Useful Qualifications for Employment: National Qualifications in Japan

When foreigners work in Japan, having qualifications can make it easier to find a job. There are various types of qualifications obtainable in Japan, such as "private qualifications" and "public qualifications," but the most beneficial ones are "national qualifications."
This article introduces national qualifications that foreigners can obtain in Japan, as well as other useful qualifications for job hunting in Japan.

National Qualifications in Japan

When foreigners obtain national qualifications in Japan, they gain various advantages, such as a wider range of job opportunities and the ability to objectively prove their knowledge and skills.
Some exams of national qualifications have eligibility requirements, such as graduating from specific schools or having work experience, while others have no prerequisites and anyone can take them.

National Qualifications in Medical and Care Fields

There are three national qualifications in the medical and care fields that foreigners can obtain:

• Doctor
• Nurse
• Certified Care Worker

Doctor

To become a doctor, you need to graduate from a medical university in Japan or have education from an overseas medical university recognized as equivalent to a Japanese medical school. Additionally, you must pass the national medical licensing exam in Japanese, which requires a high level of Japanese proficiency. After passing, you need to obtain the "Medical" residence status to work as a doctor.

Nurse

To become a nurse, you need to graduate from a nursing school in Japan and pass the national nursing exam in Japanese, which also requires high Japanese proficiency.
If you have graduated from a nursing school overseas and have a nursing qualification, you may be eligible to take the exam in Japan without attending school, provided certain conditions are met.

For more details: Qualifications for Those with Foreign Nursing Licenses | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare 

Certified Care Worker

The care sector faces a severe labor shortage, making it easier for foreigners to work and obtain qualifications. If you have worked in the care field under the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) or Technical Intern Training (TIT) statuses for a certain period, you can qualify to take the exam. Passing the certified care worker exam and obtaining the "Care Worker" residence status allows for long-term residence in Japan and the possibility of eventually becoming a Permanent Resident (PR).

For Those Who Want to Work as Nurses or Certified Care Workers in Japan

Japan has economic agreements with the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam to accept candidates for nurses and certified care workers. This system allows candidates to train at hospitals or care facilities while aiming to pass the national exam. If you have qualifications from your home country, using this system can be beneficial.

References: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Accepting Nurse and Care Worker Candidates from the Philippines
Accepting Nurse and Care Worker Candidates from Indonesia
Accepting Nurse and Care Worker Candidates from Vietnam

Business-Related Qualifications

• Lawyer
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Tax Accountant
• Real Estate Transaction Specialist
• Real Estate Appraiser
• Customs Specialist

These national qualifications require significant effort to pass. Some exams take years for even Japanese people to pass. However, passing them can make job hunting much smoother, as it proves your Japanese language skills and expertise.

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

In the U.S., there is also a CPA qualification known as USCPA. If you work in finance or accounting or have obtained the USCPA, this qualification may be easier to pursue.

Tax Accountant

Like lawyers and CPAs, tax accountants have challenging exams known as "difficult qualifications." However, if you work in tax or accounting overseas, it might be easier to take on this challenge.

Customs Specialist

If you work in trade, obtaining the Customs Specialist qualification can expand your job opportunities. A significant advantage is that you can take the exam regardless of your educational or professional background.

IT-Related Qualifications

For programmers and system engineers, experience and skills are crucial. However, if you want something extra to enhance your employability in Japan, consider the following three national qualifications:

• IT Passport
• Basic Information Technology Engineer Exam(基本情報技術者試験)　
• Applied Information Technology Engineer Exam(応用情報技術者試験)

Among these, the IT Passport exam is the easiest to obtain. It tests basic knowledge of IT and business concepts. The Basic and Applied Information Technology Engineer exams are more challenging and even difficult for many Japanese people.
Passing these exams, which are only available in Japanese, can also prove your Japanese reading comprehension skills.

Useful Private Qualifications for Employment

Aside from national qualifications, it is beneficial for foreigners to obtain qualifications that prove their Japanese language proficiency.
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT)
Test of Practical Japanese (TopJ)
Among these, the JLPT is often required for obtaining a working visa and is used by companies as a hiring criterion for foreigners. Ideally, aim for N1, but N2 is usually sufficient for working in Japan.
Having the BJT or TopJ can also show that you can communicate in Japanese, making job hunting smoother. If you want to work in Japan, aim to obtain JLPT N2 first.

How to Find Jobs Using Your Qualifications

• Use job search websites
• Look on Facebook and LinkedIn
• Check company and agent websites
• Attend job fairs and career fairs
• Use Hello Work　etc

In Japan, using job search websites is common. Some sites offer multilingual support for foreigners, allowing you to search and apply for jobs by occupation and location. There are also job sites specific to certain professions.

What is Hello Work?

Hello Work is a public institution in Japan offering job consultation and introduction, unemployment insurance consultation, and more. They have offices in all prefectures.
If you worked in a Japanese company and paid employment insurance, you might be eligible for unemployment insurance, which you can apply for at Hello Work. Some Hello Work offices offer consultation in multiple languages, so if you are not confident in Japanese, use an office that provides support in your native language.

The Foreign Employment Service Centers in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka are also Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare institutions. They offer employment services for foreigners, including job consultation in multiple languages and support for international students and new graduates. These services are available both online and at their offices.

Conclusion

This article introduced national qualifications in Japan. Obtaining these qualifications requires not only Japanese language skills but also specialized study and higher education, making it quite challenging.
For those who want to work in Japan, obtaining a Japanese language qualification is recommended first. The JLPT is often used by companies as a hiring criterion for foreigners, so start working towards it as soon as you have some proficiency in Japanese.