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Physiotherapists, occupational therapists

How to become a Physical Therapist

Gives exercise coaching and physical therapy, under a doctor's direction, to help people with physical disability or injury recover, maintain or improve their movement so they can live independently.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or vocational college (senmon gakko) 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

You need to spend at least three years at a training school learning the knowledge and skills of a physical therapist (physiotherapist), then pass the national exam and get a licence. Training covers general education subjects, basic medical sciences such as anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and pathology, clinical medicine, social welfare, community rehabilitation, and physical therapy including clinical placements in hospitals and rehabilitation centres. If you already hold the occupational therapist qualification, you can become eligible for the physical therapist exam after two or more years at a training school. Ways into work include referrals from your training school, job advertisements in professional journals and information from people working in rehabilitation. As well as specialist knowledge and skills, physical therapists need reasonable fitness and a delicate touch to apply the right force in the right place during assessments and exercise therapy, keep patients balanced and help them move. You also need to explain the purpose of therapy to people with disability and their families and, after accepting how clients feel, persuade them in order to help them become physically independent. To build your expertise there is training at each workplace, as well as conferences and training sessions run by the Japanese Physical Therapy Association and others. The association also offers two certifications: certified physical therapist (registering in at least one of seven specialist fields, such as basic, neurological and musculoskeletal physical therapy, to maintain specialist clinical skills and improve professional practice) and specialist physical therapist (registering in at least one of the seven fields to build research ability).

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Physical Therapist?

You need to spend at least three years at a training school learning the knowledge and skills of a physical therapist (physiotherapist), then pass the national exam and get a licence. Training covers general education subjects, basic medical sciences such as anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and pathology, clinical medicine, social welfare, community rehabilitation, and physical therapy including clinical placements in hospitals and rehabilitation centres. If you already hold the occupational therapist qualification, you can become eligible for the physical therapist exam after two or more years at a training school. Ways into work include referrals from your training school, job advertisements in professional journals and information from people working in rehabilitation. As well as specialist knowledge and skills, physical therapists need reasonable fitness and a delicate touch to apply the right force in the right place during assessments and exercise therapy, keep patients balanced and help them move. You also need to explain the purpose of therapy to people with disability and their families and, after accepting how clients feel, persuade them in order to help them become physically independent. To build your expertise there is training at each workplace, as well as conferences and training sessions run by the Japanese Physical Therapy Association and others. The association also offers two certifications: certified physical therapist (registering in at least one of seven specialist fields, such as basic, neurological and musculoskeletal physical therapy, to maintain specialist clinical skills and improve professional practice) and specialist physical therapist (registering in at least one of the seven fields to build research ability).

How much does a Physical Therapist earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,436,000 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Physical, occupational and speech therapists and orthoptists, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Physical Therapist?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 51% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Allied Health degrees; Vocational college (専門学校) course: Physical and occupational therapy.

Will AI change the work of a Physical Therapist?

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