Mock Job Interviews in Japan: Where to Practise and How to Do One (Including on Your Own)

A mock job interview (模擬面接, mogi mensetsu) is a practice interview run like the real thing: someone plays the interviewer, asks typical questions, and tells you afterwards what to fix. In Japan you can get one free at your university career centre, at the government’s Employment Service Centers for Foreigners and Hello Work, through recruitment agencies, or on your own with a phone camera or an AI interviewer. The value is not the practice itself but the review: one or two concrete things to change before the real interview.

What is a mock interview in Japan?

In Japanese job hunting, the mock interview is a standard step. JASSO’s job hunting guide for international students recommends asking a friend or a university career counsellor to act as the interviewer, because you feel the same nerves as in the real interview and get advice on what was good and what to improve. It follows the full Japanese format, from knocking on the door to leaving the room, so manners are practised along with answers.

It is different from simply reading a list of questions. A good mock interviewer asks follow-up questions (“Why did you choose that approach?”, “What did you do yourself?”), which is where most real interviews are decided.

Why do a mock interview?

The gap most people need to close is specificity. In Crystal Method’s AI interview practice tool (Japanese-language sessions from 26 June to 11 October 2026, scored automatically by AI), about 53% of the improvement points concerned missing specifics such as episodes or numbers. Explaining the reason behind an answer (about 10%), structure (about 9%) and stating the conclusion clearly (about 8%) came next. These are exactly the problems a mock interview exposes.

Where to get a mock interview

How a mock interview works: three steps

Step 1: Prepare like the real one

• Bring the entry sheet and resume you will actually submit; the interviewer will ask from them.
• Choose the company and round you are preparing for (a first-round group interview is different from a final one).
• Wear your interview clothes. The Tokyo centre asks participants to dress as close to the real thing as possible.
• Ask the interviewer to time your answers and note filler words.

Step 2: On the day, from entering to leaving

Run the whole sequence: knock two or three times, say 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu), bow, give your name beside the chair, sit when invited, answer, thank the interviewer and leave. The guide to Japanese job interviews has a diagram of the six steps and the two bows.

Step 3: Review straight away

Ask for two things that went well and two things to change, and write them down before you forget. Then practise only those two changes in the next round.

What Japanese employers are judging

Your partner should judge you the way a Japanese company would. JASSO’s guide says that, especially for new graduates, companies emphasise character, cooperation and adaptability, and look at fit with their culture, alongside your reason for applying and self-promotion. Many companies hire for the long term and train people over years, so they also listen for signs that you will stay. For foreign applicants, listening and speaking in Japanese are assessed throughout.

Question sheet for your mock interviewer

Give this sheet to the person playing the interviewer. It tells them what to ask, what a good answer contains, and what to flag. For all 22 common questions with full example answers, see Japanese job interview questions.

Foreign applicants should add three questions to the sheet: なぜ日本で働きたいのですか (why Japan), 日本語はどのくらい話せますか (Japanese level) and 日本にはどのくらい住む予定ですか (how long you plan to stay). Your partner should flag a vague reason such as “I like Japanese culture”.

Self-introduction your partner can compare against (written for this guide):

More model answers to compare against (same applicant, written for this guide):

Mid-career and practical questions to add: 前職を辞めた理由は (why you left; answer forward-looking, no complaints), いつから働けますか (when you can start, including any change of residence status), 残業はできますか (overtime; yes when needed, and ask how often). If you did not catch a question, practise asking: 「恐れ入りますが、もう一度お願いできますか」 (“Sorry, could you say that again?”).

What to check when you review

How to do a mock interview on your own

With a smartphone

1. Write ten likely questions on cards and shuffle them.
2. Set the phone at eye level, sit as you would in the interview, and record.
3. Draw a card, answer without notes, and move to the next card without stopping the recording.
4. Watch the video and use the review table above. JASSO suggests checking eye contact, clarity of speech and language.
5. Redo only the weakest two answers, then record the whole set again.

With an AI interviewer

An AI interviewer adds what a phone cannot: unexpected follow-up questions and written feedback. Crystal Method’s AI interview practice tool lets you choose the company and job type, talk with an AI interviewer by voice, and then shows a score and feedback. The tool is in Japanese only (screens, questions, voice and feedback); there is no English mode, so use it when you are preparing for an interview in Japanese.

Two findings from the same usage data are worth knowing before you start:

• Use a computer. The share of sessions completed was about 49% on PCs but about 19% on smartphones.
• Do a full-length session. Completed sessions of 10 minutes or more had a median overall score of 54.6, against 13 for sessions of 1 to 3 minutes. Short sessions end before the follow-up questions start.

Practice script: a first-round interview

Use this short script with a friend playing the interviewer. It is written for this guide and shows how a follow-up question works. The interviewer should keep asking “why” until the answer becomes specific.

Try the same script with three interviewer styles: a friendly one who nods, a neutral one who shows no reaction, and one who asks “why?” after every answer. Real Japanese interviewers vary, and the neutral style unsettles many applicants the first time.

FAQ

What will be asked in a mock interview?

The same questions as a real first or second round: self-introduction, reason for applying, what you worked hardest on, strengths and weaknesses, and questions for the company, plus follow-up questions on your answers. Foreign applicants should also prepare for “why Japan”, Japanese level and how long they plan to stay.

Can I do a mock interview in English in Japan?

The government seminars described above are held in Japanese, and Crystal Method’s AI tool is Japanese only. If your real interview will be in English, practise with a friend, your university career centre or an agency handling English-speaking roles.

Are mock interviews free in Japan?

University career centres and public employment services such as Hello Work and the Employment Service Centers for Foreigners do not charge job seekers. Kyoto University’s programme for international students is advertised as free participation. Private coaching services may charge.

How many mock interviews should I do?

Enough to fix the problems the first one reveals. A practical pattern is one human mock interview, then several recorded or AI sessions to fix the two biggest issues, then a final human mock interview before the real one.

How hard is it for a US citizen or other foreigner to get a job in Japan?

It depends mainly on your Japanese and your field. JASSO reports that about 70% of companies want business-intermediate Japanese or higher at the job-offer stage. You also need a status of residence that permits the work. Roles that use English or specialist skills widen your options.

Sources

• Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO): Job Hunting Guide for International Students 2027 (English PDF). Practising alone and with others, support centres, Japanese level sought by companies.
• Tokyo Employment Service Center for Foreigners (Tokyo Labour Bureau): seminars for job seekers (Japanese) and English page
• Kyoto University, Division of Graduate Studies: Practice Mock Interviews with HR, Japan Career Training Program
• Crystal Method AI interview practice tool: usage data from 26 June to 11 October 2026 (Japanese-language sessions, automatic AI scoring). Percentages only; the data is not limited to foreign users.