When applying for a job in Japan, you will generally need two documents: a Japanese Resume(Rirekisho履歴書) and Japanese CV （Shokumu-keirekisho職務経歴書）.
What is Japanese Resume (Rirekisho)
Document that conveys your background (education, work experience) and basic information (name, date of birth, contact information, etc.)
Japanese CV (Shokumu-keirekisho)
Document that appeals to the past work experience (company you worked at, job description, skills you used, etc.)
Where to get a resume template
Free template to download. Download here: Resume format
It is also possible to buy a resume template at convenience stores in Japan.
How to write a Japanese resume
The Japanese Resume is divided into the following several sections:
- Resume Submission Date
Enter the date (year / month / day) in which you will submit your resume.
Note:The date of creation is also fine, but if the date is more than 3 months ago, please modify it to a new date. - Full Name
This is the space to enter your name.
Enter your name in Hiragana at the top, next to “furigana”.
Then fill in your name at the bottom in English, Katakana or kanji. - Date of birth (Age)
Enter the year, month and day you were born in. - Current Address
Enter your current address. - Gender
Choose your gender.
Please circle either male (男) or female (女). - Telephone number
Enter a phone number that can be reached (ex. mobile phone number). - E-mail
Enter an email address where you can be contacted. - Photo
Attach a photo of you taken from the front (chest-up photo) within 3 months.
Please dress properly while taking the photo. In Japan, CV photos are generally wearing a suit to make a good impression.
*Photos for resumes can also be taken at photo booths installed at most stations and other locations. - Academic Background＋work history
First, write “学歴” in the center of the first line.
Be sure to write the official school name in this field. Write down the department, and major courses.
Visa acquisition and joining procedures will proceed according to the information on your resume, so please fill in correctly the enrollment date and graduation date so there is no mistake.
*If you drop out of school, write “drop out (中退)”. If you are in school, write “expected graduation (卒業見込み)”.
Leave one line below your educational background and write “Work history (職歴)” in the center.The year and month when you joined the company
・Company’s official name
・Department, position title(job description)
・Year and month when you left the company
If you are currently employed, enter “Current (現在に至る)”.
Then, finally, write “over (以上)” to complete this section. - Licenses and Qualifications
In the “Licenses and qualifications（免許・資格）” field is a must to write the official name.
Also, enter the acquisition year correctly.
If you have a license or qualification that can be used in the company you want to apply for, be sure to enter it.
If you do not have any licenses or qualifications, please write “None in particular (なし)” on the first line. - Reason to apply for the job, Special Skills, Self-promotion, etc.
Reason to apply for the job, special skills and self-promotion can be an important topic of conversation during interviews.
Try not leave it blank.
It is very important to tell what you can do for the job with your selling points, not just telling about yourself. - Commuting time
Enter the commute time from home to workplace. - Dependents
Enter number of dependents that are supported by your income.
The reason for listing your dependents on your resume is that the company will need to know the number of dependents when calculating income taxes and applying for social insurance such as health insurance.
