English resume builder for jobs in Japan. Residence status, Japanese level, A4.
Pick a template, add your experience or import the CV you already have, and your English resume updates on screen as you type. It is made for foreign-affiliated companies, international firms and bilingual roles in Japan. Many Japanese companies ask instead for a rirekisho, a fixed Japanese form, which CVFalcon does not make.
Free to build and preview, $9 once to download. No sign-up, and your details are saved in your browser, not on our servers.
Set up for English applications in Japan
Nationality and status of residence together
Optional fields hold your nationality and a short status line such as 'Permanent resident' or 'Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, valid until 2028', so a recruiter can tell early whether hiring you means a new visa. Leave them empty if they do not apply.
Reuse the CV you already have
Upload a PDF or Word (.docx) file and its contents are sorted into the editor's sections for you to check and correct, so you are not typing every job out again.
Real text on A4 pages
Templates use selectable text rather than images, so applicant tracking systems and job sites can read each line. Pages are A4 by default, the size most used for business documents in Japan.
English resume templates for jobs in Japan
See all 28
Tech, design, startups
Creative, media, sales, personal brands
Design, architecture, creative agencies
Writers, communications, design leads
Product, marketing, operations
Any industry, applicant tracking systems
Startups, marketing, product
Sales, management, client-facing roles
What employers in Japan expect on an English resume
English resume or rirekisho
Foreign-affiliated companies, international firms and many tech companies accept an English resume, and a job ad written in English is a good sign they want one. Traditional Japanese companies usually ask for a rirekisho, a fixed Japanese form, and often a shokumu keirekisho, a detailed career history. CVFalcon makes the English resume, not those forms.
Skip the rirekisho details
The rirekisho has a photo box and asks for your date of birth, but an English resume usually needs neither. Many recruiters and job sites for international roles in Japan advise leaving out your photo, age, gender, marital status and full street address; an employer that needs any of these will usually ask on its own form. Name, phone, email, city and LinkedIn are normally enough.
Say whether you can work in Japan
Employers often want to know early whether hiring you means a new visa. Add your nationality, your status of residence and when it expires, or 'Permanent resident', and mention any time you have already lived or worked in Japan.
Describe your Japanese plainly
Not every reader knows the JLPT scale, and the test has no speaking or writing section, so pair your level with plain words, for example 'Japanese: business level (JLPT N2)' or 'Japanese: conversational'. Giving speaking and reading levels separately helps too. List English, Japanese and any other languages with a level for each.
About two A4 pages, newest role first
One or two A4 pages suit most applicants, and senior candidates with many projects sometimes need a third. List roles newest first and open each bullet with a result or a figure. If you also send a Japanese version, check that job titles, dates and numbers match in both.
Resume examples. Written for your job.
All examples- Product designer
- Marketing manager
- Software engineer
- Sales account executive
- Financial analyst
- Registered nurse
- Teacher
- Student and recent graduate
- Project manager
- Data analyst
- HR and recruiter
- Operations manager
- Accountant
- Civil engineer
- Administrative assistant
- Customer service agent
- Receptionist
- Mechanical engineer
- Graphic designer
- Procurement officer
Resume guides. Read before you apply.
All guides- Should you put a photo on your CV? A country-by-country guideWhether to add a photo depends on where you apply. A country-by-country answer, and how to take a headshot that helps rather than hurts.
- CV vs resume: what is the difference, country by countryThe two words mean different things in different countries. What employers in the US, Canada, the UK, the Gulf, India, Australia and beyond expect when they ask for one.
- How to make an ATS-friendly CVHow applicant tracking systems read a CV, which layouts and files trip them up, and how to match the job ad's keywords without stuffing.
Free while you write. $9 once to download.
Writing, editing and previewing are free in every template, and so is importing your old CV, without signing up. Downloading the PDF takes the CVFalcon Pass: one $9 payment, priced in US dollars, with unlimited downloads of every template for good and no subscription.
Build and preview
- Every template, every colour
- Live preview as you type
- Import your old resume from PDF or Word
- No sign-up, saved on your device
CVFalcon Pass
- Download your resume as a clean PDF
- All 28 templates, A4 and US Letter
- Unlimited downloads and edits, for good
- No subscription, ever
One payment. Preview free before you pay.
Resume questions for Japan
Can I send an English resume instead of a rirekisho?
For foreign-affiliated companies, international firms and many tech companies, yes, especially when the job ad is in English. Many Japanese companies ask for a rirekisho and a shokumu keirekisho, which CVFalcon does not make. Check what each application asks for, and prepare both if you are unsure.
Do I need a photo on an English resume for Japan?
Usually not. The rirekisho has a photo box, but guides to English resumes for Japan generally advise leaving the photo off. The photo in CVFalcon is optional: leave it empty, or add a recent professional headshot if an employer asks for one.
Should I include my date of birth or age?
Usually not on an English resume. Many recruiters for international roles advise leaving out age and marital status, and CVFalcon has no date of birth field. If a company also wants a rirekisho, your date of birth goes on that form.
How do I show my visa or residence status?
Write one short, factual line in the visa status field, for example 'Permanent resident' or 'Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, valid until 2028'. Your nationality goes in its own field next to it. If you do not hold a status of residence yet, leave the field empty.
Resume or CV in Japan?
Either word works: job sites in Japan use 'English resume' and 'English CV' for the same document. The rirekisho, a fixed Japanese form, and the shokumu keirekisho, a Japanese career history, are separate documents.
A4 or US Letter for Japan?
A4, the size most used for business documents in Japan, and CVFalcon sets it by default. If you are also sending applications to the US or Canada, switch to US Letter before you download.
Is CVFalcon free?
You can build and preview your resume in every template for free, without an account. The PDF download needs the CVFalcon Pass, one payment of $9 with unlimited downloads and nothing to renew.