Popular career search sites

As mentioned in an earlier post, there are several major recruiters/headhunters in Japan that assist with foreigners in looking for positions in Japan. My default location will be Tokyo as most of the positions will be here. I will review some of the major recruiting firms as I have had interactions with all of them. For now, I will also share some popular websites that post jobs. Today I will talk about CareerCross. CareerCross is the flagship website of C.C. Consulting in Tokyo, established by a foreigner. It is the first such site from a foreigner and is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, job sites in Japan.

Pros
The site has numerous postings ranging from industries, language levels, locations, and other attributes. They provide an extensive and broad selection of career opportunities.

Cons
The majority of the job posts are done by recruiting firms. There is a group of the usual recruiting firms who dominate this site with their postings.Often, the same position is posted by several of these recruiters. Also, another major negative is the lack of knowledge about the posted position by these recruiters, of whom many are newly hired former English language teachers.

In my next post, I will talk more about CareerCross and how to find specific jobs, use certain keywords, and sort out the useless companies.

Specialized study/ training in a traditional Japanese cultural activity

The Cultural Activities Visa is available for participation in advanced or specialized training in a traditional Japanese artform, including (but not limited to): ikebana, Japanese tea ceremonies, martial arts or fine art.

This visa requires both sponsorship by an artisan or educational institution in Japan willing to sponsor your study, as well as proof that the applicant can financially support themselves while living in Japan for the length of the visa. (This is done by providing bank statements or other similar documents.)