Guides for the
Japanese job hunt
Honest, foreigner-aware advice for writing a rirekisho (履歴書) and getting hired for part-time work (アルバイト) in Japan — the exact questions people search for right before they apply. Every guide links into the free resume editor.
The 28-Hour Rule for Students: What It Means and How to Show It on Your Resume
Student visa holders in Japan can work 28 hours a week with a 資格外活動許可. Here is exactly what the rule covers, the long-vacation exception, and how to show your work permission on a part-time rirekisho.
ReadRirekisho Photo Rules — and How to Take a Good One with Your Phone
The 30×40 mm rirekisho photo has strict rules on size, background, attire, and freshness. Here is the full checklist plus how to shoot a passable one with your smartphone and print it at a konbini.
ReadHandwritten vs. Printed Rirekisho for Baito: Which Do Employers Prefer?
Should you handwrite or print your part-time rirekisho? The honest answer for 2026, when handwriting still helps, when printed is perfectly fine, and how to do each one well.
ReadHow to Fill In the 本人希望記入欄 for a Part-Time Job
The 本人希望記入欄 (applicant's request field) trips up many part-time applicants. Learn the safe default phrase, when to state shift or start-date constraints, and the salary mistake to avoid.
ReadWhat to Say When You Call the Store After Applying (With a Phone Script)
Many arubaito are won or lost on the phone call. Here is a polite Japanese phone script for calling a store after applying — what to say, when to call, and how to handle keigo if you are nervous.
ReadHow to Write 自己PR (Self-PR) on a Japanese Resume — With Examples
The 自己PR is the one free-form box hiring managers actually read. Learn the simple structure that works, what to avoid, and see editable examples for students, career changers, and part-timers.
ReadHow to Write 学歴・職歴 (Education & Work History) on a Rirekisho
The education and work-history table has strict conventions — order, official names, entrance and exit lines, and how foreigners should list overseas schools and jobs. A field-by-field guide.
ReadJLPT Levels Explained: Which Japanese Level Do You Need for Which Job?
N1 to N5, and what each level realistically lets you do at work in Japan. Which level employers expect for arubaito, 特定技能, and office roles — and how to show conversational ability if you have no certificate.
ReadResidence Status (在留資格) on Your Resume: A Guide for Foreign Applicants
Your 在留資格 decides what work you can legally do in Japan, and employers need to see it. A plain-language guide to the common statuses, work permission, and exactly how to show them on a rirekisho.
ReadHow to Print Your Rirekisho at a Convenience Store (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson)
No printer? Print your resume PDF at any Japanese konbini. Step-by-step for 7-Eleven netprint and ネットワークプリント (FamilyMart/Lawson), with prices, paper sizes, and tips for the photo.
ReadJapanese Era vs Western Dates (令和 / 西暦) on Your Resume
Should you use 令和 or 2026 on your rirekisho? How the Japanese era calendar works, a quick conversion table, and the one rule that matters most: pick one system and use it everywhere.
ReadHow to Email Your Rirekisho in Japan (With a Template)
Sending your resume by email? Japanese hiring has its own etiquette — subject line, greeting, attachment naming, and sign-off. A copy-paste Japanese email template with an English translation.
ReadPart-Time Job Interview in Japan: Common Questions and How to Answer
After your rirekisho comes the interview. The questions arubaito managers actually ask — availability, reason for applying, Japanese level — with honest, simple ways to answer in Japanese.
ReadHow Much Do Part-Time Jobs Pay in Japan? Wages, Night Premiums & Payday
What arubaito actually pay in 2026: minimum wage basics, typical hourly rates by job type, the 25% late-night premium, transport allowance, and when you get paid.
ReadWhere to Find Part-Time Jobs in Japan: Townwork, Baitoru, Indeed & More
The apps and sites Japanese part-time hiring actually runs on — Townwork, Baitoru, Indeed — plus foreigner-friendly boards, Hello Work, and the offline tricks nobody tells newcomers.
ReadFurigana on a Japanese Resume: Writing Your Name and Address Readings
ふりがな vs フリガナ, how foreign names are written in katakana, how to find the reading of your Japanese address, and the furigana mistakes that quietly mark a resume as careless.
Read通勤時間・扶養家族・配偶者: The Small Rirekisho Fields Explained
Commute time, dependents, and the spouse columns confuse almost every foreign applicant. What each field means, how to count correctly, and what to write when you live alone in Japan.
ReadYour First Day at a Japanese Part-Time Job: What to Bring, Say, and Expect
You got hired — now what? The documents Japanese employers ask for (residence card, bank details, My Number), the greetings that matter, and how the first shifts actually go.
Read特定技能 (SSW) Visa: Sectors, Requirements, and the Resume You Need
The Specified Skilled Worker visa lets foreigners work full-time in 16 shortage sectors. What the visa is, the skill and Japanese tests it requires, and how to present it on a Japanese resume.
ReadThe Best Japanese Resume Builders in 2026: Yagish, Indeed, Townwork & ResumeJP Compared
An honest comparison of the tools people use to make a 履歴書 in 2026 — Yagish, Indeed's resume tool, Townwork and MyNavi templates, and ResumeJP — and which one fits you, especially if Japanese isn't your first language.
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