The Go-to Resource for Japanese Jobs in Mexico

This list was curated by Andrew Sokulski (LinkedIn). 

Table of Contents (updated: 12/2020)

• Introduction
• Jobs: Opportunities & Advice
• Governmental Organizations & Japan Visa Information
• Cultural Associations, Language Schools, and Fun Facts

If you want to work specifically in Japan, don’t forget to check out the Japan Resources page. 

Regardless of the country you want to live in, be sure to see the Online Resources page for informative websites, YouTube channels, podcasts, apps, and more!

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Introduction

¡メキシコにある日本へようこそ!  Welcome to a bit of Japan in Mexico!

The purpose of this page is to provide you with information regarding Japan-related opportunities in Mexico, and ways to be able to find and take advantage of those opportunities. Though the majority of the information may be focused on career-related information, there is also culture and language-related information as well!  Furthermore, keep in mind that participating in cultural events, or joining cultural organizations, as well as language schools and other language programs, can lead to wonderful volunteer and job opportunities too!

Job Opportunities

• TOP Japan Latino America: TOP is a well renowned human resource/recruiting company. With offices in the United States and Europe as well, TOP is one of the literal top places to go to regarding Japan-related job searches. 
• Leverage Mexico:  This company provides recruiting services to support career-searchers find Japanese careers in a variety of professional fields. 
• Kimata Consulting: Based in Mexico and in the United States, Kimata Consulting provides job seekers with support services to provide them with a structured path toward finding a career related to Japan.　
• 919 Mexico: This website provides general information about working in Mexico for Japanese people.  If you have advanced Japanese language skills, you could use this site to find job opportunities at Japanese companies.
• Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry: This organization is comprised of 500 diverse member companies from a variety of sectors in Mexico. The organization can help you find jobs in three particular ways:

1. 1. Read about a company that interests you.
   2. Attend a webinar or a meeting hosted by the Chamber of Commerce to learn more about the general status of Japanese corporations in Mexico and of any Mexican corporations that have branch offices or other operations in Japan. 
   3. Connect with professionals in the field in order to form a network within the Japanese professional sector in Mexico.

Job Advice

• Japan Intercultural Consulting: This organization offers people the chance to speak with professionals that are knowledgeable about both Japanese culture and Mexican culture. Attend their training and learn how to enjoy the environment and the culture of your newfound workplace.
• Working for a Japanese Company in Mexico: Good advice for those looking to work for a Japanese company in Mexico. Though it is more focused toward Japanese people looking for jobs in Mexico, it can help Mexicans looking for jobs in the Japanese market understand what the market is like in Mexico and what factors they should be cognizant of regarding work life at a Japanese company in Mexico and in the Japanese corporate environment in Mexico.
• Kaigai BBS Mexico: Find Japanese language listings that could not only be helpful for finding interesting and possibly difficult to find jobs in the Japanese community, but also to get an idea of what items or things are of interest in the Japanese community.
• Koko Mexico: This is an article that lists 10 top Japanese automobile companies in Mexico. The top 3 are Mazda, Honda and Denso.
• Japanese Companies in Mexico: This article lists the main fields that Japanese companies operate within Mexico, and the main players for each of the sectors as well. A few of them are automobiles, electronics and engineering.
• Nikkei Asia Review: This article is about how some Japanese automobile companies have decided to keep their manufacturing plants in Mexico instead of moving the plant to the United States. The companies have also decided to increase the rate of pay for the Mexican workers too. 
• ¡Trabajar en Japòn!: This is a YouTube channel about a Mexican man who talks about his life of studying and working in Japan. 

Governmental Organizations & Japan Visa Information

• Japanese Embassy in Mexico: This website includes any general information you need about where the embassy is in Mexico, the Japanese Ambassador’s speech, as well as links to the various programs that the embassy operates in Mexico. 
• Consulate General of Japan in León: This is the only Consulate General of Japan in Mexico, and it is important because it provides even a more local lens than the Embassy of Japan in Mexico. Here you can find more information about how Japanese officials are interacting with the Mexican community, recent activities conducted by Japanese companies, as well as the various organizations the Japanese consulate supports in Mexico. 
• Japan Foundation of Mexico: This organization’s mission is to share Japan’s culture with Mexico through government-sponsored programs. The Japan Foundation can be found in many countries around the world. Therefore, you have the opportunity to find Japan-related connections around the world if you participate in their programs. 
• Japan Travel: This page is about Japan-related visas in a general sense, but they mention a very important aspect that pertains to Mexico: “Citizens of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Lichtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland, and the UK may extend their stay for another 90 days. Apply at the nearest Japan immigration bureau before the initial 90 days expire and pay a small processing fee. Click here  to link to the official Immigration Bureau of Japan website for more information.”
• GoGo Nihon: This site provides fundamental information on obtaining various visas for Japan in Spanish. Though not solely focused on Mexico, it provides a lot of helpful advice regarding the necessary materials and the general visa application process.
• ¿Que necesito para ir a Japòn?: This YouTube video discusses what you need in order to travel to Japan from Mexico.
• Japan Travel: This page is about Japan-related visas in a general sense, but they mention a very important aspect that pertains to Mexico: “Citizens of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Lichtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland, and the UK may extend their stay for another 90 days. Apply at the nearest Japan immigration bureau before the initial 90 days expire and pay a small processing fee. Click here to link to the official Immigration Bureau of Japan website for more information.”

Cultural Associations

• APN – Asociación Panamericana Nikkei / Página oficial: This is an NGO focused on connecting all people of Japanese descent across Latin America, part of which is Mexico. They post helpful links to Japan-related information from all over Latin America. You can find current news as well as interesting information related to the Japanese community on here.
• Fundacion Kasuga: This Foundation was created by the head of Yakult’s Mexico branch. For reference, Yakult is known and sold worldwide and is Japan’s most internationally well known Yogurt brand. The foundation is named after Carlos Kusaga. Carlos Kusaga is one of the most prominent Japanese figures in Mexico as he is known not only for being a successful business man but also for supporting and founding the Liceo-Mexicano Japones as well as his contributions to the general Mexican-Japanese community. The Foundation’s main purpose is community development. It aims to succeed in this through education as well as through cultural exchange between Japanese and Mexican culture.
• Asociación México-Japonesa AC: The Mexico-Japan association is the center for Mexico-Japan relations in Mexico. It hosts events representing Japanese culture as well as a restaurant that serves authentic Japanese cuisine. Furthermore, they also have a Japanese-language school attached that helps people learn the language. According to some testaments on the website, many elderly people of Japanese descent in the area view the Association as a representation of all that is Japan in Mexico.

Japanese Language Schools

• Liceo Mexicano Japónes: This school is Mexico’s premier Japanese language school. The curriculum is taught simultaneously in Japanese and Spanish and is open to both people of Japanese ancestry and native Mexicans wanting to be in a Japanese language environment.
• List of Mexican High Schools and Universities that have programs in Japan: This page from the Embassy shows a list of universities and high schools that have programs affiliated with Japan, If you are a student at one of these schools, do inquire with your study abroad office about possible opportunities!
• Scholarships for studying abroad in Japan: This is a link of scholarships for studying in Japan provided by the Japanese Embassy in Mexico.
• Aprende Japonés con Disol App: This app is good for Spanish speakers to study Japanese.

Fun Facts

• Koko Mexico: This is a news source that focuses on Japan-related topics and themes, as well as on international relations between Mexico and Japan. 
• Mexico City’s Little Tokyo: In Mexico City you can find excellent Japanese cuisine and even a stylish hotel inspired by Japanese minimalism named Ryo Kan (named after the Japanese word for inn 旅館). 
• ¡Tacos Mexicanos en Japón!: This is a YouTube video, made by a Mexican girl studying abroad in Japan, about a Mexican taco restaurant in Tokyo! This video shows how a Mexican man combined his home culture with the culture of Japan to form a traditional taco shop in Mexico.
• El Vuelo México Narita por Aeromexico: This YouTube video explains, in detail, the Aeromexico flight from Mexico to Japan!
• Ryoki Tokio: This YouTube channel features video by a Japanese lady who speaks about her experiences in Mexico as a Japanese lady as well as about the cultural similarities and differences between Mexico and Japan. 
• El País: This is the General Japan section of El Pais news.
• Japan Times: This news is about Japan’s soccer team playing against Panama and Mexico in the near future, as well as their other matches. 

Be sure to reach out to Andrew Sokulski on LinkedIn. Also, other suggestions for this list can be submitted here.

Don’t forget to check out the other Resource pages, too! The Japan page is all about working in Japan. The Online Resource page is all about culture, language and job search tips, regardless of your home country.