r/movingtojapan

I'm planning to relocate to Japan in the next couple of years. I'm an iOS developer (still building my skills, working on my first app) and I'm trying to figure out what the realistic path looks like - whether that's finding a remote role, landing a job at a Japanese company, going there through a language school and then finding a job already being there, or something else entirely.

As a quick intro, I'm a SWE in the enterprise industry, worked for over 7 years on .NET + Angular projects as a Full Stack developer. I want to pivot into app development for iOS, mostly to become a solo app developer and leave my 9-5 job someday. But until then, this is just to try my chances at making some extra money alongside any job that I might find. Also considering that salaries in Japan are not that high, even for a software developer.

I already started learning the language, comfortably passing N5 JLPT test exams, and slowly reaching the N4 level (planning on really testing my N4 skills around the end of July). A lot to learn, but I'm determined about this.

Working Holiday Visa is not available from my country. And I just passed the magic year of 30 years old. I think I might be eligible for the HSP visa, but not sure how this works.

Any experiences, tips, or honest reality checks welcome.

Long story short: I'm 23, newly graduated with a degree in Japanese/Japan-studies. Spent 1,5 years on exchange in Japan, where I was the happiest I've ever been, and now desperately looking for a way back. No work experience and no chance of getting relevant work experience in my own country. Working holiday is also not an option.

First of all I considered joining a language school to job-hunt from there, as my Japanese friends are convinced that would work, but I find it very hard to imagine anyone would sponsor a work visa for me as-is.

With that, my best bet seems to be going back to school, either through graduate school or a senmon gakkou. Since I have a degree which doesn't seem to hold much value on the job market, I'm afraid doing an MA in the fields I qualify for won't help me much. This led to me considering senmon gakkou, which seems like it might better suit my goal. In that case, I'm guessing something IT-related is the way to go, but I honestly just want to do whatever gives me a better chance of staying Japan long-term. What's most important to me right now is simply being with the people I love.

I kinda just want to know if I'm completely mislead. Does my thinking make any sense? Is there anything else I should consider studying? I'd really appreciate anyone's input, as I feel rather lost trying to figure out this on my own.

Dear everyone,

I've been learning Japanese for quite some time and never really got further than the basics. I wanna change that and am right now considering staying in Japan with the 90-day tourist visa that it offers and take a language course. I've been there in September last year and travelled from Tokyo through Kansai region to Kyushu and took a flight to Okinawa. The cities I liked best were Osaka and Naha because of their more alternative and less formal vibes. Tokyo is out of the equation because I felt it was too overrun and way too individualised for me. I'm a mid 30s queer woman who's working in theatre, white, German and have somewhat of an alternative style. I chose Fukuoka for my travel last year because I really like Number Girl and alt music and hoped for a more alternative scene there. I didn't find it then but now I read it still exists and that one needs to dig deeper.

My question to you would be, do you think Fukuoka is livable for someone like me? Does it have a queer scene? Do you have recommendations for other places that are still cities, not too crowded but still somewhat international? Also I'm not the wealthiest person so I would try to avoid places with too high rent. I'd appreciate any tips. Thank you so much! ❤️

Hey, I am 26F from UK and it is my dream to do a ski season in Japan.

The maximum sabbatical my job will give me is 3 months/if I stack some holiday up to 4 months off, I would love to be able to work in a ski resort for this time period - but is it worth me getting a Working Holiday Visa for such a short time? UK residents are now able to get up to 2 WHVs, if I do use one for a short trip now, could that damage my chances of getting the second one? Would love to hear any experiences with getting the two WHVs!

I can't work my job remotely, but could I do some other work remotely without getting the WHV? I really would prefer to integrate myself into the town for the season even if it is a bit shorter as its one of the best parts imo. Any advice/thoughts appreciated (I would prefer to also not quit my job back home as I have worked very hard to get there but its seeming like it might have to be an option 🥲)

Hi Everyone,

I asked my language school if my original graduation diploma would be returned to me after immigration reviews it for the COE. They said that all original documents, including, my university diploma, would not be returned. May I ask if you have had similar experiences? Were you able to submit transcripts in lieu of the diploma? If possible, I would like to not lose my university diploma.

Thanks!

To preface I'm just day dreaming and as of right now nothing is serious. Just thinking is all!

Got back from a recent trip to Japan and and loved it! Everything was so lovely. The scenery, the people, the food, it was great! What i really loved most was the smaller communities i went to and my want to go to more of them.

Since I've come home I have been thinking about what it would be like to go live in one. I have a small farming background since I was a kid to my teenage years and still help out now and again, mostly crops, some cattle. Full time I am a powerline technician but as to my understanding you have to be fluent in Japanese and the training is quite rigorous if I wanted to become one out there so I could only assume that's out of the question. Im in pretty good shape, not jacked, not scrawny. I love the outdoors, climbing, hiking, biking and photography. All that being said every time i think about living in japan i see myself working on a farm or something.

I see that rural japan is sorta 'dying' as younger generations flock toward the bigger cities but I've never been real keen on living in bigger cities. Its fun being in the hustle and bustle for a week or so but anything more I think id go crazy!

So all that being said. Is there really anything out there for a guy like me? Are there many manual labor or farm jobs out there for foreigners?

Again, just kinda day dreaming and thinking about what could be. Sorry for the rambly post!

Hi I plan to live in Japan for 6 months next year on a digital nomad visa, and I've been browsing monthly rentals/mansions around the greater tokyo area and I noticed most if not all of them, nice as they look, don't have wired internet connections. The nature of my job (as well as my hobbies being gaming related) would make it very inconvenient to rely entirely on just wifi connection and I would much rather go through the trouble of having a LAN port if possible.

Is there a way for someone like me to get their hands on an internet plan + router that I can plug into directly? I heard there were strict rules on like for example requiring a residence card to have fiber internet. Or do I just have to do really deep digging for places that have ethernet ports?

I know some hotels have ethernet like APA, but because I plan to stay there for a long time, I'd rather have an apartment.

Hi

I'm planning to attend a language school and i'm wondering what kind of proof of self-study is accepted by the immigration office?

I passed N4 last December is that not enough? Surely they would know that achieving that requires more than 150 hours of study..

Hello!

I'm a french-canadian (18M) and, in Quebec, we have something called "cegep" before being able to go to university. That takes around 2-3 years to finish before being allowed to go to Uni and, Imma be honest, I do not want to go through 3 years just to do 3-4 more years in university.

I have a Vocational studies diploma in IT (from a real school, took around a year and a half) and have a pretty decent portfolio, but nowhere near the 10 year minimum for a work visa.

I tried searching things up and pretty much everything I saw visa related required a university degree.

I do plan on going on a work holiday over there for at least a year to actually experience the work culture and see if I do want to make this into a long term thing, but I do want to know in advance if it's even possible for me to move there on the long term closely after my work holiday is done.

Just wanted either some insight or some ideas on what to actually do here because I am a bit lost.

Any help is appreciated!

Hi All,

I'm curious on how realistically I might be able to get a job in the future at an older age, mainly with the goal of obtaining permanent residency.

I'm an IT consultant in my late 30's, primarily working in project management capacity the past 7+ years. I'm not a software engineer or much of a coder (it's been a long time since I coded in school lol). I currently have N2 and working on N1 at some point. I've travelled to Japan many times and completely understand that visiting and living there are different experiences. I've always wanted to try working and living there, but I'm in a high cost of living area so got used to working in my native country. I'm comfortable with my current job and looking to stay until early 50's to essentially complete building the retirement nest egg.

I started looking into JP properties on a whim, thinking about maybe eventually buying a vacation home down the line since I foresee spending a good amount of time in JP in retirement. That got me thinking about maybe wrapping up my career in JP to get PR and flexibility for length of stays, but I'm not sure how realistically companies would sponsor and hire a 50 year old lol.

I don't think I'd really care about location or job type since it would be semi-short term, but I would be looking at needing ￥10M+ salary in order to hit 80pts on the PR calculator (if I'm not able to get N1 by then) to ideally meet PR requirements after 1 year and get approval for PR. I'm not sure how often people get rejected for PR if they meet the points threshold. I know Tech industry changes very quick, especially with AI now, so who knows what things will be like in 10+ years, but curious about any insights you have. Thanks!

Hi guys, I'll try to keep it short. I've been researching Tokyo neighbourhoods and Shimokitazawa came up as a fit for someone into music, alternative culture and creative crowds. Before committing I wanted to get some real input from people who actually know the city. I visited Tokyo two summers ago and spent time in Harajuku and around Shibuya which is partly why those areas appeal to me. I also have a few contacts/friends there already. Shimokitazawa came up repeatedly when I asked people who actually live there, which is why I'm focusing on that area. but I wanted broader input from people with more experience of the city.

I'm 20, finishing my bachelor's degree in Europe and taking a gap year before my master's. I'm genuinely considering moving to Tokyo for around 6 to 9 months. I feel like I should introduce myself so you could maybe point me toward the right neighbourhoods around the Shimokitazawa, Shinjuku, Harajuku and Shibuya area. im open to other neibourhoods but i feel like it is where most young ppl like me would tend to be ? correct me if im wrong.

I'm a big music guy, I make music and constantly listen to new artists or older inspirations. I mainly play soul funk jazz rock etc. I really dig ppl like d Angelo, Radiohead, isaiah sharkey or rosenwinkel. I also listen to other many genres including math rock or shoegaze. I'm into fashion and have my own aesthetic, and I tend to gravitate toward creative, alt and curious crowds. People who are into ideas as much as they're into music or art, even if they don't fit neatly into one box. I'm also a bit of a nerd when it comes to certain subjects such as economics, history, politics, that kind of thing. I like being around people who get genuinely excited about ideas.

So yeah in conclusion, I'm looking for a neighbourhood with a strong intellectual and artistic scene, good bars and places to socialise, and the kind of crowd I could actually connect with and have interesting conversations with. My rent budget is up to 160k yen. Any recommendations welcome, and if you're in that scene yourself, even better

hi everyone,

i would like to ask if i am planning to enroll this year to take the april 2026 semester, i had read some of the schools are asking for 100-150 hours of study of nihongo or N5 (but since this is december). i would like to ask what are the best way i can improve the chance of my student visa to get approved? is the nihongo class i take in 1 semester from college would be helpful or not? thank you!

I’m in discussion for a software engineering role in Japan through a recruiter.

The setup described to me is not a fixed 3-month probation leading automatically to permanent employment.

Instead, the employment may start with a 3-month contract, and if things go well it can be renewed (3/6/12 months possible) until they eventually decide on permanent conversion. At the same time, the visa situation was explained as potentially being renewed in short periods rather than having a clear long-term status from the beginning.

Salary is strong and the client seems reputable, but I’m relocating internationally, so stability matters a lot.

I’m trying to understand from people already working in Japan:

- Is repeated 3-month contract renewal normal in tech?
- How common is short-duration visa renewal tied to contract renewals?
- Is this just a normal contractor/dispatch pathway, or should this be viewed as a warning sign?
- What questions should I ask before proceeding?

Would appreciate experiences from engineers, foreign workers, recruiters, or anyone familiar with Japanese hiring practices.

I'll say it right away - I'm Russian. I don’t know if this profession is in demand in Japan, and in general, I’m still just learning Japanese(I’m quite young, I have a lot of time), so... Technically, is that possible? I think I'll get the highest score on my music school graduation exam, which does not matter much because I'd listen to anything you could tell me about what should I expect as a person belonging to the LGBT+ community, as a person from such a notorious country, as a person receiving music education in the very same country, and... Just as a foreigner.

Planning that because of my girlfriend's obsession with that country and because... Russia sucks. I don't want to be a part of my homeland's terrible actions and my parents' are such dicks, so need to leave asap...

P.S. Tell me if I have some grammar mistakes, and I'll be very grateful for everything you'd say! And yeah, of course, sorry. First time posting here. 

Hello, I am an American currently living with my Japanese wife in Australia working as a chef. As of 2 months ago we are expecting.

Of course, we are on temporary visas here in Australia, so we will have to choose whether to live in America or Japan before our baby is born.

I currently work as a chef and make enough to support both of us with plenty to put back into savings. However, I hear that wages for chefs are not so good in Japan. And as for America, I know I would make decent money but I feel the medical bills and being uninsured kinda negates that.

Does anyone have anecdotal advice for which option would be more stable for our future child? Advice on if chef salaries scale up in Nagoya or Osaka the way they do in big cities like Sydney or Chicago?

I see the “get a job in your home country at a JP company, show your worth, transfer internally” brought up as a pathway to moving to Japan quite often, but has anyone done this? What was the timeframe? Did you push internally, and if so, who did you talk to + how did you approach it? What was your department and seniority?

I’ve been working in advertising (on the sales side, not the creative side) at the US branch of a Japanese company 3+ years and I’ve brought up the possibility of being transferred to Japan to my boss once or twice, just casually mentioning during routine performance reviews that I would love to work in Japan. My boss recently said “oh, if you want to work in Japan, either for us or for a different company, this is a good experience”, so I know she knows I want to transfer.

I’m starting to feel hopeless, though, and I’ve begun to consider other routes to move to Japan. Do I stick it out at this company or do I burn it all and go another route? I don’t hate this job, the culture is good and the pay isn’t bad, but I feel like I’m just… stagnating here and not getting closer to my ultimate goal.

As some background, I’m a US citizen, 31F, hold a JLPT N2 (and I’m currently working towards an N1), and lived in Kyoto for a year as an exchange student already. It’s been my goal since 2019 to get back to Japan.

Disclaimer that I know this will be a pay cut and life in Japan isn’t all sunshine and roses

Hey all, so my family will be hopefully moving to Okinawa around mid to late August due to my wife’s job as a civil engineer for the army corps of engineers. We will begin under SOFA status and I will hopefully convince her to live stay permanently once we get settled m. Anyways we have to stay for at least two years and maximum of 5 I believe before being required to return to the states for some reason. So my question is: if we do end up wanting to live in Japan permanently want is it that we would need to do to facilitate that process.

Second we will also have two kids with personal interests in having another. We know we need to become fluent in Japanese and learn more about the culture than what is probably over exaggerated in the anime we watch. We probably can’t take her off SOFA due to the housing compensation we will get from her job but if I can begin working to account for that loss it may not be the thing that makes or breaks our wishes. Thanks you to anyone that can provide insight. And anything is missing context please let me know as I don’t know what maybe important or just useless information

My husband and I will likely be apartment hunting in the next few weeks. We are planning to have a cat. I've been browsing apartment listings for ideas, and have noticed there are a lot of newer apartments that have a "sunroom" instead of a balcony - has anyone lived with both types or otherwise have any advice on which is better?

My initial thoughts so far are:

- Sunroom is probably cleaner, from my experience the balcony gets so dusty and gross.

- Cat would probably prefer sunroom as he can sit up against the window and look directly out. Not sure if a "catio" setup on a traditional balcony is a thing or not.

- Would sunroom have issues with airflow when hanging laundry or futon? Do they typically come with a drying mechanism like a bathroom or do the windows open?

Thank you!

Need advice from people working in Japan tech industry.

I’ve been researching software developer jobs in Japan recently, but honestly I’m getting very confused because different people say completely different things online.

My current stack is:
JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Next.js, Node.js, Express, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Docker, etc.

I mostly enjoy full-stack web development.

I know some job portals like Japan Dev and TokyoDev, but most of the roles I see either need senior experience or I’m not getting shortlisted for the kind of roles I want.

So I wanted genuine advice from people already working in Japan tech.

Some things I’m confused about:

• What tech stack is actually in demand in Japan right now?
• Is MERN/Next.js enough or should I learn Java/Go?
• I heard Java jobs are mostly in very traditional Japanese companies with tough work culture and internal communication fully in Japanese. Is that true?
• Are international/English-speaking companies actually hard to get into?
• How do you identify a black company before joining?
• Is JLPT N2 now basically compulsory for software developer jobs because of newer immigration/job market trends?
• Can someone still get decent opportunities with N3 if technical skills are good?
• Does experience from a small company/startup actually matter when applying to Japan companies overseas?
• What’s the best way to apply from overseas as a fresher/junior developer?

I’m also trying to understand whether I should focus more on:

• improving Japanese language
• improving DSA/system design
• or learning another stack like Java/Spring Boot or Go

Also wanted to ask about interviews in Japan IT companies.

For full stack developer/software developer roles, what should I mainly prepare for to crack interviews?

Do Japanese companies focus more on:

• DSA and LeetCode-style questions
• system design
• practical development skills/projects
• backend fundamentals
• communication and culture fit
• or Japanese language ability?

For international companies in Japan, how difficult are the interviews compared to companies in other countries?

Would also appreciate tips on:

• how to prepare properly for interviews
• what topics are most important for junior developers
• what kind of projects help during interviews
• and what mistakes to avoid during the hiring process

Would really appreciate honest opinions from people living or working in Japan tech industry, especially foreign developers.

I've been wanting to go to Japan ever since I was a kid, and I figured that the best solution was to enroll in a university, right? So I did some research and found some universities in Tokyo, which is my ideal city. But, as a student I guess that working (especially as a foreigner) must be almost impossible, making rent and even basic groceries hard to pay. My fear is that without family support (for foreigners obviously), which is kind of a difficult situation, I might not make it. I know that Japan offers MEXT scholarships for international students, but I'm still afraid I won't make it. So, what was your educational experience in Japan? Also, I'm not clear on how the student visa works. I know I could search online but no matter where I looked, I was never given a proper explanation.

Thank you!!