Writing a Japanese Rirekisho for a Mid-Career Job Change
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Last Updated:
Category: Job Search Preparation & Interview Tips
Authors: Shusaku Yosa
A Japanese rirekisho presents your basic details and chronological education and employment history. A shokumu-keirekisho provides the fuller account of responsibilities and achievements. This guide focuses on mid-career applications in Japan; it is not a universal CV format for other countries.
Give each document a clear role
Document | Purpose | Main check |
|---|---|---|
Rirekisho | Contact details, chronology, qualifications and requested fields | Accurate dates and organization names |
Shokumu-keirekisho | Responsibilities, skills, contribution and relevant evidence | Dates and employers match the rirekisho |
Follow the employer’s specified format and submission instructions. Check its requirements for photographs and other fields instead of assuming every application requires the same information. See the work-history document templates for the detailed companion document.
Use the employer template or the current MHLW example
If no format is specified, the MHLW example is a useful starting point. The old JIS example should not be presented as the automatic current standard. In the MHLW example, gender is optional; commuting time, number of dependants, spouse and obligation to support a spouse are not included. Optional information does not have to be filled simply to eliminate blank space.
Choose either Gregorian years or Japanese era years and use the choice consistently. Use full organization names and clarify renaming when necessary. Do not combine unrelated employers to reduce the apparent number of job changes or extend dates to hide a gap.
Example 1: Applying while still employed
All names, dates and situations below are fictional. Replace them with your own facts. The Japanese wording is provided for applications submitted in Japanese.
職歴
2022年4月 株式会社サンプル商事 入社
営業部に配属。法人向け既存顧客営業を担当
現在に至る
以上
This means the applicant joined the fictional company in April 2022, works in existing-client business sales and remains employed. Only state a planned leaving date when it is actually settled. If your status changes during recruitment, update the employer at the next appropriate contact.
Examples 2 and 3: Multiple employers and temporary staffing
Example 2: List each employer chronologically
職歴
2018年4月 株式会社サンプル販売 入社
2021年9月 一身上の都合により退職
2021年10月 株式会社サンプル物流 入社
2025年3月 一身上の都合により退職
2025年4月 株式会社サンプル企画 入社
現在に至る
以上
Keep joining and leaving dates distinct. Choose a template with sufficient history space and move detailed duties to the work-history document. Use an accurate reason for departure: contract expiry or employer-initiated termination should not automatically be described as resignation for personal reasons.
Example 3: Distinguish a staffing employer from the client company
職歴
2022年4月 株式会社サンプルスタッフに派遣社員として入社
株式会社サンプル製造に派遣され、受発注事務に従事
2024年3月 派遣契約期間満了に伴い退職
2025年4月 株式会社サンプルサービス 入社（契約社員）
現在に至る
以上
This fictional example assumes employment with the staffing agency also ended. If only the assignment changed, do not claim you left the agency. Record the client assignments and dates separately. A gap can be explained briefly with truthful information such as caregiving or vocational study; private details are unnecessary. Prepare to explain your present availability and constraints.
Make availability and essential preferences specific
Example availability note: I may be unable to take calls between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. Please contact me by email; I aim to reply the same day.
Example start-date note: I would appreciate discussing a start date after an offer, allowing for the handover at my current employer.
Only promise response times you can meet. Raise essential location or schedule constraints early, rather than writing that you accept all company conditions and revealing an incompatibility later.
Check consistency before submission
- Match employer names, dates, employment type and qualification names across the rirekisho and work-history document.
- Match contact details, availability and preferences with the application form.
- Check the required file type, size and name, page breaks, hidden comments and unnecessary personal information.
Reusable history structure:
[Year / month] Joined [full employer name] ([employment type if needed])
[Brief department and responsibility]
[Year / month] [accurate departure wording] / currently employed
End of employment history
Keep the page readable. Use the self-promotion guide to select one relevant example instead of squeezing a full career narrative into a small field.
Sources
Public information checked on September 27, 2026. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority for your circumstances. Japanese sources and related articles are linked below.
