Learn about job duties、work arrangements、how to assess pay、and the required exams。Also check the conditions for your desired work category。
Manufacture・process food and beverages excluding alcoholic drinks、 and manage safety and hygiene。 This is work at factories and eligible business establishments、 distinct from work involving only food sales。
Points to note about the system・covered work：The category will be divided into Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Seafood Processing from 1 April 2027。 Prepare with a clear distinction between current tests、 and future system changes。
Official information by field from the responsible ministries・Immigration Services Agency
For the numbers of residents by field・nationality、see Immigration Services Agency publications。Check the reporting date、and consider these figures separately from the availability of jobs。
Published figures on foreign residents with Specified Skilled Worker statusSpecified Skilled Worker is a status of residence for people with certain skills to work in Japan。Generally、people who successfully complete Technical Intern Training No. 2 are exempt from the Japanese language exam。For skills exam exemptions、check the correspondence between the occupation・tasks completed and the desired field。
Technical Intern Training aims to contribute internationally through the transfer of skills。Labor laws also apply to technical interns。For the conditions for transition to the Employment for Skill Development system starting on 1 April 2027、check official guidance。
Latest guidance on Specified Skilled Worker・Employment for Skill Development2-1 Job Description
Manufacture・process food and beverages excluding alcoholic drinks、 and manage safety and hygiene。 This is work at factories and eligible business establishments、 distinct from work involving only food sales。
2-2 Differences by work category
The current work category also includes seafood processing。
2-3 Knowledge and Japanese needed for work
In food factories, you need to understand words such as hygiene, hand washing, disinfection, temperature control, foreign matter contamination, allergies, 5S, HACCP, machine stop, and abnormality report.
3-1 How to read salary and take-home pay
Historical statistics for reference（2021・provisional figures）
The average monthly amount paid to Specified Skilled Workers in this field was 223,566 yen。This is an average based on periodic reports for people who resided in Japan throughout 2021、and is neither just base pay nor net pay。It does not indicate current pay levels、or the amount you would receive from a specific job offer。
Immigration Services Agency：Average monthly amount paid by field in 2021（provisional figures）Check base pay、scheduled working hours、hours covered by fixed overtime pay、overtime・night shift allowances、bonuses、taxes・social insurance、and dormitory fees separately when comparing。Even with the same monthly pay、conditions vary depending on working hours and deductions。
Distinguish historical statistics from current job offer terms。For Specified Skilled Workers、pay must be equal to or higher than the pay of Japanese workers with equivalent skills・experience。
3-2 Working hours, work location, and shifts
Factory work may include early morning work, night shifts, and rotating shifts, not only daytime work. You may need to do standing work, line work, work in refrigerated or frozen environments, wear hygiene clothing, and check food allergies.
3-3 What to Check in a Job Posting
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 job offers, check the food being manufactured, whether the work is line work or individual work, rotating shifts, night shifts, refrigerated or frozen environments, hygiene clothing, dormitory fees, meals, overtime, and allergy handling.
4-1 Tests Required for This Field
As a rule、JLPT N4 or higher or a JFT-Basic score of 200 points or higher assessed as A2.2（A2） is required。With only a JFT-Basic assessment of A1・A2.1、this requirement is not met。
Japanese・skills requirements vary by field and work category。In the exam information by field below、check the required Japanese proficiency、additional exams、driving licenses、work experience、and exemption requirements。
4-2 Skills Evaluation Test
The Type 1 test is a CBT with 30 theory questions・10 practical questions、40 questions in total・70 minutes。Questions have 3 choices・furigana、and the passing score is at least 98 out of 150。Study food safety including HACCP、quality、manufacturing processes、and occupational safety。
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.