1-1 Background

The accommodation industry is facing difficulty securing workers due to the declining birthrate, diversification of career choices, and other factors, and a serious labor shortage has become clear. As the average age of accommodation workers rises, it has become difficult to secure enough workers using domestic human resources alone. This system was introduced to accept foreign workers in response to this situation.

1-2 Information for People Working with Specified Skilled Worker Status

The Immigration Services Agency compiles and publishes the number of people working under Specified Skilled Worker status once every half year (once every three months until 2022). According to that data, the population ratios by country and age group are as follows.

As of the end of June 2024, 492 people work in the accommodation field under Specified Skilled Worker status. By region, most workers are from Asia, with Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Myanmar being the top countries of origin.

Although the Specified Skilled Worker system began in 2019, the number of people working in the accommodation field under this status has increased by about four times over the past three years, and the number of accepted workers is expected to continue expanding.

source : 出入国在留管理庁（https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/ssw/zairyuarchive.html）

2-1 Job Description

The main duties under Specified Skilled Worker “Accommodation” are front desk work, planning and public relations work, customer service work, and restaurant service work.

• Front Desk Work

Checking guests in and out, providing information about nearby tourist attractions, arranging tours departing from or arriving at the hotel, etc.

• Planning and Public Relations Work

Planning campaigns and special plans, creating in-house guide flyers, sharing information on websites and social media, etc.

• Customer Service Work

Checking guests in and out, providing information about nearby tourist attractions, arranging tours departing from or arriving at the hotel, etc.

• Restaurant Service Work

Checking guests in and out, providing information about nearby tourist attractions, arranging tours departing from or arriving at the hotel, etc.

2-2 Differences by work category

In the accommodation industry, the job content changes depending on the assigned area, such as front desk, planning and public relations, customer service, and restaurant service. Front desk work mainly includes check-in, check-out, and answering inquiries. Customer service mainly includes guiding guests inside the facility and helping users. Restaurant service mainly includes serving, clearing tables, and taking orders. Planning and public relations may involve accommodation plans, facility information, and sharing information through social media and websites.

2-3 Knowledge and Japanese needed for work

In the accommodation industry, customer service Japanese is important for guiding guests, confirming reservations, explaining prices, and explaining facility information. Even in cleaning and restaurant support work, you need to understand basic expressions for work instructions, hygiene management, lost items, and complaint handling.

3-1 How to read salary and take-home pay

The average monthly payment for SSW Accommodation workers in 2021 was ¥194,358. This is the average monthly payment based on periodic reports for SSW foreign workers who stayed throughout 2021.

According to public statistics, the average monthly payment for SSW foreign workers in this field is ¥194,358. This is not take-home pay. The actual amount you receive changes depending on taxes, social insurance fees, dormitory fees, food costs, overtime pay, night shift allowance, and other items. When checking a job offer, check not only the base salary, but also the estimated take-home pay, overtime pay, dormitory fees, social insurance, and transportation costs.

For new fields or fields with few workers, field-specific average payment may not be clear enough in public materials. Check the latest salary terms in the job ad and employment contract.

source : Source: Immigration Services Agency, “Current Status of the Specified Skilled Worker System”（https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001397709.pdf）

The salary amounts above are statistical average payments or guide amounts from job conditions. They are not the actual take-home pay. Take-home pay changes depending on taxes, social insurance fees, dormitory fees, food costs, overtime pay, night shift allowance, transportation costs, and other items. Under SSW, the pay must be equal to or higher than the pay of Japanese workers doing the same job.

3-2 Working hours, work location, and shifts

In the accommodation industry, work styles differ depending on the workplace, such as hotels, ryokan inns, and resort facilities. Front desk and restaurant jobs may include early morning, night, weekend, and holiday shifts. The required Japanese level also changes depending on whether the job is mainly cleaning or mainly customer service.

3-3 Things to Check Before Applying

Before applying, check not only the monthly salary, but also the actual job content, working hours, days off, overtime pay, night shift allowance, dormitory fees, food costs, social insurance, transportation costs, qualification support, who will handle the residence status application, and the name of the registered support organization.

For accommodation jobs, check the actual assigned work, such as front desk, cleaning, or restaurant work, whether there are night shifts, dormitory fees, meal support, uniforms, work location, overtime during busy seasons, and the Japanese level required for customer service.

• See how to find a company and how to check job offer details

4-1 First, check the Japanese language test needed for your field.

To obtain Specified Skilled Worker status for “Railway,” you must pass a Japanese language test and the Railway Field Specified Skilled Worker (i) Evaluation Test for your desired job category.

To work as Specified Skilled Worker (i), in principle, you need to pass a Japanese language test and a field-specific skills evaluation test. For the Japanese language test, JLPT N4 or higher, or JFT-Basic A2 or higher, is accepted. In the nursing care field, the Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test is also required. People who have successfully completed Technical Intern Training (ii) may be exempt from tests depending on the field and work content.

• View Exams Required to Obtain Specified Skilled Worker Status
• View Detailed Information about JLPT N4
• View Detailed Information about JFT-Basic A2

4-2 Skills Evaluation Test

The Accommodation Field SSW (i) Evaluation Test checks the knowledge and skills needed to work at accommodation facilities such as hotels and ryokan inns. The test covers front desk work, planning and public relations work, customer service, restaurant service, occupational safety and health, and other basic knowledge. Check the test information page and the official website for detailed test dates, application methods, test format, and sample questions.

• View Detailed Information about JLPT N4
• Check Official Railway Field Information

5-1 Move on to study, job search, and application

After checking the job content and required tests, next check the flow for test study, company search, and residence status application. Even if you pass the tests, you still need an employment contract with a company and a residence status application.

• Check Official Railway Field Information
• Search for Companies
• View Residence Status Application Method
• Check the Visa Application Flow