View Working:Finding a Job
Before you get to Japan
If the company that you work for at home has connections with Japan, make sure your superiors know that you are keen to go to Japan. You can search for a job yourself; many Japanese and foreign companies operating in Japan recruit overseas. Competition will likely be high for both of these options. The great advantage to securing your job before you get to Japan is that your employer may organise your visa, flight, accommodation, insurance, and may provide other benefits such as Japanese lessons, a relocation allowance, child care/education and/or a car.
After first arriving in Japan
If you rather enjoy taking financial and emotional risks, then you can turn up in Japan and look for a job whilst on a tourist visa. For this option you need stamina, a constant positive mental attitude, persistence, and money (about enough to cover three months, but bring as much as you can).
Just get a 90-day return ticket with a changeable return date and come to Japan on a tourist visa. You don’t have to apply for a tourist visa-it will be stamped in your passport upon arrival in Japan. Under no circumstances must you tell the immigration officers that you are looking for work as it is strongly discouraged (although not illegal). Tell them that you are travelling. They may want to check that you have enough money and a return ticket, so it is important to have these things with you.
When you arrive, and have found somewhere to stay, start looking for work immediately. You need a job that will provide you with a visa, but if you can’t find one right away, look for sources of income that do not require a visa. Meanwhile, continue your search for visa sponsorship.
After being in Japan for some time
You may find that the job you originally chose wasn’t for you, and may want to look for alternatives in Japan. If you have been here for some time, then you have probably acquired some Japanese by osmosis, if nothing else; a bit more effort in that department and your job options will increase.
Networking
Networking is probably the most influential factor in determining your success in securing a job in Japan, whether you have just arrived or have been living here for years. You need to let people know who you are and what you are looking for. It can be a difficult skill to develop at first, but Japan is a great place to develop your networking ability. Remember that every foreigner here has been in your situation, and Western women are particularly keen to connect with and support one another.
Business Cards
The exchange of business cards (‘meishi’) is fast and furious but friendly in Japan, so get some printed with just your name and contact details, even if you don’t have a job title to include. Follow up with everyone you meet even if it is just to say that it was good to meet them - email is perfect for this. And you never know what friendships may emerge from the exchange of a business card.