Work visas – labor market, vacancies, jobs
The following work visas can be applied for at the Japanese embassy or consulate abroad:
- Interns (Trainee Visa)
- Humanities and economist (Specialist in Humanities / International Services)
- Engineers (Engineer Visa)
- Teacher (Instructor Visa)
- Entertainer Visa
- Transfer to Japan
Requirements for applying for a work visa:
- Valid passport
- Completed application form
- A passport photo (frontal view, no scans or copied passport photos) that is not older than 6 months and is not damaged
- The original Certificate of Eligibility from Japan
- Copy of the Certificate of Eligibility
In order to obtain a work visa, the employer in Japan must apply to the Immigration Office for a Certificate of Eligibility for the employee. The exhibition can take two to three months to complete.
In order to gain a foothold locally and finance themselves, many immigrants choose to work as language teachers or recruiters. A comparatively large number of foreigners work in these industries. There are other options for engineers and IT specialists as well as specialists from growth sectors such as biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry.
German companies with a branch or subsidiary in Japan are particularly interesting for German applicants.
Many companies already require excellent Japanese language skills when applying, even if this is not crucial for the practice of the profession. Proverbial for work in Japan are good wages, the highest work discipline and very little vacation. In a few areas (e.g. tourism) you can get along well with English.
Driving and driving license
If you want to drive a car in Japan featured on thedressexplorer, you have to have your German driver’s license translated into Japanese. With this translation and the original driver’s license you can drive a car in Japan for one year after entering Japan.
The translation can only be done in Japan at the following institution: Japan Automobil Federation (JAF). Further information on the translation process can also be obtained from JAF. The translation is usually done on the same, or at the latest on the next working day. The fee is 3,000 yen (approx. 20-25 euros, depending on the exchange rate). Orders are accepted directly on site. In the branches collection of JAF find out which site is for you in question.
Cost of living
A comparison is not easy, since you can live cheaper in Japan than in Western Europe, but also a lot more expensive. However, the average Western European needs around 20 to 30 percent more for a living.
You need around € 4,407.52 in Tokyo to maintain the standard of living that you could have in Berlin at € 3,600.00 (assuming you rent in the cities).
- Consumer prices excluding rentin Tokyo are 23.23% higher than in Berlin
- Consumer prices with rentin Tokyo are 22.43% higher than in Berlin
- Rental prices in Tokyo are 20.61% higher than in Berlin
- Restaurant prices in Tokyo are 18.05% lower than in Berlin
- Food prices in Tokyo are 58.58% higher than in Berlin
- The local purchasing power in Tokyo is 12.12% lower than in Berlin
Average cost of living in Tokyo (from 08/2019 – 07/2020)
| Restaurant | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Food, price w. restaurant | 7.07 | 4.04-12.13 |
| Middle class, 3 courses for 2 people. | 40.42 | 28.30-80.84 |
| Local beer, 0.5 l | 4.04 | 2.02-8.08 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 l | 4.84 | 3.23-6.47 |
| cappuccino | 3.08 | 1.21-4.04 |
| Coca / Pepsi (0.33 l) | 1.07 | 0.81-1.62 |
| Water (0.33 l) | 0.83 | 0.79 – 1.21 |
| Food | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Milk (1 L) | 1.60 | 1.37-2.26 |
| White bread (500g) | 1.64 | 0.87-2.43 |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 4.53 | 2.43-8.08 |
| Eggs (12) | 2.01 | 1.36-3.23 |
| Local cheese (1kg) | 12.88 | 6.47-24.25 |
| Chicken breast fillet (1kg) | 7.30 | 4.04-12.93 |
| Beef (1kg) | 22.46 | 9.70-40.42 |
| Apples (1kg) | 6.11 | 2.83-9.70 |
| Bananas (1kg) | 3.03 | 1.46 – 7.28 |
| Oranges (1kg) | 5.38 | 1.62-13.74 |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | 5.09 | 2.83 – 12.12 |
| Potatoes (1kg) | 3.15 | 1.21-4.85 |
| Onions (1kg) | 2.66 | 1.62-4.04 |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.59 | 0.97-2.43 |
| Water (1.5 l) | 1.01 | 0.65-1.62 |
| Bottle of wine (middle class) | 11.72 | 4.85-16.17 |
| Local beer (0.5 l) | 2.52 | 1.37-3.64 |
| Imported beer (0.33 l) | 3.42 | 2.10-4.04 |
Average costs for local transport, utilities, clothing, leisure, education of Tokyo (from 08/2019 – 07/2020)
| Mode of Transport | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| One-time ticket | 1.61 | 1.21-2.63 |
| Monthly pass | 80.84 | 60.63 – 121.27 |
| Taxi base amount | 3.88 | 3.31-5.90 |
| Taxi 1 km | 3.56 | 3.06-5.82 |
| Ancillary housing costs | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| for 85 sqm apartment (electricity, water, garbage, etc. | 182.57 | 98.17-317.16 |
| 1 minute prepaid mobile tariff | 0.37 | 0.16-0.65 |
| Internet (60 Mbps or more, unlimited data, cable / ADSL) | 39.02 | 30.72-52.55 |
| Clothes, shoes | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Jeans (Levis 501 or similar) | 57.03 | 25.62-80.84 |
| Summer dress (Zara, H&M,… | 36.56 | 16.17-69.53 |
| Nike sports shoes, middle class | 67.90 | 40.42-105.10 |
| Leather business shoes | 104.42 | 56.59-202.11 |
| leisure time | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Fitness center, month / adult | 79.75 | 32.34-118.14 |
| Tennis, 1 hour on weekends | 28.34 | 16.17-40.42 |
| a movie ticket | 14.55 | 12.93-16.17 |
| training | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Preschool / Kindergarten, private, whole day, monthly per child | 675.05 | 278.91 – 1,616.87 |
| International primary school per year and child | 16,223.86 | 9,701.25 – 20,210.93 |
Average rental prices / purchase and salaries of Tokyo (from 08/2019 – 07/2020)
| Monthly rental price | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in the city center | 1,044.47 | 727.59-1778.56 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) outside the center | 620.74 | 450.57-970.12 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in the city center | 2,545.24 | 1,536.03-6,871.72 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) outside the center | 1,303.39 | 889.28-2021.09 |
| Purchase price of apartments | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Price per square meter for an apartment in the city – purchase | 9,636.31 | 8,084.37 – 16,166.74 |
| Price per square meter – apartment outside the center – purchase | 5,648.50 | 4,042.19-9,003.34 |
| wages | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Average monthly salary (after taxes) | 2,455.00 | – |
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Emigration and living in Japan – conclusion
Since the culture and way of life are very different from most European countries, emigrating to Japan will be a real adventure. First of all, you should travel the country and familiarize yourself with the mentality of the people before making a decision. You should also have a sufficient command of Japanese before immigrating.
Japanese gastronomy is very diverse and very exotic for us Europeans. In addition to rice, the most common foods include all kinds of vegetables, algae and fish. The dishes are prepared with low fat content, mostly fried or steamed.
The climate in Japan ranges from temperate with cold winters in the north to a subtropical climate in the extreme south. Most of the precipitation (monsoons) falls in the months of June and July. Typhoons occur more frequently in Japan in early summer.
There have been very strong earthquakes in the past. All new buildings will therefore be constructed to be earthquake-proof. Some advantages of the country: Peaceful, lots of forest, high quality of life.