One Thing International Students Must Know About Japan

"Working in Japan Is More Realistic Than You Think: The Real State of Foreign Hiring

Still believe "Japan is hard for foreigners to work in"?

As of 2024, the number of foreigners working in Japan hit a record high of 2.57 million. (Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Summary of Notifications of Foreign Employee Status," published January 2025)

Professional visa holders alone (Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services) exceeded 418,000, growing at double digits every year. (Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, 2024 Statistics on Foreign Residents)

With structural labor shortages driven by a declining birthrate and aging population, Japanese companies are actively seeking foreign talent.Let's get more specific. According to government data, the top industry among companies hoping to hire foreigners is IT/Software (22%), followed by Electronics/Electrical (17%), Trading/Wholesale (17%), and Professional Services (16%).

In terms of what skills these companies want, Engineering tops the list at 65%, followed by Sales/Marketing (56%), Technical Sales (50%), and Language Skills (39%). (Source: JETRO Foreign Talent Recruitment Database)

Here's where many people get it wrong: "you don't need a large company to find a great opportunity." About half of international students who find employment in Japan join companies with fewer than 100 employees. (Source: JASSO "Career Path Survey of International Students," FY2023) Many Japanese SMEs hold the world's top market share in niche fields — so looking beyond company size to actual competitiveness matters.

That said, there's a reality you need to face. The number one quality companies seek in international students is communication skills, and number two is "Japanese language ability". Around 70% of companies require at least business-intermediate Japanese at the time of a job offer, rising to 90% after joining. (Source: JASSO "Job Hunting Guide for International Students 2027," December 2024 survey). Note that requirements vary by company and hiring cycle - always confirm directly before applying.

On the flip side, the number of positions where "English alone is sufficient" is growing fast - especially in IT, R&D, and engineering. If you have a STEM background, targeting English-OK companies alongside Japanese study is a viable strategy. (That said, even at English-OK companies, Japanese is often needed in practice — always verify the actual working environment before accepting an offer.)

Key takeaway
The barrier to working in Japan is language — not your nationality or foreign status. If you have JLPT N2 or above and a STEM background, there's every reason to start preparing now.