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FOREIGN PROFESSIONAL
A lot of advice about working in Japan stays very surface-level. Learn Japanese. Network more. Apply widely.
What tends to matter more are the structural details. How companies think about risk. How interviews quietly move forward or stall. When hiring momentum actually appears. And what the government expects from people who plan to stay long term.
This week’s edition looks at those less obvious forces and how they affect real decisions inside Japanese companies.
JOB PATHS & VISAS
Why “Career Continuity” Matters More Than Job Titles in Japan
One of the biggest mistakes foreign candidates make is assuming Japanese companies hire based on job titles.
In practice, they hire based on continuity.
When immigration and hiring teams review a candidate, they are asking a simple question:
Does this person’s past experience clearly connect to the work we are hiring for?
That connection matters more than seniority, prestige, or brand names.
For example:
A customer support specialist moving into account coordination makes sense
A marketing assistant shifting into content or communications feels logical
An operations role evolving into project coordination looks natural
What raises red flags is a jump that feels disconnected, even if the candidate is capable.
This is especially important for visa sponsorship. Immigration officers look for consistency between:
your past roles
your education or experience
the job description
If that story is clean, approvals tend to go smoothly. If it looks scattered, companies hesitate.
This is why some “less impressive” resumes succeed in Japan while stronger ones stall. The story matters more than the shine.
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INTERVIEW PREPARATION
How Japanese Interviews Test Judgment Without Saying So
Japanese interviews often feel calm and polite, but they are testing how you think.
Instead of direct challenges, interviewers listen for:
how you frame problems
whether you blame people or systems
how you explain mistakes
A common pattern looks like this:
You are asked to describe a difficult situation.
Then the interviewer stays quiet.
That silence is intentional.
They want to hear:
Do you reflect?
Do you stay composed?
Do you show awareness of others?
Strong answers in Japan often:
acknowledge responsibility without self-criticism
explain what was learned, not who was wrong
show adjustment rather than confidence
It is less about sounding capable and more about sounding steady.
Candidates who overexplain or oversell often struggle here without realizing why.
If you’re actively job searching:
I send out two paid editions every week, a simple list of English-friendly roles you can apply to right now (Japan Job List), and a deeper industry analysis covering the hiring trends across Japan (Japan Work Report).
You can join either of them any time if you want more structure in your search.
WORK CULTURE & HIRING TRENDS
Why April Still Shapes the Year, Even If You Join Later
Japan’s fiscal year begins in April, and that calendar shapes how companies operate long after spring ends.
April is when:
new graduates join
internal transfers happen
managers take new roles
team structures reset
This creates a ripple effect.
From April to early summer, teams are settling. Training happens. Processes are clarified. By mid-year, priorities are locked in.
For hiring, this means:
headcount decisions often finalize around April
roles approved then may not reopen again until the following year
managers become clearer about what kind of help they actually need
Even if you join in July or September, you are stepping into a structure designed in April.
Understanding that rhythm helps explain why some roles feel rigid and others flexible. The decision-making already happened months earlier.
POLICY & MARKET NEWS
Permanent Residency May Soon Require More Than Time
Japan is actively discussing changes to its permanent residency system as part of broader immigration reform expected around 2027.
Currently, permanent residency focuses on:
length of residence
stable income
tax and legal compliance
There is no formal Japanese language requirement today.
That may change.
Recent policy discussions suggest the government is considering:
a Japanese language benchmark for permanent residency applicants
potential use of an existing standard such as JLPT N2
mandatory courses covering Japanese culture, rules, and daily life
These discussions are happening alongside record numbers.
Japan now has close to 4 million foreign residents, and roughly 900,000 hold permanent residency.
The direction is clear. Long-term residents are expected not just to live in Japan, but to function independently within society.
Details are still being debated, but the trend is toward higher integration expectations, not lower.
COMPANY INTRODUCTION
Synspective
Synspective office from their website
Synspective is a Japan-based space technology company focused on satellite data and Earth observation.
What makes Synspective notable is how global the work is by necessity. Satellite data, research partnerships, and clients extend well beyond Japan, which shapes how teams operate day to day.
Inside the company, this shows up as:
frequent use of English in technical and research roles
structured communication and documentation
teams accustomed to working across cultures and time zones
For foreign professionals, companies like Synspective tend to be easier environments to navigate. Expectations are clearer, processes are written down, and international collaboration is normal rather than exceptional.
They represent a growing segment of Japanese employers who compete globally and hire accordingly.
If you want more each week, here’s what I publish beyond the free newsletter:
Japan Work Report
Weekly insights into 5 industries, salary ranges, and hiring movement across Japan. This is the edition I write for people who want a strategic view of the job market.
Japan Job List
A straightforward weekly list of 10–20 English-friendly jobs in Japan with language tags and visa notes. Made for people who want something simple they can apply to immediately.
You can subscribe to either at any time.
Thanks for reading, I appreciate it every week.
What did you think of today's issue?
Until next week,
Foreign Professional