Japanese Job & Resume Glossary: 84 Terms Explained in Plain English

Job adverts, application forms, payslips and residence cards in Japan use a vocabulary that textbooks rarely teach. This glossary collects the terms you will actually meet, grouped by stage — from writing the rirekisho to your last day at a job. Each entry gives the Japanese, its reading, a plain-English meaning, and a link to the full guide where we have one. Bookmark it and keep it open while you fill in forms.

The resume and its sections

履歴書rirekisho

The standard Japanese resume: a fixed-format form with your personal details, education, work history, qualifications and short written sections. Read the guide →

職務経歴書shokumu keirekisho

A free-format work-history document that details your roles and achievements; required for most mid-career jobs. Read the guide →

証明写真shōmei shashin

ID photo for the resume, normally 30×40 mm, taken within the last three months. Read the guide →

ふりがな / フリガナfurigana

The reading of your name and address, written above them in hiragana or katakana as the form specifies. Read the guide →

現住所genjūsho

Your current address, written in full with the postal code (〒).

連絡先renrakusaki

A second contact address, used only if you want to be contacted somewhere other than your home. Write 同上 (same as above) otherwise.

学歴gakureki

Education history, listed oldest first with entrance (入学) and graduation (卒業) lines. Read the guide →

職歴shokureki

Work history, listed oldest first with joining (入社) and leaving (退職) lines. Read the guide →

卒業見込みsotsugyō mikomi

Expected graduation — used for the month you will graduate if you are still studying.

中途退学chūto taigaku

Leaving a school before graduating; the neutral term to use on a resume.

一身上の都合により退職isshinjō no tsugō ni yori taishoku

“Left for personal reasons” — the standard line for a job you chose to leave.

現在に至るgenzai ni itaru

“To the present” — written under your current job.

以上ijō

“End” — written right-aligned after the last line of the history table.

免許・資格menkyo / shikaku

Licences and qualifications, such as a driving licence or a JLPT pass.

自己PRjiko PR

Self-promotion: a short paragraph on your main strength, with evidence. Read the guide →

志望動機shibō dōki

Your reason for applying to this specific employer. Read the guide →

本人希望記入欄honnin kibō kinyūran

The box for your own conditions; usually 「貴社の規定に従います」 unless you have a real constraint. Read the guide →

通勤時間tsūkin jikan

Your one-way commute time to the workplace. Read the guide →

扶養家族fuyō kazoku

Dependants you support financially, not counting your spouse. Read the guide →

配偶者haigūsha

Spouse; some forms ask whether you have one and whether you support them.

貴社 / 御社kisha / onsha

“Your company” — 貴社 in writing, 御社 when speaking. For shops: 貴店 / 御店.

送付状sōfujō

A short cover note listing the documents you are sending by post.

履歴書在中rirekisho zaichū

“Resume enclosed” — written in red on the envelope.

和暦 / 西暦wareki / seireki

Japanese era dates (令和8年) and Western dates (2026). Use one system throughout. Read the guide →

Finding work and applying

求人kyūjin

A job vacancy or job advert.

募集boshū

Recruiting; 「スタッフ募集」 on a shop window means they are hiring.

応募ōbo

Applying for a job; 応募書類 are the application documents.

書類選考shorui senkō

Screening by documents — the stage where your resume is read before any interview.

面接mensetsu

Job interview. Read the guide →

逆質問gyaku shitsumon

Questions you ask the interviewer at the end of an interview.

採用 / 不採用saiyō / fusaiyō

Hired / not hired.

内定naitei

A formal job offer, especially for full-time positions.

未経験OKmikeiken OK

No experience needed.

外国人歓迎gaikokujin kangei

Foreign applicants welcome. Read the guide →

日本語不問nihongo fumon

Japanese ability not required.

ハローワークharōwāku

Hello Work, the free public employment service run by the government. Read the guide →

紹介状shōkaijō

Introduction letter that Hello Work gives you for an interview.

Types of employment

正社員seishain

Regular full-time employee with an open-ended contract.

契約社員keiyaku shain

Contract employee on a fixed-term contract.

派遣社員haken shain

Dispatch worker employed by an agency and placed at a client company.

アルバイトarubaito

Part-time job, often hourly and shift-based; commonly shortened to baito. Read the guide →

パートpāto

Part-time work, a term used more for adults than students; legally the same as arubaito.

業務委託gyōmu itaku

Freelance or contractor work — not employment, so labour-law protections differ.

新卒shinsotsu

New graduate hiring, usually starting in April.

中途採用chūto saiyō

Mid-career hiring of people with work experience.

試用期間shiyō kikan

Probation period at the start of a job.

研修kenshū

Training period; 研修時給 is the training wage, which cannot be below the minimum wage.

Pay, hours and conditions

時給 / 日給 / 月給jikyū / nikkyū / gekkyū

Hourly / daily / monthly pay. Read the guide →

最低賃金saitei chingin

Minimum wage, set by each prefecture every year. Read the guide →

交通費 / 通勤手当kōtsūhi / tsūkin teate

Transport or commuting allowance.

深夜手当shin'ya teate

Night premium: at least 25% extra for work between 22:00 and 5:00.

残業zangyō

Overtime; hours beyond 8 a day or 40 a week are paid at least 25% extra.

有給休暇yūkyū kyūka

Paid leave, earned by part-timers too after six months of work.

シフトshifuto

Your work schedule; シフト制 means hours change week to week.

まかないmakanai

Free or discounted staff meals, common in restaurants.

労働条件通知書rōdō jōken tsūchisho

Written statement of your working conditions — pay, hours, place and duties.

給与明細kyūyo meisai

Payslip. Read the guide →

社会保険shakai hoken

Health insurance and pension through work, depending on your hours and the employer.

雇用保険koyō hoken

Employment insurance; most daytime students are not covered.

労災保険rōsai hoken

Workplace-accident insurance that covers every worker from day one.

Tax

源泉徴収gensen chōshū

Income tax your employer deducts from each payment. Read the guide →

扶養控除等申告書fuyō kōjo tō shinkokusho

The form you give your main employer so tax is withheld at the lower 甲欄 rate.

甲欄 / 乙欄kōran / otsuran

Column A (main job, lower withholding) and column B (other jobs, higher withholding).

年末調整nenmatsu chōsei

Year-end adjustment: your employer recalculates the year's tax in December.

源泉徴収票gensen chōshūhyō

Withholding slip showing a year's pay and tax; keep every one.

確定申告kakutei shinkoku

Filing your own tax return, normally mid-February to mid-March.

住民税jūminzei

Resident tax charged by your city, based on the previous year's income.

Visa and documents

在留カードzairyū kādo

Residence card showing your status, period of stay and work permission. Read the guide →

在留資格zairyū shikaku

Residence status — it decides what work you may do. Read the guide →

在留期間zairyū kikan

Period of stay; renew before it expires.

資格外活動許可shikakugai katsudō kyoka

Permission to work outside your status, e.g. for students; usually up to 28 hours a week. Read the guide →

留学ryūgaku

Student status.

家族滞在kazoku taizai

Dependent status for family members of a visa holder.

特定技能tokutei ginō

Specified Skilled Worker visa for designated shortage sectors. Read the guide →

技術・人文知識・国際業務gijutsu / jinbun chishiki / kokusai gyōmu

The main work visa for professional and office roles, often shortened to 技人国.

永住者eijūsha

Permanent resident; no restriction on the type of work.

マイナンバーmai nanbā

Your 12-digit individual number, needed by employers for tax and insurance.

住民票jūminhyō

Certificate of residence from your city office.

日本語能力試験 (JLPT)nihongo nōryoku shiken

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, levels N1 (highest) to N5. Read the guide →

At work and leaving

お疲れ様ですotsukaresama desu

The all-purpose greeting between colleagues at work. Read the guide →

よろしくお願いしますyoroshiku onegaishimasu

“I look forward to working with you” — said when you start and when you ask for something.

報連相hōrensō

Report, contact, consult — the Japanese workplace habit of keeping your manager informed.

退職taishoku

Leaving a job; 退職届 is a resignation notice. Read the guide →

退職証明書taishoku shōmeisho

Certificate of employment you can request when you leave.

How to use these words

You do not need to memorise all of them. Learn the resume terms before you write your first application, the job-advert terms before you search, and the pay and tax terms before your first payday. When a form or advert uses a word that is not here, it is usually a variation of one that is — 給与 and 給料 both mean pay, for example. To put the resume terms into practice, open the editor, which labels every field in English and Japanese.