Fruit picking is a popular tourist activity in Japan, but it is also a viable job option for those looking to work in Japan. Japan farm and agricultural jobs, including fruit picking, is recommended for those interested in Japanese agriculture technology and those looking for a job that doesn’t require much Japanese.
First Published: 2023-06-21
Updated: 2024-04-12
Table of Contents
- Fruit Picking Jobs in Japan
- Farm and Agriculture Jobs in Japan
- Find N5/N4 Japanese Jobs in Japan
- Find a Job in Japan with WeXpats
Are you having any issues with job-hunting in Japan?
Fruit Picking Jobs in Japan
Fruit picking jobs in Japan are targeted mainly at students who want to work part time (especially during long holidays), and working holiday visa-holders. Tourists may also volunteer to do fruit picking on a fruit farm to experience what farm work is like but cannot receive remuneration, thus “volunteer”.
Fruit picking is not a year long job but a seasonal and time limited job that follows each fruit’s respective harvest period. Therefore, if you are finding a fruit picking job in Japan, you will need to look up:
- Fruit Farms that are Hiring
- Harvest Season
Keep in mind that just fruit picking is not sufficient to obtain a work visa to work in Japan. Agriculture and farm jobs in Japan are covered under the Specified Skilled Worker visa, and even a harvesting crew member will need to handle other duties aside from just picking fruit, like packaging and loading trucks.
Finding Fruit Picking Jobs in Japan - Fruit Farms that are Hiring
How to find fruit farms that are hiring in Japan? A good idea is to target your search in areas in Japan that are famous for their fruits. Places with high yield of fruits will naturally need lots of help with fruit farming throughout the year, and with fruit picking during harvest season. So what places in Japan are famous for their fruits?
| Prefecture | Fruits |
|---|---|
| Hokkaido | Melon |
| Aomori | Apples |
| Yamagata | Cherries |
| Tochigi | Strawberries |
| Yamanashi | Grapes, Peaches |
| Nagano | Grapes, Shine Muscat |
| Wakayama | Persimmons, Mikan |
| Ehime | Mikan |
| Tottori | Pears |
| Kumamoto | Strawberries, Watermelons |
Many of these places are also famous for their fruit farming and agriculture in general, and so are some of the best places for farm jobs in Japan. For example, Aomori, though not famous for it, also yields strawberries, blueberries, pears and more. As for vegetables, Aomori offers gobo (burdock root), daikon (Japanese radish), dake-kimi (Aomori premium corn breed), and more.
Another example is Kumamoto, whose fruits selection also includes dekopon (type of citrus fruit), pears, grapes, and kiwi. For vegetables, Kumamoto offers many delicious crop harvests including tomatoes, rice, and all manner of field vegatables. Another benefit of working in Kumamot and similar places is that you can experience making different types of dishes as prices of ingredients are lower. You can discover more about life and work in Japan at this special page here.
Finding Fruit Picking Jobs in Japan - Harvest Season
According to Kudamono-Navi, the months when fruits come into season are as follows.
The information is based on data from Tokyo, so there may be discrepancies with other regions. Also, note that the weather may also influence the timing of harvest for each year.
In addition, the same category of fruit may contain different specieses which will result in different harvest times. For example, apples are basically in season for half a year, but not all species of apples will ripen at the same time.
|
Harvest Season |
Fruit |
|---|---|
|
December ~ April |
Strawberry |
|
April~June |
Loquat |
|
May~July |
Cherry |
|
May~September |
Melon |
|
May~August |
Watermelon |
|
June~July |
Apricot |
|
June~September |
Japanese Plum |
|
June~September |
Peach |
|
July~October |
Grape |
|
July~October |
Fig |
|
August~October |
Japanese Pear |
|
September~October |
Chestnut |
|
September~December |
Persimmon |
|
September~December |
Western Pear |
|
September~April |
Apple |
|
October~February |
Mandarin Orange |
※ 果物ナビ, “食べ頃カレンダー 旬の果物”
Writer's Pick
Farm and Agriculture Jobs in Japan
Interested in farm and agriculture jobs in Japan? There are many job opportunities in the agriculture field, which is one of several industries suffering from severe labour shortage. This is why Japan introduced the 特定技能 (tokutei-ginou), Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa in 2019, to overcome the problem of worker shortages.
What type of farm and agricultural jobs are there in Japan?
- Agricultural Engineer
- Agricultural Researcher
- Agronomist
- Farm Manager
- Farm Manager
- Farmer (rice, vegetable, fruit, flowers)
- Food Processing Worker
- Fruit/Vegetable Harvesting Crew Member
- Irrigation Specialist
- Livestock Farmer (dairy, beef cattle, pig, poultry)
- Quality Control Inspector
and etc.
If you are interested in finding a farm and agriculture job in Japan, Leverages Global Support specialises in Specified Skilled Workers. LGS provides full job support including interview practice, visa procedures, and follow-up support after successful hiring.
Find N5/N4 Japanese Jobs in Japan
Not particularly interested in agriculture or farm jobs? There are plenty of other jobs in Japan that do not require Japanese for the job, simply N5 or N4 level Japanese is enough to get you by.
If no Japanese is required, then why do I need N5/N4?
For basic conversation with colleagues, and to understand simple instructions. The actual job will not require any Japanese, or will only require your native language, such as English.
What jobs are there in Japan that do not require Japanese?
There are plenty of jobs where you can utilise your own native language only, or labour focused jobs that do not require conversation or social interactions. For example,
English Jobs
- English Teaching
- Eikaiwa (English Conversation School)
- Hotel Front Desk Reception
- Tourist Guide and Reception
Minimal Conversation Jobs / Labour Focused Jobs
- Caregiver
- Construction
- Factory & Manufacturing
- Nursing
- Restaurant Staff (cooking, waiting staff)
- Warehouse & Logistics
and more.
Did you know you can find jobs in Japan based on Japanese level on WeXpats Jobs?
Find a Job in Japan with WeXpats
WeXpats operates a service for foreign nationals who want to work in Japan. There are jobs in a variety of industries including farm jobs. There are 2 services available on WeXpats - WeXpats Agent for full time jobs and WeXpats Jobs for part time jobs.
Looking for a Full Time Position? Leave it to WeXpats Agent!
WeXpats Agent is a career support service that specialises in employment for foreign nationals living in Japan.
Recruitment agencies in Japan are a service where dedicated career advisors will assist you with your job hunt for free. In addition to introducing open positions, we also provide support to help you create your Japanese resume and practice for interviews. Worried about job hunting in Japanese? We are here for you.
Features of WeXpats Agent
-
We have many job openings that are a good fit for foreign nationals to work in, such as translation, interpretation, inbound, etc. jobs that make use of your language skills, as well as engineering etc. jobs that do not require Japanese skills.
-
Our career advisors support and help you prepare your resume and practice job interviews with you. Clearly communicate your strengths to the hiring company.
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We will handle communication with companies on your behalf, such as arranging interview dates and negotiating conditions. And thereby reducing your stress and time spent.
Finding a Part Time Job? Browse on WeXpats Jobs!
WeXpats Jobs is a part time job site for foreign nationals living in Japan. You can search for jobs in 11 languages (English, Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Burmese, Thai, Spanish, Portuguese), including Japanese. Find jobs that suit you by specifying your Japanese language level, occupation, location, and etc.
※ You can register from outside Japan, but only those living in Japan can apply for jobs.
