How to Read a Japanese Resume (Rirekisho) From a Chef

A Japanese chef's application usually arrives as a rirekisho (履歴書), a one-page form with boxes and era-year dates rather than a Western-style CV, sometimes with a shokumu keirekisho (職務経歴書) attached. Read correctly, the dates, the work history format and a handful of set phrases tell you far more than they look like they do. This page gives a worked example, a full era-year lookup, and the interview questions each gap in the form should trigger.

1. Two documents: rirekisho and shokumu keirekisho

Hello Work (Japan's public employment service) notes that the rirekisho is the most common application document and that more employers now also ask for a shokumu keirekisho. For a cook, the second document is where you find station, volume and responsibility. If you only get a rirekisho, ask for one; section 8 has the wording.

2. A worked example, box by box

This is a fictional rirekisho, built to show what each box tells you, and what it does not. Names and dates are invented.

What this rirekisho does not tell you: what he actually did at each restaurant, what section he worked, how large the team was, or why the second job ended. That is exactly what the shokumu keirekisho and the interview are for; section 7 and section 8 pick up from here.

3. Era year lookup: Showa 50 to Reiwa 8

Hello Work advises applicants to use either Japanese era years or Western years consistently, and notes that era years are the usual choice. Rather than doing the arithmetic each time, use this lookup for the range that covers almost every working chef's history.

The first year of an era is written 元年 (gannen), not 1年; you will see 平成元年 or 令和元年 rather than 平成1年. Japanese school years start in April and finish in March, so education lines usually read "…年3月 卒業" (graduated in March) and "…年4月 入学" (entered in April).

4. Reading the work history

• Oldest first. The standard rirekisho is chronological, not reverse chronological.
• One line to join, one line to leave. 入社 (joined) and 退社 or 退職 (left) for companies; 勤務 or 入職 and 退職 for other employers.
• Employment type in brackets. Work that was not a regular full-time post is noted in brackets, for example （アルバイト） for part time or （契約社員） for contract staff.
• Formal names. Company names are written in full (株式会社○○, not （株）○○). If a name has since changed, the old name comes first with the new one in brackets: （現・○○）.
• Still employed. The last line reads 現在に至る ("to the present"), sometimes with an expected leaving date. The history ends with 以上 ("end").

In restaurants, a chef often worked at one branch of a company, written as "株式会社○○ △△店 入社": company, then branch. Search both. The branch tells you the style and level of the restaurant; the company tells you whether it was a group or a single site. See our guide to Japanese kitchen roles for how station names map to seniority.

5. Phrases you will see, and what they mean

6. Licences and qualifications

Licences are usually written as "○○免許 取得" (licence obtained) or "○○検定 合格" (exam passed). The one you will see most is the 調理師免許 (chōrishi menkyo, cook's licence), granted by a prefectural governor to people who complete at least one year at a designated cooking school, or who pass the cook's examination after at least two years of cooking work. It protects the title "調理師" and is a meaningful sign of training, but it is not a condition for working as a cook in Japan, so a strong chef may not hold one. For an English version for a visa file, see cook's licence translations. You may also see the MAFF certification of Japanese cuisine cooking skills for overseas chefs; see our guide to it.

7. From a CV line to an interview question

The shokumu keirekisho (Hello Work describes three layouts: chronological, reverse chronological, and grouped by type of work) should give station, team size and responsibility for each job. When it does not, or when a rirekisho line alone raises a question, ask directly rather than guessing.

Our interview questions and scoring guide takes these further once you are past the CV stage.

8. What to ask for if you want more

• A shokumu keirekisho, if you only received a rirekisho: "職務経歴書もお送りいただけますか" ("Could you also send a shokumu keirekisho?").
• Photos or video of their work, which often tell you more than either document.
• An English summary, if you are not reading Japanese; be clear that a short one is fine.
• References, with the candidate's consent. See reference checks for chefs from Japan.
• Employment certificates later, if the visa needs them. See employment certificates in English.

General information, not legal advice. What you may ask applicants, including about age, gender, photos or family, is governed by the law where you hire; check it before you set up your application process.