Work in Japan

First, you'll need knowledge about working in Japan.

Once you obtain the necessary residence status for employment, although there may be deadlines and constraints, you can generally work in Japan just like a Japanese citizen. It's also important to have knowledge about the type of work you want to do, companies you're interested in working for, as well as taxation and insurance matters.

Status of residence

To work, you'll need a residency status in Japan.

Work

Essentially, you'll need to be employed by a company where you intend to work.

Residency status and employment are closely related.

Your choice of job depends on what you want to do, available job openings, and your language proficiency.

Status of residence

Residency status refers to the qualifications needed to reside in Japan. It is overseen and regulated by the Japanese administrative agency, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

BANNED

When staying in Japan, always adhere to the conditions and duration of your residency status.

Failure to do so may result in the revocation of your residency status, deportation, and being barred from re-entry.

Here, we outline the types and characteristics of residency status. For more details, we will introduce them in our Online Courses.

A meeting between multiple men and women

Work

The type of work you can do depends on your residency status.

First, make sure to understand this thoroughly before proceeding with preparations to work in Japan.

Working in the same way as Japanese citizens

I'm explaining very basic concepts in a simple way.

01

To work

Let's work, acquire skills, and engage in communication with others.

02

Receive salary/payment

You receive salary as compensation for your work. Typically, you'll be paid once a month on a date set by the company, covering one month's worth of work.

03

Payment of social insurance premiums

When working as a full-time employee, you'll pay social insurance premiums to the government, covering the following:

Health insurance premiums, which partially cover medical expenses.
Welfare pension insurance premiums, which provide benefits for elderly individuals.
Employment insurance premiums, which provide benefits during leave or unemployment.
Long-term care insurance premiums, which provide benefits for caregiving and support for individuals aged 65 and older (payments start from age 40).

Collectively, these are referred to as social insurance premiums. There's also a system where you can receive a partial refund of the premiums paid when retiring and returning to your home country.

04

Deducted from your salary

You receive your salary after the company deducts the social insurance premiums from it. This is because the law mandates that companies share the burden of social insurance premiums by paying half of them and then remitting the other half to the government on behalf of employees.

05

Payment of taxes

There are two types of taxes to be paid when receiving your salary.

First, there's the income tax, which is based on your income. The higher your salary, the more you pay in income tax. Second, there's the resident tax, which is based on the area you live in.

Both taxes are paid by the company on your behalf, deducted from your salary.

06

How to use your salary

Here are some typical uses for the money received as salary: