Moving to Japan and looking for work can be an exciting yet daunting task as a foreigner. Popular sites like Yolojapan, Guidable, and Gaijinpot Jobs advertise lots of English teaching and other jobs tailored towards foreigners in Japan. However, there are also many alternatives worth exploring as you search for jobs in Japan. Here are some of the top alternatives to check out:
1. Directly Apply to International Companies
Many global companies have offices and operations in Japan. From tech and finance to consulting and consumer products, numerous major brands hire foreign talent in Japan. You’ll often find better salaries and career growth potential compared to teaching English.
Some companies to research include Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Bain & Company, McKinsey & Company, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Hilton, Deloitte, and many more. Check companies’ Japan office career sites directly and network with their local staff. Getting referrals from current foreign employees at global companies goes a long way.
2. Visit Specialized Foreigner Job Boards
While Yolojapan et al. cater towards English teachers, check out sites focusing on other professional foreigner roles like:
- Jobs in Japan (banking, tech, marketing, HR jobs and more)
- Daijob (broad range of English and bilingual roles)
- Gaijinpot (some non-teaching jobs)
- JapanDev (tech and developer roles)
- Robert Walters Japan (management level and specialist roles across many industries)
Set up job alerts and check these sites regularly for new openings that match your background. Recruiting cycles move quickly in Japan so prompt applications are key.
3. Search Japanese Job Sites in English
Major Japanese recruiting sites like Doda, Rikunabi Next, MyNavi, Careercross, and Japan Jobs often post content in English too. Toggle between Japanese and English and leverage helpful filters to narrow down best matching opportunities.
You’ll find smaller ventures alongside big brand names hiring foreigners this way. Being open to both types of employers expands your options. Check back frequently as job postings refresh daily.
4. Attend Career Forums and Events
When possible during non-COVID times, attending conferences and recruiting events is highly worthwhile when job searching in Japan. Top picks include:
Boston Career Forum (65% overseas attendees work in Japan on some visa)
Career Forum Internet Week Tokyo Employment Service Center for Foreigners Job Fair Exit Japan International Recruiting Expo ECC Foreign Job Hunter Series
At these all-day forums you can directly engage with HR managers and recruiters from companies looking to fill positions. Prepare polished resumes and your intro pitches in Japanese or English depending on event focus. Dressing smartly gives a good impression too. Follow up promptly with contacts made there.
5. Enlist Recruitment Agency Help
Native English ability is constantly in high demand across many fields in Japan beyond teaching, from business consulting to law, healthcare, academics, engineering, and tourism. Specialist bilingual recruitment agencies can help match and place you if your language skills and professional credentials are scarcer assets.
Some good foreigner-oriented agencies include Hays Japan, Robert Walters Japan, PERSOL, Amity Incorporated, Vista Japan, and ECC. You pay no fees as the employer pays the recruiter if hired. Be picky though about what positions you consider as some come with strings attached requiring 1-3 year tenures.
6. Search Within University Alumni Networks
If you studied abroad for a semester or earned your university degree within Japan, tap into powerful alumni networks and university career centers specializing in placements there. As a former student familiar with language and workplace norms, you make a promising hire to alums and Japanese employers.
Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other elite universities have active regional alumni clubs. Check upcoming career networking events, mentorships opportunities, job listings or directly reach out to alums at target companies for referrals. Your university’s reputation coupled with a referral can get your foot in the door more easily.
7. Look Into Special Work and Holiday Visa Options
If you’re under 31 there are great working holiday options in Japan from countries like Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark, Germany, UK, France, Australia, Hong Kong and more. Depending on country and eligibility factors, these visas allow 1-2 years of living and working flexibly in Japan, giving you time to job hunt once there. The key is entering Japan legally then changing status later once securing longer-term employment.
Alternatively, if not eligible for working holiday options, many foreigners start out doing part-time English teaching with entry visas sponsored by language schools as a temporary means to get situated in Japan while hunting for better career jobs on the side. Just ensure to avoid shady visa-busting arrangements that violate immigration rules.
8. Search Regional Cities and Rural Areas
Rather than just looking in the super competitive Tokyo area, expand your job search nationwide across Japan’s 47 prefectures. With work style reform and shifts towards remote work, employers large and small are now more open to sponsoring visas for foreigners regardless of office location.
Regional cities like Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Hiroshima offer thriving business scenes with multinationals mixed among SMEs. Rural townships also seek foreign professionals and have additional incentives supporting relocation there – like JET Programme roles and the new Tokyo Work, Country Life campaign.
9. Use Social Media and Forums
Apart from job boards, leverage networks on Facebook Groups, LinkedIn, Reddit, Discord servers and forums to uncover Japan job leads and insider advice. Reach out directly to other foreigners who found careers in your target field for informational interviews. Useful groups include:
- Reddit: JapanJobs and MovingtoJapan
- Facebook expat groups: Hire Foreigners in Japan, Tokyo Gaijins, GaijinPot Jobs in Japan
- Discord: The Japan Server
10. Be Persistent Yet Patient
The reality is Japan’s job market remains quite insular. Local applicants get priority for purely Japanese-language roles. As visa sponsorship requires extra effort for employers, you must stand out with critical skills and convince them to invest in bringing you over.
Finding professional level employment in Japan as a foreigner often boils down to consistent effort, patience, personal outreach and gradually elevating your career options once settled in initially via other avenues like English teaching or working holiday visas. Leverage all channels possible, keep at it, and the right job match will come!
Final Words
The alternatives above present fresh options worth trying alongside the major English teaching portals that dominate Japan foreigner job searches. Getting creative by tapping global firms, alumni networks, language abilities, social channels and visa entry-points all expand your prospects. While challenging, with the right combo of skills and effort you can carve out a rewarding career in Japan as a foreigner.
