Particularly throughout high school and college, many Japanese students work part-time (arubaito, or simply baito, from the German arbeit). In Japan, students held roughly 30% of the part-time occupations in 2022. There are many ways you can look for a part-time job such as job-hunting websites, job recruitment magazines, or just going directly to the place you want to work and ask (the old fashion way).The most common way is to subscribe to a job-hunting website and look at what’s available. The following are just a few examples. Click on the site names below to check each website. Hello Work Gaijinpot Jobs Daijob.com Indeed Townwork Craigslist Tokyo Jobs If you are a non-Japanese and with only a limited knowledge of the Japanese language, usually you can apply to some part-time jobs that don’t require conversation skills such as hotel bed making and cleaning staff. In these cases, the minimum wage is around 900 ~ 1,000 yen per hour or more depending on the company and its location. However, the amount of the minimum wage is fixed according to the “Minimum Wage Law”. Convenience stores, also known as konbini (7-11, Lawsons, Family Mart), fast food restaurants (McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Denny’s, Yoshinoya), cramming schools, also known as juku, and coaching young sports teams are typical examples. Student visa holders are allowed to work up to 28 hours a week. When school is on break or holiday, that requirement gets more permissive, allowing you to work up to 8 hours per day, up to 40 hours per week. When classes restart, it’s back to 28 hours a week. It’s important to distinguish between a “part-timer” and a “baito,” who are mostly housewives or retired people who want to escape the house and earn some side cash. Another term is furiitaa (freeter), someone who has a job but isn’t officially a hired employee. Freeters may be adults who don’t want to commit to a company, or who accept jobs without benefits like pensions. Common part-time jobs for foreigners Language teaching Teaching English is the most common part-time job for an English native speaker. Besides, as a student of Japanese, what better way to give back than to teach your own native language? Of course if you are a Spanish, Italian, French, German, Swedish etc. native speaker, you can work as a teacher of your own language. On average, the pay is „2,000 to „5,000 per hour. Working in a restaurant Waiting tables can be very good for a student’s class schedule and Japanese learning. Students can study and go to class during the day, then work at their local restaurant in their free time. Average pay is „950 to „1,000 per hour. In addition to practising Japanese with customers and colleagues, students also have the chance to learn about Japanese working culture. This has been mentioned as being one of the best and most interesting experiences. Izakaya 汅酒汋 are a very unique and fun part of Japanese culture. After work ends, much of the Japanese workforce floods out into izakaya and the rowdiness begins. Being a waiter at an izakaya means catching a glimpse of it all and being a part of the Japan that fires up at night. Read more about Japanese work culture in our article here. Store clerk/assistant Whatever their preference, be it food, fashion, or anything else, students get the chance to practise their Japanese in jobs as shop assistants. Some examples include: convenience stores, clothing companies, and grocery markets. On average the pay is „1,000 to „1,800 per hour. With a wide variety of companies, students can pick the industry they wish to work. Remember though, there are prohibited types of work, such as the adult entertainment service sector (snack, hostess bar, cabaret, etc.) or gambling establishments. If in doubt as to whether the job is okay, check with your school. Light work A whole other category of part-time work in Japan is light work. This type of work is typically more physically demanding and usually consists of short contracts of a few days. Some examples of light work include cleaning, moving inventory in a warehouse, or wrapping products. These types of jobs usually require an open schedule because they come and go quite fast. The good side is that oftentimes they do not require much Japanese to pick up. How to apply for a part-time job in Japan Once a job opening is found, submit the application. If the application asks you to visit the store, it is best to call ahead of time and arrange a meeting with the manager. You should also submit your resume in person if the shop has posted a “Staff Wanted” sign. Look for the boshĆ«chĆ« (拟集侭) sign, which means the place is currently taking applications. Make sure to be dressed to impress, and brush up on your formal Japanese skills. Don’t forget that most Japanese language schools provide support in one way or other. They will often be more than willing to help you write a Japanese resume and even help you practise for the interview! When searching online for a part time job, employers may ask you to contact them via e-mail. Write a neat and professional e-mail, making sure to attach your resume and cover letter along with any further information the company may request. Keep in mind that jobs that involve working with the public will more than likely require at least some level of Japanese skills. It is for this reason that some language schools recommend students to wait a few months before starting to look for part-time work, especially if they are complete beginners. Those who wish to find a part-time job right away will be limited to positions that make use of their native language.