r/JapanDev

Hi,

So I am a entrepreneur who didn't find much success and is now on job hunting. Graduated in 2017 in BTech in IT Engineering, I spent last 9 yeas in various domains in India, from tech to finance to real estate but didn't find much success.

Now I've been grinding AI + Cloud for the last 6 months,

I have completed AWS SAA cert and in two weeks I'm planning to get the AWS Gen AI Pro certificate as well, plus I finished AI engineer course from Ed Donner and I am also doing agentic AI course. Thanks to this I have basic hold on cloud services and quite a good knowledge for being an AI engineer. Now I am building projects to get the practical knowledge of what I learned in these courses and certs.

Now that being said, I very barebones on Leetcode and system design. I know about Neetcode 150 but it seems daunting. I do plan to do system design as its integral for my future growth for senior roles, but I don't know how much leetcode should I be doing as I barely have time for it. I am already building my portfolio website with AI + Cloud projects and in spare time I study AI (mainly agentic) and of whats left I read system design on HelloInterview.

I am planning to start applying for jobs in 1 month, what should I be targeting most, I study 14 hrs a day. Goal is to land a job in AI, either applied AI or agentic AI or AI platform engineer.

Also what are my chances of landing a job? I am hoping 10M jpy range (could go upto 8m jpy). I have been working relentlessly to secure a job in japan, grinding all day, do I have a shot?

I have no japanese knowledge but I plan to study and get N2 as soon as I land a job.

TL;DR I am planning to start applying for jobs in 1 month, what should I be targeting most, I study 14 hrs a day, goal is to land a job in AI, either applied AI or agentic AI or AI infra.

30y/o Computer Science graduate from the UK, worked remotely for a US company for three years (Audio/Video/Graphics Editor then Creative Lead) then moved to Japan. It's currently my fourth year as an ALT English teacher in the countryside. Passed JLPT N1 last year and have good conversational Japanese. I have been doing web developement since last year using AI agents (VS code, Antigravity, Claude Code, Codex, Git, OpenCode, OpenRouter, Ollama, Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.) to make web apps for myself and other teachers. I ended up making a full SaaS product that currently has 78 users (only two paid users because I dislike marketing/sales/customer service). I can do HTML/CSS and basic JS but to be honest I don't really enjoy coding. However, I really like working with computers, utilising ICT software and hardware, and I enjoy making UI/UX/architechtural decisions. I've been considering entering the IT industry when my current teaching contract ends in March 2027.
What sort of skills would I need to develop? Is working in the Japanese IT industry stressful? Is it worth moving to the city for? I feel very satisfied and fulfilled in my current placement/position but I'm considering options because there's no growth/career progression. Looking for ideas on what sort of positions in the IT industry could suit me. Much appreciated!

Hi, I am currently looking for jobs in Japan. I am specialized in Software Development. Previously worked in Trading Software Systems, followed by banking experiences. Mainly in C++, Tuxedo, IBM MQs. I can speak fluent Chinese and English, but DO NOT speak Japanese. Are there any fast track ways for me to find jobs in Japan?

Happy Friday! Have questions about tech careers in Japan? Looking to hire (or get hired)? Just want to brag? Post it here and let's discuss!

To all designers, developers, and AI tool enthusiasts around the Kansai area:

We are hosting an Open Design Workshop near Nihonbashi Station in Osaka on July 6!

This small-scale meetup lets you get hands-on with Open Design while casually discussing creating designs, slides, prototypes, websites, presentation decks, and visual content using AI agents. No advanced technical expertise is required.

Sign up here👇
luma.com/zd4pqs91

I understand that tax or deduction situations are tricky and don't have one formula to rule them all.

But is there like a rule of thumb way to estimate what will be your THP from the listed salary (which I assume will be gross salary)?

Hey guys. I’m currently a dual citizen with Canada and Japan (from birth). I’m currently in my undergraduate Computer science minoring in philosophy and am looking for a job once I graduate next year in Japan. (To experience life, etc, maybe for a year to a couple years).

I wouldn’t mind any job but more specifically in the lines of tech, business, analyst, consulting, etc that would give me good experience.

I’m probably about a N3-4 level (haven’t taken it). Although I’m Japanese, and fluent. I just don’t know a lot of complicated words and my kanji is rough (no accent tho). But in the next year with effort I think I could easily reach N1-2 if required.

I was hoping to get some advice when it comes to acquiring jobs…
- what sites should I use
- is Boston Career Forum worth going
- what certificates or skills should I work on
(I currently have none but am looking to get some AWS done this summer - would that be important?)
- what programming languages, frameworks, projects would be good?
- any other general advice for helping me to get a job in Japan

I would greatly appreciate any advice, thanks redditors you guys are always the best. No

Has anyone successfully secured a software development role in Japan while applying from abroad? I've been actively applying for the past three years without success and would appreciate hearing from those who've navigated this process.