If you're applying for jobs in Japan, the resume you know won't work. Japanese employers expect a specific document called the rirekisho (履歴書) — a formalized, nearly fixed-format resume that follows conventions unfamiliar to most Western applicants. It includes your photo, your date of birth, and a handwritten-feel precision about dates that a one-page US resume never asks for.
This guide explains what the rirekisho is, walks through every section of the standard form, covers the photo and formatting rules that trip up foreigners, and explains when you need its companion document, the shokumukeirekisho. If you're applying outside Japan instead, you can skip to the end — a standard international resume built on Cvyon's free templates will serve you better.
What a Rirekisho Is (and Isn't)
The rirekisho is Japan's standard resume form — not a freeform document but a prescribed template (based on the JIS standard) with fixed fields. Almost every domestic employer expects it, and it is nearly always written in Japanese. Think of it less as "your resume" and more as "the form every applicant fills in," where neatness, completeness, and convention matter as much as content.
Three things make it fundamentally different from a US or European resume:
- It's standardized. Everyone uses essentially the same layout. Standing out happens through the content of a few free-text fields, not through design.
- It includes personal details Western resumes omit. Date of birth, age, gender, marital status, number of dependents, commute time — all have dedicated fields.
- A photo is expected. A formal ID-style photo, taken within the last three months, glued (not stapled) to the form.
Blank rirekisho forms are sold at stationery shops and convenience stores across Japan, and free PDF templates are widely available from Japanese job-search sites. The challenge isn't finding the form — it's filling it correctly.
Every Section of the Standard Form, Explained
Personal details (top of the form)
- 氏名 (name) with フリガナ (furigana): Write your name as it appears on your residence card or passport, with the phonetic reading above it. Foreign names are written in katakana.
- 生年月日 (date of birth) and 満○歳 (age): Enter the date and your current age. Use one dating system consistently — Western years or the Japanese era system — throughout the whole form.
- 性別 (gender), 現住所 (current address) with furigana, 電話 (phone number). The address includes postal code; include a separate 連絡先 (contact address) only if it differs.
- 写真貼付 (photo): 4 cm × 3 cm, upper body, front-facing, plain background, taken within the last 3 months. Professional but plain — this is not the place for personality.
学歴・職歴 (education and work history)
This is the largest section and the one foreigners get wrong most often.
- Education starts from junior high school graduation (中学校卒業) — not university. List each school with entry (入学) and graduation (卒業) dates in 年/月 format.
- Work history follows in the same column, with company entry (入社) and departure (退社) dates. Write the company name in full, plus a brief note of the department or role.
- No gaps. Every month between junior high graduation and today must be accounted for. Periods of unemployment, study, or family care get a one-line entry — a blank stretch raises more questions than an honest line.
- End the history section with 以上 (end) on its own line, right-aligned.
免許・資格 (licenses and qualifications)
List certifications with the date acquired, newest or oldest first — either order is acceptable as long as it's consistent. Include the full official name. For foreign applicants, language certifications (JLPT level, for example) and any Japan-recognized licenses go here. Driver's licenses are commonly listed too, since many postings mention them.
志望の動機 (reason for applying) and 自己PR (self-promotion)
These two free-text boxes are where the rirekisho stops being a form and starts being a pitch — and where most applications are actually judged.
- 志望動機 (reason for applying): Why this company, specifically. Generic praise ("I admire your company") fails; one concrete connection between your background and their work wins. Research the company and name something real.
- 自己PR (self-promotion): Your strengths as they relate to the role, with one brief concrete example. Keep it to the box — rambling outside the lines looks worse than brevity.
Write these in polite, plain Japanese. Overly casual language and overly stiff keigo both read badly; if your Japanese is intermediate, simple correct sentences beat ambitious broken ones.
本人希望記入欄 (requests to the employer)
Salary expectations, desired role, work location preferences, start-date availability. If you have no strong preferences, the standard entry is 貴社の規定に従います ("I will follow your company's regulations") — it signals flexibility and it's what most applicants write.
The smaller fields that still matter
- 通勤時間 (commute time): Approximate door-to-door time. Employers use it to gauge reliability.
- 扶養家族数 (number of dependents) and 配偶者 (spouse): Straightforward — answer factually.
- 好きな学科 (favorite subjects): Mostly relevant for new graduates; list subjects related to the role if you can.
The Companion Document: Shokumukeirekisho
For mid-career hires (not new graduates), employers usually want a second document: the 職務経歴書 (shokumukeirekisho), a free-form work-history sheet. This is where you do what Western resumes do — describe each role with responsibilities and achievements, typically 1–2 pages, in reverse chronological order. The rirekisho lists where you worked; the shokumukeirekisho explains what you did there. Prepare both.
Formatting Rules That Trip Up Foreigners
- Black ink, one pen. Traditionally handwritten with a black ballpoint; typed/printed versions are increasingly accepted, especially at international firms — but never mix the two in one document.
- No correction fluid, no strikethroughs. A mistake means rewriting the page. This is why people draft on a copy first.
- Consistent dates. Pick Western or Japanese-era dating and use it everywhere. Convert carefully — an era-date error is an instant credibility hit.
- Don't leave blanks. Every field gets something, even if it's なし (none) or 特になし (nothing in particular).
- Photo discipline. No selfies, no old photos, no smiling-casual shots. A photo booth or studio shot within 3 months, glued — never stapled — to the form.
Rirekisho vs. US Resume: The Key Differences
Format: fixed standard form (rirekisho) vs. freeform, your design (US). Length: 1–2 pages of the form vs. 1 page typical. Photo: required vs. never include. Date of birth / age: required field vs. never include. Education start: junior high graduation vs. highest degree only. Language: Japanese (usually) vs. English. Free-text pitch: two boxes (motivation, self-PR) vs. the whole document.
The underlying logic differs too: the rirekisho proves you can follow exact conventions precisely — itself a signal Japanese employers value. The US resume proves you can sell your impact concisely.
If You're Not Applying in Japan
Everything above applies to domestic Japanese hiring. If you're applying to US, European, or international-remote roles — even at Japanese multinationals' overseas offices — use a standard international resume instead: one page, no photo, no birth date, achievement-focused bullets. Build it free with Cvyon's ATS-friendly templates, then run the finished PDF through the free ATS grader to confirm it parses cleanly before you send it.
FAQ
Do I have to handwrite my rirekisho? Traditionally yes, in black ballpoint pen — neat handwriting is itself evaluated. In practice, typed versions are increasingly accepted, especially by foreign-affiliated companies. When in doubt, follow the employer's instructions; if none are given, handwritten is the safer default for domestic firms.
Can I write my rirekisho in English? Almost never for domestic Japanese employers — the expectation is Japanese. Some global companies and startups accept English, but they'll say so in the posting. If the posting is in Japanese, the rirekisho should be too.
What photo do I need for a rirekisho? A 4 cm × 3 cm ID-style photo: upper body, facing forward, plain background, professional attire, taken within the last 3 months. Have it taken at a photo booth or studio, cut it to size, and glue it to the form — never staple.
What is the difference between a rirekisho and a shokumukeirekisho? The rirekisho is the standardized personal-history form every applicant submits. The shokumukeirekisho is a separate, free-form document detailing your work experience and achievements, expected from mid-career applicants. New graduates typically submit only the rirekisho.
Where do I get a blank rirekisho form? At stationery stores and convenience stores throughout Japan, and as free PDF downloads from major Japanese job-search websites. Any JIS-standard form is acceptable — the content matters far more than which blank you use.
Should foreigners include their visa status? It's commonly included in the work-history or notes area (e.g., residence/work visa status with expiry), since it directly affects employability. If the posting doesn't ask, a brief factual line is still standard practice and avoids surprises later.