Japan’s First Graders Want to Be Bakers and Police Officers
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Protecting People and the Community
A survey of 4,000 Japanese first graders found that the most popular choice as a future job in 2026 was pâtissier or baker, with 12.2% of children naming these as their ideal career. While the top five remained the same, firefighter or rescue worker continued to gain in popularity and at 6.7% is now just 0.1% behind athlete in third place. There was more interest in jobs connected with protecting people and the community in 2026, compared with 20 years ago.
First Graders’ Dream Jobs
| 2026 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Teacher |
| 6 | Driver (of buses, trains, etc.) | Celebrity, singer, or model |
| 7 | Doctor | Police officer |
| 8 | TV star or anime character | Driver (of buses, trains, etc.) |
| 9 | Childcare worker | Doctor |
| 10 | Worker at ice-cream shop | TV star or anime character |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Kuraray.
Pâtissier or baker remained the top choice for girls for the twenty-eighth consecutive year, amassing 21.2% of their vote. Police officer, in fifth position, has made the girls’ top 10 for 12 straight years, while firefighter or rescue worker was at a record high of twelfth. Many girls feel the appeal of helping others.
With 15.6%, police officer was the top choice for boys for the second year running. This was followed by athlete with 12.3% and firefighter or rescue worker with 10.8%. In the 2006 ranking, athlete was way out in front with 31.8%, but now there is a “big three” instead of a “big one.”
First Grade Girls’ Dream Jobs
| 2026 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pâtissier or baker | Pâtissier or baker |
| 2 | Celebrity, singer, or model | Florist |
| 3 | Worker at ice-cream shop | Nurse |
| 4 | Childcare worker | Teacher |
| 5 | Police officer | Celebrity, singer, or model |
| 6 | Doctor | Childcare worker |
| 7 | Teacher | Athlete |
| 8 | Nurse | Doctor |
| 9 | Florist | Beautician |
| 10 | Beautician | Sales or customer service |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Kuraray.
First Grade Boys’ Dream Jobs
| 2026 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | TV star or anime character | Carpenter or artisan |
| 6 | Researcher | Pâtissier or baker |
| 7 | YouTuber | Researcher |
| 8 | Pâtissier or baker | TV star or anime character |
| 9 | Doctor | Doctor |
| 10 | Carpenter or artisan | Pilot |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Kuraray.
Parents were also asked what jobs they would like their first-grade children to pursue. Public servant was top for girls for the second successive year, at 12.3%. There were also a number of health-related professions: nurse in second with 10.8%, doctor in fourth with 6.6%, medical professional in fifth with 6.4%, and pharmacist in eighth with 4.6%.
For parents of boys, public servant (17.5%) and company worker (10.5%) remained the top two for the sixth consecutive year, suggesting a desire for stable employment.
Future Jobs Parents Want for Their First-Grade Girls
| 2026 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public servant | Nurse |
| 2 | Nurse | Public servant |
| 3 | Company worker | Teacher |
| 4 | Doctor | Childcare worker |
| 5 | Medical professional | Doctor |
| 6 | Specialist | Pharmacist |
| 7 | Pâtissier or baker | Company worker |
| 8 | Pharmacist | Celebrity, singer, or model |
| 9 | Teacher | Pâtissier or baker |
| 10 | Childcare worker | Flight attendant |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Kuraray.
Future Jobs Parents Want for Their First-Grade Boys
| 2026 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public servant | Public servant |
| 2 | Company worker | Athlete |
| 3 | Athlete | Doctor |
| 4 | Firefighter or rescue worker | Company worker |
| 5 | Doctor | Engineer |
| 6 | Police officer | Pilot |
| 7 | Engineer | Carpenter or artisan |
| 8 | Researcher | Firefighter or rescue worker |
| 9 | Specialist | Teacher |
| 10 | Driver (of buses, trains, etc.) | Researcher |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Kuraray.
Data Sources
- Data on dream jobs for first graders and parents’ wishes (Japanese) from Kuraray
(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)