Jobs in demand in Japan

High-demand professions

You can find online lists of the professions that recruit the most in Japan. These fields primarily concern Japanese nationals (or people with a strong command of Japanese). Below is a fairly general list, slightly adapted for foreign nationals:

• IT
• Engineering
• Commerce
• Research and development
• Translation and interpreting
• Teaching (languages)
• Finance and accounting
• Customer service

There is also a table of average salaries by sector to give you an idea. Once again, these are mainly salaries earned by Japanese workers.

Popular jobs for working holiday makers

Here is a list of jobs that are more accessible to working holiday makers:

• Language teacher: private lessons, conversation classes, private language schools (depending on your level of Japanese)
• Flyer distribution / street promotion (especially in large cities)
• Waiter / waitress (foreign restaurants and cafés)
• Dishwasher / kitchen assistant
• Wine merchant / wine bar assistant / wine-related events
• Housekeeper / room attendant, cleaning staff (hotels, guesthouses, etc.)
• Tour guide / tour escort (depending on your level of Japanese)
• Seasonal jobs in ski resorts or seaside areas (hospitality and catering)
• Model / fashion model / extra
• Convenience store employee
• TV extra, event work (festivals, Halloween, etc.), mascot, host/hostess for promotional activities, etc.

Baito: a great option for working holiday makers

Baito are casual, usually hourly-paid jobs. Originally, these positions were mainly held by students. Today, the profiles of baito workers are more diverse: stay-at-home parents, retirees and foreign nationals.

Baito jobs offer many advantages for working holiday makers:

• High flexibility: you often indicate your availability and the team adapts the rota accordingly. This makes it easier to organise your schedule and travel.
• Generally quick recruitment: these roles often have high staff turnover, so employers regularly look for new workers. There may be a trial period.
• Simple procedures: hiring formalities are often lighter than for a standard job.

As for the drawbacks,

• Pay is often at or near minimum wage.
• The work can be physically demanding or repetitive (cleaning, dishwashing, kitchen work, etc.).
• There may or may not be a contract.