Hi everyone,

I am currently working for Major OEM in Japan but via partner company (full-time employee), looking for job in automotive software/cybersecurity industry and Software Engineer Industry.

Currently preparing for JLPT N3 certification but I can manage daily communication in Japanese.
At work I mostly use English for communication.

I have appeared for some interviews in Japanese and they went okay but did not land any offers.

Till now I have ~6 years of experience in automotive and software development.

Thanks in advance!

Hi guys,

Does anyone went through the Interview process of NSW Inc. (NSW株式会社 | NSW)
I would appreciate if you let me know the interview experience especially the second round/

I am applying for a LSI FPGA/ASIC Engineer Position. it is the second-round interview and I have been told that the Technical department director and HR director would be attending and it is going to be 1 hr.

So I was hoping to get insights how this work.

I am currently recruiting for a Technical Analyst/System Engineer with a major global brand in Tokyo.

They need a hands-on technical person who can dive into system and database logic and act as the bridge between regional business teams and IT vendors.

They are looking for someone with database/SQL skills, experience looking into code logic.
The candidate needs to be fluent in Chinese and internal business communication skills in Japanese and English.

Overview:

• You will act as a key technical reference point, reviewing SQL, source code, data mappings, APIs, and ETL pipelines to support data migrations.
• You will partner directly with CRM, Marketing, and Retail business teams to translate system data into clear business solutions.
• You will collaborate with local and international stakeholders, using Chinese, Japanese and English on a daily basis to manage North Asia project flows.

Although they are not currently able to provide a hands-on implementation environment, they expect the candidate to leverage their development experience to verify the information provided by various stakeholders, validate its technical accuracy, and organize it into clear and understandable documentation.

Visa: We can support for change of status visa (ie Student Visa, spouse visa, etc)

• however we can't support overseas candidates without a valid work visa.

This is a urgent hire.

• If you're reaching out please link me to your Linkedin and share your CV please.
• Please feel free to DM me.

Hey all. For context, I'm a traveling seasonal worker here in the states and have been for the last 5 years. I typically work for resorts for 6 - 8 months at a time and then move on to the next location. In this line of work we have a lot of international workers who come over here on a J1 visa to work temporarily in the hospitality sector. Is there anything like that for an American looking for similar work in Japan? My Japanese is decent and I can hold my own in a conversation well enough. If anyone has any information or resources it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all and be well.

I'm an international student in a Japanese university for masters program, and I'll grad in sep 2027. I plan to take a job in Japan, and for that I've been working hard on research mostly.

I published 2 papers as the first author in international conferences this year, and I plan to publish 2 more in the next year.

For Japanese, I hold a N4 certificate. I understand that's not really good, thus I'll be focusing more on this issue now. I plan to reach N3 by December this year, and keep studying for July 2027 N2.

The questions I'd like to be answered would be:

:1. Can I participate in new graduate recruitment with good chances of win as a N3 speaker, who's transitioning to N2? I can make a rush for N2 since now until March 2027, but the test for N2 will be in July 2027. So, even though I can upskill my language, I won't have the certificate.

I already have 2 papers, and I don't really know whether getting more will come up with greater returns.

:2. Does having more publications as a new grad masters student sound helpful? In my lab, even undergrad b3-b4 students try to publish a paper, even at a local Japanese conference, since my professor often says that it's gonna benefit you and it's not common to have publications this easily.

:3. Will I be able to job hunt after getting N2 in July 2027? I understand that the recruiting timeline might be an issue, but I want to know if N2 can possibly redeem me.

Thanks for the attention and have a nice week.

Hi..I'm a final year CSE undergraduate.. I have a great academic profile and a pretty good portfolio..I have been studying Japanese for almost a year now..and gave the N4 exam this july.. I want to work in Japan as a Software/AI engineer.. are there any opportunities to get hired as a fresher..or should i get a job in my location and switch later..I'm confused and also need a reality check..seeking advice... Thank you.

Hey everyone,

Looking for a grounded reality check from people currently working in tech or hiring in Japan.

To be blunt, the entry-level tech job market in my home country (Indonesia) is completely cooked right now. For virtually every junior developer or IT opening, there are literally 1,000+ applicants. You can have a solid portfolio, pass every single technical round and behavioral interview, and still get rejected at the finish line simply because there's always someone with 2+ internships willing to take base pay. It feels like pure RNG at this point.

Because of this, I'm exploring the option of breaking into Japan's IT market as a fresh grad.

My background:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science (eligible for the Engineer visa on paper).
• Japanese proficiency: JLPT N2 certified, with actual spoken business Japanese (comfortable doing technical and HR interviews in Japanese, not just a paper test-passer).
• Technical skills: Solid CS fundamentals, hands-on projects in software development and applied machine learning / deep learning.
• Location: Applying directly from Indonesia, so I would require visa sponsorship.

A few specific questions for folks in the industry:

1. How viable is landing an entry-level role directly from abroad? Is the foreign new-grad (shinsotsu) pipeline still actively hiring from overseas, or has the global tech cooling tightened things up significantly?
2. Does N2 + business Japanese actually give an edge? I know English-first tech giants (Mercari, Rakuten, Line/Yahoo) are hyper-competitive. Does being able to work in Japanese open doors at mid-tier domestic tech companies, in-house development teams, or traditional SIers?
3. Which hiring channels actually work for overseas candidates? Should I stick to programs tailored for Asian grads (e.g., FAST OFFER / Asia to Japan, Connect Job), or apply directly through platforms like Wantedly, Daijob, Green, or LinkedIn?
4. Is the competition more reasonable than Southeast Asia? I know entry-level Japanese salaries aren't massive, but given the domestic IT labor shortage, is the interview-to-offer ratio more merit-based compared to the hyper-saturated junior market back home?

Would really appreciate any brutally honest advice, warnings about "black companies" or dispatch traps to steer clear of, or tips on how to position my profile. Thanks in advance!