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Work as an air traffic controler (ATC) in Japan?

test123

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12 Apr 2015
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Can somebody help me find info about working as an ATCer in Japan or how can I get a job as one (assuming I'm already an ATCer in my country with 3 years of experience).
I found almost nothing about it in english and I'm still learning japanese so unfortunately I can't search by myself the info in japanese so can someone help me look it up in japanese?
Thanks in advance!
 
Unless air traffic controllers in Japan use nothing but English to do their job , I would guess there are few if any ATC's that are non-Japanese. More than likely , you would have to have Japanese language skills equal to a native Japanese to even apply for a job in that field , even if you had 20 years experience. Don't trust just my word though , you may get a more informative answer.
 
You can't. You need to take the 航空管制官採用試験 which is a national (government-run) exam and this page confirms that only people with Japanese nationality can do so.
Question and Answer
Q 外国人でも受験することができますか?
A 日本国籍を有しない者は試験を受けることができません。

Apparently it's very competitive, with well over a thousand people each year vying for about 80 places.

(Usually if you can't find anything in English there's a good reason).
 
You can't. You need to take the 航空管制官採用試験 which is a national (government-run) exam and this page confirms that only people with Japanese nationality can do so.
Question and Answer
Q 外国人でも受験することができますか?
A 日本国籍を有しない者は試験を受けることができません。

Apparently it's very competitive, with well over a thousand people each year vying for about 80 places.

(Usually if you can't find anything in English there's a good reason).
Thanks for your answer, Hopefully I'll be able to use Japanese in the future too!
Do you know if taking the exam is the only way to apply for the job? maybe there might be exceptions for ATCer with military and civil experience?
 
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PLEASE consider the safety of people in planes and on the ground before asking/begging for such things. English may be a standard language for international communications from the tower, but there is so much more that is done in the tower in Japanese (written and spoken). If you just want a back door technique to enter because you only have one skill, that's pretty inconsiderate to say the least. You KNOW what people do in the tower. Why would any airport hire someone without meeting the strictest requirements, not only for regulations but for language?
 
Thanks for your answer, Hopefully I'll be able to use Japanese in the future too!
Do you know if taking the exam is the only way to apply for the job? maybe there might be exceptions for ATCer with military and civil experience?

If you don't pass that exam, you can't have the job. If you aren't a Japanese citizen, you can't take the exam.

You're not going to be an ATC in Japan....ever....so think up another plan.
 
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Hmm, once upon a time, when my draft number was 11, I enlisted and was able to choose an MOS--I think it was 93H, or 93H20.

VFR tower, and I might still have my CTO chit..., somewhere.

I didn't pursue it after I left the army, tho a fair number of others at the time got jobs in Iran (mid-70s). One fellow I liked actually was killed there, a motorcycle crash in Isfahan, but that's another story. (RIP Scott!)

The next time I took a pass on it was when Reagan fired the controllers. I had been at uni in the meantime, and (1) I didn't feel like crossing picket lines, and (2) a pilot friend also said that it was all the a**holes that were still working, and that it was the nice folks that were on strike.

Had I decided differently, and also lucked out enough to get hired, I probably would have retired a couple few years ago as a GS-16 (18?). Still, I'd rather be where I am now. Shift work is okay when single, but with a family, teaching has been wonderful.

So anyway..., while, according to the above links, you seem to have no chance to work as an actual controller, you might be able to leverage your background indirectly.

Flight ops for most any airline would be one thing. I read just a day or two ago a report by a pilot describing how hard it was (at the time of the 3/11 quake) to get all the incoming flights diverted and safely on the ground. The controllers here in Japan were overwhelmed, and it took the help of others.

As you probably know, English is the language of ATC. If you're sharp, and I mean really good, you might be able to teach at a Japanese ATC training location. Any ATC training will undoubtedly include the standard phraseology, and almost certainly much more (all in English). Students will have to learn that and know how to use it in both normal and not-so-normal situations. Besides teaching that, I'm sure there are simulations that would involve communications with English-speaking pilots, and with hand-offs from/to controllers anywhere outside of Japan. And it's not just the international stuff, since there are foreign pilots flying domestic routes, too.

Third, and again you'd have to be both very sharp and also connected, ATC in various countries commonly work together. So the FAA undoubtedly has people who work with Japan. There might be something there. I won't BS you on this, since I don't know jack about it, but any two countries need to have it down pat as to how they'll be handling traffic.

Good luck on this. Your inquiry makes me recall ATC-related thoughts & ideas that I have had over my many years in Japan, but have never acted upon. I truly do wish you the best!

PS--The last place I worked was Redstone Arsenal. I'm sure they're still doing various kinds of research there, but in '73 it was Skylab, and the astronauts were flying their personal T-38s back and forth to Texas on a daily basis (how's that for a commute?). You wouldn't hear a thing in advance, and then suddenly they'd be directly overhead asking for a flame-out approach...
 
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Well, he does mention 3 yrs in his OP, but I'm not sure what it takes to get a facility rating these days.

Let's see if he checks back in.
 
PLEASE consider the safety of people in planes and on the ground before asking/begging for such things. English may be a standard language for international communications from the tower, but there is so much more that is done in the tower in Japanese (written and spoken). If you just want a back door technique to enter because you only have one skill, that's pretty inconsiderate to say the least. You KNOW what people do in the tower. Why would any airport hire someone without meeting the strictest requirements, not only for regulations but for language?
I think you misunderstood me, I didn't ask for a back door technique to enter. I asked if there might be other ways like a different exam or an interview or maybe a possible way to apply under other certain requirements. And all of that assuming I would know Japanese by that time of course. Well I guess if there is no other way then it probably wasn't meant to be, any way thanks for the answer and the help!
 
I get the impression he isn't actually an ATC yet.
You get it right! as you can see in my profile I'm from Israel and everybody whos 18 has to go to the army (boys for 3 years and girls for 2) and next year I'm going to join the army and probably be an ATCer. After I'll Complet my military service I want to save up money and immigrate to Japan (I wanted to move to Japan since I was a kid) and I was hoping I could have a job that I'm already good at and experienced at.
By the way, do you know of any jobs that knowing other languages may increase your chances of getting it exept for a language teacher? (in my case Russian, English and Hebrew)
 
I think you misunderstood me, I didn't ask for a back door technique to enter. I asked if there might be other ways like a different exam or an interview or maybe a possible way to apply under other certain requirements.

No, nobody misunderstood you here. You are the one who does not understand. ALL air traffic controllers (ATC) in Japan ARE JAPANESE CITIZENS. Meaning they have a Japanese passport. Even if you are a genius and become able to speak, read and write Japanese like natives in 3 years, you will still need a Japanese Passport.

Can an Italian or a Russian citizen work as an air traffic controller (ATC) in Israel? No! So why do think you may become one in Japan? Do you think the place is a banana republic with foreign citizens working as cops or politicians?

PS: The document pictured is the one you need to be an air traffic controller (ATC) in Japan. Kapish? Without this: it will never happen. Never.
 

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No, nobody misunderstood you here. You are the one who does not understand. ALL air traffic controlers (ATC) in Japan ARE JAPANESE CITIZENS. Meaning they have a Japanese passport. Even if you are a genius and become able to speak, read and write Japanese like natives in 3 years, you will still need a Japanese Passport.

Can a italian or russian citizen be air traffic controler (ATC) in Israel? No! So why do think you may become one Japan? You think the place is a banana republic with foreign citizens working as cops or politicians?

PS: The document pictured is the one you need to be an air traffic controler (ATC) in Japan. Kapish? Without this: it will never happen. Never.
As I already wrote before, if there is no other way than unfortunately I can't do anything about it. And trust me, I do not think Japan is a banana republic!!!
Hope I didn't upset you...
 
I think you misunderstood me, I didn't ask for a back door technique to enter. I asked if there might be other ways like a different exam or an interview or maybe a possible way to apply under other certain requirements.
Same thing.

I'm from Israel....By the way, do you know of any jobs that knowing other languages may increase your chances of getting it exept for a language teacher? (in my case Russian, English and Hebrew)
With only those and no Japanese, quite frankly, no. Language is just a fraction of work needs. What else can you actually do (skills/experience)?
 
You need to investigate visa eligibility qualifications. This isn't a country you can easily immigrate to, or even come to work for a short period.
 
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