Career on the Railroad in Japan

[LouisMac25]

I went to school and am Certified to Conduct a train and was wondering if there are any careers in train service, I do know they run a lot of trains. I see they are very well talked about in Japan. My question is that does anybody know where one could apply for a train service job in Japan, websites companies any information would be wonderful? I have always thought about moving to Japan I think it would be fun.

 

[Ewok85]

You don't want it, trust me. My brother in law is a train driver and he gets worked hard. Its extremely high stress.

And I very, very, very much doubt they would let you into the operations side of thing unless you had *perfect* Japanese. There is alot of rules and regulations you need to know, and most probably tests and qualifications that are essential for you to be able to work for them.

Good news would be that they aren't strict on station staff

 

[ET_Fukuoka]

Let's just say it will never happen.

 

[Mars Man]

Greetings from the roof of Japan, and WELCOME to JREF !!

I moved this here, thinking this fora more fitting.

I regretfully have to agree with the above. The likelihood of being able to eventually end up behind the lever of the common train in Japan, is more than extremely small--not impossible, of course, just more than extremely small.

Yet, I would like to try to see if I can get any contact information or whatever--and if you could see if you could possibly do the like, Ewok85 san, I think it would be a right friendly thing to do, since the OP is asking, at least, for that much. (it might take me some time to do so...however...)

MM

 

[LouisMac25]

Thank you guys for all your information. That is helpful I am currently working in the US and love it. I thought it would be fun to try that out but sounds like I'm better off staying here.

 

[Taiko666]

Are there any actual regulations preventing non-Japanese nationals becoming railway employees? I only ask since I remember remarking to a Japanese friend that the day I see a 'non-Japanese-looking' police officer, train driver or bus driver would be a momentous day indeed (or words to that effect in my limited Japanese.)

 

[Mike Cash]

I well remember a news story from not that many years ago about one of the train lines in Tokyo having the first ever female conductor (Japanese, of course).

They assigned a male conductor to ride along with her. Not just during her training period, but as a matter of course for daily operations.

If that doesn't give you some indication of the likelihood of a non-Japanese being hired for the position, nothing will.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

I don't think it's impossible to work on the trains in Japan, but...

1) You'll need to speak with a perfect, and I mean PERFECT accent
2) You'll have to have at least a kanji kentei 2nd level under your belt.
3) You'll have to be under the age of like 26 or something. I actually checked on this once in Nagoya several years ago, and that was the cutoff age at the time.
4) You'll have to expect that many of the people riding the trains will be horrified at the thought of a foreigner at the helm. I know I would be!!

 

[Mike Cash]

I moved this here, thinking this fora more fitting.
I regretfully have to agree with the above. The likelihood of being able to eventually end up behind the lever of the common train in Japan, is more than extremely small--not impossible, of course, just more than extremely small.

Yet, I would like to try to see if I can get any contact information or whatever--and if you could see if you could possibly do the like, Ewok85 san, I think it would be a right friendly thing to do, since the OP is asking, at least, for that much. (it might take me some time to do so...however...)
MM

At the risk of sounding harsh, if he doesn't possess at least enough Japanese ability to google contact information himself, the likelihood that he will have any practical need for it anytime within the next decade or so is zero.

 

[Elizabeth]

Are there any actual regulations preventing non-Japanese nationals becoming railway employees? I only ask since I remember remarking to a Japanese friend that the day I see a 'non-Japanese-looking' police officer, train driver or bus driver would be a momentous day indeed (or words to that effect in my limited Japanese.)

I would even be suspicious of a non-Japanese taxi driver....

Although if you really, really, really had your heart set on being a foreign cabbie in Japan I'm thinking there may be positions within some tour companies...

 

[Mike Cash]

There used to be an American driving a cab in Hiroshima. Last I heard of the guy was about 20 years or so ago, though. No idea what ever became of him.

I remember reading an article in The Japan Times, must have also been close to 20 years ago, in which they interviewed some Tokyo cab companies about hiring non-Japanese drivers. The companies interviewed said they would have nothing against hiring a non-Japanese cabbie, but no one qualified had ever applied.

Next thing you know some uppity gaijin will get it in his head he can drive a truck here.

 

[epigene]

Are there any actual regulations preventing non-Japanese nationals becoming railway employees? I only ask since I remember remarking to a Japanese friend that the day I see a 'non-Japanese-looking' police officer, train driver or bus driver would be a momentous day indeed (or words to that effect in my limited Japanese.)

I don't think there is--though it is just a guess.

Regarding the job of a train conductor in Japan, I think the chances are virtually zero, considering that the job is found only in major railway companies.

Smaller railway companies are streamlining their work forces by introducing automation and the conductor job is eliminated first (and eventually the driver job as well--the example being the Yurikamome Line).

In major railway companies, there are only about couple of tens of job vacancies at most each year, and the applications received number in the thousands. JR (Japan Railway) Tokai, East Japan, etc., hire the largest numbers, but only 100 at most from a field of at least 10,000 applicants a year. In addition, there is no guarantee that these railway companies announce hirings each year, since they won't if they see a glut in their work force.

My daughter's high school buddy succeeded in joining JR Tokai, but he graduated from a prestigious private university in Tokyo with a degree in law. I heard that he's driving Shinkansen trains as part of the company's job training program. Talk about overqualified...

Regarding foreign-looking police officers, I know at least one (half-Caucasian but monolingual Japanese, though) who joined a certain prefectural police force.

 

[GaijinPunch]

The companies interviewed said they would have nothing against hiring a non-Japanese cabbie, but no one qualified had ever applied.

I actually find this at least somewhat believable. I don't know what the requirements are, but I would assume a somewhat long, and clean driving record. Ironic as they will make you work 24 hours straight, putting said record into jeopardy.

 

[Ewok85]

Let's just say it will never happen.

Never say never - you look silly when the impossible happens