If you would like to learn how to write a Japanese resume in Japanese, please click here!

In this page, you can download the Japanese Resume template for foreigners who are thinking of changing jobs to a Japanese company, we will easily explain how to create it.

Two Documents Required for Job-hunting: Japanese Resume “Rirekisho” & Japanese CV “Shokumu-keirekisho”

When applying for a job in Japan, you will generally need two documents: a Japanese Resume and a Japanese CV.

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.)

In your resume, easily share your background and basic information with the company you applied for, then, you will appeal to the companies you applied with your work experience and skills displayed in your Japanese CV.

On this page you will learn how to write a Japanese Resume.

This kind of Resume is unique to Japan, and sometimes unique Japanese expressions are used.

However, if you understand how to write it, you can easily create it.

On this page, we have created a Japanese Resume Template for Foreigners, so please feel free to download it and create a resume using this template.

※Please click on the following page to learn how to make a Japanese CV “Shokumu-keirekisho”.

How to Write“Shokumu-keirekisho” for Foreign IT Engineers

Download Japanese Resume Template

First, download the template of the Japanese Resume “Rirekisho” from the button below.

Download Templaterirekisho_format.xlsx – 31 KB
※ Available in Microsoft Excel format.

When the download is complete, open the file.

From now on, we will guide you through on how to write your Japanese Resume according to the sample.

How to Write the Japanese Resume for Foreigners

Japanese resume sample
The Japanese Resume is divided into the following five major sections:

Basic Personal Information
Academic/Work History
Licenses or Qualifications
Special Skills, Self-promotion, Commuting Time, etc.
Space for Personal Requests

１.How to Write a Japanese Resume – Basic Personal Information

Japanese resume sample 1
We will explain where to enter the basic information. Also, how to write it in accordance with the above numbers (1 to 10).

1.Resume Submission Date
Enter the date (year / month / day) in which you will submit your resume.

* The date of creation is OK, but if the date is more than 3 months ago, please modify it to a new date.

2.氏名 – Full Name
This is the space to enter your name.

Enter your name in Hiragana at the top, next to “furigana”.

Please fill in your name at the bottom in English or Katakana.

* Since the phonetic entry (furigana) is already entered here, there is no problem if you type it in English.
If you are from China or Korea, please write in Kanji.

First enter your “Last Name”, then leave a space and enter your “First Name”.

*In this template “furigana” is written in Hiragana, but in case of using a different format, “furigana” may be written in Katakana. In that case, you will have to fill it in katakana.

3.国籍 – Nationality
Please enter your country of origin (nationality).

4.生年月日（年齢） – Date of birth (Age)
The date of birth is written in the following format “(Year) 年/ (Month) 月/(Day)日生.”

Enter the year, month and day you were born in.

* The kanji “生” at the end means “born”.
The age is written in the following format “満(Age)歳”.

Enter your age in this section.
* The kanji “満” at the beginning refers to the current age.

5.性別 – Gender
Choose your gender.
Please circle either male (男) or female (女).

6.現住所 – Current Address
Enter your current address.

＜If you live in Japan＞
If you live in Japan, please enter your address in Japanese as much as possible.

In the case of a Japanese address, enter the reading (furigana) of the address in Hiragana at the top, and fill in the current address at the bottom in Japanese (Kanji or Katakana).

* “Furigana” is not required for the numbers of the address.

Please enter your current address in English.
The upper part of the reading (furigana) is unnecessary.

7.電話 – Telephone number
Enter a phone number that can be reached (ex. mobile phone number).
If you live overseas, be sure to include the country code as well.

8.メールアドレス – E-mail
Please enter an email address where you can be contacted.

9.連絡先 – Contact
Basically, there is no need to input it, just enter “同上”.

Same as above refers to the same contents entered in 6 to 8.

For when the company contacts you, if there is no problem with the address, telephone, and e-mail address entered from 1 to 8, just write “同上”.

If you want to use an address, telephone, or e-mail address other than the stated above, enter the extra address, telephone, and/or e-mail address different from 6 to 8.

10.Photo
Attach an image taken from the front (chest-up photo) within 3 months.

Don’t wear a hat, and choose a photo that shows your face from the front.

In Japan, CV photos are generally wearing a tie to make a good impression.

Photos for resumes can also be taken at photo studios and photo booths installed at most stations and other locations.

If you want to select one of the photos you have, be sure to look straight ahead and choose a photo with a bright tone that looks professional and presentable.

2.How to Write a Japanese Resume – Academic/Work History

Japanese resume sample 2
We will explain how to write it in accordance with the above numbers (1 and 2).
In the space for Academic and Work history, first enter your educational background in chronological order, and then enter your employment history in chronological order.

When filling in educational background, please fill in the first line with “Academic Background (学歴)”, and when filling in your work history, please enter in the first line “Work history (職歴)”.

Doing so will make it easier for HR professionals at the applied company to see where your academic and work history is written when looking at your resume.

1.学歴 – Academic Background
First, write “学歴” in the center of the first line.

The academic background should be written from the second line, but it is a rule to write one before the final academic background. Final education is not the last school graduated, but the highest educational institution.

For example, if a university graduate enters a Japanese language school after graduating from university, the university has a higher standard as an educational institution, so the person should write the educational background (high school, etc.) one before the university.

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)”.

2.職歴 – Work History
Leave one line below your educational background and write “Work history (職歴)” in the center.

Fill in the following order, starting with the company you first joined.

The year and month when you joined the company
Company name (official name)
Department and position title
Year and month when you left the company and reasons for that

In the resume, the reason for leaving the company is generally written as “Left the company for personal reasons (一身上の都合により退職)”.
On the other hand, if you are currently employed, enter “Current (現在に至る)”. Then, finally, write “over (以上)” to complete this section.

There is also a space for education and work history in the upper right corner of the resume format.

If the education and work history is too large to fit on the left side of the format, please add and fill in the rest.

3.How to Write a Japanese Resume – Licenses and Qualifications

Japanese resume sample 3
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 (特になし)” on the first line.

4.Special Skills, Self-promotion, Commuting Time, etc.

Japanese resume sample 4
We will explain how to write it in accordance with the above numbers (1 to 3).

1.特技・自己PRなど – Special skills, self-PR, etc.
“Special skills, self-promotion, etc.” can be an important topic of conversation in interviews. Therefore, do not leave it blank.

The details of your skills will be highlighted in your Japanese CV, so make sure your resume is brief and specific.

Also, be careful not to write anything related to criminal activities, like gambling, to avoid giving a negative impression.

2.通勤時間 – Commuting time
Enter the commute time from home to work. If commuting time takes 30 minutes, enter “about 30 minutes (約30分)”. If it is 1 hour, enter “about 1 hour (約１時間)”.

If you are currently living overseas or living in a place where you cannot commute from your current address in Japan, you do not need to fill out this section.

3.扶養家族（配偶者を除く）・配偶者・配偶者の扶養義務 – Dependents (excluding spouse), spouse, spouse’s obligation to support
Dependents(扶養家族) are members of a family that are supported by one’s 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.

In “扶養家族（配偶者を除く）”, the Dependents (excluding spouse) field, enter the number of dependents excluding the spouse.

For example, if you have a spouse and three children, or if you maintain your child with your own income, your spouse will not be counted, so the “Dependent (excluding spouse)” number will be three.

Spouses are not counted in the “Dependents (excluding spouses)” item, even if the spouse is also being supported on one’s income.

If one of the three children is already earning a living as a member of society, there will be two dependents (excluding spouse).

In the “Spouse(配偶者)” section, if you are married and have a spouse, check “Yes (有)”. And if you are not yet married and have no spouse, please mark “No (無)”.

If you want to support your spouse with your income, check the box for “Yes (有)” in the “配偶者の扶養義務(Spouse Obligation)” section. If your spouse is working and he or she is already working for a company that has social insurance, please mark “No (無)”.

If your spouse works, but does not have social insurance at the company and you need to apply for social insurance at the company where you work for your partner, check “Yes(有)”.

5.本人希望記入欄 – Space for Personal Requests

Japanese resume sample 5
Fill in the desired conditions (work description, work location, salary, etc.), but in general, it is common to write “I will comply with your company regulations (貴社規定に従います)”.

However, please fill out any conditions that you consider essential at the time of the application.

It is advisable to fill out “I will comply with your company regulations (貴社規定に従います)”, since you will be able to communicate your desired conditions directly in the interview.

Conclusion

The resume used in Japan is quite unique, but it can be created very easily if you learn how to write it.

There are some companies that do not need a Japanese Resume when applying, but in most cases, you will need a resume when you start the paperwork for joining the company, so we recommend to be prepared when you start your job hunting.

Are you an IT engineer who wish to work in Japan?

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