How to Write a Japanese Resume (Rirekisho)
A section-by-section guide for people applying to jobs in Japan. Last checked: November 2026. Facts are linked to their sources at the end; points marked “common practice” are general advice, not rules.
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1. Rirekisho vs. shokumu keirekisho
Japanese job applications often use two documents:
- 履歴書 (rirekisho) – a fixed-layout form with your personal details, education, work history, qualifications and motivation.
- 職務経歴書 (shokumu keirekisho) – a freer document describing what you did in each job. Mid-career employers often ask for it in addition to the rirekisho (common practice).
Always follow the job ad: some companies use their own application form or accept an English CV.
2. Which form to use
For years the reference layout was the example in the JIS standard. In July 2020 that resume example was removed, after a request (including deleting the gender field) from groups supporting LGBT people. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) then published its own 履歴書様式例 (resume form example) in April 2021.[1]
Compared with the old JIS example, the MHLW example:[1]
- makes gender optional (free text instead of choosing 男・女, and it may be left blank);
- removes commuting time, number of dependants, spouse, and spouse-support fields.
The MHLW says the form has no legal force – each company decides what to use – and recommends it to employers and general job seekers. It is published as A4 and A3 PDF/Excel files.[1][2] Rirekisho Maker follows this layout.
3. Every section, explained
| Field (Japanese) | What to write |
|---|---|
| 年 月 日現在 | The date you submit or mail the resume. |
| ふりがな / 氏名 | Your name as on your residence card. Foreign names are usually written in the alphabet or katakana, with the reading in kana above (common practice). |
| 生年月日（満 歳） | Date of birth and your age on the resume date (満 = completed years). |
| ※性別 | Optional. May be left blank.[1] |
| 現住所 / 電話 | Postal code (〒), full address in Japanese from the prefecture, and phone. Add an e-mail address if there is space (common practice). |
| 連絡先 | Only if you want to be contacted somewhere other than your home address. |
| 学歴・職歴 | Education and work history, oldest first, each under its own heading. See section 5. |
| 免許・資格 | Licenses and qualifications with their official Japanese names, e.g. 「日本語能力試験 N2 合格」. |
| 志望の動機、特技、好きな学科、アピールポイントなど | Why you want this job, your strengths and skills. Write specifically for each company (common practice). |
| 本人希望記入欄 | Requests about salary, job type, hours or location. If you have none, the standard phrase is 「貴社の規定に従います。」 (“I will follow your company's rules”) (common practice). |
4. Japanese era dates
You can write years in the Western calendar (2026) or the Japanese era system (和暦, e.g. 令和8年). Either is accepted; use one style throughout (common practice).
| Era | Started | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 令和 Reiwa | 1 May 2019[3] | 2026 = 令和8年. The first year is written 令和元年. |
| 平成 Heisei | 8 January 1989 (the day after the era decree was issued)[3] | 2000 = 平成12年. Jan–Apr 2019 = 平成31年. |
| 昭和 Showa | 25 December 1926 | 1 – 7 January 1989 = 昭和64年. |
Watch the change-over months: April 2019 is still 平成31年, but May 2019 is 令和元年. Rirekisho Maker converts every date for you and warns you when a month falls on an era change.
Quick formula
Reiwa year = Western year − 2018. Heisei year = Western year − 1988. Showa year = Western year − 1925.
5. Writing education and work history
Common layout (common practice):
| 年 | 月 | 学歴・職歴 |
|---|---|---|
| 学 歴 | ||
| 2012 | 6 | フィリピン大学 工学部 コンピュータサイエンス学科 入学 |
| 2016 | 6 | フィリピン大学 工学部 コンピュータサイエンス学科 卒業 |
| 職 歴 | ||
| 2020 | 4 | 株式会社サンプルシステムズ 入社 |
| 2023 | 6 | 一身上の都合により退社 |
| 2023 | 7 | サンプルテック株式会社 入社 |
| 現在に至る | ||
| 以上 |
Useful words
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| entered / graduated | 入学 / 卒業 |
| completed (graduate school) | 修了（修士課程 = master's, 博士課程 = doctorate） |
| left school before finishing | 中途退学 |
| expected to graduate | 卒業見込み |
| joined a company | 入社（hospital/school/NPO: 入職） |
| left for personal reasons | 一身上の都合により退社 |
| left for company reasons | 会社都合により退社 |
| contract ended | 契約期間満了により退社 |
| still working there | 現在に至る |
| end of list | 以上 |
Foreign schools and companies
If a school or company has an official Japanese name, use it. Otherwise write the country in Japanese, then the name in katakana or the original alphabet, e.g. 「アメリカ カリフォルニア大学ロサンゼルス校 工学部 卒業」 (common practice).
6. Tips for foreign applicants
- Write in Japanese unless the ad says English is fine. Have a Japanese speaker check the motivation text.
- Japanese level: list the JLPT with its Japanese name, e.g. 「日本語能力試験 N1 合格」.
- Residence status: employers need to confirm you may work. Stating your status and expiry date (e.g. in the 本人希望記入欄) can save a step (common practice). Copy the wording exactly from your residence card.
- Name order: write your name as on your residence card so it matches your documents.
- Address: write the full Japanese address including the prefecture and room number.
7. The photo
The MHLW form has a box saying where to attach the photo, “from the chest up, alone”, glued on the back. It leaves the size blank; the old JIS example said 36–40 mm tall × 24–30 mm wide.[1] A 40 × 30 mm photo (the size sold as “履歴書用” in photo booths) is the usual choice (common practice). Rirekisho Maker crops your photo to 3:4 and prints it at 40 × 30 mm.
Sources
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 「履歴書の様式例の作成について」 (Labour Policy Council material, 16 April 2021), including the comparison sheet with the old JIS example. mhlw.go.jp/content/11601000/000769679.pdf
- MHLW, 「公正な採用選考をめざして」 – 採用選考の具体的な方法 / 応募用紙 (download of the 厚生労働省履歴書様式例 in A4/A3, PDF/Excel). kouseisaiyou.mhlw.go.jp/methods.html
- Cabinet Office, 元号 page – text of the era decrees (Heisei: in force the day after promulgation; Reiwa: in force from the day after 30 April 2019). cao.go.jp/others/soumu/gengou/
This guide is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Rirekisho Maker is not affiliated with the Japanese government.