Best 6 Jobs in Japan for Foreigners Who Want to WFH

The pandemic Covid-19 has changed how we work. Working from home or remote work has become a norm. 

Working from home has opened up many opportunities for freelancers to find suitable employment. 

If you're a foreigner living in Japan and looking for a job in high demand that pays well, check out the job list below. 

Top 6 positions in high demand 

1. Language instructor 

If you like to teach a language that you're excellent at, being an online language instructor is the best way. 

According to Japan Today, Japanese people face challenges in learning English, although people want to learn English, and the subject is mandatory in school. Japan is falling behind its neighboring countries, Korea and China, regarding English proficiency. 

"...the percentage of students who emerge with actual English abilities are surprisingly low. Students in China, Korea, and Japan are in an arms race to see who can produce students with the best English, and Japan seems to be trailing far behind in third place." (Japan Today)

The reasons leading to the low English proficiency in Japan include:

• Curriculum design

The curriculum is designed to test students' ability to remember rather than use the language effectively. For instance, the required test for Japanese Teachers of English focuses on grammar and vocabulary. 

• Inefficient textbooks 

 Many foreign language teachers criticized their students' textbooks, citing various issues, including content and grammatical mistakes. Many people questioned the grammar contained, doubting that some are not native English.

• Wrong focus 

The focus of using English is directed to the ability to translate it back to Japanese. Most English classes use mainly the Japanese language as an instruction method. Students lack the opportunity to use English in the class. 

Hence, knowing that Japanese students need to have more conversation practice with a native speaker in the language they'd like to learn, you can grab your chance!  

Some of the perks of being an online instructor: 

• Free to choose the working hours and rate, depending on the website you register on. 

• Avoid the hassles and expenses of commuting. 

• Customize the curriculum according to your client’s learning style and level. 

• Able to juggle between jobs. 

2. Translator and interpreter

Being a freelance translator or interpreter in Japan is a great idea. As many Japanese companies want to go global with their businesses, they are seeking out bilingual foreigners. 

Especially, it’d be great if you’re already in Japan and applying for the job. Most firms prefer to work with translators or interpreters who reside in the same time zone and are available for in-person meetings for urgent meetings. 

3. Software engineer

Many Japanese companies are outsourcing their IT human resources to online freelancers. 

One of the reasons for outsourcing is to reduce the cost of human resource management. According to Japan-Dev, an IT Japanese company may have to pay high costs to bring in a foreign engineer who is good at their job. The costs include visa sponsorship, relocation assistance, and language training. 

Therefore, if you have a unique set of IT skills, you can apply for jobs on online websites for freelance work or full-time positions. Since you can do your job remotely, the company may give you options to work from home. 

4. Customer support

Japanese small and mid-sized companies are still looking for multilingual customer support solutions. As businesses are expanding internationally, they need to have a team of customer support specialists who can respond in multiple languages. 

While Japanese businesses are famous for their customer service (Japan Today), not all businesses step up to ensure the service is available for all customers besides their Japanese customers. However, there is an ongoing change in this matter. The companies are making a move for a global change: especially the SaaS (Software as a Service) and tech companies. 

Why don’t you try searching for remote customer support or technical support work? 

5. Recruitment consultant

As long as you have a good internet connection and qualified skills in recruitment, you can work for firms in talent acquisition. You can find the niche industry you'd want to work in and start looking for people. 

Recruitment consulting is a perfect job to work remotely, especially if you are bilingual and conduct interviews with candidates worldwide. The differences in time zone may be an issue for you to work in the office. However, with the comfort of your home, it can be easier to schedule meetings and interviews that work best for you.  

6. Virtual assistant

Many small business owners seek a virtual assistant to save time dealing with administrative tasks. 

If you can dedicate a few hours per day or a full-time workday, and find yourself good at the following tasks, consider being a virtual assistant a good choice. 

• Bilingual ability (for example, English and Japanese) 

• Event planning 

• Restaurant booking 

• Social media 

• Travel booking 

• Basic accounting and bookkeeping 

• Document translation

• Live message support