12-hour work days that end with obligatory drinks with your colleagues. Going above and beyond for your employers — even putting work above your family, relationships, and health. Rinse and repeat for the rest of your life.
When you work in Japan, these are just some common things you might experience.
A report revealed that in 2022-23, 82.2% of workers had experienced strong anxiety, worries, or stress related to their work or professional lives.
However, there are also plenty of good things that happen when you work in Japan.
From its world-renowned efficiency to strong job security and its great work benefits, like transportation expense and health insurance coverage, there are many reasons why people are willing to work to their deaths in the country. This is especially so in post-war Japan, where the nation rose together to rebuild what was lost in the years prior.
Levi Pells, an American working in Japan, knows it well.
“I was giving a lot of my time and energy for the company, but at the same time, I was being rewarded,” says Levi. “I was getting a great salary and bonuses for all my work.”
It was during a trip to Japan where Levi fell in love with the country and decided to return as an exchange student. Source: Levi Pells
‘I fell in love with Japan’
Born in Texas and raised in Hawaii, Levi always longed for an adventure. Sitting still in a singular place wasn’t exactly his forte.
As such, when it came time to pursue his degree, he joined a biology programme at Boston College, a 10-hour and 40-minute flight from Hawaii.
Levi soon realised, however, that biology was not for him.
“I wanted to take non-science classes that I found interesting, but if I were to do that while doing a biology degree, I wouldn’t be able to graduate on time,” he says. “So I decided to change my degree to a theology degree.”
An added bonus of pursuing theology? Levi would get the opportunity to study in Japan.
“In US universities, you must take two years of language classes,” he shares. “I’ve already taken Spanish in high school, and I wanted something new. They were offering Chinese, but the classes were only offered at 8:00 a.m. every morning, and there was no way I was waking up that early.”
The last option, Japanese, was offered three days a week and at reasonable times of the day — proving to be the most ideal language class Levi could take.
Plus, Levi already had a budding interest in the East Asian country’s culture, something he credits to “Shōgun,” a 1975 historical novel by author James Clavell and a family trip to Japan during his freshman year had opened his eyes to all that the country had to offer.
With that in mind, Levi was more than ready to kickstart his study abroad programme in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Levi with friends on the JET programme. Source: Levi Pells
In 2015, Levi was accepted into Sophia University, a private Jesuit research university in Tokyo, for his study abroad programme.
“My experience in Japan as an international student was so beautiful, and talking about it almost makes me want to cry,” Levi recalls. “You could see the cherry blossoms everywhere on the first day of school. And ever since then, it was magical to me.”
“I also learnt that my favourite author, Haruki Murakami, stayed in the same dorm as I did. He even wrote a book — ‘Norwegian Wood’ — about it.”
It was an experience that left him wanting more, especially when he had to return to the US to complete his studies.
“I wasn’t done yet; I wanted to learn more Japanese than just the dirty jokes I learned from other college students,” laughs Levi.
After graduating from Boston College, Levi returned to work in Japan as an English teacher with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET) in a small countryside village in Tokushima.
Levi with the locals at the countryside village he used to teach at. Source: Levi Pells
From teaching English in rural towns to making bank recruiting in Tokyo
“Small village” might even be an understatement — the closest supermarket for Levi was a 40-minute drive away, most of its locals were over 80, and the school only had around 10 kids. The whole town had a total of 676 townspeople.
Despite all that, the location and local community were some of the best parts of living in Japan.
“It was an amazing experience being out in the countryside,” says Levi. “Teaching the children there was basically like giving a private lesson with green mountains surrounding us. I’d play volleyball with the grandmothers and learnt how to play the shakuhachi (bamboo flute) too.”
Two years later, however, Levi decided to apply for jobs in Tokyo. Soon enough, he was signed on as a recruiter for a staff recruitment company and was earning the big bucks.
“For the first two years of the job, I was calling over 100 numbers a day,” shares Levi. “I also had to build relationships with a lot of people. But over time, it got better. I was even earning over US$300,000 a year.”
In the US, staff recruiters only earn an average of US$41,239 a year, according to ZipRecruiter.
And after five years of non-stop hustle and bustle, Levi made the decision to quit his job and return to the countryside for a much-needed break.
“I saved up enough to leave my job in recruitment and move back to the Japanese countryside,” says Levi. “I surfed all day, hung out, and farmed with the elderly people in the neighbourhood. I wanted to reconnect with the countryside and nature again.”
Today, Levi is a co-active coach to working professionals who have found success in their careers, but feel like something’s still missing. He helps them redefine what success is and achieve it. He helps people thrive as a recruiter in Japan and runs retreats in the rural countryside.
He’s also co-founder of Upcountry Curbside in his hometown of Hawaii, which recycles and upcycles trash into household products and art.
During his recruitment job, Levi managed a team of 3 recruitment consultants and successfully established contracts with clients such as Goldman Sachs, MUFG, and Citadel. Source: Levi Pells
The best ways to secure good work in Japan
Living and working in Japan has helped Levi grow as a person, especially professionally.
If you were to work in Japan, it means that you’ll be building your career in a country with one of the largest economies in the world – ranked #4 at US$4.39 trillion by the International Monetary Fund.
However, it isn’t easy to secure a job in Japan, especially for foreigners without a high level of Japanese proficiency, as most jobs require fluency in the language. Even for jobs that only require English, the job market is competitive.
As a seasoned recruiter, Levi has four ways for you to score a job in Japan.
1. Learn the language
“Speaking Japanese at a business level will be extremely useful for your job-hunting journey, not to mention it’ll make life way more fun,” says Levi. “But if you only speak English, another great way to work in Japan is to become an English teacher or a recruiter.”
For those in mid-career, you may have a better chance of getting a job that does not require Japanese. But if you’re competing against a native speaker, your chances aren’t high.
2. Ask the right questions to the right people
In Japan, recruiters have different specialities. For example, some work with fresh graduates while others work in niche fields, like Pells did for finance.
If you’re approaching a recruiter about work in Japan, make sure they are in the field you want to work in.
One Reddit user agrees, sharing that they applied dozens upon dozens of times for jobs on their own but would never hear back from any of their applications. But when a recruiter specialising in scientific and research-oriented jobs contacted them, they secured three interviews out of four applications.
“I attended only one of the three interviews, that led to further interviews, which led to them giving me a nice offer, sponsoring my visa and my moving from Europe,” the user writes. “All four job openings were very interesting. I give a solid 10/10 to the recruiter.”
There are also career coaches who help people get jobs in Japan; Kelvin Ro is one example.
3. Gain some work experience
It took Levi one look through a resume to know if the candidate is a “top candidate.”
“It was easy to tell from their resume if they were the right fit,” he says. “It all came down to their work experience. For example, when I was hiring staff for the finance sector, if they had experience working in a banking company, that sealed the deal.”
If you don’t have any experience (Levi didn’t either), that’s okay. With a passion for Japan, a high degree of adaptability, and grit, you can make it.
4. If you want to work in Japan, just do it
Once you are here, you can figure the rest out.
You might have to take a salary cut, so it’s important to consider whether you want to be here or not. If you are not ready for that or want to prioritise earning more money, other options might be more suitable.
You can even take a trip and see for yourself. Life in Japan is different, and you want to be adaptable to the culture.
“Good luck, and if it matters to you, don’t give up!” says Levi.
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