Pâtissier or Police Officer: Japanese Children’s Dream Jobs
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A survey of 4,000 Japanese first graders found that the most popular choice as a future job was pâtissier or baker, with 11.7% of children naming these as their ideal career. This was followed by police officer, with 10.5%, which has been growing in appeal to both boys and girls in recent years. Both police officer and firefighter or rescue worker have climbed considerably since 2005.
First Graders’ Dream Jobs
| 2025 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pâtissier or baker | Athlete |
| 2 | Police officer | Pâtissier or baker |
| 3 | Athlete | Florist |
| 4 | Firefighter or rescue worker | Nurse |
| 5 | Celebrity, singer, or model | Driver (of buses, trains, etc.) |
| 6 | TV star or anime character | Teacher |
| 7 | Driver (of buses, trains, etc.) | Celebrity, singer, or model |
| 8 | Childcare worker | Police officer |
| 9 | Doctor | Doctor |
| 10 | YouTuber | Carpenter or artisan |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Kuraray.
Pâtissier or baker remained the top choice for girls for the twenty-seventh consecutive year, amassing 20.2% of their vote. Police officer, in fifth position, has made the girls’ top 10 for 11 straight years.
For boys, police officer (16.1%) edged out athlete (15.4%) to return to the top. While 20 years ago, athlete was dominant with 29.8% of the vote, it now faces strong competition from police officer and firefighter or rescue worker.
First Grade Girls’ Dream Jobs
| 2025 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pâtissier or baker | Pâtissier or baker |
| 2 | Celebrity, singer, or model | Florist |
| 3 | Childcare worker | Nurse |
| 4 | Worker at ice-cream shop | Teacher |
| 5 | Police officer | Childcare worker |
| 6 | Teacher | Celebrity, singer, or model |
| 7 | Florist | Doctor |
| 8 | Nurse | Athlete |
| 9 | Doctor | Beautician |
| 10 | TV star or anime character | Self-employed |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Kuraray.
First Grade Boys’ Dream Jobs
| 2025 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Police officer | Athlete |
| 2 | Athlete | Driver (of buses, trains, etc.) |
| 3 | Firefighter or rescue worker | Police officer |
| 4 | Driver (of buses, trains, etc.) | Firefighter or rescue worker |
| 5 | YouTuber | Carpenter or artisan |
| 6 | Researcher | Pâtissier or baker |
| 7 | TV star or anime character | Self-employed |
| 8 | Pâtissier or baker | Pilot |
| 9 | Carpenter or artisan | TV star or anime character |
| 10 | Doctor | Researcher |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Kuraray.
Parents were also asked what jobs they would like their first-grade children to pursue. After 27 years at the top, nurse (13.3%) fell to second place among parents of girls, with public servant (13.9%) as the new favorite. Health-related professions were common choices.
For parents of boys, public servant (20.4%) and company worker (11.8%) remained the top two for the fifth consecutive year, suggesting a desire for stable employment.
Future Jobs Parents Want for Their First-Grade Girls
| 2025 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public servant | Nurse |
| 2 | Nurse | Public servant |
| 3 | Company worker | Childcare worker |
| 4 | Medical professional | Teacher |
| 5 | Doctor | Doctor |
| 6 | Pharmacist | Pharmacist |
| 7 | Teacher | Company worker |
| 8 | Childcare worker | Flight attendant |
| 9 | Pâtissier or baker | Celebrity, singer, or model |
| 10 | Celebrity, singer, or model | Beautician / music teacher |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Kuraray.
Future Jobs Parents Want for Their First-Grade Boys
| 2025 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public servant | Public servant |
| 2 | Company worker | Athlete |
| 3 | Athlete | Doctor |
| 4 | Doctor | Company worker |
| 5 | Engineer | Engineer |
| 6 | Police officer | Firefighter or rescue worker |
| 7 | Researcher | Architect |
| 8 | Firefighter or rescue worker | Carpenter or artisan |
| 9 | Architect | Pilot |
| 10 | Medical professional | Teacher |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Kuraray.
(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)