In Japan, when a local employee loses a job,
it is usually a career setback.
For many foreign professionals,
it can become a residency crisis.
That difference changes everything.

1️⃣ Employment Is Attached to Status
Most working visas in Japan — such as:
• Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services
• Highly Skilled Professional
• Intra-company Transferee
are structurally tied to employment.
Losing a job is not simply “taking a break.”
It starts a countdown.

2️⃣ Many Are Not Formally “Laid Off”
Japan’s legal standard for collective dismissal is strict.
In reality, what happens more often is:
• Performance pressure
• Subtle resignation encouragement
• Internal repositioning
• “You may not be a good fit here” conversations
Employees resign voluntarily.
On paper: self-initiated resignation.
In reality: structural pressure.
For foreign professionals, visa anxiety accelerates decisions.

3️⃣ Academic Prestige Doesn’t Protect You
I once saw a QS Top 20 graduate
move from the U.S. to a foreign company in Japan.
Within a year,
he was encouraged to resign due to “performance.”
He almost lost his residency status.
Prestige did not protect him.
Understanding the system would have.

4️⃣ The Chain Reaction
For foreign professionals, job loss can trigger:
• Visa activity scrutiny
• Permanent residency risk
• Highly Skilled Professional point reduction
• Family visa instability
• Social insurance continuity issues
• Credit and loan implications
It is not emotional.
It is structural.

5️⃣ Career Planning in Japan Is Not One-Dimensional
Choosing a job in Japan is not only about:
• Salary
• Brand name
• Role content
It must also consider:
• Visa stability
• Long-term residency path
• Income continuity
• Industry resilience
• Legal positioning
Career planning for foreign professionals
is system design, not job selection.

In Japan,
for foreign professionals,
a “layoff” is not just a career event.
It is a structural test of long-term survival.

Tokyo Asabana｜東京朝花
Founder: Serena He
Nationally Certified Career Consultant / MBA
Education & Career Strategy Consultant for International Residents in Japan
hello@tokyoasabana.com