Recruiting Chefs in Japan: Agencies, Job Sites, Schools Compared

There are four ways to recruit a chef in Japan: licensed agencies, job sites, schools and Hello Work, and your own posts and referrals. For one experienced chef in a hurry, use referrals and an agency; for juniors every year, schools and job sites. Agency fees averaged about ¥1.03 million per permanent placement in FY2024; schools and Hello Work are free. A foreign employer recruiting in Japan should follow Japan's rules on stating terms and accurate ads.

1. Which channel for which situation

2. How each channel charges, and your cost per hire

Compare channels on cost per hire, not on the fee. Fill this in with your own numbers.

Worked percentages on overseas salaries, and the test for when a flat fee beats a percentage, are on agency vs job board.

3. What a foreign employer must do when recruiting in Japan

We found no MHLW statement that sets out how far the Employment Security Act reaches an employer outside Japan. Our position: if you recruit inside Japan through Japanese job sites, agencies or schools, treat these six points as binding. The Japanese sites and agencies will apply them to your vacancy in any case.

1. State the terms (Art. 5-3): duties, place of work, hours, pay and so on.
2. Accurate ads (Art. 5-4): nothing false or misleading; keep it current; take it down when filled.
3. Personal data (Art. 5-5): collect and keep applicants' data only for the stated purpose.
4. Take no money from applicants (Art. 39).
5. Do not pay outsiders to recruit for you (Art. 36): that is entrusted recruitment and needs a permit.
6. Use licensed agencies only (Art. 30), and check that the licence covers placements abroad.

Grey areas, such as whether a staff referral bonus falls under Article 40's limits on rewards, belong with a Japanese labour and social security attorney (社会保険労務士) or lawyer. The labour law of the country of work applies as well.

4. Using a recruitment agency

• Check the permit number on MHLW's human resources services site.
• Ask for the fee schedule. A notified schedule states what part of pay the fee is calculated on.
• Read the refund terms. Since April 2024, fee schedules and refund policies may be published on the agency's own website.
• Check its results. Agencies must publish figures such as the number placed and the number placed on open ended contracts who have since left (Art. 32-16).
• Can it place abroad? An agency that places people across borders must file documents on the destination country when applying for its permit. In FY2024, all agencies together made 70 placements across borders for cooks (調理師) and 644 for food preparation work, counting both directions. Few have the track record.

5. Using job sites

The amendment in force from October 2022 made accurate display mandatory for job sites too, and businesses that collect applicants' data must now notify MHLW, which publishes a list of them. Sites specialising in jobs abroad attract people who have already decided to go, so judge them on quality rather than volume. Large general sites have more visitors, most of them looking for work in Japan. Convert prices to cost per hire with the worksheet in section 2.

6. Culinary schools and Hello Work

Schools may place current students and graduates free of charge after notifying the ministry (Art. 33-2). Each school sets the range of placements it handles, so whether it takes vacancies abroad varies. New graduates have little work experience and rarely meet visa experience rules, so ask whether the school will also pass your vacancy to graduates with a few years' experience, and when it accepts vacancies. See hiring from culinary schools.

Hello Work is the free public placement service. We found no official statement on whether it accepts vacancies located abroad. If you have a base in Japan, ask the office that covers it.

7. Your own posts and referrals

Recruiting through your own site or social media is recruitment by the employer itself. It is cheap, but the rules in section 3 still apply. Promising a "finder's fee" to a chef you know or to an influencer may count as entrusted recruitment under Article 36. Check a staff referral bonus with an adviser before making it policy. Practical steps are in recruiting chefs on social media.

8. Checklist before you sign or post

General information, not legal or employment advice. How the Employment Security Act applies to employers outside Japan and to particular methods depends on the facts. Check the primary sources below and take professional advice where needed.