Video summary

【ゆっくり解説】人気資格別に解説！次に取るべき資格【資格】

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas / lessons conveyed

  • “Popular qualifications” (難関ではなく受験者が多い資格) are popular for reasons that can be both useful and misleading.
  • Getting a popular qualification is usually not the finish line—it should become a stepping stone to the next, more in-demand or more advanced qualification.
  • The video defines a popular qualification mainly as one with a large number of test-takers, including cases where popularity is boosted by easy difficulty and/or CBT/online exam availability.

Why popular qualifications matter

  1. Job advantage / career switching: learned content aligns with workplace needs; certain licenses grant exclusive rights to perform tasks.
  2. Career advancement through transferable knowledge: even if not directly job-related, the knowledge can help in current work.
  3. Popularity itself can be a marketing effect: some popular qualifications “attract beginners” via social media, even if their practical value is limited.

Why you shouldn’t stop at the popular level

  • Popular qualifications often have an easier difficulty or teach foundational material.
  • Use the study momentum and core knowledge to pursue a more advanced, specialized, or higher-ROI qualification.

Methodology / instruction-style flow (step-by-step)

  1. Understand what “popular” means

    • Treat “popular” as high test-taker numbers, not merely media attention.

  2. After passing a popular qualification, use it as a base

    • Don’t stop studying just because you already earned something recognized and common.

  3. Choose the next qualification based on your path

    • Prioritize the next certification according to:
      • Industry relevance (e.g., real estate, finance, IT, hazardous materials)
      • Difficulty and readiness (some are “advanced” and significantly harder)
      • Transferable knowledge (e.g., civil law → administrative/civil service/real estate transaction topics)

  4. Typical upgrade directions

    • Upgrade from foundational/popular to:
      • More exclusive-rights certifications
      • Higher-level versions (e.g., Bookkeeping Level 3 → Level 2)
      • Profession-specific national licenses (e.g., tax accountant, CPA, IT engineer series)
      • Related technical/regulated licenses that open better job opportunities

Qualification-by-qualification concepts and “next targets”

1) Real estate license (宅地建物取引士／宅建系ライセンス)

Why it’s popular / valued

  • Real estate is a major industry revenue source (property buying/selling).
  • Many consultations require licensed real estate agents (exclusive service rights).
  • Large companies reportedly have 95%+ employee holders of the license.
  • On resumes, “passed construction/real estate” style mentions signal competence and effort capacity.
  • Companies may see you as transferable to real estate divisions.

Next qualification recommended (real estate path)

  • Certified Property Management Specialist（管理業務主任者）

    • Useful for condominium association management, especially where money and contracts are large.
    • Difficulty described as somewhat similar to construction law; relatively easier due to civil law overlap.

  • Real Estate Appraiser（不動産鑑定士）

    • Positioned as extremely strong coverage for land/investment/real-estate-related decisions.
    • Difficulty described as nearly 10x the real estate license exam → requires serious preparation.

Also suggested alternatives (based on life situation)

  • If you prefer civil service:
    • Use civil-law study to target national civil servant paths (real estate transaction specialist helps).
  • If you are a student/hobby learner:
    • Pursue upgrades via civil-law groundwork and later exams.

2) Bookkeeping + FP (FP3級/FP39/FP2級)

Why bookkeeping is foundational

  • Learning bookkeeping = learning journal entries (e.g., brokerage fee + consumption tax → corresponding entry).
  • Strategy described:
    • Categorize exam journal-entry patterns.
    • Learn how to post for each category.
    • Produce figures for balance sheets and income statements.

Upgrade recommended

  • If bookkeeping Level 3 is already acquired, aim for Bookkeeping Level 2
    • Real-world use: Level 3 alone is described as somewhat insufficient.
    • Level 2 + experience enables understanding most company finances and even participation in management decisions.

Further expansion targets

  • Aim for higher-level professional accounting routes such as:
    • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
    • Tax accountant (税理士)
    • Construction accounting specialist

FP portion (financial planning)

  • FP is described as covering multiple financial fields (broad financial literacy).
  • Society expects basic financial systems knowledge, so not knowing is framed as a disadvantage.
  • Popularity driver: CBT/accessibility and differences in exam ease.

Upgrade logic for FP

  • Don’t stop at basic FP level (FP3級/FP39 discussed); move to advanced FP (FP2級/FP29 discussed).
  • After FP2, aim for harder qualifications aligned with your strengths, such as:
    • Real estate broker
    • Tax accountant
    • Social Insurance and Labor Consultant (社会保険労務士)

3) IT Passport (iP)

Why it’s popular

  • Presented as the easiest among the IT national qualification levels.
  • Covers basic IT concepts plus general social knowledge.
  • Popularity increases due to CBT and year-round availability.
  • Exam taker volume is described as very high.

Upgrade recommended

  • Move from IT basics to Fundamental Information Technology Engineer (FE/基本情報) if your job might involve IT.
  • Optionally progress to Applied Information Technology Engineer depending on whether you actually work in an IT company.
  • Avoid applied-level exams if you can’t utilize them in your likely work context.

4) Class 4 hazardous materials handler (危険物取扱者・乙種第4類)

Why it’s popular / job-market value

  • Hazardous materials are defined under fire-related legal framework; classified by types.
  • Passing allows handling of that class/type.
  • Class 4 is framed as covering substances used in daily life (e.g., gasoline/kerosene/acetone).
  • Demand exists from industries that handle them (gas stations, scientific institutions, etc.).
  • High school industrial courses may lead to employment where this license provides exclusive opportunity and faster job matching.

Test frequency & format details

  • Not CBT; conducted once or twice a month depending on prefecture.

Further upgrade recommendations (science/engineering cluster)

  • Recommended related licenses/courses:

    • Class 2 Electrical Work
    • Class 3 Refrigeration Machine Operator
    • Class 3 Electrical Engineer & Hazardous Materials Handler
    • Fire safety equipment technician
    • Boiler technician
    • Heavy vehicle driver’s license (used to drive tank trucks; subtitles explain related variants/strictness)

  • Rationale: these can increase workload via exclusive duties, leading to higher annual income.

Closing message / overall takeaway

  • Popular doesn’t automatically mean success.
  • Treat the popular qualification as a foundation and stepping stone to the next qualification that better fits your work goals and provides higher value/exclusivity.

Speakers / sources featured

  • Marisa (primary narrator/host credited repeatedly)
  • Hype Channel (referenced as the channel to subscribe to)

Original video