Finding Jobs in Kyoto

Since Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan, it has a long history and a charm of its own. There are many historic sites like temples, shrines, and traditional wooden houses called machiya, also, it is famous for gourmets, festivals, and traditional dancer, Maiko. Therefore, a lot of tourists come to Kyoto from not only overseas, but also other Japanese prefectures every year.

As located in a basin, Kyoto is quite hot in summer and cold in winter and also has rich nature. The economy is stable and as many large electrical companies such as Nintendo, Omron and Nissen Electric are located in Kyoto, the main economic contribution comes from electronics. With a great history and many active industries, Kyoto is an attractive place to live and work in. We will show you benefits of working in Kyoto and how to find jobs.

Jobs in Kyoto

There are two main industries with job availability for foreigners, which are the tourism industry and the education industry. As it is popular with tourism, there are many jobs related to tourist spots such as tour guides and facility staff. Also, restaurants, hotels and souvenir shops need staff who can speak English to deal with foreign visitors. Furthermore, Kyoto hosts many educational institutions from preschools to universities.

The demand on native English speakers as teachers is increasing. Of course, you can find many other attractive industries to work in. Anyway, there are a lot of working opportunities for foreigners in Kyoto. Here are 4 working styles for foreigners including full-time employees, part-time workers, temporary workers and interns.

A full-time employee

This is an employment system with no limit on working period. The salary is relatively higher than the others because it includes bonuses and various kinds of allowances. A full-time employee can also join in social insurances and get employee benefits, so it is recommended for people who want to work long-term in Japan and get stable salaries.

A part-time worker

This is a work style with an hourly or daily wage. As part-time workers can work to suit their lifestyles, they can work freer than full-time workers. Especially with one of the highest part-time employment rates in the country, there are various kinds of jobs in Kyoto and you can easily find a favorite one.

A temporary worker

Temporary workers register with dispatch agencies and are dispatched to companies to work in. Usually, the salary is per hourly and higher than part-time workers. The contract period is from several months to 3 years. It is also possible to experience multiple industries and improve their skills. As there is less overtime than full-time employees, it is suitable for people who value spending time on their own.

An Intern

This is mainly for students to experience practical business sites before entering companies. In Kyoto, there are many businesses and facilities not only schools, but also governments, economic organizations, and private companies supporting job hunting for international students. The website Study Kyoto posts information about the latest employment support services, events, etc. and introduces many internship programs.

How to find jobs in Kyoto

Job offers can be found on websites, Hello work offices, dispatch agencies, and also job magazines and free papers distributed in each region. As there are many support systems of job hunting for foreigners, it is easy to find a job in Kyoto.

A job search website

If you want to access extensive job descriptions, checking websites is the best way. There are various types of websites for searching jobs and the information varies site to site, so it is important to check multiple websites. We will introduce Quick Jobs Japan as the best job search website which is specialized for foreigners to find part-time jobs. This website has an abundance of job descriptions and provides simple steps to find jobs. You can search jobs from eight categories such as eating and drink, customer service, light work, etc. and you can directly apply for jobs in the job description pages.

Hello work

Hello work sets up 25 offices in Kyoto and they introduce jobs from over 500 job descriptions by consulting face to face to find one matching you. Also, they provide employment insurance benefits, vocational training, etc.

A dispatch agency

There is a way to register with dispatch agencies and get job recommendations from them. They assist you to get a suitable job by hearing your preferences and counseling, and they support writing resumes, practicing job interviews,etc. If you have a trouble while working, they will support and give advice. Pasona is one of the representative dispatch agencies in Japan which has about 300 job offers in Kyoto. They focus on employment support for foreign residents and international students in Japan.

Income levels and average hourly wages in Kyoto

A full-time worker

The average annual income is 4.92 million yen which ranked 11th in Japan in 2018. The economy is growing and a resident income seems to be increasing.

A part-time worker

The average hourly wage is 1,027 yen and the minimum wage is 909 yen which was raised from 882 yen since October 1st in 2019. To see by job types, food and beverage is 987 yen, sales/office is 1023 yen, retail is 962 yen, delivery/logistics is 1075 yen, service is 1018 yen, and light work is 1087 yen. It is a little lower than the national average which is 1038 yen, but you can find jobs with higher salary on the websites.

A temporary worker

The average hourly wage is 1,351 yen. The salary varies depending on job types and required skills. Nowadays salaries for drivers and light work staff at factories are increasing. A job with special skills required brings a high salary. The job with the highest salary is translation and interpretation which is about 2,267 yen per hour. IT related jobs are also high paid with 1,863 yen.

An intern

Usually, short-term interns in a day to 2 weeks are unpaid. Long-term interns over 3 months are often paid. The average hourly wage is around 1000 yen. In the case of internship, it is more important to experience the practical worksites and acquire skills before joining companies.

Summary

As there are many foreign residents and support systems for them, Kyoto has many attractive points to live and work in. We hope that you can find good jobs and enjoy working in Kyoto!