Part-Time Jobs in Japan (Arubaito) for International Students: 2026 Guide
Aung Kyaw· Career Advisor
|·12 min read
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Are you an international student in Japan looking to balance
your studies with a part-time job? Finding an
Arubaito (part-time job) is a great way to
manage living costs and gain valuable Japanese work experience.
However, Japan has strict immigration regulations that every
student must follow to stay compliant. This guide covers
everything you need to know about working in Japan as a student
in 2026.
1. Key Rules for International Students (Arubaito)
Before applying for any job, you must understand your legal
limitations. Working without permission is illegal and risky.
Work Permission: You must obtain the
Shikakugai Katsudo Kyoka (Permission to Engage in
Activity Other than That Permitted under the Status of
Residence Previously Granted).
Hourly Limits: During semesters, maximum of
28 hours per week. During long holidays,
maximum of 40 hours per week.
Prohibited Industries: You are strictly
forbidden from working in bars, nightclubs, “snack” bars,
pachinko parlors, or any adult entertainment businesses.
2. Average Salary and Popular Locations
Most student jobs in Japan pay an hourly wage ranging from
¥1,000 to ¥1,300, depending on your location
and the industry.
Top cities for international students:
Tokyo
Osaka
Nagoya
Fukuoka
Sapporo
Sendai
3. Best Part-Time Jobs for Students
While options depend on your Japanese proficiency, these roles
are consistently popular:
Convenience Stores (Konbini): Great for
practicing daily Japanese.
Restaurants / Cafes: Involves customer
service and kitchen duties.
Cleaning / Housekeeping: Good for those who
prefer tasks with less direct customer interaction.
Warehouse / Logistics: Often offers
flexible shifts and night hours.
English Tutoring: High hourly pay; often
requires strong communication skills.
4. How to Find a Job in Japan
University Boards: Check your campus career
center — they often have listings for student-friendly
employers.
Job Platforms: Utilize dedicated apps like
iorUp, which connects students to
recruiters directly and simplifies the application process
with pre-saved CVs.
Community Networks: Reach out to senior
students or expat groups for referrals.
5. What Japanese Employers Look For
To stand out, focus on these traits:
Punctuality: Being on time is
non-negotiable in Japan.
Flexibility: Showing willingness to work
weekends or early shifts.
Basic Japanese Skills: Even N4/N5
proficiency makes a massive difference in hiring chances.
Professional Attitude: Always present
yourself with polite, proactive, and respectful behavior.
6. Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Many international students unintentionally harm their visas.
Avoid these common mistakes:
Exceeding 28 hours: Working even one hour
over the limit can cause major issues.
Working without a permit: Ensure your
Shikakugai Katsudo Kyoka is stamped in your passport.
Illegal Work: Avoid “gray area” jobs in the
nightlife industry.
Poor Attendance: Treat your part-time job
with the same professional standard as your studies.
The “Must-Have” Documentation for Arubaito
Before you start your search, ensure you have these documents
organized:
Residence Card (Zairyu Card): Your primary
ID.
Student Visa: With the Shikakugai Katsudo
Kyoka (permission to engage in activity other than that
permitted).
Passport: For identity verification.
Japanese Phone Number: Essential for
employer contact.
Bank Account: For salary deposits.
Rirekisho (Japanese Resume): Ensure your
skills and availability are clearly stated.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I work without Japanese language skills?
A: Yes, it is possible, but your options will be limited
to roles like warehouse work, food processing, or
dishwashing. Learning basic conversational Japanese will
significantly broaden your choices.
Q: Can I work two different jobs at the same time?
A: Yes. You can hold multiple jobs as long as the total
combined hours do not exceed 28 hours per week during
school terms.
Q: Do I need a separate “Work Visa” for part-time jobs?
A: No. As an international student, your Student Visa,
combined with the Shikakugai Katsudo Kyoka permit,
allows you to work legally.
Q: Which city is best for a student’s budget?
A: While Tokyo offers the highest volume of jobs, cities
like Fukuoka are often recommended for their lower cost
of living and vibrant student communities.
How iorUp can be used for Myanmar student to find suitable part
time jobs?
For students, especially finding a reliable part-time job in
Japan can sometimes be difficult due to language barriers and
different job systems. This is where iorUp becomes a helpful
platform.On iorUp, students can search for part-time jobs in
Myanmar language, Japanese, and English, making job information
easier to understand without confusion.Students can also
communicate directly with recruiters through a built-in chat
system to ask questions before applying.In addition, users can
upload and save their CV once, and when applying for a job, the
CV is automatically attached to the application and sent
directly to the recruiter’s chat box. This helps students apply
faster and manage job applications more efficiently, especially
for those new to Japan’s job system
ဂျပန်နိုင်ငံရှိ International Students များအတွက် Part-Time Job
(Arubaito) အပြည့်အစုံလမ်းညွှန် (2026)
English Tutor: အင်္ဂလိပ်စာ
သင်ကြားပေးနိုင်သူများအတွက် လစာကောင်းသော အချိန်ပိုင်းအလုပ်
ဖြစ်ပြီး တစ်နာရီလစာ ပိုများတတ်ပါတယ်။
၄။ ဂျပန်မှာ Part-Time Job ဘယ်လိုရှာမလဲ။
University Career Center: ကျောင်း Career
Center တွင် International Students များအတွက်
အလုပ်ကြော်ငြာများကို တင်ထားလေ့ရှိတာကြောင့်
သွားစုံစမ်းကြည့်လို့ရပါတယ်။
