Japanese Studies (MA) (120EC)
Career prospects
What do our graduates work?
Our alumni can be found working at international organizations and Japanese companies, whilst others have followed paths into consulting, media, PR and marketing, tourism, education, and more.
Examples of the diverse roles of our graduates include:
- Account Manager at Asahi Intecc, a Japanese company that develops metal wire for medical applications
- Analytics Assistant at Reed Elsevier, a provider of information services
- Area Manager Asia at the Netherlands Council for Trade Promotion
- Marketing Trainee at Wakibi microcredit, a provider of microcredit
- Service Management Consultant at a company developing software
- Junior Project Manager at Concorde Group BV, a translation agency
- Coordinator, International Relations at Mima City Hall
- Consular Officer at the Dutch Embassy in Japan
- Translator and Product Developer at Kobe Bussan, a business supermarket
- Corporate Banking Assistant at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ
Research Master
If you have ambitions to pursue a PhD position or career as a researcher outside of academia, you can apply for the two-year Research Master in Asian Studies on completion of the programme.
Christiaan Raaijmakers
Senior sales manager
"I work as an international sales manager for a French company that manufactures seats for theatres, cinemas, auditoriums, and conference halls worldwide. I travel around Northern Europe and Japan, where I meet with architects and owners of such venues and offer the company’s top-quality products. The French company is part of a Japanese-owned company group. The head company of this group is Japanese and I attended an internship there in 2014. "
Becoming a link between Japan and Europe
"A few months ago, they offered me to come and work for their French company. Now, I act as a link between the French company and Japanese company due to my knowledge of the Japanese language and culture that I gained during my Master Asian Studies. At the time, I chose the two-year Master Asian Studies – Japanese Studies to be able to study more about the country I grew to love. It also provided me with an exchange program to study the language and culture at one of Japan’s top universities for one full year. With help from this Master programme, I have achieved my goal of becoming a link between Japan and Europe."
In which sector do students find jobs?
- 14 % Art and culture
- 14 % Healthcare and wellbeing
- 14 % IT
- 14 % Industrial
- 14 % Government and semi-government
- 14 % Wholesale and retail
- 14 % Education
This graph is based on alumni data from the MA Japanese Studies 2020 through 2024.
Career preparation
Find out how this programme exactly prepares you for your future career and check our career preparation activities.
Launch your career with a master’s degree
Continuing your studies after your bachelor's degree pays off. Graduates with a master's degree are more likely to find higher-level positions: 77% start at a university of applied sciences (hbo) or university level, compared to 63% of graduates who only hold a bachelor's degree. This difference remains visible in the long term. After more than two years of work experience, 87% of master's alumni work at a university of applied sciences or university level, compared to 76% of bachelor's alumni.
A unique strength on the job market
As a Humanities graduate, you have developed talents that are in high demand on the job market. Intercultural skills, written communication, and social awareness are qualities that clearly distinguish Humanities graduates on the job market. Your ability to think analytically and creatively also gives you an edge.
Do you consider putting your knowledge into practice during your studies? Determine whether an internship could be an option for you. Start orientating your possibilities by visiting an internship information session. This way you can receive information about the internship procedure and listen to tips of former interns.
Notice that you will search for an internship yourself to find a place of your interest. Do you need some help with this or the application process? Do not hesitate to contact the Career Service. When you have found an internship, inform us. Then, the internship coordinator advises you how to proceed and provides your internship plan with feedback so it can be submitted for approval to the board of examiners.
Our staff can help you identify both the career that is right for you, and the necessary steps to get you there. Our team at the Humanities Career Service provides all Leiden University humanities students with professional advice and guidance on everything from internships and career planning to job applications. Humanities Career Service also organises regular workshops on topics such as effective interview skills and creating a successful CV.
The Humanities Career Service offers you various (online) workshops, webinars and info sessions. Check our overview of career activities.
The Leiden University Career Zone is an online career portal that helps you to prepare for the job market. Here you can find information, tools and tips to help you gain more personal insight, learn about the job market, develop your application skills, plan your academic and professional career, find job vacancies and discover what the Career Service can do for you.
Join the Mentor Network to contact alumni with experience on the labour market and ask them for advice. More than 1200 alumni are happy to help you!
Jelle on finding an internship via Leiden University's Mentor Network
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