Applying for a job in Japan usually means two documents: a rirekisho (履歴書), a standard form with personal details, photo, education and work history in date order, and a shokumu keirekisho (職務経歴書), a free-format summary of your work and achievements. Since 2021 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's sample form makes gender optional and drops commuting time, dependents and spouse fields.
Foreign companies and many startups in Japan accept an English CV. Japanese employers, and most roles that require Japanese, expect the rirekisho and shokumu keirekisho in Japanese.
Rirekisho sections
| Section (Japanese) | English | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| 日付 / 氏名 / ふりがな | Date, name, reading of name | Submission date; name in kanji or katakana with furigana |
| 生年月日 | Date of birth | Usually included |
| 性別 | Gender | Optional in the 2021 Ministry sample |
| 写真 | Photo | Recent ID-style photo, usually 3 x 4 cm |
| 住所 / 連絡先 | Address and contact | Current address, phone, email |
| 学歴・職歴 | Education and work history | Year/month, school or company, entry and graduation/leaving lines |
| 免許・資格 | Licences and qualifications | Driving licence, JLPT level, certificates |
| 志望動機 | Reason for applying | Short, specific to the company |
| 本人希望記入欄 | Personal requests | Usually "貴社規定に従います" (I follow company rules) |
What changed in the 2021 rirekisho form
After the JIS sample form was withdrawn in 2020, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare published its own sample résumé form. Gender became optional, and the fields for commuting time, number of dependents, spouse and spousal support obligation were removed to protect privacy and support fair hiring. Employers may still use other forms, but this is the reference version.
Shokumu keirekisho: the work-history document
Shokumu keirekisho extract, English translation (fictional)
Company: [Company], software, 200 employees · Period: April 2021 – present
Role: Backend engineer · Developed payment APIs in Go; reduced average response time by 35%.
Self-PR: I turn customer feedback into small, testable improvements and document them for the team.
English CV for jobs in Japan
English CV for Japan (fictional)
[Name] — Marketing Specialist · Tokyo · [email] · [phone]
Visa status: [type], valid until [date] · Japanese: JLPT N2 · English: native
EXPERIENCE: Marketing Specialist — [Company], Tokyo — 2023–present · Ran bilingual campaigns; leads up 40% year on year.
EDUCATION: BA Marketing — [University], 2021
For foreign applicants, visa status and Japanese level are the two lines recruiters look for first. State your JLPT level only if you passed it, and write the visa type you actually hold.
Tips for Japanese applications
- Use the Japanese calendar or Western years consistently, not both.
- Write education and work history lines in date order with year and month.
- Keep the photo recent and formal.
- Handwritten rirekisho are no longer required by most employers; typed forms are widely accepted.
- Match the reason for applying to the specific company.
- What is a rirekisho?
- The standard Japanese résumé form with personal details, photo, education and work history in date order.
- What is a shokumu keirekisho?
- A free-format document describing your work experience and achievements, sent with the rirekisho.
- Do I need a photo on a Japanese CV?
- Yes, a rirekisho normally has a recent ID-style photo.
- Is gender required on a Japanese resume?
- Not on the Ministry's 2021 sample form, where it is optional.
- Can I apply in English?
- For foreign companies and English-language roles, yes. For Japanese-language roles, use the rirekisho and shokumu keirekisho.
See how other countries differ in our CV format by country guide.
