Moving into the countryside in Japan marked the beginning of a long and winding road to make a living and be able to stay full-time in this remote area. Like so many others trying to build a life here, we faced the sometimes daunting task of navigating the Japanese job market, constantly honing our skills, networking like crazy, and, of course, dealing with the complex immigration system.
A quick disclaimer: This is our personal story, not a step-by-step guide. I can’t offer job leads or visa advice, so please talk to a qualified legal specialist (explained below).
So, with that said, here’s the story of what we do for work in the Japanese countryside and some things we really wish we’d known before we started this adventure.
Our Work in Japan
So, here it is: I work for an inbound media company, and Jesse is a blacksmith. I work remotely for a Japan-based inbound media company. I do various tasks, including English writing, SEO, design work, editing, and other responsibilities.
Despite the challenges of finding work in a specialized field, Jesse secured a job as a blacksmith. His past metalworking experience gave him the necessary credibility and references to acquire his current visa.
Our Visas: Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services
Jesse and I both have the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services Visa. This is one of the broadest work visas you can get in Japan. It includes pretty diverse business types and occupations, such as teachers, accountants, corporate salespeople, physical therapists, and musicians.
Download the complete Specialist in Humanities visa application form so you can check out more details.
The visa criteria are based on your relevant academic and professional background and your ability as a foreigner to perform tasks that may be difficult for non-native English speakers. Our English proficiency, foreign perspective, and professional experience were essential for securing our positions.
For more details on this visa, the i-Socia Advisors website provides a helpful breakdown.
Starting as English Teachers
Like many others, our journey in Japan began with teaching English. Jesse joined the JET Program, a government-sponsored exchange program, while I found a position at an eikaiwa, an after-school English conversation school. These initial teaching roles were instrumental in establishing us in Japan, providing invaluable time for exploring the Japanese job market, learning effective networking strategies, and developing our skills to become competitive candidates in our chosen fields.
Transitioning Out of Teaching
For me, writing became a key networking tool. I developed my skills writing for my blog, then for other websites, built a social media presence, and networked actively. This led to a connection at my current company, opening doors to freelance opportunities, and eventually, my current role.
Despite having prior training and experience as a blacksmith, Jesse worked full-time with JET for three years while searching for blacksmithing opportunities. He actively visited potential workshops, took classes to refine his skills, and networked with other blacksmiths in the community. His persistence and dedication eventually paid off, and he found his chance to pursue his passion.
Others have successfully transitioned into new careers in Japan. For example, Seerasan took steps to get into marketing for Tokyo Creative.
Allison in Japan also has a great video showing the numerous steps she had to take, including learning Japanese and going to grad school in Japan before she landed her first job.
For some additional reading, Bene in Fukuoka has an excellent article about what she needed to become a web designer in Japan, including understanding Japanese aesthetics for design, the Japanese language, and other realistic steps required to land her job.
Working Multiple Jobs and Visa Renewals
While Japanese visas require a single sponsor, working multiple jobs is possible. However, your combined income must meet a minimum threshold (around 200,000 yen, though this varies). You’ll need contracts (or letters with a hanko stamp) from both employers for your renewal application, and I highly recommend consulting a lawyer.
While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs doesn’t explicitly state a minimum salary requirement, a common benchmark is cited as around 200,000 yen monthly (around $2,000 CAD) for a decent living wage — what immigration officials look for to ensure visa approval. This amount can vary depending on location and living expenses, but it’s at their discretion. Multiple employers also means more paperwork from each employer, proving their financial stability and your total earnings. Finally, smaller companies usually require more extensive documentation to show financial stability, business registration, profit statements, tax records, and other documentation.
Top Tips for Working in Japan
Despite gaining valuable experience, there are certain things that I wish I had known earlier. In the hope that our experience can help others, here are my top tips for anyone considering a move to Japan under similar circumstances.
1. Hire an Immigration Scrivener
There is a reason why this is my first tip on the list.
If you’re figuring out your options or your dream job isn’t able to assist you, navigating the visa process on your own is, dare I say, impossible unless you have an immigration specialist.
Known as an administrative scrivener, a gyousei-shoshi (行政書士) is a professional licensed to prepare permits and licenses for submission to government offices and assist foreigners with visa procedures.
Hiring an administrative scrivener is the single most important investment you can make. Frankly, neither Jesse nor I would be in Japan without one. They have been an invaluable resource for our visa concerns, explained the complexities of applications, prepared documents on our behalf, and helped alleviate the stressful period that comes with visa applications.
Finding Your Immigration Lawyer
Search keywords like “行政書士” (gyousei-shoshi) and “ビザ” (Visa) to find one that specializes in visas and not other legal areas. It’s also a good idea to look for a lawyer who is based in your city or region and can handle all the paperwork and interactions with immigration for you.
Fellow-inaka dweller, Bitsii in Inaka, has a comprehensive guide to English-speaking immigration scriveners to help you on your search.
The cost of a paralegal will depend on what visa applications you’ll be putting forth and each lawyer’s fees. If they only speak Japanese, bring an electronic translator or find a Japanese-speaking friend willing to help translate. Pay them by doing their laundry, cleaning their house for a year, whatever it takes. Save your yen, and get an immigration lawyer.
2. Look at the Visa Application Forms
While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website is technically the official resource for Japanese visas, the application forms often contain valuable non-submission pages that provide a clearer breakdown of the visa requirements and eligible job categories than the official website. Sitting down and really reading through the requirements for each visa option will only empower you to ask informed questions for a lawyer.
3. Get an English Teaching Job
Teaching English, while not everyone’s ideal career, can be a stable way to get established in Japan, secure a visa, and buy yourself time to explore other opportunities. While a university degree is often required, I have met some people at eikaiwa who got jobs just on a college diploma (even if their official school website says otherwise).
4. Experience and Skills Matter
Relevant professional skills and experience are essential for job hunting in Japan. One of the best ways to demonstrate these skills is by showcasing them through a strong portfolio. This might include graduation certificates, a detailed summary of your work experience, and any personal projects that align with the type of job you’re seeking.
In Japan, certifications and degrees carry more weight than in other countries. While it’s not mandatory, some Japanese companies may view them as a testament to your skills. However, if you lack formal certifications, you can acquire new skills while you’re in Japan, even while working a different job like teaching. It’s essential to do your research and understand the specific skills and qualifications that employers in your target field are looking for.
Remember that if you are aiming for a role in a Japanese company, having business-level Japanese proficiency is not a suggestion but a must.
My own professional background in graphic design accounted for virtually no role in my way into inbound marketing, and it was my writing in Japan that truly opened doors and created new opportunities, demonstrating the value of acquiring relevant skills and experience while I was here.
5. Notify Immigration of Job Changes
Keep immigration informed of any changes to your employment status through the Immigration Bureau e-Notification System. Even if your new job is doesn’t differ much from your previous job, immigration like to keep tabs on everyone’s employment situation, and if your renewal rolls around and they see a job listed that they weren’t aware of, it could land you in some hot water.
Our years in Japan have been a journey of growth, perseverance, and adaptation. While our story isn’t a blueprint for finding work here, I hope it inspires you to forge your own path. Good luck!
Hi Mika! I just wanted to say thank you for all the helpful info you shared. I’ve been dreaming of moving to Japan for years, and even thought about studying Japanese there on a student visa. But after lots of research, it seems like getting a visa might be really hard for me even a student visa, because of my age. I was wondering if you could help me out by answering a couple of questions?
At what age did you decide to relocate to Japan as teachers?
I was wondering if you could help me with some advice, based on your experience? I’m in my mid-40s and have been working as a UX Designer for some time, but I don’t have a Bachelor’s degree, and English isn’t my first language. I do have a Higher Education Diploma in Graphic Design, and I’ve been working as a graphic designer for over 10 years in both offline and online advertising agencies. In 2015, I moved to digital design and began working as a UI Designer. After completing the online UX Academy of Designlab and getting certified, I moved into a Product/UX Designer role. For the past couple of years, I’ve been working remotely for a European startup. I’ve applied for jobs with Japanese companies before and after COVID, but they always seem to prefer someone located in Japan. Although I hold a Higher Certification in English from Cambridge University, I would be willing to go back to school to get English teaching certification if it helps. Pursuing a BA in something related to my profession would take a lot of time. I recently started studying Japanese, but I’m still a beginner. My dream is to move to Japan, work there, take ceramics classes, and eventually relocate to a small village where I can buy an old Japanese house and start my own ceramics studio.
I appreciate you taking the time to read through my lengthy comment! 🙏
Hi Helen, thank you for your comment!
We were in our thirties when we moved to Japan as teachers.
I’m sure you’ve done all your research on student visas for universities and Japanese language schools. However, I’d still suggest reaching out to an immigration lawyer to confirm what you’ve researched to make sure it’s not an option or in case there’s an option you missed.
As for your UX / UI designer, I don’t know enough about the job market for those positions in Japan to be able to provide any comprehensive ideas on how you can proceed. Assuming that your UX/UI experiences are similar to my experience as a designer, I have a few thoughts: First, even with several years of experience as a designer, those skills were not transferable in Japan for many reasons — I was skilled in Western design aesthetics, not Japanese, and I was not a fluent Japanese speaker.
Since you’re applying to Japanese companies, it would necessitate that you have both business Japanese proficiency to be able to work in a Japanese office and a strong understanding of Japanese design aesthetics to be able to stand alongside other applicants who have similar qualifications. Even if you have those qualifications, if you don’t live in Japan, a company will be more compelled to hire someone already living in Japan over someone living abroad. If you’re coming from an outside country, your company would have to apply for your COE before you get your visa, process your visa application, and get you set up in Japan (apartment, bank, etc.), so unless there is a good reason to hire you (such as you’re a world-famous UX/UI designer), they’ll likely turn to someone living in Japan, even if they have less experience or qualification than you.
You could apply to international companies based in Japan, though I think you would still be at a disadvantage if you’re not set up in Japan.
I’m sure you’ve already read this article, but just in case, this article talks specifically about finding work as a UX/UI designer in Japan, which sums up what I’ve said above: https://www.wahlandcase.com/blog/uiux-designers-in-japan-faq#:~:text=UIUX%20design%20is%20certainly%20difficult,(typically%20fully%20bilingual%20designers).
Bene in Fukuoka also has great insight into this (link in the article above). Essentially, she had to learn Japanese design aesthetics and have business-level Japanese to compete with other applicants who also had native Japanese speaking skills, understood Japanese design, and already lived in Japan.
Since these suggestions are based on my assumptions, I cannot guarantee that they are 100% correct. You may want to consider attending a tech networking event by researching any relevant tech fields and seeing if there are any you can visit, even if you are on a tourist visa (just be sure not to engage in work in Japan while you are on it).
You mention ceramics. If you have a strong portfolio, you could potentially visit different ceramic workshops in Japan to build relationships with other ceramicists. You could go down the cultural visa route, which allows you to study a Japanese craft. You won’t be allowed to earn an income making ceramics during this time (though you can get permission to do other work if you get permission from immigration), you need to prove that you have the savings to support your length of stay and get a ceramists (company) to sponsor you. Cultural visas aren’t really a long-term solution, and certainly not an easy route, but I thought I’d put it out there.
Finally, please note that I am not qualified to provide legal advice. Please don’t interpret any of my responses as such. What I do hope for however, is that these suggestions help you with questions you may wish to pose to your immigration attorney, which I highly recommend you do.
Good luck!
Hey, Mika! I just wanted to say a huge thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and providing me with such valuable information and tips. Your reply was so detailed and your insights have been incredibly helpful. You’re doing an amazing job, keep it up!
ありがとう ございました
Hi Mika!
just stumbled upon on your youtube video and i wanna say thank you for sharing these info!
i watched your video about your jobs and visa. what interest me most is your partner job. i wonder if i could ask some questions regarding his work?
i’ve been searching about crafts jobs (specifically leathercraft) in japan, and i found tons of them, but im not sure if they are willing to sponsor visa since it is not a “formal” job that typically would sponsor a visa.. and not mentioned anything about visa sponsorship and foreigner in the job description.
may i know more about his story on acquiring visa to work as blacksmith? is it difficult to obtain a sponsorship in this type of work?
thank you very much for your time!
Hey Bhaskara, thanks for commenting! Your question is a bit tricky to answer in a straightforward way, but I’ll break it down for you. Basically, if you want to apply for a visa to work in a Japanese craft, it’s not that simple. You have to show that you have a unique skill that isn’t easily found among Japanese folks.
Jesse’s English skills have become essential for him because the workshop where he works offers English courses to visitors. He wears multiple hats as a “translator” and a blacksmith in the workshop. His previous experience as a blacksmith plays an important role as well, as he needs to convince immigration authorities not only of his English proficiency but also of his expertise in blacksmithing.
If you’re a foreigner with unique skills like fluency in English or another relevant language, or if you have specialized expertise, it’s worth exploring craft jobs that value those abilities. Don’t forget to visually demonstrate your crafting skills to immigration authorities — it’s important to provide concrete facts and evidence rather than relying on hearsay.
Getting a job like this isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible. Take Jesse for example, who spent 7+ years honing and building his blacksmithing portfolio before coming to Japan, spent 4 years living and working as an English teacher before finding this opportunity, and saved for a non-paid apprenticeship during a one-year cultural visa before transitioning to a work visa.
I’ve added your question above. Hope it bit of info helps, and good luck!
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