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How to become a Japanese-Language Teacher

Teaches spoken and written Japanese to foreign students at schools, at home or elsewhere.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

To work at an accredited Japanese language institution you need the registered Japanese language teacher qualification. There are no requirements for education or nationality: you gain the qualification by passing the national Japanese Language Teacher Examination (a basic exam and an applied exam) and completing practical training (teaching practice) at an institution registered with the government. People who complete a training course at a registered Japanese language teacher training institution are exempt from the basic exam. The training course and the practical training are often run together at the same institution. Japanese language schools in Japan teach 'Japanese in Japanese', so English is often not specifically required to get a job. Schools overseas, on the other hand, sometimes use an indirect method with the local language as the medium of teaching, so some employers require foreign language skills. Taking as an example an accredited institution that runs Japanese courses for international students, new and mid-level teachers take on classes at each level and a range of lessons suited to students' needs, such as academic writing for university entrance exams, according to their skills. Head teachers handle management work such as designing the curriculum for each class, including content, teaching methods and plans. Building on this experience, some go on to train future Japanese teachers. After starting, teachers keep improving their teaching skills and specialist knowledge through training run by companies and related organisations. Because the job involves working with people from other countries, it helps to know about the society, culture and economy of each country, and a deep understanding of Japanese culture and customs is essential. Every lesson is a meeting of cultures among many different people, so teachers need to keep learning themselves and be open to other cultures. Teachers are often the first Japanese person their students get to know well, so they also need to be people who can be trusted as a 'face' of Japan. Teaching Japanese is not just teaching a language but building understanding between people, and that work over time leads to growth as a teacher and great satisfaction.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Japanese-Language Teacher?

To work at an accredited Japanese language institution you need the registered Japanese language teacher qualification. There are no requirements for education or nationality: you gain the qualification by passing the national Japanese Language Teacher Examination (a basic exam and an applied exam) and completing practical training (teaching practice) at an institution registered with the government. People who complete a training course at a registered Japanese language teacher training institution are exempt from the basic exam. The training course and the practical training are often run together at the same institution. Japanese language schools in Japan teach 'Japanese in Japanese', so English is often not specifically required to get a job. Schools overseas, on the other hand, sometimes use an indirect method with the local language as the medium of teaching, so some employers require foreign language skills. Taking as an example an accredited institution that runs Japanese courses for international students, new and mid-level teachers take on classes at each level and a range of lessons suited to students' needs, such as academic writing for university entrance exams, according to their skills. Head teachers handle management work such as designing the curriculum for each class, including content, teaching methods and plans. Building on this experience, some go on to train future Japanese teachers. After starting, teachers keep improving their teaching skills and specialist knowledge through training run by companies and related organisations. Because the job involves working with people from other countries, it helps to know about the society, culture and economy of each country, and a deep understanding of Japanese culture and customs is essential. Every lesson is a meeting of cultures among many different people, so teachers need to keep learning themselves and be open to other cultures. Teachers are often the first Japanese person their students get to know well, so they also need to be people who can be trusted as a 'face' of Japan. Teaching Japanese is not just teaching a language but building understanding between people, and that work over time leads to growth as a teacher and great satisfaction.

How much does a Japanese-Language Teacher earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,025,500 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other teachers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Japanese-Language Teacher?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 58% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Arts & Humanities degrees; Education & Teaching degrees.

Will AI change the work of a Japanese-Language Teacher?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026