What we do for work in the countryside of Japan, work visas & tips

Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what we do for work in Japan. To be honest, I was initially hesitant to recount our story. We had charted our own way of working in this remote region of Japan. So I was unsure of how to share our experiences without our story becoming confusing or hard to follow.

But after listening to other people’s tales of securing jobs in Japan, I realized our experiences were not so atypical. Like many others, we faced the daunting task of navigating the job market, honing our professional skills, and networking, while grappling with the Japanese immigration system. It was a challenging and humbling process, but ultimately, it led us to where we are today.

So, here it is: I work for an inbound media company, and Jesse is a blacksmith. 

First, a Few Disclaimers

Before I get into it, let me get a few disclaimers out of the way.

This story is based on our personal experiences and is not an exhaustive method of finding work in Japan. We can’t offer job leads. We can’t provide legal advice regarding visas. In fact, one of my top tips for you is to get a qualified legal specialist to help you, which I’ll cover later in the article. 

So, with that out of the way, here’s what we do for work in the Japanese countryside and things we wish we had known beforehand:

What do we do for work in the countryside of Japan

I work remotely for a Japan-based inbound media company. Simply put, I do various tasks, including English writing, SEO, design work, editing, and other responsibilities. 

Despite the challenges of finding work in a specialized field, Jesse secured a job as a  blacksmith. This was due to his past metal working experience, which gave him the necessary credibility and references to acquire his current visa.

What kind of work visas do we have?

We both have the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services Visa. This visa is one of the broadest work visas you can get in Japan. The business types and occupations included in this visa are pretty diverse, such as teachers, accountants, corporate salespeople, physical therapists, and musicians.

The visa criteria are based on one of two factors: your relevant academic and professional background. And second, your ability as a foreigner to perform tasks that may be difficult for non-native English speakers.

In our case, our work is connected to both factors. Our English language skills and perspective as foreigners, combined with our professional experience, allowed us to land our work in Japan. Although English proficiency was a necessary skill for our work, we also needed Japanese language ability to bridge the gap between the foreign and Japanese markets.

Starting as English teachers in our early days in Japan

When we first arrived in Japan, we didn’t have the jobs we have now. Like many before us, we came to Japan to teach English. 

Jesse came on the JET program, and I found work at an eikaiwa, an afterschool English school. Our employers helped us apply for our CEO (certificate of eligibility), which was necessary before we could apply for a visa. They processed our paperwork and helped us get set up in Japan. We were able to secure an apartment, open a bank account, and register at the city hall. Even getting a long-term phone plan or internet router was made possible as a resident of Japan. 

As we were teaching English, we made sure to actively seek out fresh opportunities that could broaden our perspectives. This was such a valuable time for us because we got to explore the job market, discover effective networking methods, and work on improving ourselves to become more attractive candidates for other career paths in Japan.

From teaching English to our current jobs in Japan

One of the challenges we faced while navigating the job market was figuring out how to break into the job market in Japan. Finding a job in Japan is much like finding one anywhere else. 

For me, writing became an important creative outlet. I come from a design background with experience working on different client projects, including my own. Writing felt like a natural extension of that. I learned to write for blogs and websites, was heavily active on social media, and networked digitally and in person in every way I knew how.

Eventually, my online portfolio and past professional experiences led to me meeting someone at my current company who offered me a job.

I wish I could say it was a quick and easy transition, but it took some time to become more independent from teaching. I worked part-time as a teacher and part-time for my new company for a few years before finally achieving independence from teaching.

Despite having relevant training and experience as a blacksmith, Jesse came to Japan as an English teacher.

During his first three years, he worked full-time for JET while constantly searching for and visiting potential shops. He attended classes and met with other blacksmiths, becoming a familiar face before finally finding his chance.

Two jobs on one visa? Overcoming visa hurdles

Now, in case you are wondering, how did I have two jobs and manage to renew a visa? 

As you may already know, only one sponsor is allowed per visa application. If you have two employers, you’ll still need employment contracts from each for any visa renewal application.

Typically, you will need a contract or letter that states your sponsor will pay you approximately 200,000 yen monthly, which is roughly 2,000 CAD. While this amount is not officially stated on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, this is generally assumed to be the minimum amount needed for a decent living wage that would ensure visa approval. 

If you have more than one job and neither pays a monthly amount, you’ll need to provide additional paperwork that the accumulation of both jobs will amount to that agreed amount.

The paperwork you need will depend on the company’s size sponsoring your visa. The smaller the company, the more paperwork you need. Business registration, profits in the previous year, tax information, and much more to prove they can sufficiently pay you during your stay in Japan.

Top Things I Wish I Knew Before Applying for Visas in Japan

Our journey in Japan has been quite a roller coaster ride, and there is still a lot of uncertainty ahead. Despite gaining valuable experience, there are certain things that I wish I had known earlier. In the hope that our experience can help others, here are my top tips for anyone considering a move to Japan under similar circumstances. 

1. Get an English teaching job

I know, I know, this isn’t the thing most people want to hear. While this is certainly not the only way to get work in Japan, for us, teaching English was the most stable way to get set up in Japan. You can set up your bank account. You can get an apartment. You can get an address so you can register yourself at city hall. 

Once established in Japan, it allowed us to check our options, network, and build relevant skills for the work we wanted to do. Companies will also see you more as a realistic hire if you’re already set up in Japan. They won’t have to deal with the paperwork involving a certificate of eligibility or the hassle of getting you set up in Japan. 

At first, the thought of taking these steps might seem daunting. Initially, Jesse and I were hesitant about working as teachers in Japan. We knew it was a necessary compromise to achieve our long-term aspirations. However, as we started our new jobs, we grew fond of our students and colleagues. Our time as educators became an unforgettable chapter of our lives. What we thought was a sacrifice soon became one of the most cherished moments of our early days in Japan.

What if you don’t have a university degree? 

A university degree is typically required for most English teaching jobs. While that is certainly true for the JET program, I have met people at eikaiwa schools with only college diplomas (even if the eikaiwa school website says otherwise).

I’ve also heard of instances where a TEFL certification, a standardized training course for teaching English as a foreign language, can also count towards your job application. While there is no guarantee your English teaching job will accept those accreditations, it never hurts to try. 

2. Get an immigration lawyer

This tip was so important that I was tempted to put this as my number one tip. If your dream job isn’t able to assist, or you’re just figuring out your options, navigating the visa process on your own is, dare I say, impossible unless you have an immigration specialist.

A gyouseishoshi (行政書士) is a lawyer, paralegal, or administrative scrivener who is qualified to prepare legal documents on administrative matters such as immigration. 

It was a paralegal that explained that I needed to get permission to engage in activities outside of my English teaching job. It was my Paralegal that helped me put together a cover letter summarizing my activities for my application. Every year I got wiser and more knowledgeable about these applications process. And every year, I’d learn that there was so much I still didn’t know when working with a paralegal. 

Frankly, neither Jesse nor I would be in Japan without one. They have been an invaluable resource for our visa concerns, explained the complexities of applications, prepared documents on our behalf, and helped alleviate the stressful period that comes with visa applications. 

How to find your immigration lawyer

If you’re feeling a bit lost and need some guidance with your visa application, finding a gyouseishoshi online is one way to go. To make sure you find someone who specializes in visas and not other legal areas, try searching with keywords like “行政書士” (gyouseishoshi), “ビザ” (Visa), and your location (if you’re based in Japan.) It’s also a good idea to look for a lawyer who is based in your city or region and can handle all the paperwork and interactions with immigration for you. This has been a huge relief for us and has made the whole process so much less stressful on our own visa applications.

How much does an immigration lawyer cost?

The cost of a paralegal will depend on what visa applications you’ll be putting forth and each lawyer’s fees. If they only speak Japanese, bring an electronic translator, or find a Japanese-speaking friend willing to help translate. Pay them by doing their laundry, cleaning their house for a year, whatever it takes. Save your yen, and get a lawyer. 

3. Tell immigration if you change jobs in Japan

If you’re thinking about changing jobs or taking on new work in Japan, make sure to check your visa restrictions beforehand. Some activities may require that you get permission to engage in those activities, even if it’s included in your overall visa category. It’s also important to keep immigration informed of any changes to your employment status, so they can monitor your employment and renew your visa accordingly. 

The good news is you can easily do this online with the Immigration Bureau e-Notification System. Neglecting to notify immigration of any job changes can result in unexpected complications when it comes time to renew your visa, such as having to leave Japan or pay costly visa application fees. 

I was lucky to escape this ordeal by enlisting a lawyer early in my job search. I’ve heard of some unfortunate situations where people have had to go through this ordeal, so it’s best to be aware and take the necessary steps.

4. Do your visa research

There are different working visas you can apply for, not to mention other types of visas like general visas, highly skilled professional visas, and more. 

Start your research on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. While they are technically the official resource for Japanese visas, I’ve personally found their website challenging to navigate. They only list minimum requirements and don’t offer much insight into what job types are covered. 

In my experience, visa application forms tend to have a better breakdown of the requirements and job descriptions covered in the visa, such as this change of Japan status visa example. 

Finally, sitting down and really reading through the requirements for each visa option can be an eye-opening and insightful start to your journey. I’ve spent hours reading the details of each visa option before as I sought advice from an immigration lawyer. 

Of course, nothing will replace the expert advice of a lawyer who can answer any questions about the visa you’re considering. 

5. Experience (almost always) matters

From my personal experience and conversations with others, I have learned that having relevant professional skills and experiences almost always matters.

To showcase your transferable skills, you can provide graduation certificates, work experience, and personal projects that align with the job you are applying for. 

In Japan, certifications and degrees carry more weight than in other countries. While it’s not mandatory, some Japanese companies may view them as a testament to your skills. 

If you lack certificates, don’t worry. You can acquire new skills while working, teaching, or studying in Japan. For example, if you want to work in a Japanese company and need to achieve business-level proficiency in Japanese, you can study the language. If you are interested in marketing, you can take online courses.

You’ll certainly want to do your own research on what kind of work you can do. My background only counted for a small part of my work profile, and it was my writing in Japan that opened doors for me that led to further opportunities. 

Some inspiring stories about people finding work in Japan

If you’re looking for inspiration, Seerasan’s video about her first full-time job in Japan is a great example of the professional marketing experience she needed before she got her job at Tokyo Creative. 

Allison in Japan also has a great video, another great example of the numerous steps she had to take, including learning Japanese and going to grad school in Japan before she landed her first job. 

For some additional reading, Bene in Fukuoka has an excellent article about what she needed to become a web designer in Japan, including understanding Japanese aesthetics for design, the Japanese language, and other realistic steps required to land her job. 

Conclusion

Our years in Japan have been one of growth, perseverance, and adaptation. While it has presented its fair share of challenges, we have found our own ways to thrive both professionally and personally in the picturesque Japanese countryside. 

While this won’t paint a step-by-step picture of how to find your work in Japan, I hope our story inspires you to think outside the box and pursue your own tailor-made paths to working in Japan. Good luck on your journey!

Do any of you have interesting stories about finding work in Japan? Please consider sharing them in the comments below!