Is JLPT Required for Employment in Japan?

Are you interested in pursuing a career in Japan? Do you wish to work in a Japanese company in Japan and get paid well? If so, you might be interested in learning how the JLPT will affect your ability to get employment in Japan. All of your inquiries will be addressed in this blog.

Without the JLPT, you can work in Japan.  

Let's begin by pointing out that you are not need to have JLPT in order to work in Japan. You don't require JLPT for a select few occupations in Japan. These vocations or tasks, nevertheless, are not as prevalent as those that call for the JLPT. So, if you want to live and work in Japan, taking the JLPT is crucial. In other words, there are some jobs in Japan where JLPT may not be required. For instance, you can find employment in Japan teaching English without having a JLPT certification. All you need for such a job is a working knowledge of the English language.

In addition, some jobs don’t require any knowledge of Japanese. For example, if you are in the IT or engineering sector, you may not need JLPT to work in Japan. This is because most of the recruiters will be more concerned about the hard and soft skills that you have instead of your knowledge of the Japanese language.

Therefore, if you are in any of the aforementioned sectors, it will be easier for you to get such a job in Japan without JLPT. This also applies to some specialized role where your skills are the only factors that your employers will consider. However, there is a caveat to this. Many companies with a foreign presence prefer to transfer their existing employees, who love to live in Japan, to Japan to handle roles that don’t require JLPT. So, this further stiffens the opportunities available for people that want to work in Japan without JLPT.

Besides, for anyone that owns a business, no one will ask you to submit JLPT before using your services or products as long as you can communicate effectively with your clients. So, you can start your business in Japan without having any JLPT certification.

You need JLPT to get Japanese-speaking works

Without mincing words, Japanese-speaking works are only meant for people that can speak Japanese. Therefore, you cannot expect any employer to hire someone that does not speak Japanese for such a role. These jobs are usually roles that require you to communicate with clients regularly. Lots of Japanese people don’t understand English while those that understand the language sometimes shy away from speaking. Therefore, employers will only want to hire individuals that can speak Japanese to handle roles where they will be speaking to customers. In fact, for such a role, you will likely be required to have the JLPT N1 or N2 certification before being hired.

This is also applicable to roles that require you to speak Japanese in official or professional settings. Without N1 or N2, you may never be able to get such a role in Japan.

Other ways through which JLPT affects your ability to work in Japan

Apart from getting jobs directly in Japan, there are several ways through which JLPT will determine whether you can work in Japan or not. These ways are mentioned below.

• Immigration purposes

For you to work in Japan, you will first need to come to the country. This is where immigration comes into the picture. In this case, you need to adhere to the instructions provided by the Immigration Bureau of Japan. This agency requires each applicant to get at least 70 points before getting a chance to travel to Japan to work and reside there. If you have N1 or N2, you will be awarded about 10 to 15 points. Therefore, having the JLPT certification can be the first factor that will take you to Japan where you can now work.

• Criteria for medical practitioners

If you have a foreign medical degree and want to practice in Japan, one of the most essential requirements is passing the JLPT N1. In fact, if you don’t have N1, you will not be allowed to sit for the national exams required to practice medicine in the country.

This is not just about practicing medicine in Japan; it also applies to other medical/health-related courses in the country. Therefore, if you are a radiologist, nurse, public health nurse, dentist, clinical lab scientist, dental hygienist, midwife, pharmacist, occupational therapist, clinical engineer, or other medical personnel, you cannot work without JLPT.

• A great addition to your resume

Even if your job in Japan doesn’t require you to have any JLPT certification, having the certification can look exceptional on your CV. The certification can be important in some cases where someone with an understanding of Japanese is needed for some tasks. Therefore, getting N5 may still come in handy for you.

Are there alternatives to JLPT?

As mentioned earlier, JLPT is the standard exam for evaluating your understanding of the Japanese language. However, you may still be able to work in Japanese-speaking roles in Japan without having JLPT if you have other ways of proving that you understand Japanese. The alternative ways of proving your knowledge of Japanese include:

• Speaking Japanese in the interview

If you are being interviewed for a Japanese-speaking role, you can display your understanding of the language by speaking Japanese during your interview. This will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you will have no issue with communicating with your colleagues, supervisors, and customers in Japanese. However, the only problem is that you may never even be invited for an interview. Therefore, you may not even get a chance to prove your understanding of Japanese without JLPT.

• Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT)

The BJT is a common test for assessing your ability to communicate in the business scene by using the Japanese language. Although this test is mostly used for businesses, you can still utilize it for finding jobs.

• Other Japanese proficiency exams

The J-Test and the Kanji Kentei are two other proficiency tests that can show how much you know Japanese. However, these tests are not as widely accepted as JLPT.

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