Japanese

Career & Alumni

Graduates Working in Japan

Seeking Employment in Japan

In Japan, recruiting process starts more than a year ahead of graduation and can be an unfamiliar territory for many international students. The University's Bureau of Human Empowerment (BHE) provides information on job hunting in Japan, including this website. The "Alumni Success Stories" can shed light on how our graduates landed on the job at various Japanese companies. We also encourage our students to visit the Bureau located at the Student Plaza Building on campus. The University's career consultants can help you how you can stay informed and ahead of the race.

Bureau of Human Empowerment (BHE) site

Job Hunting in Japan

  • Undergraduate and Master's Students
  • Doctoral Students
  • Understand Japan's unique job-hunting activity
    Simultaneous recruitment of new graduates
    Joining the company in April
    Potentiality-based recruitment
  • Act early for job hunting
    Job hunting/offering process takes a year
    Recruiting activities begins from the summer on the third grade (junior) for undergraduates
  • Acquire Japanese language skills for job hunting activity
    CEGLOC provides free Japanese language courses
  • Understand Japan's unique job-hunting activity
    New graduate recruitment or mid-career recruitment
    Joining the company generally in April, sometimes joins year-round
    Register PhD x FUTURE.
  • Act early for job hunting
    Decide whether you work in academia or corporate employment
  • Acquire Japanese language skills for job hunting activity
    CEGLOC provides free Japanese language courses
What you can do now ...
Mingle with Japanese students
Expand your network

Image of Job Hunting Schedule in Japan

  • March Graduation
  • September Graduation
March Graduation
September Graduation

Employment Situation of International Students

According to a survey by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), one out of three international students in undergraduate programs and one out of four in master's and doctoral degree programs find jobs in Japan.

  • Undergraduate Program
    Career Paths of International Students by Level of Education
  • Master's Program
    Career Paths of International Students by Level of Education
  • Doctoral Program
    Career Paths of International Students by Level of Education
Rate of Those Who Were Employed in Japan
Rate of Those Who Proceeded to Higher Education in Japan
Others (in Japan)
Others
Note: Excluding those who are unknown. Source: Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO). Results of the Survey on International Students' Career Paths AY2021. https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/ja/_mt/2023/03/date2021s.pdf.

Of international students who graduated from (or completed) a Japanese higher education institution (e.g., graduate program or undergraduate program of university, junior college, institute of technology, vocational school, or preparatory education institution), those who found jobs in Japan were slightly less than 50% in AY2018/2019, and approx. 40% in AY2020.

Career Paths of International Students by Level of Education
Source: Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO). Results of the Survey on International Students' Career Paths.
https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/ja/statistics/shinro-and-gakui/
Employment Outcomes of International Students by Industries
Manufacturing industry
1 R&D/Engineering 44.7%
2 Administrator/Manager 23.7%
3 Manufacturing/Production/QC 21.1%
IT/Software 21.1%
4 Architectural & Civil engineering 10.5%
5 International sales 7.9%
6 Domestic sales 5.3%
Non-Manufacturing industry
1 IT/Software 50.0%
2 Administrator/Manager 26.5%
3 Domestic sales 17.6%
4 Trading/Distribution 8.8%
Planning/Marketing 8.8%
Spesialist 8.8%
7 International sales 5.9%
Manufacturing/Production/QC 5.9%
DISCO Inc. Survey on the Recruitment of International Students and Highly Skilled Foreign Human Resources, 2023.
https://www.disc.co.jp/press_release/9495/

Alumni Success Stories

Sep. 11, 2023
I decided to stay here because I enjoyed the society of Japan
DAMYANOV VELIZAR LYUBENOV
Shinjuku Tokyu Hotels CO., LTD.
/BELLUSTAR TOKYO, A Pan Pacific Hotel
Linguistics, College of Humanities, School of Humanities and Culture
Republic of Bulgaria
damyanov
+ INTERVIEW

What made you decide to study in Japan?

I always wanted to go outside of my comfort zone and experience new things. And when I was made aware that there was a scholarship opportunity for studying in Japan, I was very interested in it since it was a great chance to study abroad, not just visiting a country for a couple of days, but actually finding out what a different culture is like and live there.So I think that's what made me interested in it.

What made you decide to study at University of Tsukuba?

Well, I'd always been interested in linguistics. When I was researching what universities I could potentially go to, I noticed that at the University of Tsukuba, Professor Ikeda Jun specializes in Semitic languages, Hebrew and Acadian. I never knew someone who specialized in those languages before. Usually, linguistics is very centered around European languages such as English, German, Spanish and Italian. But there aren't many researchers who are interested in other, more niche languages.

So, when I saw that he was doing that type of research I was interested because I wanted to see if there was something more about linguistics and I wanted to see what linguistics was like when it came to other languages, as well.

How was the life in Tsukuba city?

It was nice. It was very different from Tokyo where I had lived one year. The scholarship program I was in basically had me study for one year in the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. After graduating from that program, based on my grades I was able to enter into the University of Tsukuba.

When I moved to Tsukuba, it was very different because there was a lot more space and the whole city was more open. There were fewer people and the campus was quite big compared to that of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. So I enjoyed it quite a lot. I could go to Mount Tsukuba and I could take long walks. And the weather was really nice because it wasn't that hot during the summer in comparison with Tokyo.

I was able to make friends. During the first two years I lived in two different dormitories, Ichinoya and Hirasuna. After that I moved to an apartment, where I lived until I graduated. The dorms were quite small, but there were a lot of other students close by, so it was a fun experience.

And then, when I lived by myself I managed to make other friends, as well. So even though there isn't that much to do in school by yourself, if you have friends you can definitely have fun and enjoy your time.

What made you decide to stay and work in Japan?

I think I decided to stay in Japan maybe when I was a second-year student in Tsukuba.

I decided to do so because I enjoyed the society of Japan. I liked how people are generally pleasant and how they respect each other. And I thought that it was definitely a place where I wanted to stay for longer and wanted to explore more of. I wanted to learn more and travel more. So I am quite happy with where I am and I definitely want to continue living here.

How was the job hunting? Was it hard for you?

I think it's hard because if you don't graduate with a degree that is very specialized and technical, your options would be limited.

So, if you're a foreigner who has graduated with a degree in the humanities, it might be a little bit difficult. But if you've entered a university with physics or programming, finding a job would be much easier, I think.

Therefore, for me, it was slightly harder but at the same time it's not like there weren't any offers or anything like that.

What made you decide to work as a hotel receptionist?

As I said, because I studied linguistics I was interested in language and communication. So working at a hotel would allow me to practice that in reality and talk to people from various places all around the world.

On the one hand I wanted to improve myself, like my linguistic skills and my communication skills. But on the other hand, I thought that working at a hotel would give me room for growth. Working in a hotel I think is an option that has a longer career path.

What makes you feel satisfied about your job?

I think it's when I see how satisfied customers are when providing good service.

When they ask something, when they're lost and when they don't know what to do, then I am able to assist them. I think that's something that I really enjoy doing.

What is the hardest part in your job?

I'd say it's being able to work in a big team.

Because you can't do everything by yourself, you have to rely on other people, but everyone is different and they do things their own way. So, you need to be able to fit into a larger system. Sometimes it's not easy to do so.

How is the life in Tokyo?

Oh yes, it is different from Tsukuba.

On the one hand because I'm back in Tokyo I think I have more options for things to do. If I want, on my day off I can go anywhere I want in Tokyo because there are so many places to visit and so many museums and attractive places to go to. So that's one thing.

But on the other hand, there's not that much nature so there aren't many places you can go to and just relax. There aren't that many large parks and whatnot to go to, which is different from Tsukuba.

That's something I think I miss but there are so many people in Tokyo to meet, so I enjoy meeting new people and making friends. I definitely think that that's also a plus and I generally like it here.

What do you like the most in Japanese culture?

I think what I like the most is that people understand that in order to make a functioning society you have to be respectful of other people and not to be too selfish.

And the result of that is that everyone can live in a pretty content manner without any interruption from the outside.

Whereas in other countries I think people are quite self-centered, not in a bad way necessarily, but still, personal freedom is something that's very highly valued and that can lead to trouble because everyone wants to do things their way and then that leads to conflict.

Whereas in Japan, I feel that people are generally more concerned about how other people are dealing with things, and whether or not the actions of one person are detrimental to someone else.

It is interesting that the hardest part in work and the culture you like is quite similar. Could you give an advice to the readers how to live in a different culture?

I think that the most important aspect of living in an environment which is culturally different from one's own is to constantly remind yourself of that. If you avoid making the error of misunderstanding that you share the same cultural values with everyone else around, it is easier to notice the differences. From there, it's a question of understanding these differences, and I don't think that there is a better way of doing so than talking to people. These conversations can be extremely interesting and are, incidentally, a great way of making friends abroad.

  • Nov. 07, 2023
    It's to make the reverse pathway
    Eduardo Rezende Graminho
    Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    /Kyusyu Plant Bio-Speciality Group Production Department
    Doctoral Program in Integrative Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences
    Federative Republic of Brazil
  • Sep. 11, 2023
    Something I have created is really connected to my daily life
    Fang Zhou
    LY Corporation(Former Yahoo! Japan Corporation)
    /Commerce Company, Shopping Services Group
    Master's Program in Informatics, Degree Programs in Comprehensive Human Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences
    People's Republic of China
  • Nov. 27, 2023
    The reason is that I have a special love for Japan
    NGUYEN QUOC HUNG
    Hitachi,Ltd.
    /Research & Development Group
    Doctoral Program in Policy and Planning Sciences Degree Programs in Systems and Information Engineering Graduate School of Science and Technology
    Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
  • Nov. 27, 2023
    I guess I just want to be a really good researcher
    Pedro Baptista de Castro
    Hitachi,Ltd.
    /Research & Development Group
    Doctoral Program in Engineering Sciences Subprogram in Materials Science and Engineering Degree Programs in Pure and Applied Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology
    Federative Republic of Brazil
  • Nov. 27, 2023
    Something that excites my mind is important
    César Daniel Rojas Ferrer
    Hitachi,Ltd.
    /Research & Development Group
    Ph.D. Program in Empowerment Informatics, School of Integrative and Global Majors
    Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
  • Feb. 15, 2024
    I want to give back to the community that helped me when I came to study
    Jamie Azusa Tani
    SEKISHO CORPORATION
    /Corporate Planning Department, Corporate Planning Section
    Master's Program in Health and Sport Sciences, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences
    United States of America
  • Feb. 15, 2024
    I'm really interested in connecting Japan and Ukraine
    KOLDAIEVA ALONA
    SEKISHO CORPORATION
    /Mobility Planning And Development Department
    Master's Program in Humanities Subprogram in History and Anthropology, Degree Programs in Humanities and Social Sciences, Graduate School of Business Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences
    Ukraine
  • Jun. 28, 2024
    Any of your idea is possible
    Chen Pengyu
    Tama Art University
    /Full-time Lecturer
    Doctoral Program in Art and Design Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences
    Taiwan

What Led to Their Success?

  • Career Services

    Through the guidance, individual career consultation and workshops, we support you in making concrete preparations for the future.

    Career Services Site

  • Japanese Language Education

    At the Japanese Language Education Division of the Center for Education of Global Communication (CEGLOC), we hope to support the international students who are concentrating on their studies and communicate with the Japanese students and faculty.

    CEGLOC Site

  • Student Counseling

    International student advisors, academic advisors are available to advise students on any problems.

    Go to Student Counseling page

  • Tutor System

    Newly arrived international students can be assisted in their academic and daily life by Japanese students who are assigned as personal tutors.

    Go to Tutor System page