Get Your Japanese Job Anywhere - Ikigai Connections

This list was curated by Annabella Jankowski (LinkedIn).

Table of Contents (updated: 4/2024)

Business: General Business, Translation
Language
Podcasts: Business, Language, Culture
YouTube: Business, Language, Culture and Other
Apps
Blogs
Culture

If you want to live and work in Japan, then be sure to also check out the Japan Resource List!

Business

General Business Resources

Japanese Companies Overseas- a directory that allows you to search for Japanese businesses in your country and abroad!
Online Opportunities Webinar Recap- Interested in learning more about bringing your Japanese skills to an online environment? Kasia’s webinar is full of helpful information, and also covers opportunities including freelancing, side businesses, online business, and more!
Business Etiquette in Japan- This resource provides articles on the various aspects of Japanese business etiquette, such as etiquette around attire, greetings, and meishi (business cards).
Helpful Business Email Phrases- Looking to send a business email in Japanese? This source lists a few phrases as well as details on emailing etiquette to help you in crafting your next email.
Bates Japanese Career videos- Video tutorials on how to apply your Japanese studies in any career, ranging from STEM to the humanities! Provides video testimonies from individuals who use Japanese in a variety of careers ranging from video game translation to a career at Google.
KiMi Online Interviews in Japan- interviewing virtually for a Japanese company? Follow these tips and tricks to ace your next interview.
Gaijinpot Japanese Resume tips- Applying to work for a Japanese company, and need to provide a resume in Japanese? Follow these tips and tricks to help your Rirekisho stand out!
WordBank article on Japanese Social Media- Looking to create some Japanese social media to aid in your career? Read this article to learn more about which social media sites are best for your brand!
JBME- Website in Japanese geared towards foreigners who want to find a job working in Japan and other countries. Covers Japanese business manners, etiquette and more!
JOPUS- Website in Japanese providing Japanese business opportunities and resources for foreigners. Offers news articles on Japanese business which are updated frequently.
How to Master Business Card Exchange in Japan- Looking to travel to Japan, and want to learn more about exchanging meishi? This article provides tips and tricks to help you exchange business cards like a pro.
Edamame Japan: Meishi- Looking to learn more about Japanese business card exchange? This webpage has all that you need to know about giving and receiving meishi.
Shinpai Deshou (What can I do with a B.A. in Japanese Studies?)– Japan job resource with an extensive list of employment resources, study programs, and funding options. Their blog is updated with new opportunities and Japan-related content.

Translation Resources

If you’re interested in becoming a freelance translator or interpreter, this is a great resource on how to get started. Some of these websites allow you to create your own profile and start seeking clients, as well as learn industry tips from other freelancers.

Language

Kokoro Communications- Customized Japanese language lessons that can be done virtually.
Risu Press One of Canada’s leading Japanese education platforms – the famous JLPT Kanji Poster Set, digital resources, courses, and a full “study in Japan” program with top language schools across Japan. Download your free hiragana and katakana chart here.
Kemushi Chan Video on MEXT Scholarships- Interested in studying and learning in Japan? This video details how the MEXT scholarship can help you achieve your dreams of studying in Japan.
Nihongo Dekimasu- Website with 25 lessons available for kickstarting your Japanese self-study journey.
“My Guide to Self-Studying Japanese” by Japanese Tease- Interested in starting your Japanese studying journey, but don’t know where to begin? Check out this helpful resource curated by Jakob to learn about the methods that worked for him.
All Japanese All The Time (AJATT)- Website that covers how to get on the path to being fluent in Japanese! Provides resources, tips, tricks, and more.
VerbalPlanet- Connect with a Japanese tutor virtually to practice your Japanese skills! VerbalPlanet offers a free trial to practice your language skills with native speaking tutors. Lessons can be tailored to match your ikigai, or specific language learning goals.
Learn Japanese Online Bondlingo- YouTube Channel that covers an array of topics related to learning Japanese! Topics range from learning the Japanese writing systems to acing your next Japanese interview.
Wasabi Japan Business Japanese Guide- Looking to learn business Japanese, or brush up on your Japanese skills? Check out this source to learn more about structure, conversational business Japanese, writing emails, and more!
Meguro Language Center- Looking to start your Japanese studies, or to prepare for the JLPT exam? This website provides free study materials and practice quizzes, as well as explanations of helpful grammatical structures.
Japatalk- connect with native-Japanese speakers and teachers virtually to help aid in refining your conversational Japanese. Lessons can cover a variety of topics, such as the JLPT, business Japanese, and more!
Coto Academy- Studying for the JLPT? Register for a small group prep course or to work virtually with a private tutor to meet your Japanese language needs. Also available in person in Japan.
Jisho- Easily accessible online Japanese dictionary. Search by typing, radical, voice, and more!
漢字爆発 (Kanji Explosion)- free website that allows you to comprehend kanji by breaking them down by radical. Allows you to visualize the components of each kanji, and discover what other characters radicals appear in!
Rikaikun– Chrome browser extension that searches a word in the dictionary simply by hovering over the text.
Nihongo Flashcards- Are you starting out in your Japanese study journey? Learn vocabulary words using these illustrated virtual flashcards.
Shosetsu Yomou- Looking to practice your Japanese reading skills? This website offers a wide variety of stories to read and practice your reading comprehension.
JLPT Study Materials- Planning on taking the JLPT? This link offers a variety of downloadable study materials, including listening, reading, and writing practices to help you ace the exam.
Tae Kim’s Guide to Japanese Grammar– Online resource and textbook helpful in studying and learning Japanese grammatical structure.
Imabi- Virtual Japanese grammar mini-lessons ranging from absolute beginner level to advanced. Over 400 lessons to choose from!
Lang-8- Write Japanese and have it corrected by native Japanese speakers to help improve your writing! You can also help speakers learn your native language by correcting their work as well.
NHK Web News Easy- Japanese news in simplified Japanese to help with your reading comprehension skills. Articles are updated daily and cover a wide variety of topics, and come with audio recordings so you can listen along as well!
日本語文型バンク- Resource that allows you to study Japanese sentence pattern and structure. Currently only updated for N4 and N5 levels, but more should be added in the near future!
Japanese IO- Looking to build your Japanese reading comprehension skills? This website allows you to view the furigana of a text, and also provides you with dictionary entries for words simply by hovering over them. Helpful for studying vocabulary and difficult texts!
100 resources to learn Japanese- this list provides a plethora of different resources you can use to further advance your Japanese studies. Provides links to resources for the absolute beginner to advanced speakers and learners.
Jisho Pitcher- looking to figure out which pitch accents best apply to a specific Japanese word? This free Chrome extension provides helpful pitch accent diagrams for every word on Jisho.
Kanji Canvas- Trying to look up a kanji, but don’t know how to spell it? This app allows you to easily look up any kanji by simply drawing it!
KotobaWeb- website and Discord app that allows you to take and create custom quizzes to practice Japanese concepts, such as stroke order, translations, conjugations, and more! You can even get your friends in on the fun and compete with them on the quizzes.
Tenjin Reader- Website that allows you to understand and study Japanese reading material by copying and pasting it into the server. Once you do so, you will gain access to furigana, dictionary searches, and more, allowing you to gain fluency and reading comprehension from the source text!
Mangadou- website that allows you to build your Japanese reading comprehension by studying manga! Provides grammar and vocabulary notice to help you build your Japanese skills.
Steven Kraft’s Japanese Projects- Looking to practice your conjugations? This website offers helpful quizzes to help you study your verb and adjective conjugations, and has functions available to toggle kanji and furigana to match your current Japanese level.
Aozora- Looking to build upon your reading skills? Aozora is a website in Japanese that has many Japanese books and texts available for you to read for free!
Language Learning with Netflix- Chrome extension that allows you to learn Japanese while watching Netflix! The extension will allow you to watch shows with the language you are looking to study to build upon your skills and knowledge.
iStudy Japanese- Miki-sensei offers helpful online Japanese lessons to help build your language skills, along with quizzes and other study materials to give you an immersive learning experience.
NativShark– Learn the fundamentals of Japanese as quickly as possible with this online platform and Discord community.
Japanese Pod 101– Learn Japanese online and via their podcast.
Hajimemashite– 1-on-1 online classes to help you get better at learning the Japanese language. Specialized in preparing students for the JLPT with a high success rate of graduation and customized to suit the needs of all students. Get a free e-book on the basics by visiting the website.

Podcasts

Business Podcasts

Live Work Play Japan- Podcast covering different Japanese entrepreneurs, teachers, and freelancers and their experiences in their field of work!
Business Karaoke podcast- This podcast modernizes the dialogue around doing business in and with Japan for the modern global leader.
Business Success Japan- This podcast is an easily-accessible resource for people who want to develop Japan-specific communication skills, especially in a business or professional context.
Life after JET- Podcast highlighting JET alumni and their experiences and careers after their time in the JET program.
Scaling Japan Podcast – The scaling Japan podcast hosted by Tyson Batino has 60+ episodes (as of 2024/1) that focus on key areas to scale a business in Japan like marketing, sales, getting investment, and managing a Japanese team.

Language Podcasts

SBS Japanese- Free Bilingual Japanese-English podcast covering a variety of topics. Helpful for practicing your listening comprehension skills!
Hapa Eikaiwa Podcast- Podcast conducted in both English and Japanese, with transcripts available for your learning convenience. Helpful for learning words and phrases and covers a wide variety of topics!
Nihongo Con Teppei- Beginning to study Japanese? This easy-to-follow podcast can help aid you in your studies, which can help with your listening comprehension!
How to Japanese- A writer, translator, and JET alumni covers his experiences and things he wishes he had known in his Japanese studies.
Learn Japanese with Noriko- Looking to learn Japanese on the go? Noriko-sensei’s entertaining and engaging podcasts cover a wide variety of topics and are several minutes long, making them palatable and easy to integrate in your Japanese studies.

Culture Podcasts

Ichimon Japan- This podcast covers all aspects of Japanese language, history and culture one question at a time. The two hosts both have masters degrees in Japanese and draw upon their research in this podcast.
Japan Station- Every episode someone stops by Japan Station to talk about their connections to and interest in the fascinating place that is Japan. The hosts cover a wide array of topics, including pop culture, history, social issues, and more!
Japan on the Record- Weekly podcast which highlights various scholars to cover different issues in the news and media in Japan.
Voices in Japan- Weekly podcast with hosts Ben and Burke and their guests talking about their experiences in Japan. They cover dating, marriage, working in Japanese companies, culture and more!
Japan According to Akil- Akil covers a wide array of topics about Japanese culture and his experiences living in Japan, with a little bit of humor mixed in too!
Michigan Talks Japan- A professor from the University of Michigan talks with leading scholars in Japanese language and culture about their background, work, and research.
Tokyo Podcast- Podcast which covers interviews with people from a wide array of professions to discuss “everything that is Tokyo”!
Disrupting Japan- podcast highlighting current events and different aspects of Japanese culture and society.
Now and Zen Japan- Podcasts that highlights voices from various disciplines and backgrounds and how they are handling their Japan journey.
Sake on Air- Interested in learning more about the world of sake? Tune in to this podcast to learn more about Sake and Japanese culture!
My Japan Journey- This podcast explores how exploring a new culture can enrich one’s life, and that this same concept of open-mindedness and adaptability can apply to anything in life.
Japanese Studies Antiracist Pedagogy Project (JSAP)- The “Origin Stories” podcast aims to build transdisciplinary spaces in which to rethink educational practices in order to redress pervasive ideological and methodological biases in Japanese Studies.

YouTube

Dan Knows Japan- Looking to learn more about the JET program? Dan makes content that will aid you before, during, and after your time as a JET!
MAO- Japanese YouTuber who makes videos about Japanese business etiquette as well as learning and using Japanese in a business setting.
Tomi’s World- Want to learn more about living, working, and teaching for the JET program in Japan? Check out Tomi’s channel to learn about her experience and to pick up on her tips and tricks for learning Japanese.
Jakub Tansey- JET program ALT who produces content on his experience with the JET program and living in Japan. Also makes content about Japanese culture as well!
JET Alumni Association YouTube Channel- Finished the JET program? This channel provides videos and webinars on how to pursue Japanese after finishing the JET program. Provides details on pursuing graduate education as well as applying Japanese in job searching.
Japan Online School- Are you a foreign international student interested in learning Japanese for finding a job in Japan? Check out this channel to learn helpful phrases and vocabulary to help you in your job hunt.
外国人留学生の就職チャンネル- are you an international student looking to find work in Japan? These videos provide information and advice on job hunting to help you secure your next Japanese job.

Miku Real Japanese- Miku-Sensei produces videos covering a wide array of Japanese grammar points, sentence patterns, verb conjugations, and more!
Matt vs. Japan- YouTuber who produces content on language acquisition and learning Japanese. Makes videos on a variety of topics, ranging from pitch accent to how to upload dictionaries to Yomichan!
Takuya Musiclish Channel- Interested in learning more about ESL from Japanese? Takuya is an English teacher who often uses music to improve his students’ pronunciation who can help aid in your studies.
Japanese Pod 101- This YouTube Channel offers a variety of free videos to help aid in your Japanese studies. Offers tips and tricks for studying Japanese as well as listening comprehension practice videos to help refine your listening skills.
Kemushi Chan- Youtuber living in Japan who covers an array of topics related to living in Japan and studying Japanese language and culture.
Abroad in Japan– British YouTuber highlighting his experience living in Japan, and also providings tips and tricks on learning Japanese.
Dogen- Foreign YouTuber who makes comical videos about learning Japanese and experiences as a foreigner in Japan. Videos are in both Japanese and English.
Necota’s Japanese Language Classroom- Studying for the JLPT? Necota-sensei’s channel provides informational lessons at any level. Lessons are fully in Japanese, but use slow language, so it is easy to follow along with.
Japanese Ammo with Misa- Native Japanese speaker who makes videos teaching Japanese, which cover a variety of topics and aspects of the language. Also uploads listening practice and videos geared towards preparing for the JLPT exam!
Learn Japanese with Global Japan– Looking to start building Japanese skills? Check out these informative YouTube lessons that will help you start your Japanese journey and prepare you for taking the N5 JLPT exam. Language, YouTube
日本語ボックスー YouTube channel that covers a variety of topics surrounding every day Japanese language, as well as helpful grammar lessons and interviews with students studying abroad in Japan.
日本語の森- Studying for the JLPT? This YouTube channel provides helpful grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary explanations for every level to help you ace the exam!
聞く日本語- YouTube channel producing content to use as listening practice! Also has grammar lessons related to the JLPT and a “word of the day” series to help expand your Japanese vocabulary.
Ashiya– Russian YouTuber making videos in Japanese about her experiences. Videos are slow and easy to follow for listening practice. Also makes videos about learning Russian from Japanese!
GaijinQuest- YouTuber who makes videos on how to learn Japanese, as well as some video lessons. A little bit of humor is sprinkled in as well!
Sambon Juku- Interested in taking your Japanese studies to the next level? Join Akihito sensei and check out his engaging lessons classified by JLPT level. Covers grammar, speaking, listening, and more!
Rupa Sensei- YouTuber who makes videos teaching English to Japanese speakers! Videos have subtitles in both languages, so they can be beneficial to the Japanese learner as well.
Yuka日本語Japanese- Studying for the JLPT, or looking to learn more about and build upon your knowledge of Japanese grammar and vocabulary? Check out Yuka’s lessons to help you build your skills!

NEBA NEBA- YouTuber who speaks 5 languages and makes content in Japan speaking Japanese about language and culture!
The Black Experience Japan- YouTube Channel which showcases the perspectives of BIPOC who live and work in Japan as well as their experiences and testimonies in doing so.
Low Key Japan- Videos on Japanese culture and as well as tips on how to start a business in Japan. Also provides content on moving from India to Japan and how Indian culture relates to Japanese culture!
Sherry Y- YouTuber based in rural Japan who records her experiences and aspects of Japanese culture. Also has a series about starting her own business in Japan!
Mayo Japan- Japanese YouTuber who highlights her experiences in India and Japan, with her ikigai being connecting Japan and India! Also produces Japanese lessons in Hindi!
Midwest in the FarEast- YouTuber who makes content about living in Japan and working for the JET program as a CIR.

Other

CaptionPop- free YouTube add-on that allows you to view subtitles in different languages simultaneously. Helpful for studying Japanese as it can provide you with a transcript and a translation!
The Ultimate Guide to Learning Japanese through Youtube- An all-in-one source providing links to different YouTube videos and channels that can be helpful in studying Japanese. Provides links to videos related to an array of topics, ranging from how to begin learning Japanese to how to learn business and higher level Japanese.

Apps

Learn Japanese by Mindsnacks- (Beginner) Want to learn Japanese by playing games on your phone? Look no further! This app implements fun mini games to help build your reading, writing, and conversation skills.
Duolingo Japanese- (Beginner) Interested in starting your Japanese language journey online? Duolingo is a free app that provides bite sized lessons to help you kickstart your Japanese language learning journey.
Lingodeer- (Beginner) App that allows you to learn Japanese and start building fluency from day 1! Uses fun games to keep you engaged while learning Japanese vocabulary and grammar.
RoboKana- (Beginner) App that allows you to learn how to write hiragana and katakana, with emphasis on stroke order and handwriting. The easy-to-use interface makes the app perfect for beginners!
Hiragana Quest- (Beginner) Starting out on your Japanese learning journey? Hiragana Quest is a great way to learn the Japanese alphabets of hiragana and katakana.
Sail by Helte– (Beginner – Advanced) Practice your Japanese by chatting with a cute elderly person! You can practice your language skills and learn valuable life lessons at the same time by using this app to chat with elderly people in Japan!
Anki- (Beginner – Advanced) Flashcard programming software that can be beneficial in learning and memorizing Japanese vocabulary and kanji.
WaniKani- (Beginner – Advanced) paid application which offers a free trial to help in learning and memorizing kanji. Over 2,000 kanji and 6,000 words for you to learn!
Kanji Study- (Beginner – Advanced) App that doubles as both an English-Japanese dictionary as well as a tool for learning kanji! Participate in fun writing challenges and customizable quizzes to help you in your Japanese studies.
Kanji Recognizer- (Beginner – Advanced) Android app designed to help build and refine your kanji skills. Helps teach you to hand write the kanji as well!
JPro- (Beginner – Advanced) App that helps you learn Japanese and study for the JLPT exam, from N5 to N1! Uses popular Japanese textbooks to help you learn and study everything you will need to know for the exam.
Bunpo- (Beginner – Advanced) Japanese study tool that can be used for the absolute beginner to the advanced Japanese student. Uses fun, free grammar lessons to assist you in your Japanese studies!
Japanese Conversation Practice by CUDU- (Beginner – Advanced) Looking to improve your speaking skills? This app has hundreds of free dialogues covering a wide variety of topics. to help build your Japanese conversational skills.
Busuu- (Beginner – Advanced) Language learning app that breaks Japanese down into daily bite-sized lessons. Perfect for beginners who are looking to begin their Japanese studying journey!
Fluent Forever- (Beginner – Advanced) iOS app that uses flashcards and a spaced repetition system to help you memorize and learn Japanese. Great for the beginning studier!
Midori- (Beginner – Advanced) paid iOS app which functions as an on-the-go English-Japanese dictionary. The text translation feature is helpful for bilingual speakers!
Speechling- (Beginner – Advanced) Paid app that allows you to improve your speaking skills. Record your voice and send it to a language coach, who will provide you with feedback to help you improve and build your conversational fluency!
Japanese Graded Readers- (Beginner – Advanced) Paid app intended for Japanese students N5-N2 that allows you to build your reading comprehension skills. Allows you to study reading by selecting from narrated stories that are written using a deliberate repetition method.

Blogs

Rudlin Consulting Blog– (business) Looking to learn more about doing business in Japan and using Japanese in your work? This blog features helpful posts about doing business with and in Japan.
GaijinPot Blog- (business) blog covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from language, business, news, travel, and more! There is a section for everyone interested in Japan!
Kokoro Communications- (business) This website run by Sachi not only provides translation services, but also advice on Japanese bilingual etiquette and information helpful for connecting English and Japanese speakers!
Japanese Tease- (language, culture) Blog that posts about Japanese studying resources and culture.
The Japan Guy- (language) American born blogger writing about his experiences living in Japan. Provides resources for learning Japanese as well as reviews of popular language learning tools.
Tofugu- (language) Blog that is frequently updated with posts on learning Japanese and resources to aid you in your studying. Articles on culture and current topics are commonly featured as well!
Maggie Sensei- (language) This funny and engaging blog uses dogs to help teach you Japanese! Updated frequently with grammar, slang, kanji, and more!
Nihongo Ichiban- (language) Studying for the JLPT? This blog has lessons all the way from N5 to N1 and also practice quizzes and tests to help you check and improve your Japanese knowledge!
Kotobites Japanese- (language) Looking to build upon your Japanese studies? This blog contains a multitude of resources including guides for studying for the JLPT exam.
Black Tokyo- (culture) Detroit-born blogger Eric chronicles his experience living in Japan and his experience as a Black man living in Tokyo. Posts cover a wide variety of topics and social issues including racism in the media.
Zooming Japan- (culture) German-born blogger Jasmine has visited every Japanese prefecture and covers a variety of topics pertaining to her experiences living and working in Japan.
Go! Go! Nihon Blog- (culture) Blog that discusses Japanese culture and living, studying, and working in Japan. Also produces articles on the JLPT and studying Japanese!
Tokyo Becky- (culture) Becky is a woman from the USA who moved to Japan and has lived there for over 10 years. Check out her blog to learn more about living in Japan and traveling around there as well!

Culture/News

Kokoro Media- News, articles, and blog posts about Japanese business and culture!
Web Japan- Interested in learning more about Japanese culture? This website is updated frequently with articles and videos about Japan. You can even use the map feature to search for articles and resources by region of Japan.
The Japan Times- News website that publishes daily articles in English on business, culture, current events, and more!
Spoon and Tamago- Interested in learning more about Japanese art and design? This website highlights Japanese artists and their work, so check it out if you are looking to learn more!
Nippon Japan Glances- Interested in learning more about Japanese culture? Check out Nippon’s web page for bite sized articles and pages about different aspects of Japan!
Muza-Chan’s Gate to Japan- A blog that covers many different facets of Japanese culture, including customs and traditions, history, food, travel, and more!
Live Japan- blog updated frequently on Japanese culture and travel, with articles about many different prefectures in Japan!
Interesting Things About Japan- Interested in learning more about Japan and Japanese culture? Check out this Insider article to hopefully learn something you did not know before!
Tsunagu Japan- Interested in learning more about traveling to Japan and Japanese culture? Check out Tsunagu’s articles to learn more about culture, travel, sightseeing, and more!
Matcha JP- Website updated frequently with news articles and posts about working in Japan, Japanese culture, language tips, and news.
Your Japan- Website with information on Japanese culture and travel, as well as living in and moving to Japan.
The Japan Times– The biggest English language newspaper in Japan, which covers a wide variety of topics including politics, business, sports, arts, etc.
Japan Today– Second big English newspaper in Japan, which covers a wide array of topics related to Japan.
Nippon.com– A website packed with longreads about politics and culture.
Nikkei Asian– English language media of the biggest Japanese business newspaper Nikkei Shimbun.
The Japan News– English language web media of the biggest Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun.
The Asahi Shimbun– English language media of the second biggest Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.
The Mainichi– English language media of Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun.
Japan Forward– English language media of Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun.

Be sure to connect with Annabella Jankowski on LinkedIn. If you have any other suggestions to be added to this list, please submit them here.

Don’t forget to check out the other Resource pages, too! The Japan page, in particular, is all about working in Japan.

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