Writing a teaching CV for Japan
Include a photo. It is expected for Japan. Nationality is expected because it decides visa eligibility, the CV should run to 1 page, and it should be laid out for A4 paper.
The visa
Instructor, or Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa
Bachelor's degree in any subject. Not restricted by nationality, which makes Japan one of the more open markets for non-native and non-'big seven' teachers.
What goes on the CV for Japan
- Photo
- expected
- Nationality
- expected
- Date of birth
- expected
- Marital status
- optional
- Length
- 1 page
- Paper size
- A4
Expected. Japanese hiring uses the rirekisho format, which has a photo box; a Western CV with no photo reads as incomplete.
Documents you will need
- •Degree certificate and transcripts
- •Certificate of Eligibility, normally sponsored by the employer before you apply for the visa
- •Passport valid well beyond the contract
Attestation and apostille take weeks and cost money. Confirm the exact list with the employer and the nearest consulate before starting.
What Japan employers look for
- •Date of birth — standard on a rirekisho
- •Education listed oldest to newest, the reverse of Western convention
- •Japanese language level if you have one (JLPT N-level), stated honestly
- •Reason for applying — Japanese applications expect a short motivation statement
Leave out
- •Casual or humorous phrasing
- •Dense design, colour blocks or columns — restraint reads as professionalism here
Tone
Formal, modest, precise. Understatement is the register; self-promotion reads badly.
Build it with the rules applied
The builder applies everything on this page automatically — the A4 layout, the 1-page target, the fields Japan expects — and checks your passport against the visa before you apply. Free to use, with nothing held back and no watermark.
Open the CV Builder
Other destinations
These are prevailing hiring and document norms, not legal advice, and immigration rules change. Confirm anything that costs you money with the employer and the nearest consulate.