A tenshoku site is a job board for people changing employer, as distinct from the shushoku sites used by students. The large domestic sites are run by the big staffing groups and carry tens of thousands of listings. Candidates register a profile, search and apply. Most sites now combine three things under one brand: an advertising board, where the employer pays to post; a scout database, where employers and agencies search profiles and send messages; and a linked agency service, where a consultant manages the candidate. Bilingual boards serve the foreign-company market, and specialist boards serve developers.
The operators are regulated. Since the October 2022 amendments to the Employment Security Act, sites that collect information on job seekers must notify the ministry, keep their listings accurate and current, and handle candidates' personal data under set rules.
The market is large. The Labour Force Survey counted about 3.3 million people who changed jobs in 2025, and about 10 million who said they wanted to. But the boards mainly reach people who are already looking.
What it means for a foreign employer
- Good for volume and visible roles. Boards work for junior-to-mid-level hiring, for technology roles where mobility is higher, and for any role where an active applicant is acceptable.
- They will not reach the senior passive candidate. The experienced bilingual General Manager or Director, well placed at a foreign company, is not browsing job boards and has not updated a CV. That person moves through relationships, not adverts.
- Pick the board for the segment. Bilingual boards for mid-to-senior gaishi roles, developer boards for engineers, domestic boards for Japanese-speaking managers. Each serves a real purpose; none substitutes for direct search at the top.
- Treat the advert as marketing. A posting tells the market you are hiring. For a confidential replacement, that alone can rule it out.
Sources
- Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Labour Force Survey (Detailed Tabulation), 2025 annual average.
- Employment Security Act, as amended in force 1 October 2022 (recruitment information providers).