Glossary of Japanese hiring terms
Every Japanese workplace term that's likely to come up in your job search, translated and explained, from rirekisho to zangyou. 199 entries.
Aiseki (相席)
Sharing a table/seating with strangers, common at lunch counters and some izakaya. You'll experience this in corporate Japan during company outings.
Aizuchi (相槌)
Frequent listening noises ('hai', 'ee', 'sou desu ne') that show you're following. Silence reads as disengagement, especially on calls.
Arubaito (アルバイト)
Casual hourly part-time work (from German 'Arbeit'), often shortened to 'baito'. Students and dependents are capped at 28 hr/week.
Blank (ブランク)
A gap in your employment history. Conservative firms scrutinise it, frame it (study, caregiving, freelancing) proactively.
Bonenkai (忘年会)
End-of-year company drinking party held in December, literally 'forget-the-year gathering'. Attendance is socially expected but not technically mandatory.
Buchou (部長)
Department/division general manager, senior and reporting to executives. Address as '[surname]-buchou'.
Burakku kigyou / Black company (ブラック企業)
Slang for an exploitative employer, long unpaid hours, harassment, no career growth. Check for it in reviews before signing.
Casual Mendan (カジュアル面談)
Informal, supposedly non-evaluative chat before formally applying. Don't treat it as zero-stakes, impressions still travel.
Chuushou Kigyou (中小企業)
Small and medium enterprises, the bulk of Japanese employers. More English-friendly variety than you'd expect, alongside many that aren't.
Chuuto Saiyou (中途採用)
Mid-career hiring, year-round and experience-based. This is the route most foreign professionals take.
COE (在留資格認定証明書)
Certificate of Eligibility. Your employer obtains it from Immigration proving you qualify; you then take it to a Japanese embassy abroad for the actual visa. Allow 1-3 months.
Cool Biz (クールビズ)
Government-backed summer dress-down (no tie or jacket) from May to September to cut air-conditioning use. Many offices observe it.
Daikigyou (大企業)
Large established Japanese corporation, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Sony, etc. Stable employment, slow career progression, strong benefits, conservative culture.
Daikyuu (代休)
A compensatory day off taken after working on a scheduled holiday.
Datsu-sara (脱サラ)
'Escaping the salaryman life' to start your own business or go freelance.
Dattai Ichijikin (脱退一時金)
Lump-sum withdrawal payment refunding part of your pension contributions when you permanently leave Japan. Claim within 2 years of departure.
Doryou (同僚)
A colleague or coworker at a similar level.
Eigyō (営業)
Sales / business development. Different from Western sales, heavy on relationship cultivation, lower on quota-driven aggression.
Eikaiwa (英会話)
English conversation school. Largest employer of English-speaking foreigners in Japan. Pay is low (¥3-4M/yr), turnover is high.
Entry Sheet / ES (エントリーシート)
Company-specific application form used in 新卒 (new-grad) hiring, with essay questions on motivation and self-PR. Mid-career hires usually skip it.
Flextime (フレックスタイム)
Flexible-hours system with a 'core time' you must be present, around which you set your own start and end.
Fukuri Kousei (福利厚生)
The employee benefits/welfare package, insurance, allowances, housing, leave. A real differentiator at Japanese firms, ask for specifics.
Furigana (ふりがな)
Phonetic reading written above or beside kanji. Required on your rirekisho for your name + address.
Furiiransu (フリーランス)
Independent professional working project-to-project. Growing in tech and creative fields; needs the right visa status and self-managed taxes.
Furusato Nouzei (ふるさと納税)
'Hometown tax', donate to regional towns, receive local gifts, and deduct most of it from your residence tax. A popular hack once you're a resident taxpayer.
Gaishikei (外資系)
Foreign-capital companies, Google Japan, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft. Typically higher pay, more English, more aggressive performance management.
Gakumen (額面)
Gross pay before deductions, as opposed to 手取り (take-home). Offers quote 額面; budget on 手取り (see /tools/take-home-pay).
Gakureki (学歴)
Educational background. Still matters in Japan, especially for 新卒, and less so for experienced 中途 hires.
Gekkyuu (月給)
Monthly salary. Ads may quote 月給, multiply by 12 and add bonuses to get true 年収.
Genba (現場)
'The field' or front-line worksite where actual work happens, as opposed to HQ/management. 'Genba power' is prized.
Genka (現価)
Current salary. Recruiters will ask 現価はいくらですか, 'what's your current pay?'
Gensen Choushuuhyou (源泉徴収票)
Year-end withholding tax slip summarising your annual income and tax. Your new employer needs it to run your 年末調整.
Gijinkoku (技術・人文知識・国際業務)
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, the default work visa for most foreign professionals. Needs a relevant degree (or 10 yrs experience) matching the job.
Gijiroku (議事録)
Meeting minutes. Junior staff are usually expected to take and circulate them promptly.
Golden Week (ゴールデンウィーク)
A cluster of holidays from late April to early May, effectively a national break. Expect closed offices and pricey travel.
Goudou Gaisha / GK (合同会社)
Japan's LLC equivalent, cheaper to set up than a KK. Many 外資 subsidiaries (e.g. Google G.K.) use this form.
Gyoumu Itaku (業務委託)
Contractor/freelance arrangement with no employment relationship. You invoice for work, handle your own taxes and insurance, and get no labour protections.
Haiguusha Visa (日本人の配偶者等)
Spouse-of-Japanese visa. No work restrictions and a fast PR track (about 3 yrs). Tied to the marriage continuing.
Haken (派遣)
Dispatch/temp worker, employed by a staffing agency but working at a client company. A common foreign entry route, but lower pay and weaker security.
Hanko / Inkan (印鑑)
Personal seal used in place of a signature on Japanese documents. Order one once you have your residence card.
Heisha (弊社)
Humble 'our company', used when referring to your own employer to outsiders.
Hello Work (ハローワーク)
Government employment-service offices with free listings and unemployment claims, though postings skew domestic and Japanese-language.
Henji (返事)
A reply, specifically the formal response (yes/no) you give the company after they make an offer. Standard to ask for a week to respond.
Hojin (法人)
A legal corporate entity. Required for the Business Manager visa.
Honne / Tatemae (本音・建前)
True feelings vs. public stance. Critical for reading Japanese interviewers, what they say first is rarely what they truly mean.
Honsha (本社)
Company headquarters. 支社/支店 are branches and 子会社 are subsidiaries.
Hourensou (報連相)
'Report, contact, consult', the expected habit of keeping your boss continuously informed. Over-communicate upward to fit in.
HSP (高度専門職)
Highly Skilled Professional visa. Points-based; 70+ = 5-yr visa with PR in 3 yrs; 80+ = PR in 1 yr. Run the calculator at /tools/hsp-points.
Ikukyuu (育休)
Childcare leave up to the child's first birthday (extendable), available to both parents, with benefits paid by employment insurance.
J-Find (未来創造人材)
Two-year job-hunting visa for recent graduates of top-ranked global universities, so you can stay and look for work without an employer sponsor.
J-Skip (特別高度人材)
Fast-track status for very high earners or advanced-degree holders. Grants a 5-yr visa and permanent-residence eligibility after just 1 year.
Jiko PR (自己PR)
'Self-promotion', the ES/interview section where you sell your strengths with evidence. Distinct from 志望動機.
Jikoshoukai (自己紹介)
Self-introduction, the opening of every interview and first meeting. Prepare a crisp 30-60 second version.
Jikyū (時給)
Hourly wage. Used for part-time and contract roles.
Jinji (人事)
Human Resources, handling hiring, transfers, and personnel matters. Your main contact during onboarding.
Jisha Kaihatsu (自社開発)
A company that builds its own product in-house (vs. SIer/SES contract work). Generally better pay, modern stacks, and culture for engineers.
Jishu Taishoku (自主退職)
'Voluntary' resignation, sometimes genuinely voluntary, sometimes pressured (see 肩たたき) to avoid dismissal law.
Jitsuin (実印)
A personal seal registered at city hall, required for major contracts (apartment, car). Your everyday unregistered seal is a 認印 (mitomein).
JLPT (日本語能力試験)
Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. Levels N5 (basic) to N1 (native-ish). N2+ unlocks most bilingual roles.
Joujou Kigyou (上場企業)
Publicly listed company (on the TSE etc.), often used in ads as a credibility and stability signal.
Joushi (上司)
Direct manager / boss. Hierarchy matters in Japanese offices; never address your joushi by first name.
Joushiki (常識)
'Common sense' and shared etiquette. Being told something is 常識 means 'everyone knows this, learn it', a lot of unwritten rules hide here.
Juuminhyou (住民票)
Residence certificate from your ward/city office, proof of address for bank accounts, phone contracts, and many visa procedures.
Juuminzei (住民税)
Local 'residence tax', ~10% of last year's income, billed from June. You pay none your first year in Japan, then it lands in year two, budget for it.
Juutaku Teate (住宅手当)
Housing allowance added to pay (often ¥20-50k/month). Increasingly cut, but still common, ask.
Kabushiki Gaisha / KK (株式会社)
Joint-stock company, the standard Japanese corporate form ('Co., Ltd.'), written before or after the company name.
Kachou (課長)
Section manager, a rung below 部長, and often the hiring manager's level for individual-contributor roles.
Kaigi (会議)
Meeting. Japanese meetings often confirm decisions already settled via 根回し rather than debate them live.
Kaigo Kyuugyou (介護休業)
Family-care leave to look after an ill or elderly relative, up to 93 days.
Kaiko (解雇)
Dismissal/firing. Very hard to do legally for 正社員; an abrupt 'you're fired' usually isn't lawful, know your rights.
Kaisha-in (会社員)
Company employee, the default identity in Japanese society. Used on the rirekisho occupation field.
Kaizen (改善)
Continuous improvement. A core Japanese workplace value, bring evidence of kaizen mindset to engineering interviews.
Kakutei Shinkoku (確定申告)
Self-filed tax return (Feb-Mar), needed if you have side income, multiple employers, or large deductions.
Karoushi (過労死)
Death from overwork (stroke, heart attack, or suicide from excessive hours), the grim extreme of Japan's overtime culture.
Kata-tataki (肩たたき)
A 'tap on the shoulder', informal pressure to resign 'voluntarily' so the company sidesteps dismissal law.
Kazoku Taizai (家族滞在)
Dependent visa for the spouse/children of a work-visa holder. With a work-permission stamp, holders may work up to 28 hr/week.
Keiei Kanri (経営・管理)
Business Manager visa for founding or running a company in Japan. Needs ~¥5M capital (or 2 employees) and a real physical office.
Keigo (敬語)
Formal honorific Japanese. Used in business contexts. Spoken keigo is a JLPT N2+ skill; written is easier (templates exist).
Keiretsu (系列)
A network of companies linked by cross-shareholdings and long-term ties (e.g. the Toyota group), shaping who does business with whom.
Keiri (経理)
Accounting/finance department handling bookkeeping, expenses, and payroll processing.
Keiyaku Shain (契約社員)
Fixed-term contract employee (e.g. renewable 1-yr terms). Fewer benefits than 正社員; after 5 yrs you can convert to indefinite.
Kenkou Shindan (健康診断)
The annual company health check, legally required and free to you. You'll be assigned a date and clinic.
Kihonkyuu (基本給)
Base salary, the figure overtime, bonus, and pension are calculated from. A low base padded with 'allowances' quietly shrinks your bonus.
Kika (帰化)
Naturalisation, becoming a Japanese citizen. Japan generally bars dual nationality, so you would renounce your original citizenship.
Kisha (貴社)
Written form of 'your esteemed company' (spoken: 御社). Use 貴社 in your entry sheet and cover letters.
Kokumin Kenko Hoken (国民健康保険)
National Health Insurance, for self-employed, students, unemployed. Most foreign workers are on 社会保険 (employer-sponsored) instead.
Komon (顧問)
Advisor/consultant to the company, often a respected retiree or outside expert, in a part-time advisory capacity.
Koseki (戸籍)
Japanese family register. You don't have one (foreigners aren't on koseki), but your Japanese spouse does, relevant for spouse visas.
Koujo (控除)
Deductions from gross pay, social insurance, income tax, and residence tax, typically ~20-30% of 額面.
Kousei Nenkin (厚生年金)
Employees' pension insurance, part of 社会保険, with the employer matching your contribution. Partly refundable (脱退一時金) if you leave Japan.
Koyou Hoken (雇用保険)
Employment insurance funding unemployment benefits. After roughly 6-12 months of contributions you qualify for payouts if you lose a job.
Koyou Keiyakusho (雇用契約書)
Employment contract. Read the salary, hours, probation, and termination clauses carefully before you seal it.
Kuuki wo Yomu (空気を読む)
'Reading the air', sensing the unspoken mood and consensus and acting on it. A prized soft skill; being 'KY' (can't read it) is an insult.
Kyuujin (求人)
A job opening or job ad. 求人票 is the formal listing sheet stating the conditions.
Madogiwa-zoku (窓際族)
'Window-seat tribe', employees sidelined with no real work but not fired, a passive push-out tactic.
Meishi (名刺)
Business card. Receive with both hands, study briefly, place on the table in front of you. Never write on it or stuff it in a pocket.
Mensetsu (面接)
Job interview. Expect 2-4 rounds; Japanese interviews probe cultural fit and longevity as much as skill (see /interview-prep).
Mochikaeri Zangyou (持ち帰り残業)
'Take-home overtime', unpaid work done at home off the clock. A ブラック企業 red flag.
My Number (マイナンバー)
Your 12-digit national ID number, issued after you register your address. Employers need it for tax and social-insurance filings.
Naitei (内定)
Informal offer / 'we want to hire you'. Comes before the formal employment contract. Acceptance (内定承諾) is somewhat binding socially but not legally.
Naitei Jitai (内定辞退)
Declining an offer you'd accepted. Legal, but do it promptly and politely by phone, not just a one-line email.
Naitei Shoudakusho (内定承諾書)
Letter accepting an informal offer (内定). Signing signals commitment; backing out later is frowned upon but not legally binding.
Nemawashi (根回し)
Building consensus informally before formal meetings. A core skill for senior IC and PM roles in Japan.
Nenkou Joretsu (年功序列)
Seniority-based pay and promotion. Traditional Japanese firms reward tenure over performance; 外資 and startups lean the opposite way.
Nenmatsu Chousei (年末調整)
Year-end tax adjustment your employer runs to reconcile withheld income tax. Most employees avoid filing a return thanks to it.
Nenshu (年収)
Annual income. Almost always means base + bonus. Always confirm whether bonus is included when receiving offers.
Nomikai (飲み会)
Work drinking gathering where real bonding (and sometimes real decisions) happen. Attendance is informally expected.
Nominication (ノミニケーション)
Portmanteau of nomu (drink) + communication, bonding and informal decision-making over drinks. Declining among younger workers.
Nyuukan (入管)
Everyday shorthand for the Immigration Services Agency. Where you handle status changes, renewals, and re-entry. Book or arrive early, lines are long.
Nyuusha (入社)
Joining a company. 入社日 = start date; 入社式 = the formal entrance ceremony, mostly a new-grad ritual.
Nōkai (能力)
Ability / competency. Used in performance reviews.
Obon (お盆)
Mid-August period honouring ancestors; many take leave to return to their hometowns. A common company-shutdown week.
Oinori Mail (お祈りメール)
A rejection email, named for its closing line wishing you luck ('we pray for your success').
Ojigi (お辞儀)
Bowing. 15° for casual workplace greetings, 30° for formal meetings, 45° for apologies or addressing executives.
OL (オーエル)
'Office Lady', slightly dated term for female office workers. You'll still see it in some job listings.
Onsha (御社)
Polite way to say 'your (esteemed) company' in spoken Japanese, especially during interviews. Written equivalent: 貴社 (kisha).
Otsukaresama (お疲れ様です)
All-purpose workplace greeting and sign-off meaning 'thanks for your hard work'. Say it on arriving, leaving, and in emails.
Oubo (応募)
Applying to a job, 'to apply'. 応募者 = applicant.
Pawahara (パワハラ)
'Power harassment', bullying or abuse by a senior. A recognised legal category since 2020 and a hallmark of ブラック企業.
Permanent Residence / PR (永住権)
Unrestricted right to live and work in Japan. Standard path: 10 years. HSP fast-track: 3 yrs (70+ pts) or 1 yr (80+ pts).
Reference Check (リファレンスチェック)
Increasingly common, especially at 外資, where they contact former managers. Line up references in advance.
Ringi (稟議)
Circular-approval system, a proposal document (稟議書) routed for each stakeholder's seal before action. Slow but consensus-building.
Rirekisho (履歴書)
Standardized Japanese resume, personal info, education, work history, certs, motivation. Build one at /resume.
Risutora (リストラ)
Layoffs / 'restructuring'. Since firing 正社員 is legally hard, firms lean on 'voluntary' early-retirement schemes and pressure instead.
Roudou Jouken Tsuuchisho (労働条件通知書)
Written notice of working conditions the employer must legally give you, stating pay, hours, holidays, and contract length.
Rousai Hoken (労災保険)
Workers' accident-compensation insurance, fully employer-paid, covering work-related injury or illness.
Saburoku Kyoutei (36協定)
Labour-management agreement (named after Article 36) that legally permits overtime beyond 40 hr/week. Without it, overtime is unlawful.
Saikoyou (再雇用)
Re-employment after 定年, usually on a reduced-pay contract, bridging to the pension age.
Sainyuukoku Kyoka (再入国許可)
Re-entry permit. With a valid residence card you get 'special re-entry' automatically for trips under 1 year, just tick the box on the departure card.
Saitei Chingin (最低賃金)
Minimum wage, set per prefecture (Tokyo is highest, ~¥1,100+/hr). Relevant mainly for part-time and arubaito roles.
Sanitary (三日坊主)
Literally 'three-day monk', someone who gives up quickly. Recruiters look for evidence you'll stay.
Sankyuu (産休)
Maternity leave, 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after birth, with benefits paid through health insurance.
Sarariiman (サラリーマン)
'Salaryman', the archetypal white-collar 正社員, with connotations of loyalty, long hours, and conformity.
Sashizu (指図)
Direct instruction. Japanese managers often avoid giving sashizu, preferring suggestion. Read context, not just words.
Seishain (正社員)
Regular, permanent, full-time employee, the most secure and benefit-rich status, with strong legal protection against dismissal.
Sekuhara (セクハラ)
Sexual harassment. Reportable to HR or labour bureaus, though enforcement culture lags the West.
Senpai / Kohai (先輩・後輩)
Senior/junior relationship by tenure. Affects who pays at drinks, who speaks first in meetings, who introduces whom.
SES (システムエンジニアリングサービス)
A model where engineers are placed at client sites to work under client direction. Often lower-paid, watch for it in tech listings.
Shachō (社長)
Company president / CEO. Address as '社長' or '[surname]社長'.
Shakai Hoken (社会保険)
Employer-sponsored social insurance: health + pension + employment insurance. ~14.7% of gross deducted from your paycheck.
Shataku (社宅)
Company-subsidised housing, the employer rents and you pay a fraction. A big hidden benefit, common at large firms.
Shibou Douki (志望動機)
'Reason for applying', why this company specifically. The most-weighted interview question, generic answers sink candidates.
Shikakugai Katsudou (資格外活動許可)
'Permission for activity outside status', the stamp that lets students and dependents work part-time, capped at 28 hr/week.
Shinsotsu (新卒)
New-graduate hiring, a rigid once-a-year mass recruitment of students with synchronised April start dates. Foreigners usually enter via 中途 instead.
Shiyou Kikan (試用期間)
Probationary period (usually 3-6 months) at the start of employment. Pay may dip slightly and dismissal is somewhat easier, but still regulated.
Shokumu keirekisho (職務経歴書)
Career-history document, Japan's equivalent of a Western CV. More flexible than rirekisho. Build one at /resume/shokumu.
Shokureki (職歴)
Work history, the core of your rirekisho and shokumu. Gaps invite questions, have an explanation ready.
Shotokuzei (所得税)
National income tax, withheld monthly and reconciled at year-end. Progressive, from 5% to 45%.
Shoukyuu (昇給)
Annual pay raise, often a small fixed bump (定期昇給) each April, separate from promotion-based raises.
Shoumei Shashin (証明写真)
ID photo for your rirekisho: 3x4cm, plain background, business attire. Use a photo booth (~¥800) or studio, never a cropped selfie.
Shousha (商社)
Trading company. The 総合商社 (general trading houses, Mitsubishi, Mitsui) are prestige employers spanning every industry.
Shouyo / Bonus (賞与)
Semi-annual bonus (summer + winter), often 1-3 months' pay each. Usually discretionary, not guaranteed, confirm before counting it in your 年収.
Shukkou (出向)
Secondment, being loaned to a subsidiary or partner company while staying on your original employer's books.
Shukujitsu (祝日)
National public holidays, Japan has 16, among the most of any country. Many cluster into long weekends.
Shunin (主任)
Senior staff / team-lead title, the first supervisory rung below 課長 (alongside 係長, kakarichou).
Shuukatsu (就活)
'Job hunting', specifically the intense new-grad ritual (suits, ES, mass applications) that starts in a student's third year.
Shuushin Koyou (終身雇用)
'Lifetime employment', the traditional expectation of staying at one firm until retirement. Eroding, but it still shapes older companies.
Shōkai (紹介)
Referral / introduction. A 紹介 from an existing employee often skips initial screening.
SIer (エスアイヤー)
System Integrator, a firm that builds IT systems for client companies. Dominant in Japanese tech, often via multi-layer subcontracting (多重下請け).
Soeijou (添え状)
Cover letter that accompanies mailed application documents. Short and formulaic; templates exist.
Sokusenryoku (即戦力)
A hire who can perform 'from day one' with no training, the key thing mid-career interviews assess. Frame your experience this way.
Sotsugyou Shoumeisho (卒業証明書)
Graduation certificate. Immigration usually wants it (with a transcript) to verify the degree behind your work visa.
Sougou Shoku (総合職)
Career-track role with promotion prospects and possible 転勤 relocations. Contrast with 一般職 (clerical, location-fixed).
Soumu (総務)
General Affairs, office management, facilities, and internal admin. Often your go-to for seals, equipment, and paperwork.
SPI / Web Test (Webテスト)
Aptitude/personality test (maths, language, logic) common in 新卒 screening and some mid-career roles. Practice books exist.
Sponsorship (スポンサーシップ)
Employer-arranged visa application. Most foreign workers need it. Filter the job board for /jobs?visa_sponsorship_mentioned=1.
SSW (特定技能)
Specified Skilled Worker visa for 14 labour-shortage sectors (care, food service, construction). Needs a skills + Japanese test. Type 1 caps at 5 yrs; Type 2 allows renewal and family.
Stock Option (ストックオプション)
Equity grant common at startups. Japanese tax treatment (税制適格 vs 非適格) is complex, get advice before you exercise.
Sōkatsu (総括)
Summary / wrap-up. End-of-project retrospectives are usually called 総括 in Japanese workplaces.
Taisha (退社)
Confusingly means both 'resigning from the company' and 'leaving the office for the day'. Context decides which.
Taishokukin (退職金)
Lump-sum retirement allowance paid on leaving, scaled to tenure. Common at large Japanese firms, rare at 外資 and startups.
Taishokutodoke (退職届)
Formal resignation notice. Submit at least 2 weeks ahead, 1-2 months is polite, and keep a copy.
Tanshin Funin (単身赴任)
Relocating for work alone, leaving family behind, common with 転勤. Some allowances offset the cost.
Tantousha (担当者)
The 'person in charge' of a task, account, or client. You'll constantly be asked who the 担当 is.
Tax shōmei (納税証明)
Tax payment certificate from the ward office. Often required for visa renewals and apartment applications.
Teate (手当)
Allowances added to base pay, commuting (通勤), housing (住宅), family (家族), overtime (残業), position (役職). Some are tax-free, some aren't.
Tedori (手取り)
Take-home pay, gross minus social insurance, income tax, residence tax. Use /tools/take-home-pay to estimate.
Teiji (定時)
Your scheduled finishing time. Leaving 'at 定時' (定時退社) can still carry a faint stigma at conservative firms, though that's fading.
Teinen (定年)
Mandatory retirement age, typically 60-65. Firms must offer re-employment (再雇用) to 65 if the worker wants it.
Tenkin (転勤)
Company-ordered relocation to another office or city. Traditional 総合職 contracts let employers move you, check the contract.
Tenshoku (転職)
Changing jobs / a mid-career move. No longer taboo; job-changers now expect a 5-15% raise (see /insights/salary).
Tenshoku Agent (転職エージェント)
A recruitment-agency consultant who matches you to roles and negotiates for you, free to you since the employer pays. Quality varies widely.
Tokutei Katsudou (特定活動)
Designated Activities, a catch-all status for cases that fit no other category, e.g. graduate job-hunting or certain dependents.
Torishimariyaku (取締役)
A member of the board of directors, a legal officer of the company, ranking above regular management.
Tsuukin Teate (通勤手当)
Commuting allowance reimbursing your train pass (定期券), usually tax-free up to a limit and standard at almost all employers.
Vacation (有給休暇 / yūkyū kyūka)
Paid vacation. 10 days minimum after 6 months of employment; rises with tenure. Use of yūkyū is socially discouraged at conservative Japanese companies.
Venture Kigyou (ベンチャー企業)
Startup or young growth company, more English, equity, and risk, but weaker job security and benefits than a 大企業.
Wago / Jōgo (和語・上語)
Native Japanese vocabulary (wago) vs. Sino-Japanese (kango). Business Japanese leans kango. Use 'gokijou (御希望)' not 'nozomi (望み)' in formal emails.
Yakuin (役員)
Executive officer. Director-level and above. Different employment contract from regular employees (kaisha-in).
Yatoidome (雇い止め)
Non-renewal of a fixed-term contract, the 契約社員 equivalent of being let go. Watch for the just-under-5-years timing trick.
Yen / ¥ (円)
Japanese currency. Job offers are usually denominated in 万円 (man-yen), 1 man = ¥10,000. '600 man' = ¥6,000,000/yr.
Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu (よろしくお願いします)
Untranslatable all-purpose 'please treat me favourably / thanks in advance'. Closes most business emails and introductions.
Zairyuu Henkou (在留資格変更)
Change of status of residence (e.g. Student to Engineer) when you start a new type of activity. Filed at Immigration; allow a few weeks to a couple of months.
Zairyuu Kikan (在留期間)
Period of stay (1/3/5 yrs) printed on your residence card. Renew it before expiry via 在留期間更新 at Immigration.
Zairyuu Shikaku (在留資格)
Status of Residence, the legal category defining what you may do in Japan. Loosely called your 'visa', though technically distinct from the entry visa.
Zairyū Card (在留カード)
Residence card. Issued at the airport on arrival. Must be carried at all times. Renew with your visa.
Zaishoku Shoumeisho (在職証明書)
Certificate of employment from a current or former employer, sometimes needed for visa renewals and new-job onboarding.
Zaitaku Kinmu (在宅勤務)
Working from home. Far more common since 2020 but still less standard than in the West, confirm the policy before signing.
Zangyou (残業)
Overtime. Legally capped at 45 hr/month, 360 hr/year in most industries. Service zangyou (unpaid overtime) is a major red flag, see /resources/red-flags.