How to Write the Health Status Field on a Japanese Resume | Examples for Chronic Conditions
"What am I supposed to write in the health status field on my resume?"—It's an unfamiliar field, and many job seekers in their 20s or recent graduates feel stuck. If you have no health issues, you can simply write "good" and move on. But for applicants with chronic conditions or who are receiving ongoing treatment, the worry is real: "Will being honest hurt my chances?"
This article walks through how to write the health status field on a Japanese resume, geared to applicants in their 20s and recent graduates. We cover when to simply write "good," how to phrase chronic conditions, regular medical visits, and prior conditions, how to handle mental health and time off, and what to do when the resume format has no health status field. Read to the end and you'll find an approach that fits your situation.
Before deciding how to fill in the health status field, it helps to understand what employers actually want to learn from it. Then you have a basis for tough calls. Treat the field as a space for sharing information that helps both sides set up a sustainable working environment—not as a pass/fail filter.
What employers want to know is one thing: "Can this person reliably perform our work?" Specifically, they're checking whether your health affects how often you'd be absent, whether you have limits on certain tasks (lifting heavy items, prolonged standing, etc.), and whether sudden health issues might disrupt operations. The diagnosis itself matters less than its impact on your work.
Even when you have a chronic condition or need regular medical visits, plenty of employers can adjust the environment so the role works. Sharing details like "I need a half-day off once a month for a check-up" or "Lifting heavy loads is difficult for me" up front opens the door to adjustments in your assignment or duties. The health status field is a space for mutual understanding that prevents post-hire mismatches.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's "Fair Hiring Selection" guidance discourages employment discrimination on the basis of an applicant's health status. In other words, the hiring decision should not, in principle, hinge on what you write in the health status field. There's no need for 20s and early-career applicants to be more anxious than they need to be—focus on conveying the impact on your work objectively.
Before getting into specific examples, lock in three rules that apply to every case. Following them virtually eliminates the risk of being marked down based on this field.
Never submit a resume with the health status field left blank. A blank entry reads as a missed field and lowers the perceived quality of the document overall. It can also raise the suspicion that you're hiding something. Even if you have no issues, always write "good" ("ryoko" in Japanese). Avoid "none" ("toku ni nashi")—"good" is the conventional phrasing.
What you should mention is limited to issues that meaningfully affect your ability to perform the role over time. Hay fever, mild back pain, menstrual cramps, headaches, weak eyesight, and the like don't need to be listed if they don't directly affect your work. The same goes for a temporary cold or a minor injury that will heal in a few days. Stick to a single criterion: does it affect your work?
Writing "good" while hiding a chronic condition that affects your work or scheduled time off for treatment is not OK. Many employers ask for a medical certificate after extending an offer, and any inconsistency with your resume can be grounds for rescinding the offer. Even if it's discovered after you start, false statements can lead to disciplinary action. The right move is to state the facts accurately while phrasing things in a way that minimizes the impact on your work.
Most applicants in their 20s and recent graduates have nothing in particular to declare. Here's how to keep it simple—plus an option for turning the field into an actual point of appeal.
If you have nothing notable to declare on the health side, just write "good" ("ryoko"). Hiring managers skim resumes quickly, and concise wording reads better. There's no need for a long entry—the two characters of "良好" are plenty.
If you're confident in your stamina and can point to a record of zero tardiness or absences, you can use "excellent" ("kiwamete ryoko") to turn the health field into a real selling point. For sales, on-site work, customer-facing roles, or other positions where stamina is valued, this can leave a positive impression.
Example: "Excellent (zero tardiness and zero absences in the three years since joining the company)"
Concrete numbers like these add credibility. Avoid hyperbole that isn't backed up by facts—that's not appropriate for a business document. Stick to claims you can support.
Hay fever, mild back pain, stiff shoulders, migraines, menstrual cramps, anemia, mildly elevated blood pressure—none of these need to be written if they don't affect your work. Even a cold you happen to have at submission time doesn't need to be mentioned if it'll be over by your start date. These are common in your 20s, and listing them only dilutes the impression you make.
Even with a chronic condition, you can adjust your phrasing to the actual impact and avoid being penalized in the selection process. Here are common patterns for 20s applicants, with example phrasing.
If you have a chronic condition but it's controlled with medication or routine care and doesn't affect your work, write "good" with a parenthetical clarification.
Example: "Good (medical visits for my chronic condition fall on scheduled days off; no impact on work)"
The key is emphasizing the facts that show no work impact: visits fit on days off, symptoms are managed with medication, etc.
If you need to attend appointments outside of scheduled days off, state the frequency and the effect on your work together.
Example: "Good (no impact on work, but I'd like to take a half-day off once every three months for a chronic-condition check-up)"
Be specific about the frequency and explicitly note that day-to-day work isn't affected. The trick is to pair what you can't do with what you can.
If specific tasks are off-limits, state both what you can't do and what you can do everywhere else.
Example: "Good (had a herniated disc five years ago, now fully recovered; I avoid lifting heavy items but have no issues with desk-based work)"
When work is restricted, pairing the restriction with a clear statement that you can handle the duties of the role makes it easier for the employer to make a hiring decision.
You don't have to name the condition. Communicating the work impact and the visit frequency is enough. That said, expect the question to come up in interviews—be ready to answer when asked. If you'd rather not name it, generic phrasing like "chronic condition follow-up visits" or "regular check-ups" is fine.
Here's how to convey your current state if you have a past illness or injury. Even in your 20s, plenty of people have surgery or hospitalization history from their student years.
If you've had a condition in the past but are now fully recovered with no risk of recurrence and no need for ongoing visits, you don't need to write anything special. "Good" is enough. The health status field is for your current state, so there's no obligation to declare resolved past symptoms.
If treatment has wrapped up but you still attend periodic follow-up visits, mention that.
Example: "Good (semi-annual follow-up visits for a previously treated condition; no impact on work)"
If you left a previous role because of an illness or injury and you've since recovered to a state with no work impact, calling that out in the health field is reassuring to the employer.
Example: "Good (the health issue at the time of my previous resignation has fully resolved; I have no current limitations on standard work)"
If your work history reads "resigned for medical recovery," pairing it with a recovery note in the health field makes the picture easier to read. For positive ways to phrase resignation reasons, see "What Is Company-Initiated Resignation? | Differences vs. Personal Reasons, Unemployment Benefits, and Procedures."
More applicants in their 20s and recent graduates today have a history of mental health issues or formal time off. It's a sensitive subject, but knowing your options here helps you choose the response that fits your situation.
If you experienced mental health issues in the past and are now fully recovered with no ongoing visits or medication, just write "good." There's no obligation to volunteer past symptoms that have resolved.
If you continue to manage symptoms with care or medication while working, communicate the work impact and the accommodations you need.
Example: "Good (I attend regular medical visits, but my symptoms are stable on medication and I have no impact on standard work)"
It's also accepted to keep the diagnosis to yourself and write only "regular medical visits." Don't feel forced to name a diagnosis you'd rather not share.
If your time off was short and you returned to standard work, you don't need to mention it in the work history section. If you took extended time off and ultimately resigned, the convention is to write "resigned for medical recovery" in the work history and add a clarifying note in the health status field, e.g., "now fully recovered with no impact on work." For more on the work history section, see "Complete Guide to Writing a Japanese Resume | Etiquette and Section-by-Section Best Practices [For 20s and Early-Career Professionals]."
Whether to disclose mental health history is ultimately your call. If you've recovered to a state with no work impact, just "good" is enough in many cases. Conversely, if you'll need accommodations on the job, disclosing up front sets you up for a more sustainable working environment. Use "impact on work" as the line to draw between the two.
Recently, more resume formats—including the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's official template—omit the health status field entirely. Here's how to handle situations where you do need to communicate health information.
If your format has no health status field and you have nothing to disclose, simply don't mention health. Filling in the rest of the form carefully is enough.
If you need to flag medical visits or work restrictions before starting, write that in the personal request or remarks section.
Example: "I would appreciate the ability to take a half-day off once a month for medical visits related to a chronic condition. There is no impact on standard work."
For more on using the personal request section—including communication while still employed—see "How to Write 'Currently Employed' on a Japanese Resume | Examples for Active Job Seekers."
If you have a lot of health-related context to convey, you can deliberately choose a resume format that includes a dedicated health status field. Pick a layout from a commercial resume template or a job site format that lets you communicate your situation clearly.
Before submitting, run through this five-item self-check. These are common slips for applicants in their 20s and recent graduates.
A blank health field is the single biggest thing to avoid. Even if you have no issues, write "good." A blank field reads as either a missed entry or something hidden.
Hiding things like "I need regular time off for medical visits" or "I can't perform a specific task" by writing "good" amounts to misrepresentation. The risks include offer rescission due to inconsistencies with a medical certificate and disciplinary action after you start. State the facts, but choose phrasing that emphasizes the work you can still perform.
Going into excessive detail about symptoms or listing every prior condition unrelated to your work is counterproductive. Hiring managers skim resumes quickly—concise wording wins. Write only what affects the role; minor issues and resolved past conditions don't belong here.
"None" ("toku ni nashi") doesn't belong in the health status field. The conventional wording when you have no issues is "good." "None" reads as a perfunctory way to fill the box and lowers the impression of the document. Use the standard wording.
Stopping at "can't lift heavy items due to back pain" or "need regular medical visits" reads negatively. The trick is to pair the restriction with what you can do or how you manage it. Frame it like "I avoid lifting heavy items but have no issues with desk-based work"—always close on the positive piece.
Once you've written about your health on your resume, you may get follow-up questions in the interview. Don't be thrown off—prepare so you can respond cleanly.
If your resume says "chronic condition follow-up visits," you may be asked "What kind of condition is it?" in the interview. The right move is to answer honestly. Hiding it costs you trust. That said, you don't owe more detail than is needed: "I have X symptoms but they're stable on medication" is plenty.
After naming the condition, always emphasize "no impact on work" and "I manage it well." Specifics drive credibility: "I currently keep symptoms under control with regular visits and medication, and I had zero absences at my previous job." Anchor your reassurance in actual track record.
If you need accommodations like time off for visits or work restrictions, be specific. "If I can take a half-day off in the afternoon once a month, that allows for the medical visit" or "I'd ask to be excused from heavy-lifting tasks; I can fully perform everything else"—paint a picture the employer can act on. Surfacing this up front prevents post-hire mismatches.
If you left a previous role for health reasons, the trick is to frame your post-recovery direction in positive terms. "During my recovery period I worked through self-reflection, and I came to want to take on X work at your company"—closing on what's ahead leaves a strong impression.
If your work isn't affected, the impact on the selection process is minimal. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare also discourages hiring discrimination based on health status. The vast majority of employers evaluate on skills and experience, so there's no need to be more anxious than necessary. In fact, sharing visit schedules or work limitations up front prevents post-hire mismatches and pays off long-term.
If they don't affect day-to-day work, no. Taking medication for hay fever or having occasional back pain is fine to leave under "good." The criterion is: "Does it clearly affect the work?" The minor issues that are common in your 20s mostly don't need to be listed.
If you've only been told to come in for further testing and there's no diagnosis yet, you don't need to write anything—"good" is fine. If a diagnosis is later confirmed and treatment, ongoing visits, or work impact follow, that's the point at which you communicate it on the resume or in interviews.
Having a chronic condition by itself isn't, in principle, a reason for rejection. If your skills and personality clear the bar, employers often hire with accommodations in place. Increasingly, companies use flex schedules or remote work to cover medical visits, so making accommodation needs clear gives you a better chance of being considered favorably.
Many employers ask for a medical certificate after extending an offer. Under Japan's Industrial Safety and Health Act, employers can administer or request a health checkup at the time of hire. If your resume materially conflicts with the medical certificate, the offer can be rescinded—another reason to be honest at the resume stage.
You don't need to write that you have a disability certificate in the health status field per se. For an open-application role, list only the accommodations you need. For an application to a disability-specific hire posting, follow the dedicated form's instructions on certificate type and grade. The format depends on the application track—check the job posting to confirm.
The health status field is one of those items where 20s and early-career applicants tend to feel more anxious than they need to, but the criterion is simple. If your work isn't affected, write "good." If you have a chronic condition or ongoing visits, pair the facts with your ability to do the job. Get those two right and you'll be able to fill it in without hesitation.
Three writing rules to remember: don't submit blank, judge by work impact, and always pair "what you can't do" with "what you can do." Stick to those and you'll virtually eliminate the chance of being marked down on this field.
For broader resume guidance, see "Complete Guide to Writing a Japanese Resume | Etiquette and Section-by-Section Best Practices [For 20s and Early-Career Professionals]." For using the personal request section, see "How to Write 'Currently Employed' on a Japanese Resume | Examples for Active Job Seekers." For the job description (shokumu keirekisho), see "Complete Manual on Writing the Shokumu Keirekisho | Templates and Examples by Role." Hiding health information serves you less well than communicating it appropriately and unlocking the right accommodations. Use this article to find an approach that fits your situation and put yourself in a position to clear the selection process.
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