Working in Japan

Japan is a fascinating place to live and work, as evidenced by the 40,000-some Americans who live, study and work in metro Tokyo alone. However, like any other venture, approaching a new job in Japan informed will make your experience easier and richer.

As you begin your research, please understand that the Embassy and our Consulates cannot assist you in locating work in Japan, nor do we maintain a list of jobs available locally. Relatively few Embassy and Consulate positions are filled locally.

Visa Matters

Working in Japan without the proper visa is a crime, and will potentially subject you to a long period of detention by the Japanese Government followed by deportation and a possible life ban on returning to Japan. "Working" includes but is not limited to teaching English and editing English-language materials.

Please take a look at our information on visas for Americans traveling to Japan.

Contracts

In some instances, particularly with smaller enterprises, we have found that contracts signed in the United States are often re-written or adjusted after arrival. Frequently the new terms are unsatisfactory to the employee. Therefore those coming to Japan to be employed should either have a return air ticket in his/her possession or sufficient funds immediately available to purchase a ticket for return to the United States, should the working conditions not be satisfactory.

The Embassy and Consulates do not keep records on individual companies and are unable to "check out" a place of employment on your behalf. You may wish, however, to talk by phone with current employees of a smaller business you hope to work with before signing a contract or making a commitment.

Learning More

Please take a look at a set of online resources for Americans living in Japan, elsewhere on our web site.

Here are some other resources worth looking into:

The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan has a publication entitled "Living in Japan" which gives valuable information and will be helpful to anyone interested in residing in Japan.

The Japan Times, 4-5-4 Shibaura, Minato Ku, Tokyo 108, has several publications on Japan which will also be of interest to any person contemplating residence in Japan such as: "Now you live in Japan" a handbook of essential knowledge for resident aliens, published by Research Committee for Bi-Cultural Life in Japan; and Jean Pearce's "How to get things done in Japan" Volume 1 and 2.

The Japan Times and other English-language newspapers also have classified sections where jobs are regularly advertised.

Nihon Kajo Shuppan K.K., 3-16-6 Minami Nagasaki, Toshima Ku, Tokyo 170-91 publishes a booklet entitled "A Guide to Entry, Residence and Registration Procedures in Japan for Foreign Nationals". This booklet, prepared by the Japan Immigration Association, lists the types of visas available and related rules and requirements for acquiring status and maintaining residence in Japan.

A search of any Internet portal, such as Yahoo! for the terms "employment in Japan" will turn up many, many helpful links, including sites devoted to teaching English in Japan, IT jobs and many others.

For more information, including our phone and FAX number, please contact the office serving your part of Japan.

The U.S. Embassy and our Consulates are closed on both U.S. and Japanese holidays.

This is an official source of U.S. Government information on the Web. Inclusion of Non-U.S. Government links or information does not imply endorsement of contents.


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