Main Purpose of Job:

The British Embassy Japan Network promotes work experience and internship opportunities with the aim of building strong links between the UK and Japan. We encourage;

1. talented undergraduates, recent graduates and other school and college students (referred to as ‘interns’); and
2. people returning to work after any type of career break (referred to as ‘returners’),
   to get a taste of embassy work and expand their employability for future careers linked to the UK-Japan relationship. 

Successful completion of the Internship programme will give you the option of joining our interim personnel pool for future fixed term job opportunities, and will give you the experience to support strong applications for future permanent roles in the British Embassy Tokyo or Consulate General Osaka.

What the Jobholder will be Expected to Achieve:

This Internship programme would particularly suit someone with strong links to either the UK or to Japan and is considering pursuing a career in international relations, trade and investment, or similar fields in the future.

Successful candidates will gain an understanding of the mission of the British Embassy and its Consulate through training and work assigned by the key teams of Japan Network. Your role will be determined based on your interests, specialities, skills and experience. In any team, you are expected to bring in new ideas, approaches, fresh perspectives, a willingness to challenge entrenched working practices, and help us boost capacity.

Your host team will provide you with a range of opportunities to familiarise you with our way of working and our current policy focus areas, and will agree with you a full programme to cover the term of the Internship that reflects your interests and learning objectives. The Internship can last up to a maximum of 6 months, but it is possible that we can accommodate shorter periods and reduced working hours following consultation at the interview.

Our internship programme offers a unique work experience, and usually focuses on one or two areas. We expect to be offering placements with focuses including:

1. Communications
Join a creative and fast‑paced communications team working across press, digital, and marketing. Gain hands‑on experience in media monitoring, social media content creation, campaign evaluation, and Embassy‑wide outreach. You will shadow senior communications leads and contribute to projects such as major visit communications and high‑impact digital initiatives.

2. Consular
Support a team delivering meaningful work to protect and assist British nationals. Gain exposure to prevention projects on issues such as prison reform and victim support, while engaging closely with Japanese authorities, NGOs, and frontline consular staff. You will also contribute to outreach activities, crisis preparedness engagements, and service‑quality improvements across the Consular network.

3. Trade Policy
Join the Embassy’s Trade Policy team and work on real‑world economic and trade issues shaping UK–Japan relations. Contribute to projects on CEPA utilisation, environmental services, and stakeholder outreach, while building skills in policy research, media monitoring, and analytical reporting. This role offers a unique opportunity to engage with policymakers, government partners, and business audiences.

4. Business and Trade
Help strengthen UK-Japan trade ties by supporting promotional activities, researching market opportunities, and connecting businesses. Focus areas include the Food & Drink sector and Creative Industries, aligned with the UK’s industrial strategy.

5. Marketing
Strengthen the UK–Japan trade and investment relationship by supporting marketing activity that showcases the UK’s strengths and areas of competitive advantage. Contribute to building a positive and compelling narrative by linking market insights and analysis to digital and traditional marketing activity, aligned with the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy. The role supports campaigns, content, and communications that promote the UK as an attractive partner for trade and investment.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Japanese and English
• Proficient computer skills 
• Resilient in a constantly evolving environment
• Strong team player and self-starter with positive, dedicated and open attitude

Language requirement:

This role requires written and spoken proficiency in both English and Japanese. fluency (minimum of C2 level for CEFR framework*) in one language and business level (minimum of high B2) in the other.

*Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages sets the following mastery or proficiency levels:

• C2: Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express themself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
• B2: Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in their field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.