Japan

Professional title for a Practicing Psychologist:

1. Certified Public Psychologist (公認心理師 – kōninshinrishi) – Japan government certification;
2. Certified Clinical Psychologist (臨床心理士 – rinshōshinrishi) – Private organization certification.

The Certified Public Psychologist is primarily applicable in Japanese hospitals and schools. The Certified Clinical Psychologist is the most widely accepted certification by a private organization. It is often accepted in hospitals and schools as well as in universities, corporate work, and private practice. Some places prefer hiring a psychologist with both credentials. There also are more than 40 other titles with private organization certification for practicing psychologists, such as Certified Psychologist (認定心理士 – ninteishinrishi), School Psychologist (学校心理士 – gakkoshinrishi), Clinical Developmental Psychologist (臨床発達心理士 – rinshōhattatsushinrishi), and others. The Japanese government’s intention is to make Certified Public Psychologist (公認心理師 koninshinrishi) as the official, primary license in Japan for psychologists. This license is distinguished from the Certified Clinical Psychologist (臨床心理士 rinshoshinrishi), which is certified by a private association. The Japanese government has announced that by 2023 all mental health professionals in Japan who do not have Certified Public Psychologist (公認心理師 koninshinrishi) will not able to practice their clinical/counseling work. However, interestingly, Certified Clinical Psychologist (臨床心理士 rinshoshinrishi) is still regarded as reliable and popular, so people generally feel it is better to have both certifications. It is not clear yet how much the government will try to enforce this rule neither is it clear how this will affect foreign professionals who are not using Japanese titles such as Certified Public Psychologist (公認心理師 koninshinrishi) and Certified Clinical Psychologist (臨床心理士 rinshoshinrishi). There is a psychiatrist (精神科医 – sesshinkai) license in Japan that is a separate qualification from the psychologist qualification.

Criteria, Regulations and Procedures to obtain a License: 

The criteria, regulations, and procedures depend on the license or certification. For the Certified Public Psychologist: Graduation from a university with a certified psychology masters degree program in Japan (there are 175 presently) or a similar masters degree at a foreign university. 450 hours of practicum is required during the study program. There is no post-degree internship requirement. The license exam is once a year. There is an overseas category for applying for a license. If a candidate who has a foreign psychology masters degree, but is missing some of the required coursework or required practicum, in the past the government Certified Public Psychologist (公認心理師 – kōninshinrishi) office offered courses for these candidates. However, it is unclear if this will continue in the future. This is the website (Japanese only) to explain the process of testing, certification, etc. http://shinri-kenshu.jp For Certified Clinical Psychologist: 1) Graduation from a university with a certified psychology masters degree program in Japan (there are 157 presently) or a similar masters degree at a foreign university. 2) If the applicant has a masters degree from a foreign university, two years experience working as a clinical psychologist in Japan is required for eligibility to take the exam. 3) If the applicant has a medical doctor license, two years experience working as a clinical psychologist in Japan is required for eligibility to take the exam. 4) The exam is given one time a year. After passing the exam, an interview is required. This is the website (Japanese only) to explain the process of testing, certification, etc.: http://fjcbcp.or.jpJapan Clinical Psychologist Qualification Association (日本臨床心理士格資格認定協会- nihonrinshōshinrishishikakukakuteikyōkai) For Certified Psychologist: Qualified individuals must 1) possess a bachelor’s degree or above, 2) have lived in Japan for 2 or more years since they were 16 years old 3) earned academic credits designated by the JPA certification committee. For the psychiatrist license, a medical doctor license is required.

Any Supplemental Resources regarding procedures for Licensure:

Reciprocity of Licenses:

None

Temporary/Short-Term Licenses (which are often needed for psychologists doing humanitarian work in foreign countries):