investigator, institute researcher.
• technical intern training - technical intern.

It is expected that you will have first obtained a Certificate of Eligibility, which can be done so by contacting the Ministry of Justice in Japan. Only then will you be able to submit an application for a visa. Your sponsor, who is typically your employer, should get in touch with the immigration office in their area and submit the application on your behalf.

You are only able to submit an application for a work or long-term stay visa through the Japanese embassy in your home country if you have a Certificate of Eligibility. After submitting your application, you will need to travel to the embassy in person to present the following documents:

• a valid passport
• a completed and signed Visa Application Form
• a passport photo taken within the last six months
• an original and a photocopy of the Certificate of Eligibility.

The turnaround time on processing a visa is normally four working days, but the Certificate of Eligibility will expire three months after the date it was issued.

For more information on applying for Japanese working visas, see the Embassy of Japan in the UK.

Language requirements

Because English-speaking jobs in Japan are typically only advertised by multinational corporations, if you want to work for a traditional Japanese company, you will most likely need to demonstrate that you are fluent in Japanese in order to be considered for a position there. The process of assimilation into Japanese culture will be facilitated by the acquisition of the language.

If you don't speak the language, you should be able to get by in large cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. However, because the English proficiency rate in the country is so low, you should consider taking some lessons at home before you accept a job offer there.

Because Japanese is one of the languages that can be the most challenging for people who speak English as their first language, you will need to invest a lot of time and effort into mastering the challenges of Japanese pronunciation that you are faced with. There are language schools in most of the country's major cities, such as GenkiJACS, which has locations in both Tokyo and Fukuoka, which you can attend if you intend to learn the language while you are living in the country.

How to describe your experience and skills to potential employers

Qualifications earned in the United Kingdom are widely recognized across the globe, including in Japan; however, it is recommended to check with potential employers before applying for jobs.

Check out ENIC-NARIC - Japan if you want to learn more about the ways in which qualifications are recognized in Japan.

Experiences gained while working in Japan

The Japanese management style emphasizes the importance of group harmony, and open floor plans are typical of Japanese office layouts. The number of hours worked is given a significant amount of weight in this culture of promotions, which is firmly established in a hierarchy based on years of service.

In spite of the fact that Japanese labor law places a cap on the number of hours an employee can work in a week at a maximum of 40 hours (eight hours per day), in practice, employees of traditional Japanese companies are permitted to work up to 12 hours per day, with any overtime going unpaid. Even in this case, going out for drinks with coworkers after work is considered to be socially acceptable.

Workers from other countries are not expected to work longer hours, nor are they under any kind of pressure to do so. The typical workday for a Japanese national begins at nine in the morning and continues until seven or seven and a half in the evening, typically after their manager or supervisor has left the office.

On the other hand, the Japanese government is making an effort to alter the requirements of the country's traditional working culture by promoting an early end to work on the last working Friday of every month and enacting other reforms designed to boost productivity and create a better balance between work and personal life.

The morning and evening rush hours in busy cities are typically between the hours of seven and five o'clock in the morning and five and eight o'clock in the evening. When these times come around, public transportation is going to be extremely crowded.

The number of holidays that are guaranteed to workers in Japan is relatively low and is typically proportional to the length of their employment. Even though employees are guaranteed a minimum of ten paid vacation days per year and an average of 18.5 days off, only a small percentage of workers actually take advantage of their full allotments. There are also 16 public holidays, most of which occur on the Saturday or Sunday immediately preceding or following them.

If you are interested in obtaining employment with a Japanese company, your holiday pay and entitlements should be spelled out in the employment contract.

Find out more

• Discover what it's like to study in Japan.
• For the latest travel advice, see GOV.UK - Japan.