Japanese Resume (Rirekisho) Writing Guide for SSW Workers — Format, Photo, Section-by-Section Examples, and Common Mistakes

When you apply for an SSW job in Japan — whether you're a first-time applicant from abroad or an existing SSW worker looking to change employers — the first document the employer will ask for is almost always a Japanese resume. A rirekisho is not the same as a Western CV. It usually follows a conventional Japanese format with expected sections, photo rules, date conventions, and standard wording (there is no single legally mandatory layout, so follow the employer's instructions if they specify a template). If your rirekisho looks unusual to a Japanese HR person, it can create a negative first impression before your experience and motivation are fully considered.

This guide explains exactly how to write a rirekisho that an SSW-accepting employer in Japan will take seriously: which format to use, how to prepare the photo, how to fill in each section with the right wording, and the common mistakes that get foreign-worker applications rejected at the document stage.

What Is a Rirekisho — and How It Differs From a CV

A rirekisho is a one-to-two page resume in a fixed Japanese format. It is the standard document for almost all job applications in Japan, including SSW positions. Unlike a Western CV where you choose your own layout and emphasize your achievements with prose, a rirekisho has:

• A fixed structure: name, date of birth, address, contact, education, work history, licenses/qualifications, reasons for applying, personal requests.
• A small free-form section for self-PR and motivation (typically 4–8 lines).
• A photo in a specific size with strict rules on background and clothing.
• Standardized wording for routine phrases (e.g. how you mark the end of a section or how you describe a school graduation date).

For longer career stories, Japan uses a separate document called shokumu keirekisho — the career history sheet. Many SSW job postings ask for both. The rirekisho is the snapshot; the shokumu keirekisho is the detail.

Which Format to Use — JIS Standard vs Others

There is no single legally-mandated layout. For many years the JIS Z 8303 standard provided the reference rirekisho sample, but in July 2020 the Japanese Standards Association removed the rirekisho sample from JIS Z 8303 (it had only ever been an explanatory example, not a binding standard). In April 2021 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) published its own "MHLW rirekisho sample format", which is now the de facto recommended format. Compared with the old JIS sample, the MHLW format makes the gender field optional and removes the commuting-time, number-of-dependents, spouse, and spouse-support fields. Commercial printed forms and online templates today generally follow the MHLW format or a vendor's own layout. Common options include:

• MHLW standard format — the safest default today. Equal emphasis on education and work history; gender field is optional; commuting-time / dependents / spouse fields removed. Free download from the MHLW / Hello Work website.
• Hello Work template — follows the MHLW standard format. Free download from the Hello Work website. Acceptable everywhere.
• Tenshoku (job-change) variant — more space for self-PR, less space for education history. Used by mid-career applicants. Reasonable for SSW workers with prior Japan work experience.
• Arubaito variant — do not use this for SSW full-time applications.

For your first SSW application, use the employer's specified template if provided; otherwise use the MHLW standard format (or the equivalent Hello Work template). Don't try to be creative with formatting — Japanese HR readers expect what they expect.

Handwritten or Typed?

Both are accepted in most modern SSW workplaces, but the expectation depends on the employer:

• Typed (PDF or printed Word file) — standard today, especially for office-style or larger employers. Easier for you, easier for HR to read.
• Handwritten — still preferred by some traditional small or rural employers, especially in care, accommodation, and food service. Considered a signal of effort and sincerity.

Practical advice for foreign SSW applicants:

• If the job posting says "履歴書 (handwritten)", handwrite it.
• If the posting just says "履歴書", a typed PDF is fine.
• If you can't yet write Japanese characters cleanly, send a typed version and offer to handwrite at the interview if requested.
• Never mix typed and handwritten in the same document.

The Photo — Size, Background, Clothing

The photo is one of the items most often done wrong by foreign applicants. The standard requirements:

• Size: 4cm tall × 3cm wide.
• Background: plain white, light blue, or light gray. No patterns, no outdoor scenes, no selfies in front of a wall poster.
• Clothing: business attire. Men: suit jacket and tie, or a white-collar shirt with a jacket. Women: blouse or jacket. Avoid t-shirts and casual wear.
• Expression: neutral. No big smiles, no peace signs, no sunglasses.
• Taken within: 3 months. Don't use a photo from 2 years ago.
• Hair: tidy, off your face. Eyes should be clearly visible.

Stick the photo to the rirekisho with double-sided tape, not glue. Write your name lightly on the back of the photo with a pencil in case it falls off.

Section 1: Personal Information (Name, DOB, Address, Contact)

Top of the form. Important rules for foreign applicants:

• Name: Write your full legal name exactly as on your passport, in the script the employer expects. Many employers accept your name in katakana or in romaji. If the form has a "Furigana" line above the name field, write the katakana reading of your name there.
• Date of birth: Use Western era unless the form is locked to Japanese era. Write your age at the time of submission too.
• Address: Your current Japanese address, exactly matching your Residence Card. Use Japanese script if possible; romaji is acceptable for many SSW employers but a katakana / kanji version is cleaner.
• Phone: Japanese mobile number preferred. If you only have an overseas number, write it with the country code (+).
• Email: Use a clean address (your name, not a nickname). Check it daily — many employers contact you by email.
• Stamp: The current MHLW standard rirekisho format has no personal seal field, and a hanko is not required on a rirekisho. Some older commercial forms may still have a "印" box — if yours does and you have a Japanese seal, you may stamp it, but leaving it blank is acceptable. A seal is never a reason an SSW application is rejected.

Section 2: Education and Work History (Gakureki / Shokureki)

This is a chronological block, usually combined into one column with the heading "学歴・職歴 (Education and Work History)". Rules:

• Education first, then work history.
• Start with middle-school graduation (or the equivalent end of compulsory education in your country), then high school (entrance and graduation), then any post-secondary education. Writing from elementary-school graduation is generally unnecessary.
• For each line: Year / Month / Event (e.g., "2018   3   ABC High School — graduated").
• Use the same date format throughout.
• After the last education entry, leave a blank line and write "職歴 (Shokureki / Work History)" in the middle of the next line as a heading.
• List each job with year/month of joining and year/month of leaving.
• Include the legally registered Japanese name of each employer, not nicknames.
• If you're still employed somewhere, write "現在に至る (genzai ni itaru — up to the present)" at the bottom of the work history.
• After the very last entry, write "以上 (ijou — end)" right-aligned on the next line. This is mandatory; not writing it looks unfinished.

Section 3: Licenses and Qualifications (Menkyo / Shikaku)

List in the same Year/Month/Event format. For SSW applicants the most important items are usually:

• JFT-Basic or JLPT result").
• Skill evaluation test for your SSW field.
• Driver's license if relevant.
• Any vocational certificates from your home country that relate to the job.

Write the official Japanese name of each test/license. If the certificate is in English or another language, you can write the original name in parentheses after the Japanese name. Don't list expired or irrelevant certificates.

Section 4: Reasons for Applying and Self-PR

This is the only place in the rirekisho where you can write in your own words. Standard fields are:

• 志望動機 (Shibou Douki) — reason for applying: Why this company and this position? Be specific. Generic answers ("I want to work in Japan") get filtered out fast.
• 自己PR (Jiko PR) — self-PR: One or two concrete strengths with a specific example.
• 趣味・特技 (Hobbies / Special Skills): Optional, but Japanese employers genuinely look at this for cultural fit. Pick activities that are easy to talk about at interview.

Practical advice:

• Keep each block to 4–6 short sentences. Long paragraphs in awkward Japanese are worse than short clean ones.
• Reference something concrete about the company — their location, their product, their employee development program. Show you actually researched them.
• For the self-PR, connect a past achievement to what the new role needs (e.g., your prior care-home experience + their elderly-care facility).
• If your Japanese is still limited, ask a fluent friend or your support organization to check the wording. Avoid Google-translated text that no human Japanese speaker would actually write.

Section 5: Personal Requests (Honnin Kibou Kinyuu Ran)

Lower-right corner of the form. This is where you note essential information the employer needs to know about you.

For most SSW applicants, the standard wording is:

貴社の規定に従います。 (Kisha no kitei ni shitagaimasu — "I will follow your company's rules.")

This is polite shorthand for "I don't have unusual demands; I accept your standard terms." Only deviate if you genuinely have a constraint (e.g., "I cannot work the night shift due to childcare" or "I am currently on SSW Type 1 and can start work on the date my new visa is approved"). Avoid writing a wish list of salary, days off, or location preferences here — those are negotiated later, not in the rirekisho.

Japan-Specific Rules That Trip Up Foreign Applicants

A few details that often cause foreign-worker rirekisho to be rejected at the screening stage:

Common Mistakes That Get Foreign Applications Rejected

• Using a translator app for the entire document. HR can tell. Hire a friend or your support organization to proofread.
• Listing every short-term job since high school. Major jobs only.
• Forgetting the photo or using a non-standard one.
• Leaving "Reasons for Applying" blank or writing "good salary".
• Different addresses on the rirekisho and the Residence Card.
• Wrong company name in shibou douki (motivation). Yes, people copy-paste and forget to change the name. Disqualifying.
• Casual email address like cooldragon99@... Use one with your name.
• Sending the rirekisho as a .docx file: most HR prefer PDF. Convert before sending.
• Skipping the JFT-Basic / JLPT / skill test entries: these are the proofs an SSW employer most wants to see.

Rirekisho vs. Shokumu Keirekisho (Career History Sheet)

Both documents have their place:

If you're an SSW worker who has already worked 1–2 years in Japan and is changing employers, having a clean shokumu keirekisho alongside your rirekisho strongly improves your screening pass rate. We'll cover the shokumu keirekisho in detail in a separate guide.

Tools, Templates and Where to Get Them

Free, safe sources of rirekisho templates:

• MHLW / Hello Work official rirekisho sample — downloadable as PDF or Excel from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website or the Hello Work site.
• Major recruiter sites in Japan (Mynavi, Doda, Rikunabi) offer free Word and PDF templates.
• Printed rirekisho forms — available at convenience stores, 100-yen shops, and stationery shops for ¥100–¥300. Most current commercial forms follow the MHLW sample format or a vendor's own layout; the old JIS sample was withdrawn in 2020, so look for a recent form (one that makes the gender field optional and omits commuting-time / dependents / spouse fields).
• Resume builder apps — some are free and let you fill in the form on your phone and export a clean PDF. Useful for typing in Japanese.

If you're an SSW Type 1 worker, your employer or registered support organization may provide support for daily-life and workplace matters under the support plan. Resume proofreading is not always included in the mandatory support, but it is worth asking whether support staff, your employer, or a career adviser can check your Japanese wording.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

A clean rirekisho is one important factor in passing the document-screening stage, alongside your visa status, Japanese level, skill test results, and work history. Take an afternoon to do it properly, get someone fluent in Japanese to proofread, and use the MHLW standard format. The same rirekisho can then be reused (with the reason-for-applying section refreshed) across multiple SSW job applications, so the work pays off many times.