‘ello!
i’m a trained european cook, and wanting a change of scenery. i’ve been training as a cook in europe for many years, and have developed an interest in japanese cuisine, along with an interest of the language and culture from years back.
so i have a few questions about the restaurant industry in japan:
1. how accepting are restaurants of foreigners? where i’m from restaurants are by far the most multi cultural workplace, so i’m wondering how it is in japan. and also whether or not it’s very difficult to find a job as a chef in japan.
i’m still young, but i have years of experience under my belt, including some michelin star experience; does this matter at all for getting a job in japan?
2. how are the hours and pay? people often say work hours in japan are harsh, but restaurant hours tend to be harsh in every country. it’s mostly just a question of whether or not it’s a survivable wage.
3. japan as i understand is a country with low tolerance of tattoos and piercings, which are extremely common where i’m from, even more so in kitchens. does this norm still apply in restaurant kitchens? (my tattoos are easily hidden, and i can take out my piercings, if it’s an issue)
also any other general advice would be lovely 🙂
any answers are appreciated, thank you!
4 comments
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**chefs/cooks in japan**
‘ello!
i’m a trained european cook, and wanting a change of scenery. i’ve been training as a cook in europe for many years, and have developed an interest in japanese cuisine, along with an interest of the language and culture from years back.
so i have a few questions about the restaurant industry in japan:
1. how accepting are restaurants of foreigners? where i’m from restaurants are by far the most multi cultural workplace, so i’m wondering how it is in japan. and also whether or not it’s very difficult to find a job as a chef in japan.
i’m still young, but i have years of experience under my belt, including some michelin star experience; does this matter at all for getting a job in japan?
2. how are the hours and pay? people often say work hours in japan are harsh, but restaurant hours tend to be harsh in every country. it’s mostly just a question of whether or not it’s a survivable wage.
3. japan as i understand is a country with low tolerance of tattoos and piercings, which are extremely common where i’m from, even more so in kitchens. does this norm still apply in restaurant kitchens? (my tattoos are easily hidden, and i can take out my piercings, if it’s an issue)
also any other general advice would be lovely 🙂
any answers are appreciated, thank you!
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There isn’t really a chef visa. So you couldn’t just join a restaurant and cook for a living.
There is a business manager visa and you can open a restaurant with that but it is harder to get.
My friend from france has been living in Japan for almost 10 years now. He is a chef and just went to Japan and got a job I believe. He found a French restaurant who sponsored him.
You’re best option would be a Working Holiday Visa. Once that’s over if they want to keep you around you might be able to switch to a Skilled Worker Visa which needs 10 years experience in the field. It can’t be multiple different cuisines in 10 years either. It would need to be 10 years in French or Italy cuisine etc and they need written letters from employers for proof and they will be contacted. The restaurant also needs to prove that they need someone with your expertise around. Basically a job a Japanese person couldn’t just do.
I had to deal with this exact scenario a few years ago. It’s definitely not easy but can be done.