English Only Work in Japan: Industries, Salaries & Career Growth

When considering employment in Japan, many people wonder, “Can I work using only English?”

In an increasingly globalized Japan, opportunities to work solely in English are steadily expanding. However, certain conditions and preparations are necessary.

This article explains in detail the realistic possibilities of working exclusively in English and the preparations required to do so.

1. Current State of Japanese Companies Where You Can Work in English Only

Japan’s business environment is rapidly globalizing, and environments where you can work exclusively in English are steadily expanding.

Particularly in foreign-affiliated companies and Japanese companies with international operations, the movement to adopt English as the official language is accelerating.

This trend is expected to continue expanding from two perspectives: strengthening Japanese companies’ international competitiveness and developing global talent.

Reality and Examples of Companies Adopting English as Official Language

The adoption of English as an official language in Japanese companies began in earnest in the 2010s.

Rakuten Group pioneered this movement, declaring English as their official language in 2010 and establishing a system where all internal meetings and document creation are conducted in English.

The company actively promotes employees’ English proficiency by setting TOEIC scores as promotion requirements.

Fast Retailing (UNIQLO) has also been gradually promoting English as their official language since 2012, and by focusing on developing global talent, they have successfully accelerated their overseas expansion.

Other major companies such as Honda, Sharp, and Bridgestone have standardized English usage, particularly in research and development departments, building a foundation for global communication.

Reference: Rakuten Group: Culture, FAST RETAILING

English-Only Work Environments in Japan

In English-only work environments, meetings and emails are basically all conducted in English, and internal documents and presentation materials are also primarily in English.

However, rather than being completely English-only, many environments function as bilingual environments with both Japanese and English.

Organizational culture features more flat organizational structures and environments where employees of diverse nationalities coexist.

Additionally, global standard work styles are introduced, collaboration with overseas locations occurs daily, and there are abundant opportunities to participate in global projects.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Companies Emphasizing English Proficiency

Companies that adopt English as their official language have various advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

Business advantages
Quick access to global markets is possible, and international competitiveness improves as recruiting overseas talent becomes easier.

Employee career benefits
International career opportunities increase, and continuous improvement of English skills and acquisition of a global perspective can be expected.

Disadvantages

Organizational operation disadvantages
Reduced communication efficiency, initial productivity decline, and the risk of internal division have been pointed out.

Human resource challenges
Potential limitations in recruiting talented Japanese speakers, increased English training costs, and increased employee stress are also issues.

Considering these circumstances, many companies adopt gradual English introduction and flexible language policies by department, tending to build hybrid environments of Japanese and English rather than completely English-only environments.

2. Professions Where You Can Work in English Only and Required Skills

In increasingly globalized Japan, professions where you can work exclusively in English are steadily growing.

Particularly in foreign-affiliated companies, the IT industry, research and development departments, and the tourism industry, environments using English as the primary language are being established.

To succeed in these professions, comprehensive abilities including advanced English skills, specialized knowledge, business skills, and cross-cultural understanding are required.

Examples of English Usage in the IT and Technology Industries

In the IT industry, environments exclusively using English are established primarily for software engineers and project managers.

Software engineers need programming skills and technical writing abilities along with experience collaborating with overseas teams, while project managers require knowledge of agile development, cross-cultural management, and remote team management skills, with experience in global development environments being highly valued.

English Usage in Education and Research Fields

In education and research fields, English-only environments exist in professions such as university faculty, international school teachers, corporate English instructors, and online English teachers.

In research fields, professions such as researchers (especially in science fields), research institution staff, academic paper editors, and international conference coordinators require both advanced specialized knowledge and English proficiency.

In these professions, global activities such as international dissemination of research results and coordination of international joint research are conducted daily.

Reality of the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

With the increase in inbound demand, opportunities to use English as the primary language in the tourism industry are rapidly growing.

Hotel staff positions include front desk operations, concierge services, and accommodation facility management, while tourism-related positions include tour guides, travel coordinators, and inbound sales representatives.

These positions require both basic customer service skills and cross-cultural understanding abilities, complaint handling skills, and knowledge of local tourism information, requiring both language skills and specialized knowledge.

3. Conditions Necessary for English-Only Jobs

Working exclusively in English requires not just language skills but comprehensive business skills and practical experience.

The conditions companies require are diverse, with a tendency to emphasize practical experience and communication abilities. Meeting these conditions allows for more career opportunities.

Practical Skills Needed to Work in English Environments

In terms of technical aspects, in addition to general programming skills, several abilities are emphasized. First, English code review and documentation abilities are essential.

Communication in English on platforms like GitHub and creating/understanding technical documents are required daily.

Agile development communication skills in English are also important. You need to conduct scrum meetings and sprint reviews in English.

Reference: GitHub

Business Skills Needed Besides English

In addition to English proficiency, communication skills such as presentation abilities and cross-cultural understanding are important.

In presentations, logical structure, persuasive explanations, and effective use of visual materials are required, while cross-cultural understanding requires consideration of cultural backgrounds, acceptance of diverse values, and international business manners.

Furthermore, specialized skills such as digital literacy, project management, data analysis capabilities, and problem-solving abilities are also important elements in job performance.

Essential Technical Experience and Qualifications

In technical aspects, both practical experience and certified qualifications are emphasized. Particularly noteworthy is global standard development experience.

Highly valued specific experience examples

• Cloud computing environment development experience
• Microservice architecture implementation experience
• Development flow experience using CI tools, etc.

Particularly emphasized cloud-related qualifications

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect
• Google Cloud Certified Professional
• Microsoft Azure certifications, etc.

Value-added security-related qualifications

• CISSP
• CEH, etc.

Reference: AWS Certification, Google Cloud Certification, Azure Certification, CEH

4. Salary and Future Prospects When Working Exclusively in English

In professions using English as the primary language, above-average salaries can generally be expected.

With ongoing globalization, demand for these professions is predicted to continue increasing, making them attractive career options from a long-term career development perspective.

Combining specialization with English proficiency opens up possibilities for higher salaries and career advancement.

Average Salary Data by Profession

Salaries for English-dominant professions vary greatly depending on years of experience and position.

At high levels, foreign-affiliated consultants earn 8-12 million yen, investment bankers 7-10 million yen, and IT architects 6-9 million yen annually.

At mid-levels, project managers earn 5-8 million yen, interpreters/translators 4-7 million yen, and foreign-affiliated sales positions 4.5-6.5 million yen.

At entry levels, English teachers earn 3-4.5 million yen, hotel staff 2.8-4 million yen, and customer service 3-4 million yen.

These salaries are somewhat higher compared to the average salaries at typical Japanese companies.

Reference: Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare: jobtag

Career Advancement Possibilities

In professions leveraging English skills, there are two major career paths: management track and specialist track.

The management track involves advancing from team leader to manager to director, with opportunities for overseas location responsibility and global HR transfers.

The specialist track involves deepening expertise from specialist to expert to consultant, with expectations for independence leveraging expertise and English skills, and roles leading global projects.

Career Paths in Global Companies

Global companies offer diverse career developments leveraging English skills.

Geographical development Opportunities for overseas assignments and international transfers, with increasing remote global team participation.

Skill development Improvement of cross-cultural management abilities, acquisition of global business skills, formation of international networks.

With experience, further income increases and career development are possible, especially in today’s increasingly digital and global world, where demand for professions utilizing English skills is predicted to continue growing.

5. Consider Learning Japanese as Well

While working exclusively in English is certainly possible, when considering a more fulfilling career in Japan, learning Japanese should also be considered as an important option.

Acquiring Japanese language skills expands your job scope and provides more business opportunities. It also enables deeper understanding of Japanese corporate culture and more effective communication.

Effective Methods for Learning Japanese

For business professionals to efficiently learn Japanese, combining various learning methods is effective.

Online learning Utilize online Japanese schools, language learning apps, and business Japanese e-learning.

Practical approaches Conversation practice with Japanese colleagues, training in understanding business documents, and learning industry-specific terminology are important.

Furthermore, by combining cultural understanding with learning Japanese business manners, understanding Japanese corporate culture, and acquiring Japan-specific communication styles, more effective Japanese language acquisition becomes possible.

Obtaining and Utilizing Japanese Language Proficiency Tests

Obtaining qualifications to objectively demonstrate Japanese language ability is also important. In the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), N2 is considered the business-level standard, and N1 is recognized as near-native level.

This test is conducted twice a year, allowing for planned testing. Additionally, the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test measures practical ability in business situations, serves as a selling point on resumes, and is highly valued by companies.

Benefits of obtaining qualifications

Career aspects: Increased opportunities for promotion and salary increases, expanded job scope, and more options when changing jobs.

Operational aspects: Direct communication with Japanese customers becomes possible, and understanding of internal documents and team communication improves. Japanese language ability is particularly important for those aiming for management positions, providing a wider range of career opportunities.

Learning Japanese is an important investment that enables richer career development beyond being limited to English-only environments.

Reference: Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test

6. Working in Japan with English Only is Possible! Aim for Further Skill Development

A career working exclusively in English certainly exists as a realistic option.

However, to build a more fulfilling career, advanced English skills plus specialized knowledge, business skills, and if possible, Japanese language skills are required.

In today’s increasingly globalized world, being able to handle multiple languages leads to greater career opportunities. Work on planned skill development toward your career goals.