How to Write a Japanese Resume (Rirekisho): Format, Photo, Work History & Submission

A Japanese resume is usually called a rirekisho (履歴書). It gives the employer a structured overview of your identity and contact details, education, employment history, qualifications, and reason for applying. Many employers also request a shokumu keirekisho (職務経歴書), which is a separate work-history document used to explain responsibilities, skills, projects, and achievements in more depth.

Do not assume that every company wants the same package. Some employers provide their own application form or online entry system; others ask for a rirekisho plus a shokumu keirekisho, an English CV, a portfolio, or several of these. Follow the vacancy instructions before using a generic template. When no format is specified, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare resume example is a sensible baseline for general job seekers.

• Check the vacancy for the required document names, language, file type, photo rule, and deadline.
• Use the employer's own form when one is provided.
• Use the rirekisho for the concise chronological overview.
• Use the shokumu keirekisho for detailed duties, skills, projects, and measurable results when requested.
• Keep the information consistent across every document and application screen.

The old idea that there is one mandatory 'JIS resume' is outdated. The Ministry created its own resume example after the former JIS example was removed. In the Ministry example, the gender field is optional and may be left blank, and older fields such as commuting time, number of dependents, spouse, and obligation to support a spouse are not included.

There is no universal rule that a rirekisho must be handwritten. Use the method the employer requests. For online applications, a clean typed document is usually the practical choice. For paper applications, typed or handwritten documents may be accepted depending on the employer. Whichever method you use, readability, accuracy, and consistency matter more than imitating a traditional style that the vacancy did not ask for.

• Do not reuse an old template without checking its fields.
• Prefer a clean A4 or other format specifically requested by the employer.
• If typing, use a simple readable font and inspect the exported PDF for layout problems.
• If handwriting is specifically requested, write clearly and remake the form if a major correction makes it difficult to read.
• Never add fields that invite irrelevant personal information just because an old template contains them.

Enter your name, reading, address, phone number, and email exactly and consistently. Foreign residents should avoid inventing a Japanese-style name order or spelling that does not match the name they actually use for applications. If the form asks for furigana or phonetic reading, provide the reading in the script requested by the form.

Use a professional email address and a phone number that you actually answer. For addresses, follow the form's layout and write enough information for the employer to contact you reliably. If you are applying from outside Japan, state the country and full address clearly rather than forcing the address into a Japanese domestic pattern.

For dates, choose either Western years or Japanese era years and use the same system throughout the resume. Check the submission date, education dates, employment dates, and qualification dates together. Date inconsistencies are easy for recruiters to notice and often become interview questions.

• Name and reading match the rest of the application.
• Phone and email are current and professional.
• Address is complete enough for the application stage.
• One calendar system is used consistently.
• The optional gender field may be left blank on the Ministry example.

A photo is common on Japanese rirekisho forms, but the employer's instructions and the form you are using take priority. If a photo is requested, follow the dimensions and placement printed on that form rather than copying a size from a different template.

Use a recent, clear head-and-shoulders photograph with a neutral background and professional appearance. The image should look like the person who will attend the interview. Avoid filters, group photos, social-media crops, exaggerated retouching, or AI-generated faces. For digital applications, insert a sharp image without stretching it; for paper applications, attach the photo securely and keep a copy of the finished resume.

• Check whether a photo is required before preparing one.
• Follow the exact photo box or upload specification on the selected form.
• Use a recent, front-facing professional image.
• Do not alter your appearance so heavily that the image no longer represents you.
• Make sure the photo is not blurred, compressed, stretched, or cut off in the final PDF.

Separate education and employment clearly. List education in chronological order unless the employer's form specifies another method. Use the official name of the school or institution and add the faculty, department, course, or major when it helps explain your background.

For education completed outside Japan, keep the original credential accurate. Add the country when the institution would not be obvious to a Japanese recruiter, and add a short explanation in parentheses only when it improves understanding. Do not convert a foreign degree into a Japanese degree title unless that equivalence has been formally established.

State the actual status: entered, graduated, completed, withdrew, or expected to graduate. If a qualification or degree needs supporting evidence later, treat the transcript, certificate, translation, or formal equivalency document as a separate submission rather than squeezing proof into the rirekisho.

• Use official institution names.
• Add country and major when useful.
• Keep foreign credentials accurate rather than upgrading them in translation.
• Show expected graduation clearly when you have not yet graduated.
• Keep dates consistent with any transcript or certificate you may later submit.

For each employer, use the official organization name and accurate dates. Make the employment type clear when it matters: regular employee, contract employee, dispatched worker, part-time employee, temporary worker, self-employed, or another arrangement. Do not rewrite a junior title as a senior title merely because the translation sounds better.

If space permits, add a short department or role description, but keep the rirekisho easy to scan. Detailed responsibilities, tools, projects, management scope, sales results, technical achievements, and other evidence normally belong in the shokumu keirekisho when that document is requested.

Employment gaps are not a reason to alter dates. If a gap needs context, keep the explanation short and factual and be prepared to discuss it at interview. The same principle applies to short jobs and part-time work: include them when they are relevant, explain an important period, or are requested, and label them accurately.

• Official employer name and accurate start/end dates.
• Employment type when relevant.
• Current employment clearly marked as ongoing.
• Foreign titles translated conservatively with duties explained when needed.
• No hidden gaps, inflated positions, or invented responsibilities.

Prioritize licenses and qualifications that help the employer evaluate you for the vacancy. Use the official name, the date obtained, and an accurate status such as passed, obtained, completed, or in progress. Do not list an expired credential as current.

For foreign qualifications, retain the official title and add a short explanation only when necessary. For Japanese ability, write the test name and level accurately if you have an official result. Do not convert an informal estimate into a formal certificate. If the employer asks for a specific language score, give the exact result and test date when appropriate.

The same rule applies to technical certifications and driving licences: relevance is more useful than volume. A short list of valid credentials connected to the role is usually stronger than filling the section with unrelated certificates.

• Role-required professional licences.
• Relevant technical certifications.
• Official Japanese-language test results.
• Other language scores requested by the employer.
• Driving licence only when it is useful for the work or requested.

The motivation section, shibo doki (志望動機), should answer three practical questions: why this employer or role, what evidence shows you can do the work, and how you expect to contribute. Avoid a paragraph that could be sent unchanged to every company.

Start with something specific about the vacancy, service, customer group, product, technology, or business direction. Then connect that reason to one or two relevant examples from your experience. Finish with the contribution you want to make in the advertised role. Keep every claim truthful and be ready to explain it in the interview.

Translation and writing tools can help improve grammar, but they should not invent experience, certifications, numbers, or Japanese ability. If a sentence sounds more advanced than the Japanese you can actually discuss, simplify it. Your resume often becomes the interview agenda, so you need to understand every statement you submit.

• Reason: why this employer or role specifically.
• Evidence: a real skill, task, project, or achievement.
• Contribution: how that evidence can help in the new job.
• Language: natural wording you can explain yourself.
• Revision: tailor the statement for each serious application.

The personal-request field should be used for information that is genuinely necessary for the application, such as identifying the position when one form covers several roles or stating a practical start-date constraint. Do not turn it into a long list of preferences already covered by the vacancy.

The Ministry's standard resume example does not contain a dedicated residence-status field. Employers hiring foreign nationals may separately need to confirm whether you are permitted to perform the work, your period of stay, or whether immigration procedures are required. Provide relevant work-eligibility information accurately when the employer asks for it through an appropriate field or process.

A normal resume does not need your My Number, bank details, payment-card information, passwords, passport number, residence-card number, or copies of identity documents. The Ministry's fair-recruitment guidance emphasizes judging applicants on suitability and ability and warns against collecting information unrelated to the job, including family circumstances, birthplace or registered domicile, religion, political views, and other sensitive matters.

• Share only information relevant to the application stage.
• Do not place identity-document numbers or financial information in a general resume.
• Use secure employer or recruiter channels for documents that are legitimately requested later.
• Keep a record if you are asked for information that appears unrelated to the work.
• Consult Hello Work or the relevant labour bureau if you need guidance about potentially inappropriate recruitment questions.

Before submitting, open the exact PDF or printed document that the employer will receive. Check that the photo, text, page breaks, Japanese characters, dates, and margins appear correctly. A document that looked fine in an editor can change during PDF conversion or printing.

For online or email applications, follow the requested file type, naming rule, upload limit, and submission channel. Use a clear filename that identifies the document and applicant without exposing unnecessary personal data. For paper submissions, print cleanly at the requested size and follow the employer's instructions for envelopes, cover letters, and photo attachment.

Save the final submitted version together with the vacancy and any message you sent. This gives you an accurate interview reference and prevents you from preparing from a newer draft that the employer never saw.

• Employer's required format and language used.
• Submission date is current.
• Names, dates, schools, employers, and qualifications are accurate.
• Motivation is specific to this vacancy.
• No unnecessary sensitive information is included.
• PDF or print layout has been inspected end to end.
• Correct filename and submission method are used.
• Exact submitted version is saved for interview preparation.