Japan’s airline industry is known as one of the best in the whole world. With friendly Japanese flight attendants with excellent and efficient service, passengers are surely guaranteed to have a safe and comfortable flight. If you are interested in establishing a flight attendant career in Japan, read on!
Originally Published: 2021/11/05
Updated: 2024/05/04
Table of Contents
- Japanese Flight Attendant Schools
- Know the Best Airlines in Japan
- Flight Attendant Jobs & Requirements in Japan
- Find a Job in Japan with WeXpats
Working as a flight attendant in the Japanese airline industry is both an amazing and exciting experience. Imagine being able to see the world while working for one of the most prestigious airline industries globally, known for its world-class service.
There’s a variety of ways to become a flight attendant for a Japanese airline. If you are a foreign national, you could train to become an international flight attendant in your own country and then apply to work for a Japanese airline that frequents your local airport. This would more than likely require studying at least basic Japanese, but having knowledge in English and your local language may be enough.
Japanese Flight Attendant Schools
But if you want to come to Japan, be based here and become a flight attendant, the path may be much stricter. One of the best ways is to go to a flight attendant school.
With the excellent reputation of Japanese airlines, Japan also offers quality courses for people who want to be flight attendants in Japan.
General Requirements
For foreign nationals who wish to enroll in a flight attendant course in Japan, they must have the appropriate student visa and status of residence, the required language level requirement (Many schools require near native Japanese (N1 level) to enroll, so this may require you to study in a Japanese language school prior to attending a flight attendant school if you don’t have a high Japanese level), and passing the entrance examinations and interviews depending on the school requirement.
There may be additional aid for international students so it’s important to check the specifics of each school - some even provide Japanese classes!
Some Options for Flight Attendant Schools
There are of course many vocational schools that may have flight attendant schools. Here are just some of them and the perks & requirements for foreign students.
Osaka College of Aviation
Perks
- 2 year program
- Only 35 minutes away from Kansai International Airport
- Can intern and attend school simultaneously
- Has student dormitories and apartments
- 100% students find jobs after graduation; 92.6% find jobs in the airline industry (2020 result)
- Biggest school in Western Japan
Requirements for international students
- N1 Japanese level
- 12 years of education abroad (graduated from high school)
- Proper status of residence
※Osaka College of Aviation
Technos College Tokyo School of Air Travel and Hotel Management
Perks
- 2 year program
- Students have found jobs in major airlines
- 100% of students in 2022 found jobs
- Students will be prepared to work in international airlines
- Student dorms/apartments available
Requirements for international students
- At least 12 years of education
- A laptop (requirement for all students)
- 6 months or more of Japanese classes of a government accredited Japanese language school OR
- Minimum N2 Japanese level
They have a pamphlet specifically for international students thinking about enrolling, so please contact the school to receive said pamphlet and information.
※Technos College Tokyo School of Air Travel and Hotel Management
AIRLINE BUSINESS COLLEGE OF NARITA
Perks
- 2 year program
- Japanese lessons provided for students non-native in Japanese
- Students will be prepared to work in international airlines
- Can also study two courses at once (eg. Cabin Attendant & Ground Staff)
- Closest airline vocational school to Narita Airport
- Student dorms/apartments available
Requirements for international students
- Have graduated high school
- Minimum N2 Japanese level (Japanese language placement test may be given)
※AIRLINE BUSINESS COLLEGE OF NARITA
Writer's Pick
Know the Best Airlines in Japan
Do you know your Japanese airlines? Here’s the basics on the two biggest ones you need to know.
Japan Airlines (JAL)
Japan Airlines or JAL is one of the two major airlines in Japan. It was first established in the early 1950s and blossomed into one of Japan's most prestigious airlines with its philosophy of upholding the values of customer safety, customer service quality, sustainability strategies, and partnerships with other global airline industries. JAL has 14,000 employees to date with over 200 aircrafts with over 100 domestic destinations and over 60 international routes.
Japan Airlines is a 5-star airline and ranked 5th in the world (in 2023) according to Skytrax.
※ Japan Airlines, "History" "Company Profile" "Number of Aircraft in our Fleet" "Number of routes" ※ Skytrax, “World Airline Awards 2023” “Japan Airlines Rating”
All Nippon Airways (ANA)
The other worthy contender in the top 2, All Nippon Airways or ANA was established in the early 1950s and is considered Japan’s largest airline with respect to its number of accommodated passengers and its company revenue. ANA has more than 30 global partnerships around the world, which enables it to provide a world-class flying experience to more than 30 international destinations and 50 local ones. Their philosophy is to be the inspiration of Japan.
Their flight attendants are known to adhere to qualities such as being sincere, polite, and humble, shown through how they’ve won the Best Airline Staff in Asia Award by Global Skytrax in 2023, and have been a 5-star airline for 10 consecutive years.
※ All Nippon Airlines - ANA, "Corporate Data (ANA HOLDINGS INC.)" "About ANA" "Award History"
For more information about Japanese airlines, check out our article.
Flight Attendant Jobs & Requirements in Japan
Requirements
If you are interested to pursue a flying career as a flight attendant in Japan as a new hire in Japan (other requirements may apply if applying at an overseas branch of the airline), here are some of the most basic requirements:
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Graduated with a diploma from a vocational school or with an associate, bachelors or masters degree
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Have a TOEIC score of 600 or above for non-native English speakers; knowing other languages of course is a plus
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Certain airlines still have height restrictions (prior standard is minimum 160 cm give or take) but this is becoming less strict so check with the airline; height and arm reach relate to helping passengers with overhead baggage
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Good health condition with no major issues; have enough strength, energy and endurance for the job
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Excellent eye vision (contacts allowed, no glasses)
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Applicant must not have tattoos or braces
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Ability to work weekends, holidays, early mornings and late nights when necessary
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Live within a reasonable distance to the airport you are based out of
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Ability to swim in case of emergency
Training
Once hired, your training for the particular airline begins. As we’ve stated, Japanese airlines are held to the highest standards, so be prepared for the rigorous training exercises for the new staff.
Expect training in the following:
- Language and speaking mannerisms (again, you may be expected to know a certain level of Japanese, depending on where you’re based, and all flight attendants are expected to have a high level of English ability)
- Grooming, makeup and hair (you must look professional at all times and first impressions are everything)
- Ability to act quickly, safely and efficiently in an emergency situation
- Bowing and greetings (yes, there is a proper and improper way to bow!)
- And more!
Salary of Flight Attendants in Japan
For those who want to go through the rigorous journey of becoming a flight attendant in Japan, you can expect that your salary range is around 4 million yen to 5 million yen on an annual basis. This depends of course on your airline, how many years of experience you have, and so on. When you first start out, your paycheck will only come out to be around 170,000 yen per month (this also depends on your airline and your level of education.) You will also most likely be getting a “flight” pay, which is additional hourly pay for the flights you work on. There will also likely be housing support, such as subsidized housing, and other such bonuses that may add to your salary.
※ Heikinnenshu, "Cabin Attendant (CA) Annual Income"
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 hospitality and service 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
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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.
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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.