Getting a Job in Japan: Advice from a Japanese Professional

I sat down in Mumbai with Mayo, a Japanese professional living in India, to ask what Japanese employers really look for, how to apply, whether the work culture is as bad as people say, and more.

In Mumbai I visited Mayo (you may know her from her YouTube channel, Mayo Japan), a Japanese professional who did an MBA, worked in consulting in Japan, and now lives in India. I asked her the questions Indian students ask me every day. Here are her answers.

"What should an Indian do to get a job in Japan?" 🇯🇵

First, learn Japanese. People say engineering jobs don't need Japanese, but in practice most Japanese colleagues don't use English at work.

Her second point surprised many viewers:

In Japan, your education doesn't matter as much as in India. If you have skills you can show, and you're willing and able to learn, you can work in many fields.

That matches what I tell students who say, "I'm from PCB, I only have a BBA from a small college, can I work in Japan?" If you put in the effort and learn Japanese, why wouldn't they give you a chance?

What Japanese companies look for 🧭

Mayo applied to several big Japanese trading companies and one British firm while she was in Japan. Each company had multiple interview rounds over different days, in Osaka and Tokyo, including one in English with senior people.

What they test:

Spirit over degrees. Are you willing to work hard and learn?
Logic. Some interviewers ask estimation questions, like how many of something exist in Japan, to see how you think.
Fit with the company. She didn't just study what each company does. She read about its policy and its founder's philosophy, and showed how she fits that culture. That matters a lot to Japanese companies.

She also said some Japanese recruiters she's met feel Indian candidates talk a lot about how smart and educated they are, but don't research the company they're applying to. Research deeply.

Where to apply 💼

Japanese job sites like Mynavi and Rikunabi are mainly for job hunting inside Japan. When she tried from India, they didn't seem to work for international applicants.
LinkedIn works, especially for companies in Japan that already employ foreigners.

"Is Japanese work culture really that bad?" ⏰

Mostly, people mean long overtime and strict bosses. Mayo's view: it's improving. That old culture came from an era when the economy was booming and long hours meant getting rich. That mindset is fading. Many Indians she knows work a hybrid week, a few days in the office and some from home, with weekends off. With more foreigners joining, companies are changing too.

Working for a Japanese company in India 🏢

Want to study in Japan but build your career back in India? Very possible. Many Japanese companies operate here, from big trading houses and manufacturers to retail and food brands. They need people who speak Japanese and understand both Japanese and Indian work culture, because their teams and vendors are Indian.

Her strategy is a smart one: start your career in Japan with a steady salary, learn and experience a lot, then come back to India, where growth can be faster if you're good. (More on this in working for a Japanese company in India.)

Scholarships: answer "why should Japan pay for you?" 🎓

The same thinking applies to scholarships. For MEXT and other government scholarships, the real question underneath is: why should Japanese taxpayers' money pay for your education?

So don't just list your degree and skills. Talk about how you'll contribute, to Japan and to India–Japan ties. Industries are already connected: automobiles (Maruti Suzuki, Hero Honda in the past), IT, real estate and more. Companies already invested in India are good ones to research and mention.

Life: Tokyo vs Mumbai, and why Japan is short of young people 🏙️

Housing: Mayo feels that for the same money, you'd get a better home in Tokyo than in Mumbai.
Prices: services in Japan cost more partly because labour costs are high: almost everyone is paid like the middle class.
Fewer young people: many Japanese no longer feel they must marry, parents pressure their children less, and fewer children are born. That's one reason Japan is opening up to international students and workers.

Her message to Indian students 🌸

As a country, I love Japan. I have maximum freedom there: I can go anywhere, do anything, even alone. It's safe and quiet. You'll see pros and cons of both India and Japan. Give yourself the chance to go at least once, try it for yourself, and then decide.

Next steps: read our jobs in Japan guide, and start Japanese, the skill every employer asked about, with our free course or Kihon's live classes.