How to Job Hunt in Japan as a Foreign Graduate: The Shukatsu Process Explained
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Jun 21, 2026 • Career Planning
Japan hires new graduates on one national calendar called shukatsu, not job by job year round. Company briefings and entry sheets start about 13 months before your job start date, and most students get informal offers within the same year.
⏱️ Recruiting for April 2026 jobs began in March 2025
📩 Entry sheets replace resumes as your first round application
🎓 Start preparing at least one semester before company briefings open
Group interviews and written aptitude tests are standard, not exceptions
JLPT N2 or higher is expected for most general track roles
Why Japan's Hiring Calendar Is Different
Most countries hire graduates job by job, all year. Japan runs a single national recruiting season called shukatsu, where companies open applications on the same dates, interview in the same months, and hand out informal offers before students even graduate. If you plan to work in Japan straight after your degree, you follow this calendar, not a rolling job search.
Foreign students often start shukatsu later than their Japanese classmates, which puts them behind for the busiest recruiting weeks. Japanese university career offices and JASSO advise international students to begin preparation at least one semester before company briefings open, not after graduation gets close.
The Shukatsu Timeline
For jobs starting in April 2026, company information sessions and entry sheet applications opened from March 2025, roughly 13 months before the start date. This pattern repeats every year: briefings and entry sheets from March, interview rounds running from around June, and informal offers, called naitei, landing by around October, with the job itself starting the following April 1.
| Stage | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| Company briefings open, entry sheets due | March, about 13 months before start date |
| Interview rounds | June onward |
| Informal offer (naitei) | By around October |
| Job starts | April 1 the following year |
Some employers, particularly foreign firms and startups, hire outside this calendar. But if you target large Japanese companies, plan around these dates, since missing the March entry sheet window often means waiting for the next year's full cycle.
Writing the Entry Sheet
The entry sheet, or ES, replaces the resume as your first application step. It asks structured questions such as your reasons for applying, your strengths, and specific past experiences, answered in short essay form for each company you target. Recruiters screen out most candidates at this stage, so treat each entry sheet as writing tailored to that company rather than a copy-paste form.
University career centers and JASSO both run entry sheet workshops for international students. Use them early, since Japanese entry sheet norms, direct, concrete, achievement-focused answers, differ from the application essays common in ASEAN countries.
Group Interviews, Group Work, and Aptitude Tests
Japanese companies commonly interview several candidates together, watching how you communicate and cooperate rather than only what you say. Group work rounds ask you to solve a business problem as a team while recruiters observe. Most large employers also run a written aptitude test, commonly the SPI test, covering basic verbal and numerical reasoning in Japanese.
Practice these formats before the season starts. Mock interview sessions are available through Hello Work student corners in major cities, and many universities run their own mock sessions aimed specifically at international students.
The Japanese Language Bar
Most general track roles, called sogoshoku, at Japanese companies expect JLPT N2 or N1 level Japanese, since entry sheets, interviews, and the SPI test all run in Japanese. Some technology and engineering employers run separate global or English-friendly tracks with lower Japanese requirements, so check each employer's application track before assuming you need native-level fluency to apply at all.
Where to Get Support
JASSO publishes an annual job hunting guide for international students covering the shukatsu calendar and visa steps. Hello Work , Japan's public employment service, runs dedicated corners for international students and new graduates in major cities, offering one on one counseling and job listings aimed at foreign candidates.
Steps to Start
Register with your university career office at least one semester before company briefings open.
Draft entry sheet answers about your strengths and motivations early, then adapt them per company.
Book a mock interview and group discussion practice session through your university or Hello Work.
Check whether your target companies run a general track or a separate global/English track before assuming a fixed Japanese level requirement.
Apply to change your visa status to Designated Activities if you graduate before signing an offer.