Japanese Self-Introduction for a Job Interview: Jiko Shokai and Jiko PR With Example Scripts

In a Japanese job interview, the first request is almost always 「自己紹介をお願いします」 (じこしょうかいをおねがいします, “please introduce yourself”). A good answer takes about one minute: your school or company and name, what you study or do now, one thing you worked hard on, a short link to the company, and a polite closing. It is not the same as 自己PR (じこピーアール, self-promotion), where you argue one strength with evidence. This page explains the difference, gives a template and example scripts in Japanese with readings and English, and shows how to practise until it sounds natural.

What interviewers want from your self-introduction

The self-introduction is the opening of the conversation, not a test of how much you can say. Interviewers use it to hear how you speak Japanese, check that you can summarise yourself clearly, and pick a topic for their next question. That is why a short episode is useful: it gives them something to ask about. A one-minute answer that ends cleanly shows that you can follow the format of a Japanese business conversation, which matters as much as the content.

JASSO’s job hunting guide for international students advises preparing a spoken description of your strengths of about one minute, and short, to-the-point answers to common questions. Most interviewers expect the self-introduction to be about the same length.

自己紹介 vs 自己PR: two different answers

	自己紹介 (self-introduction)	自己PR (self-promotion)
How it is asked	自己紹介をお願いします	自己PRをお願いします / あなたの強みを教えてください
When	At the start of almost every interview	Later in the interview, and on the entry sheet
Content	Who you are, in outline, with one short episode	One strength, a real situation that proves it, and how it helps in the job
Length	About 1 minute	About 1 minute, up to 2 if asked

A common mistake is to give the full self-PR when asked for a self-introduction. It runs long and leaves nothing new for the later question. Mention your episode in one or two sentences in the self-introduction, and develop it in 自己PR.

The one-minute template

Spoken Japanese at an interview pace is roughly 300 characters a minute, so a one-minute self-introduction is about 250 to 300 characters. Time yourself: most people who are nervous either speak too fast or add too much.

Phrases you will use, with readings

Japanese	Reading	Meaning and use
〇〇と申します	〇〇と もうします	“My name is ___.” Humble form; use instead of です for your name.
〇〇大学〇〇学部〇年の	〇〇だいがく 〇〇がくぶ 〇ねんの	“___ University, Faculty of ___, year ___.” Say your school before your name.
〇〇を専攻しています	〇〇を せんこうしています	“I major in ___.”
現在、〇〇として働いております	げんざい、〇〇として はたらいております	“I currently work as ___.” For mid-career applicants.
特に力を入れたのは〇〇です	とくに ちからをいれたのは 〇〇です	“What I worked hardest on is ___.”
御社	おんしゃ	“Your company,” when speaking. In writing use 貴社 (きしゃ).
生かしたいと考えております	いかしたいと かんがえております	“I would like to make use of it.”
本日はどうぞよろしくお願いいたします	ほんじつは どうぞ よろしく おねがいいたします	“Thank you for your time today.” The standard closing.

Readings on this page are given in hiragana rather than romaji. Interview Japanese is spoken, and reading kana trains the pronunciation and the polite endings at the same time; if you cannot yet read kana, learn it before the interview, because at Japanese companies entry sheets and emails are usually in Japanese too.

Saying where you are from

Japanese	Reading	Meaning and use
〇〇出身です	〇〇しゅっしんです	“I am from ___.” Works for a country or a city: ベトナム出身, ムンバイ出身.
〇〇から参りました	〇〇から まいりました	“I came from ___.” More humble; fine in interviews.
国籍は〇〇です	こくせきは 〇〇です	“My nationality is ___.” Use if your nationality and where you grew up differ.
日本に来て〇年になります	にほんに きて 〇ねんに なります	“I have been in Japan for ___ years.” Useful context for your Japanese level.

〇〇人です (〇〇じんです, “I am ___ [nationality]”) is correct but sounds plain in an interview; 〇〇出身です is the more common choice.

Hobbies: only if they help

In a job interview, hobbies are not part of the standard self-introduction. Add one only if it supports the impression you want, or if the interviewer asks: 「趣味は〇〇です」 (しゅみは 〇〇です, “My hobby is ___”), followed by one sentence on what it shows, for example 「週末は10キロ走っており、続ける力には自信があります」 (“I run 10 km every weekend, so I am confident in my persistence”). For a part-time job interview, a hobby related to the shop is a good addition.

What よろしくお願いいたします really means

よろしくお願いします (よろしく おねがいします) has no exact English equivalent. Literally it asks the other person to treat you favourably; in practice it means “thank you in advance” or “I look forward to working with you,” and it closes almost every introduction and business email in Japan. In an interview use the more humble form よろしくお願いいたします, and add 本日は (today) or どうぞ for extra politeness. If someone says it to you, the reply is こちらこそ、よろしくお願いいたします (“likewise”). Say it, then give a small bow of about 15 degrees while seated.

Foreign names are usually said in katakana in the order you write them on your resume. If your name is long, say it once clearly and add how you like to be called, for example 「〇〇とお呼びください」 (〇〇と およびください, “please call me ___”).

Example scripts

These examples were written by Crystal Method for practice. Replace every detail with your own; interviewers can tell when an answer is borrowed.

New graduate (international student), about one minute

Mid-career (engineer), about one minute

Short version (about 30 seconds)

Part-time job (arubaito)

Linking your episode to the company

The last content sentence of each script connects you to the company. Before writing it, read the company’s mission (企業理念), its recent news or projects, and the job description, and choose one point that genuinely matches your episode: a market it is entering, a product you have used, a skill the job description names. Keep it to one sentence here; the full reasoning belongs to 志望動機 (しぼうどうき, reason for applying), which comes later.

Students on a student visa should confirm that the hours fit their permission to work outside their status (資格外活動許可). JASSO’s Student Guide to Japan states the limit as 28 hours a week, or up to eight hours a day during long school holidays.

How to write your 自己PR

JASSO’s guide gives clear advice for self-PR: rather than listing all your strengths, focus on one and describe it in detail; describe situations where you showed it; and explain how you would use that strength in the job you are applying for. A simple order is strength → episode → result → use at work.

The weak point in most self-PRs is the episode. In Crystal Method’s AI interview practice tool (Japanese), about 53% of the improvement points in the AI’s feedback asked for more specific answers: what exactly you did, with numbers or concrete actions. About 10% concerned the reason behind an answer and about 9% the structure. When you check your script, ask: could someone else say exactly the same sentence? If yes, add a detail only you could give.

Delivery: how to say it

• Wait for the cue. After you sit, the interviewer will ask for the self-introduction. Do not start before.
• Start with a short thanks if you like: 「本日はお時間をいただき、ありがとうございます」 (ほんじつは おじかんを いただき、ありがとうございます). It is polite, but keep it to one sentence.
• Speak a little slower than normal, with a short pause between parts. Clear Japanese at a steady pace sounds more confident than fast Japanese.
• Look at the interviewer, or at the camera online, not at the ceiling or your notes.
• Adjust the length when told 「簡単に」 (“briefly”: use the 30-second version) or 「2分程度で」 (“in about two minutes”: add a second episode).
• Finish clearly with よろしくお願いいたします, then a small nod. A trailing “…that’s all” weakens the end.

For bowing, sitting and the other manners around the self-introduction, see Japanese job interview etiquette.

Practise until it sounds natural

Write the script, read it aloud with a timer, then cut it to keywords and practise from the keywords only. Record yourself once on video and check the speed and eye contact. Then practise in front of someone who will ask a follow-up question, because the real interview continues from what you say.

In the same tool’s data, completed sessions of ten minutes or longer had a median overall score of 54.6, against 13 for sessions of one to three minutes, so a full-length rehearsal is worth more than a quick run-through. These figures cover all users practising in Japanese from June to October 2026, not only foreign applicants. The feedback screen shows what went well and what to improve:

For other ways to rehearse, including free mock interviews at public employment centres and universities, see mock job interviews in Japan.

Common mistakes

Mistake	Why it hurts	Fix
Talking for three minutes	Looks as if you cannot summarise	Time it; one minute unless asked
Giving the full 自己PR	Nothing new left for later questions	One or two sentences on the episode only
Reciting word for word	Sounds unnatural; breaks down if interrupted	Practise from keywords
です instead of と申します for your name	Slightly casual for an interview	〇〇と申します
Starting with your life story or hobbies	Not what the interviewer needs first	School or company first, hobbies only if relevant
Contradicting your resume	Interviewers read along with your documents	Check dates, majors and job titles before the day
No closing	The end is unclear	本日はよろしくお願いいたします

After the self-introduction, the interview usually moves to your reasons for applying and your experience. For those questions and example answers, see Japanese job interview questions.

FAQ

How do you introduce yourself in a Japanese job interview?

Give your school or company and name with 〇〇と申します, say what you study or do now, mention one thing you worked hard on with a result, link it to the company in one sentence, and close with 本日はよろしくお願いいたします. Keep it to about one minute.

How long should a self-introduction be in a Japanese interview?

About one minute, roughly 250 to 300 Japanese characters. Prepare a 30-second version for when the interviewer says 簡単に (“briefly”), and be ready to extend to two minutes if asked.

What is the difference between 自己紹介 and 自己PR?

自己紹介 is a short outline of who you are, asked at the start. 自己PR argues one strength with a specific episode and explains how it helps in the job. Do not give the full self-PR when asked for a self-introduction.

Should I say はじめまして at the start?

It is not wrong, but it is not needed. Most applicants start with their school or company and name, or with a short thanks for the interviewer’s time.

Can I use English in my self-introduction?

If the interview is in Japanese, give the self-introduction in Japanese. If you are applying to an English-speaking role, the company may ask for it in English; follow the interviewer’s lead.

Should I memorise my self-introduction?

Memorise the structure and key points, not every word. Practise from keywords so you can shorten or extend the answer naturally.

Sources

• Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO): Job Hunting Guide for International Students 2027 (English PDF). Preparing a one-minute spoken description of your strengths, short answers to common questions, and how to write self-PR (one strength, situations, use in the job).
• Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO): Student Guide to Japan 2026-2027 (English PDF). Part-time work with permission: within 28 hours a week.
• 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.

For the whole hiring process and what interviewers assess, see the guide to Japanese job interviews.