Translate Your CV or Resume from Japanese to English
To translate a CV from Japanese to English, upload the 職務経歴書 (shokumu keirekisho) or 履歴書 (rirekisho) you already have, choose English, and MyEasyCV writes the whole CV in English in a clean template you can edit line by line. Below: how Japan's two-document format differs from a US resume or UK CV — photo, date of birth, era years, degrees — and the wasei-eigo that gives a translation away.
Free account · First CV free to create and preview · PDF, DOC, DOCX or TXT
· MyEasyCV
How to translate your CV from Japanese to English in 3 steps
- 1
Upload your Japanese CV
PDF, DOC, DOCX or TXT, up to 10 MB and 5 pages. You upload one file: combine the rirekisho and shokumu keirekisho, or use the shokumu keirekisho alone. Handwritten forms and scans cannot be read; download a Canva design as a PDF.
- 2
Choose English and a design
Coming from this page, English is already selected as the CV language. Pick one of 25+ templates. In the optional note, ask for “American English” or “British English” and give your passport name, e.g. “YAMADA Taro”.
- 3
Review, edit and download
Edit any line, delete personal details an English CV does not need, check that no name is left in kanji, and download the PDF.
What gets translated and what stays the same
- Translated
- Summary, job titles, duties and achievements, skills, degrees and majors, training, projects, volunteering and custom sections.
- Kept as written
- Your name, company and school names, contact details, links, software names (Excel, SAP) and certification acronyms. Names may therefore stay in kanji: replace them with passport romaji and official English names.
- Not summarised
- Set up to keep every job, bullet point and date. Still, compare the result with your documents.
- Checked by you
- The tool translates what your documents contain. Delete your date of birth, age, gender or marital status in the editor before applying in the US or the UK.
Rirekisho and shokumu keirekisho vs. US resume vs. UK CV
In Japan you usually submit two documents; in the US and the UK you send one.
| Japan | United States (resume) | United Kingdom (CV) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documents | Rirekisho form + shokumu keirekisho | One resume | One CV |
| Length | Set form + a few A4 pages of work history | 1 page; 2 for long careers | Up to 2 pages |
| Photo | ID photo is the norm | No | No |
| Personal details | Date of birth, age, address with furigana | Name, city, phone, email, LinkedIn | Name, city, phone, email, LinkedIn |
| Order | Rirekisho: oldest first | Most recent first | Most recent first |
| Years | Reiwa 3 (令和3年) or 2021 | Apr 2021 – Present | Apr 2021 – Present |
| Phone | 090-1234-5678 | +81 90-1234-5678 | +81 90-1234-5678 |
| Self-promotion | Motivation and self-PR boxes | 2–3 line summary at the top | 3–4 line personal statement |
General conventions, not rules — if the job ad asks for something else, follow the ad. Foreign-owned companies in Japan sometimes ask for both an English resume and Japanese documents.
How to write Japanese education and licences in English
Use the school's official English or romanised name, and explain the type of programme.
- 高等学校 (high school)
- High School Diploma. Usually left out once you have a degree.
- 短期大学 (tanki daigaku)
- An associate degree from a junior college: “Associate Degree in Nutrition (2-year junior college)”.
- 専門学校 (senmon gakko)
- “Senmon gakko” alone means nothing abroad: “Diploma in Web Design (2-year vocational college)”.
- 高専 (kosen)
- A 5-year programme after junior high school: “College of Technology (KOSEN, 5-year program)”, plus the department.
- 学士 (gakushi)
- Bachelor's degree with the field: “Bachelor of Economics, Waseda University”. Still studying? “Expected graduation: Mar 2026”. Copy your GPA with its scale: “GPA 3.4/4.0”.
- 修士 / 博士
- 修士（工学） is “Master of Engineering”; 博士（理学） is “Doctor of Science” or simply “PhD”.
- 資格 (licences and tests)
- A car licence is just “Driver's license” (UK: “Driving licence”). Give tests with scores or grades: “TOEIC Listening & Reading: 860”, “EIKEN Grade Pre-1”.
Wasei-eigo and literal translations to fix
These English-looking Japanese words mean something else in English.
| Japanese | Literal mistake | On an English CV |
|---|---|---|
| サラリーマン (sarariiman) | Salaryman | The job title, e.g. Sales Representative |
| アルバイト (arubaito) | Arbeit | Part-time, e.g. Part-time Sales Assistant |
| クレーム対応 | Claim handling | Handling customer complaints |
| スキルアップ | Skill up | Developed skills in … |
| キャリアアップ | Career up | Career advancement |
| ホームページ制作 | Homepage making | Website development |
| マンション (in an address) | Mansion | Apartment / Apt. |
| 一身上の都合により退社 | Resigned for personal reasons | Leave it out |
| 現在に至る / 以上 | Until now / That's all | Present; no closing “以上” |
Why translate your Japanese CV with MyEasyCV
Your whole CV, not a summary
Set up to keep every job, bullet point and date; only the language and layout change. Always review the result.
A fresh, ATS-readable design
Clean templates with standard headings and real text that applicant tracking systems (ATS) can read.
You edit every line
Fix a romanised name, delete your date of birth or reorder sections before you download.
Tailored to one job ad
With “Tailor CV to Vacancy” you add an English job ad, and the CV is written around what that employer asks for.
Translate an English CV into Japanese
Moving to Japan or applying to an employer that wants Japanese documents? Upload your English CV and choose Japanese. The result is a Western-format CV in Japanese, not a JIS-style rirekisho or a shokumu keirekisho.
- Rirekisho form
- If an employer asks for a rirekisho, fill in their form or a standard one separately; the Japanese CV is a useful draft.
- Photo and details
- Japanese employers often expect a photo and date of birth. Add the photo in the optional field and other details in the editor.
Plans
Free Start: 1 CV generation with full preview, no card required. One-Time Package: $2.99–$7.99, pay once — 2 CV generations, AI edits, unlimited PDF downloads. Pro Plan: monthly subscription — 20 CVs per month. Prices are shown in your local currency on the pricing section.
Japanese to English CV translation: FAQ
How do I translate my CV from Japanese to English?
Upload your Japanese CV, choose English as the CV language and a design, and the English version is ready in about a minute. Review it and download the PDF.
Is it free?
Your first CV is free to create and preview with an account, no card needed. The clean PDF without watermark is part of the One-Time Package (one payment; price depends on your country) or the Pro Plan.
Rirekisho or shokumu keirekisho: which should I upload?
You upload one file. Combine both into one PDF or Word file of up to 5 pages, or pick the shokumu keirekisho, which has the detail an English CV needs.
How do I convert Reiwa and Heisei years?
English CVs use Western years. Add 2018 to a Reiwa year and 1988 to a Heisei year: Heisei 31 (平成31年) is 2019, Reiwa 3 (令和3年) is 2021.
Which name order should I use?
“Taro Yamada” and “YAMADA Taro” both work. Pick one and use it everywhere; writing the family name in capitals shows which part it is. Match the romaji in your passport.
Should an English resume have a photo or date of birth?
For the US and the UK, usually not, and the same goes for age, gender and marital status. In MyEasyCV the photo is optional; without one, the CV has none.
Where do the motivation and preferences boxes go?
They are not resume sections. Put one or two lines of motivation in the summary or in your application email; leave out salary wishes and reasons for leaving, such as 一身上の都合.
Is this a certified translation?
No. MyEasyCV writes your CV in English for job applications. Diplomas, transcripts and documents for visas or authorities may need a certified translation.
Can I translate my CV from English to Japanese?
Yes. Upload your English CV and choose Japanese as the CV language. The first CV is free to create and preview; the clean PDF without watermark is paid. The result is a Western-format CV, not a JIS-style rirekisho.
Your experience is the same in any language. Make sure it reads well in English.
Upload your Japanese CV — the first English version is free to create and preview.