Q. What level of Japanese language ability is required?
A.When we asked companies that hire foreigners about the level of Japanese language ability required to perform work tasks, their responses* included "A level capable of creating written documents such as reports" (60.8%), followed by "A level capable of handling business dealings" (24.3%), "A simple everyday conversation level" (11.7%), and "Japanese is hardly required at all" (0.3%). Also, even for applicants who do not speak Japanese, some companies will evaluate the applicant's English language ability and motivation to learn Japanese in a short period of time.
*From the Survey on Acceptance and Utilization of High-Level Non-Japanese Human Resources by Companies, by the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (Independent Administrative Agency), dated May 2013
We asked 100
non-Japanese
people working in Tokyo
How proficient are you
at Japanese?
(Answers are based on the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Levels N1–N5
(with N1 being most difficult and N5 easiest)
Level N1
Level N2
Level N3
Level N4
Level N5
Are you taking steps or making
efforts to
improve your
Japanese language ability?
Service industry
Commercial company
IT & Communications
IT & Communications