Japanese software engineer job search experience

Introduction

I've always had a fondness for Japanese culture, which led me to gradually develop the desire to work in Japan during my university days. However, due to military service and economic constraints, I never acted on it. After completing my military service and working as a front-end engineer in a company, I recently returned home, finally free to pursue job opportunities in Japan without any worries.

Fortunately, this is a great time to explore such opportunities. Due to an aging population and declining birth rates, Japan is actively seeking IT talent. The visa application thresholds and permanent residency requirements have also been lowered. For example, the recently relaxed standards for the Highly Skilled Professional Visa allow one to obtain permanent residency in as little as one year. Some outdated systems (like lifetime employment and seniority-based pay) are also being improved. Feeling that the timing was right, I began to target various job channels in Japan and submitted my resume.

After settling into work for a while, I thought I'd share some experiences as an engineer in Japan and make a record of my journey.

Table of Contents

• Why I want to come to Japan
• The Japanese job market
• Job search channels
• Interviewing companies
• Insights from actual life/work experiences
• Reflections

Background

• National University of Science and Technology, Department of Information Management
• Approximately 3.5 years of work experience (front-end)
• JLPT N1

Why I Want to Come to Japan?

My initial and purest reason is my love for Japan; I want to learn more about it and experience life there. Additionally, the opportunity to gain overseas work experience is rare for me. Collaborating with people from different countries and developing projects allows me to learn a great deal.

Of course, there are many good companies and talented individuals in Taiwan, and there is still a strong demand for web applications. However, compared to Japan's market and population, the scale is quite different. Here, numerous pure software companies are also seeking talent, and I wanted to seize the opportunity while the cost of opportunity is low.

Engineers here, even Japanese ones, try to communicate in English. Although it can sometimes be difficult to understand, I believe that the effort to convey and receive each other's messages is more crucial in a cross-national work environment. If one holds the mindset that communication is a hassle and unnecessary, working anywhere will be quite challenging.

Moreover, during the interview process, I found it surprising that almost all companies, except for the larger ones (like Mercari, LINE, SmartNews), did not conduct pre-tests. Instead, they gauged my development experience and skills through conversation.

Job Search Channels

• Head-hunting companies specializing in Japanese jobs (NeoCareer, PERSOL, Adecco)
• LinkedIn headhunters actively introducing job vacancies
• Indeed
• Connect Job
• Internal referrals

Number of Companies Applied To

9 companies

Offers:

• CAGLA
• diffeasy
• Pear
• HRBrain
• LINE Fukuoka

Rejections:

• SQUEEZE
• SmartNews
• Mercari
• Nintendo

The prospects for job searching with or without Japanese language skills vary significantly, but the constraints are not as severe for engineers. As long as one has the skills and can communicate in basic English, there are still large companies willing to hire (like Rakuten, LINE, Mercari, etc.), and some even subsidize Japanese language learning. However, if your experience and skills are lacking, a salary of 200,000 to 300,000 yen in Japan can be quite challenging to live on.

Application Method

Neocareer

A representative contacted me directly via mobile. After a brief greeting, she said, “Let's test your Japanese ability and connect you with a Japanese specialist.” I wasn't very satisfied with the subsequent process. Communication was entirely through LINE, where they arranged my interview with a Japanese specialist. After introducing myself and discussing my experience, he said, “Oh, it sounds like you're from a science background; I'm responsible for the humanities, so I'll connect you with someone from the science side.”

The next day, I interviewed with the specialist responsible for science and filled out the hardest standardized resume and job history form of my life. After our conversation, I waited a month with no feedback.

Upon following up, I was assigned a different specialist, but after discussing with him, it turned out they only had positions that didn't meet my expected salary.

I didn't feel great about this experience; it seemed like it would take luck to find the right specialist, or perhaps my skills just weren't good enough.

PERSOL (Eisaku)

PERSOL also contacted me proactively through LinkedIn. They confirmed my resume before calling me.

Later, a Japanese specialist assessed my Japanese ability before recommending jobs. However, she kept reducing the salary based on my experience and age. Compared to Neocareer, I felt more positive about this company.

Adecco

I initially intended to apply for SmartNews through them, only to learn that they also collaborate with Japanese companies and can help recommend jobs in Japan. This surprised me, and the number of positions available was quite impressive. Besides detailed job descriptions, the salary ranges were also appealing.

I submitted my resume through a headhunter based in Japan, and they recommended about 7 to 8 companies. However, because I was competing directly with Japanese applicants, many companies rejected me immediately after the application. Engineers with experience or Japanese language skills might find this channel worth exploring.

Connect Jobs

Connect Jobs (formerly known as Top Career) recently co-hosted a job fair with JPTIP, featuring major companies like Rakuten, Teamlab, and Mercari. I initially thought company representatives would come to Taiwan, but it turned out to be Connect Jobs' specialists explaining the process and inviting the CEO to speak.

The resume form on their website was quite challenging to fill out, and I eventually received no feedback, leading to a dead end.

Interview Process

(All interviews were conducted via Skype.)

SQUEEZE

This position was referred by PERSOL.

This is a startup hotel management company based in Tokyo, primarily developing products for unmanned hotels, along with a backend system for hotel management and its own operating inn. During the interview, we mainly discussed work experience, technologies used, developed systems, and job descriptions.

Since I had no prior experience interviewing in Japanese, I hoped to interview with one or two companies to confirm my Japanese responses compared to my expectations.

This was my first Japanese interview, and being remote, it was conducted entirely in Japanese. I felt I didn’t perform well in responding, and the interviewer didn’t seem very engaged in our conversation.

After the interview, I received a call notifying me of my rejection.

After this experience, I revamped my resume and prepared a complete self-introduction in Japanese, along with potential questions that might come up.

HRBrain

I applied here after seeing their attractive salary range. The first round was a chat with HR and the CTO, discussing my work experience, various projects, and why I wanted to come to Japan.

After waiting for a few weeks, I had a second interview with more engineers, who asked more specific questions, such as which programming languages I preferred and what technologies I commonly used, along with an introduction to the current company’s tech stack and challenges.

About a week later, I received an offer notification with a decent salary. However, before formally extending the offer, they required me to fly to Japan for a chat with the CEO. At that time, I had already received other offers, so I declined.

Mercari

Japan's largest second-hand auction company. After reviewing their work style and environment, I found it quite impressive. I submitted my resume through Connect Jobs, which first required me to complete two Codility tests (one hour). The questions were generally between easy and medium difficulty. After completing the tests, I waited a few weeks, only to be notified of my rejection.

SmartNews

Initially, I consulted with a headhunter from Adecco, followed by a Codility pre-test, which consisted of two questions (two hours). The questions felt medium in complexity, but unlike LeetCode, I couldn't take my time and had to think about edge cases on my own.

However, I later received a notification that I was eliminated.

CAGLA

A company that helps users establish backend systems, recommended by a friend. However, due to confidentiality agreements, they didn’t specify what systems they developed for users.

Differing from typical contracting companies, this one has a strong technical foundation. During the interview, they only asked about my work experience and reviewed my GitHub.

Result: Hired. However, the salary was quite dismal.

LINE Fukuoka

I had wanted to challenge myself at LINE for over a year but had to postpone it due to military service. I got in through a friend's referral; the first step involved filling out a questionnaire, followed by a pre-test, remote interview, and ultimately receiving an offer.

The second phase involved questions related to front-end implementation.

The third phase included interviews with several engineers (individually) to delve deeper into the second-phase questions.

The fourth phase was an interview with a senior engineer, discussing work experience, career goals, and more open-ended questions about what I wanted to achieve at the company. Finally, HR introduced the benefits package, and a few days later, I received an offer notification.

The hiring criteria for LINE Fukuoka did not require Japanese language skills; during the interview, communication was mostly in English, with Japanese only used with Japanese personnel.

The entire process from submitting my resume to receiving the offer took about a month and a half. After receiving the offer, it took another two and a half months for my residence status to be issued, making the waiting period quite torturous. Additionally, during the issuance of my residence status, I encountered a situation that nearly prevented me from going to Japan. You can refer to The EMS Scare — Losing My Residence Status Certificate for more on that.

Pear

A startup company in Fukuoka (three years old), mainly focused on developing an e-commerce platform. I was surprised that the first interview was directly with the CEO, who is the same age as me and has an engineering background, having also received investment from LINE, which was quite impressive!

There were two rounds of interviews. The first was with the CEO, discussing work experience and why I wanted to develop in Japan, covering many past experiences and projects, followed by casual conversation about gaming and anime, and discussing the work content and internal situation. The second interview was with other engineers, focusing solely on the technologies I had used. A few days later, I was notified of my acceptance.

Diffeasy

This company's interview process is quite traditional for Japanese companies. First, I had to take a typing test (in Japanese), followed by a personality test, and finally a live coding session. As a contracting company, they only asked about my work experience, the technologies I used, and what I wanted to accomplish in the company, and a few weeks later, I was notified of my acceptance. However, the salary still didn't meet my expectations, so I politely declined.

CST Technology Co., Ltd.

This company had such a bizarre approach that I felt compelled to share it.

A representative from this company suddenly called me, saying they saw my resume (on 104) and wanted to introduce a job in Japan. After they sent me a message via LINE, I discovered they were actually a semiconductor company (?).

Skeptical, I traveled to a café near Hsinchu Station to interview with the Japanese representative. After our conversation, I learned they didn't have a production line and outsourced to other semiconductor factories, realizing that there were recruitment needs at various factories, so they were conducting talent recruitment. At this point, it felt suspicious enough, but I thought it would be a good opportunity to practice my Japanese.

Later, the representative began complaining about how Vietnamese workers were problematic and praised Taiwanese workers, of course mentioning that the salary was dismal. He also seemed completely unaware of the difference between hardware and software and hadn't even looked at my resume, so the whole interaction just fizzled out.

If you come across such opportunities, think twice! Looking back, I still feel I was too naïve.

Salary Comparison: Taiwanese Engineers vs. Japanese Engineers

In terms of salary, the most direct impression is the taxes; Japan's tax rates are significantly higher compared to Taiwan, especially as taxes are deducted by the company before salaries are disbursed, resulting in a take-home amount often much lower than the gross figure.

However, it’s not as extreme as deducting 20% from annual income; don't you have deductions in Taiwan?

Additionally, engineers' low salaries can be shockingly low (similar to part-time worker wages), but the ceiling is considerably higher than in Taiwan. Senior engineers can earn between 10 to 12 million yen, and even after taxes, they can maintain a reasonably comfortable lifestyle. For fresh graduates with potential, it’s also relatively easy to find jobs paying between 5 to 8 million yen.

Overall, the salary in Japan, after various taxes, doesn't differ much from Taiwan, but I feel there's a significant difference in living comfort. Most companies also subsidize transportation costs, and with careful budgeting, you can use a commuter pass to explore nearby areas, allowing you to save just as much as in Taiwan.

Most Commonly Asked Questions

• Describe your work experience and job responsibilities.
• Self-introduction.
• Why do you want to learn Japanese or come to Japan?
• Do you have experience working in Japan?
• Do you have any experience with international collaboration?
• Describe your work responsibilities in your previous company.

These questions aren't too difficult to answer, but expressing them fluently in Japanese takes some practice.

Insights from Actual Work/Life Experiences

Life

The most immediate shock was that living expenses were much higher than I had imagined. Although I knew it would cost a lot, the reality surpassed my expectations. Just the rent and various initial expenses could deplete a significant portion of savings if the company doesn't offer support.

Regarding food, while Japan's cuisine is indeed delicious, I soon realized the variety is somewhat limited: grilled meat, ramen, set meals, rice bowls, udon, soba, salmon, sushi, sashimi, various grilled items, with occasional hamburgers and Italian food. Appetizers are always salad and pickles, and vegetables are scarce, with soup options primarily limited to miso soup and tonjiru. This lack of variety, compared to Taiwan, has led me to find time to cook every day.

Living in Tokyo was a dream of mine, but seeing the rush-hour trains in Shibuya can be quite disheartening. Fukuoka, in contrast, is a vibrant city with convenient living and transportation, affordable prices, and much less overcrowding compared to Tokyo, along with many scenic spots. The Shinkansen makes it easy to travel across Kyushu, making it an almost perfect city for me.

Many people assume Fukuoka is rural, but it's a city! Hakata Station is bustling with office workers daily, and public transport is quite convenient; it’s also a transportation hub for Kyushu. While it may not be as convenient as Tokyo, it remains a city where one can achieve a balance between work and life.

However, after living here for a while (though it’s only been a month), I still miss the diverse and delicious foods of Taiwan, along with the ubiquitous bubble tea.

Japan's internet plans do not have unlimited options; the best you get is unlimited data for SNS, and the costs are two to three times higher than in Taiwan. Once you get into the subway, the internet speed significantly decreases, making me nostalgic for Taiwan's unlimited high-speed internet.

Moreover, dealing with trash disposal has been quite troublesome for me as someone who cooks often. General waste can only be disposed of twice a week, and food waste inevitably smells! Thus, I have to store it in the freezer. While I don't need to coordinate with garbage truck schedules, only having two disposal days a week can be quite bothersome!

Work

Working alongside foreigners and Japanese people is a very unique experience. Since we communicate in a non-native language, it's vital to ensure that the other person understands what you're trying to convey and accurately receives the information you intend to transmit.

There are many Taiwanese working at LINE, more than I initially thought, and I often hear familiar languages, eliminating that sense of loneliness and isolation one might feel abroad.

Although I have JLPT N1, depending on the team's composition, different languages are spoken. In our projects, with a high number of foreigners, communication is roughly 70% English and 30% Japanese, reinforcing the importance of English.

The way Japanese write documentation is quite admirable. The documentation here is so detailed that if any issues arise, searching for the relevant materials usually yields comprehensive results. Consequently, on my first day at work, I received over ten documents regarding company policies and tips for living in Japan.

At the company, we have meetings almost every day, often without reaching conclusions. Due to the emphasis on everyone's opinions, if someone raises concerns about a discussion (a solution), we tend to consider alternative compromises, which can lead to spending more time than anticipated. Additionally, due to language barriers, Japanese people usually don't respond with overly assertive tones, such as:

“〜の方がいいじゃないかなと思います” (I think this solution might be better).

This type of expression means that meetings often take a significant amount of time to find conclusions.

Reflections

Aside from interviews at LINE where a few interviewers spoke in English, most interviews were conducted in Japanese. One must be careful, as many technical terms can become a bit difficult to understand when translated into Japanese; for example, React becomes "リエアク" (ri-e-a-ku), and Angular becomes "アンギュラー" (an-gyu-ra), which may cause a pause upon first hearing.

Plus, compared to Tokyo, I am more eager to work in Fukuoka.

Overall, interviews at these companies did not give me the traditional rigid atmosphere of many Japanese firms; instead, I felt a more vibrant startup culture in Japan.

While my Japanese proficiency greatly enhanced my job prospects, many startups or smaller companies require a certain level of Japanese ability due to budget constraints for language training, aside from larger firms. However, the most critical factors remain technical skills, experience, and communication abilities, which must meet a certain threshold; otherwise, having excellent Japanese but lacking technical skills would be counterproductive.

Perhaps speaking fluent Japanese could lead to better salaries.

Ultimately, language is merely a communication tool. For capable engineers, acquiring enough language skills for effective communication in a short time is usually not too difficult; just a year in Japan can suffice. Taiwanese individuals have a linguistic advantage over other foreigners and can grasp this language faster.

Conversely, technical skills require accumulated experience and time, and perhaps a bit of luck.

Furthermore, the age factor often comes under scrutiny. Due to my age, I frequently faced skepticism regarding my work experience during job searches, making me feel at a disadvantage compared to job hunting in Taiwan. Even if you have projects, a blog, or work experience, employers may automatically disregard your background, categorizing you as a “new graduate.”

While being young can be an asset, interviewers abroad typically only see your educational background and GitHub. Unless you maintain a long-term English or Japanese technical blog or are deeply involved in the local technical community, they can only rely on your resume and interview responses to evaluate you.

Postscript

I'm quite grateful that I joined a fantastic startup during my university years, where the development team comprised excellent engineers who shared knowledge and continually thought about improving development processes and products. Over time, this environment influenced me positively, and the subsequent companies I joined benefited me greatly, allowing me to accumulate substantial experience during my university years. Once you enter the workforce, the cost of making mistakes or starting over becomes increasingly high.

If you're interested in job hunting as an engineer in Japan, feel free to email me or message me on Twitter. I'm happy to share my experiences, but please refrain from asking overly basic questions, such as how to write a resume.

Additionally, if you're interested in learning Japanese, you can also check out my journey in learning Japanese or Japanese Language Tips. I plan to gradually update these resources now that I’ve settled down!