As an international student in Japan, you can work part-time during your university sessions, and also choose to work after graduation.
International students in Japan are permitted to work for 28 hours a week during session, and up to eight hours a day during holiday season. However, students should be careful about maintaining their attendance in the university in order to avoid non-extension of their period of authorised stay in the country.
Food and Beverage, and sales and marketing are the two most commonly employed job sector for international students. As a part-timer, you can earn an average of JPY 3000 (approx. INR 2000) per working hour.
Here’s the rough hourly rate of working part time:
Part-time Hourly Rate |
Hourly rate |
Ratio |
Less than JPY 800 |
5.4% |
JPY 800 to less than JPY 1,000 |
42.4% |
JPY 1,200 to less than JPY 1,400 |
6.9% |
JPY 1,400 or more |
4.8% |
Unknown |
1.0% |
After graduation, an international student can stay in Japan for a period of six months until the time his status of residence needs to get changed from ‘Student’ to “Specialist in/Engineer…” etc., i.e. from student visa to work visa. Under the “Designated Activities”, he can extend the duration for another six months until he finds the right job. The job sought after by the student should be related to the majors.
The employment of international students by Japanese Companies based business type is:
Composition ratio by type of business (top 10) |
1 |
Commerce and trading |
9.5% |
2 |
IT Service |
7.7% |
3 |
Food Service |
5.2% |
4 |
Education |
5.0% |
5 |
Hotels & inns |
3.8% |
6 |
Machinery |
3.1% |
7 |
Electrical appliances |
3.1% |
8 |
Foods |
2.7% |
9 |
Construction |
2.7% |
10 |
Transportation |
2.2% |
If you return to your home country after working in Japan, it will be an experience that will add a lot to your skills and resume, and also be seen favourably by organizations. So, if you are yet to decide on your global ed destination, you should consider Japan and give yourself an unparalleled opportunity to study, live and work in one of the most efficient countries in the world.