Some professional examinations in Japan are open to foreign applicants but are still conducted only in Japanese. It may seem reasonable to ask why a test of professional knowledge cannot also be offered in English or another language.
The answer is that professional knowledge alone is not always enough to do the job in Japan. Depending on the field, workers may need to read Japanese laws and regulations, understand technical terms, follow instructions at work, and explain things clearly to customers, patients, or other people. If the work itself is carried out in Japanese, being able to understand Japanese accurately can become part of the ability required to do the job.
This is especially important in fields such as medicine, construction, and other work involving safety, where misunderstanding a word or instruction can lead to serious problems. In such cases, it is difficult to separate professional knowledge from the Japanese needed to use that knowledge in practice.
There is also a more basic way some people in Japan look at the issue: if you are earning a Japanese qualification, taking the examination in Japanese does not seem unusual. This applies not only to Japanese candidates. Many foreign applicants also study Japanese and pass the same examinations in Japanese. If examinations are offered in other languages, there is also the question of how to ensure comparable conditions for people who have prepared for the same qualification in Japanese.
Of course, qualifications differ greatly. Some jobs require far more Japanese than others. That does not mean every professional examination in Japan must always be Japanese-only, but neither does it mean Japan is expected to provide an English version of every qualification exam.
In fields facing labor shortages, helping foreign workers enter the profession may require more than simply translating the examination. Support for learning Japanese and the technical vocabulary used in the job can also be important, because Japanese will still be needed once they begin working.
A Japanese-only professional examination is therefore not always simply a barrier placed in front of foreign applicants. Especially in jobs where communication in Japanese is essential, Japanese itself may be considered part of the practical ability needed to use the qualification in Japan.
