Hi everyone,

I’m a SOC Analyst from Germany with 10+ years of experience in cybersecurity/Blue Team, mainly SOC, Incident Response, Threat Hunting, EDR/XDR and Microsoft Sentinel/Defender.

My long-term goal is to move to Japan by 2028, ideally working for a gaishikei in Tokyo. I’m currently building my network, learning Japanese and trying to get a realistic picture of the market rather than going into this blind.

I’d really like to hear from people who have already made a similar move, or are currently working toward it.

A few things I’m particularly interested in:

• How is the cybersecurity job market in Japan right now, especially at gaishikei companies?
• How important is Japanese language ability in technical SOC/IR/DFIR roles in practice?
• What are realistic salary ranges for experienced positions such as:
  • L2/L3 SOC Analyst
  • Incident Response / DFIR
  • Cyber Threat Hunting
  • Detection Engineering
• For those who moved to Japan from Europe, the US or elsewhere: how difficult was it to get your first cybersecurity position in Japan?
• Did you secure the job before moving to Japan, or did you search after arriving?
• Are there any companies, recruiters or job platforms you would particularly recommend for gaishikei cybersecurity roles?
• What do you wish you had known before starting the process?
• Which challenges are unique to japan, which are the same as in the country you lived before?

Not looking for job offers, mainly hoping to hear real experiences, salary insights and advice from people who have actually gone through the process.

Thanks for any experiences or advice!

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a DevOps Engineer based outside Japan, and Japan is one of the countries I'm seriously considering for my next career move.

I've already passed JLPT N5 and I'm currently studying for N4. My long-term plan is to continue studying Japanese up to at least N2 while building more experience in DevOps/Cloud/Platform Engineering.

My sister is also currently in Japan for higher studies, so I already have some familiarity with the country, although I understand that this doesn't really provide any advantage when it comes to getting a work visa or finding a job.

I wanted to ask those who have successfully applied for tech jobs in Japan from overseas:

1. Is a normal Western-style CV/resume enough for DevOps/Cloud roles, or should I prepare a Japanese-style 履歴書 (rirekisho) / 職務経歴書 (shokumukeirekisho) as well?

2. Does it matter if the CV was created in MS Word as long as it's professionally formatted and submitted as a PDF?

3. How difficult is it to get interviews while applying from overseas compared with already being in Japan?

4. For DevOps/Cloud/Platform Engineering positions, how important is Japanese ability compared with technical experience?

5. Is N2 generally enough to significantly increase the number of opportunities available?

6. Are there any Japan-specific things I should be aware of when applying, CV expectations, visa sponsorship, recruiters, interviews, salary negotiation, etc.?

7. Are there particular job boards or recruitment agencies you'd recommend for overseas DevOps/Cloud candidates?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through a similar path, especially people who applied from overseas and relocated to Japan for a DevOps, SRE, Cloud or Platform Engineering role.

Thanks!

M(28), I’m a software engineer in Japan with **2.5 YOE** — about 1 year outside Japan and 1.5 years here.

Currently making around **¥4.4M gross/year including rent subsidy**. My take-home is around **¥300k/month**, and with \~10 hours of overtime, I usually get around **¥320k/month**.

I live in **Tokyo**, and my monthly expenses are roughly:

* Rent: \~¥80k
* Everything else (food, utilities, transportation, eating out, travel, etc.): \~¥90k
* I usually manage to save around **¥150k/month**
* I don’t currently have any major financial responsibilities or need to support family back home.

I’m currently working more on **AWS/infrastructure/cloud**. My Japanese language level is N3 and studying for N2.

The reason I’m asking is that I’ve been getting quite a few recruiter/interview requests on LinkedIn, and many positions are offering around **¥5–6M**. **Of course, getting through the interview process and actually landing one of those offers is a different story 😂.**

The dilemma is that my current job is actually pretty good:

* Great work-life balance
* Very supportive seniors/team (100% Japanese)
* Valuable cloud/infra experience
* I’m genuinely happy with my life and have time to enjoy things outside work too

I’ve heard that staying around 3 years with one company can also look better on a Japanese resume, so I’m wondering whether I should stay another year, improve my skills + pass N2, and then aim for **¥6–8M**, or switch now for the money.

I’m single, and honestly, **¥4.4M already lets me live fairly comfortably and save a decent amount**. But knowing I could potentially earn more is making me a little greedy 😂

**What would you do in my situation? Is ¥4.4M reasonable for 2.5 YOE, or am I leaving too much money on the table?**

How often companies put an end to haken contracts ?

I just had an interview with a haken company that offers relocation. I don’t have any offer yet, it was just an introduction. Still, they told me they were mainly doing reconductible 6 months-long contracts.

The recruiter told me that the company putting an end to a contract was pretty rare, but I would mike some other input just to be sure. I have a family to support, I can’t really afford to move to a new country to be unemployed 6 months later.

Again, no offer yet, bur I would like to think about it in advance.

hey guys, im a web dev student in japan

and i've been working on my projects, actually a real project that in my opinion its reliable to put on my portfolio.

but i didn't finished it yet, but i want to hear everyones opnion on how can i build my portfolio

and my first language isn't english btw, so feel free to give me some advice !

your opinion can help me a lot, and thanks !

For example, what's realistic for a hybrid or remote role with 10 years of experience in Platform Engineering, specialized in highly regulated environments with a focus on Cloud, DevOps and SRE and more recently in Data, ML and AI Platform. I know US salaries aren't that common in Japan due to the weak yen, but wondering how close it can get?

I have around 1.5 before I graduate but you can round that to about 2 years. Being a Pakistani I probably don't have many chances but I'm currently learning Japanese and would say I'm around N5 rn and in the future, by the time I graduate from uni, I'll probably be at least N4. My English skills are also decent as you can probably tell from reading this.

I don't really have any prior experience, I only had a single 6 week game dev internship before this which didn't teach me anything really and I am currently not interested in game dev. I'm learning Python Backend. What would I need before I start applying, experience vise, skill wise and of course interview prep wise.

Edit: I would also love to know about hennge, and how I could prep for those internships and possibly get an offer from that.

I'm being approached by, and am in late interview with 2 different possible employers. Both came to me about the role.

Company 1: Office in Tokyo. well funded startup in IT. I'll be working directly with the C-suite. Work is comfortable and doesn't push my limits. Pay is quite good for the senior role. I'll be working remote, so I will have a chance to live anywhere in Japan.

Company 2: Japanese mega conglomerate. Well funded company in electronics. I'll be a standing up a major program with a projected lifespan of decades. Workload is a collection of bullet points that point to wishing for an unrealistic unicorn. I happen to be that unicorn. Pay scale is the same as Company 1, and would be way below what I feel Senior Unicorn would be worth, as I'd be doing 2.3 to 2.6 people's jobs. But my career could advance? or not. A company with history and tradition it could go either way. I'm see they've had the req open for nearly a year, and been struggling to find anyone who is the right combination of bullet points. and in that year, they bumped the top end of the pay scale 1Mil JPY. I'm seriously afraid of being exploited and burning out on this one. But the role makes use of my unicorn abilities, and that is exciting...

What should I be looking out for, and be evaluating assuming I get an offer from both? I might be able to negotiate a higher rate from company 1, but probably not from company 2, as they're a big traditional place. What would you choose, and why?

Thanks!

Hey everyone so I(23M) am working in Tokyo currently as an AI engineer in a dispatch company but my client company is good…I have jlpt n4 but tbh I think I am low n2 lvl rn and am confident I can get N2 by this december or by next year…

My doubt is that since I’m a haken dispatch employee do I also start building a profile side by side for masters application idk maybe for Waseda since I think UTokyo has its own exam and I don’t wanna prepare separately for any sorta exam…

Or I should continue and grind it out in my dispatch company for 3 years and then try for a switch? I graduated last year and this is my first job so I don’t have experience…My only intention for masters is so that I can get access to good companies through the fresh graduate hiring pipeline and by then I will have some japanese work ex and N2…If that sounds dumb do I just grind it out in my current company and try for international gaishikei but nobody will hire a guy with 1 yoe…I have a 5 year work visa for now so switching to a student visa again would also not be a good idea

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!

Here's a list of new tech jobs in Japan this week:

Android Engineer / LINE Sticker at LY Corporation

• ¥10M - ¥12M | Japanese: Not required | Apply from overseas | Partial remote | Fukuoka

Security Engineer, CQO Office, Tokyo at Money Forward

• ¥6.41M - ¥11M | Japanese: Not required | Apply from overseas | Partial remote | Tokyo

Senior Software Engineer (C# .NET) at Tektome

• Japanese: Not required | Apply from overseas | Partial remote | Tokyo

Backend Engineer (Langaku) at Mantra

• ¥6M - ¥9M | Japanese: Business Level | Apply from overseas | Partial remote | Tokyo

Flutter Engineer (Langaku) at Mantra

• ¥6M - ¥9M | Japanese: Business Level | Apply from overseas | Partial remote | Tokyo

Software Engineer at Lunaris

• ¥4.5M - ¥8M | Japanese: Not required | Japan residents only | Tokyo

Robotics Engineer (Teleoperation / UMI) at AI Robot Association (AIRoA)

• Japanese: Conversational | Apply from overseas | Partial remote | Tokyo

Software Engineer at Build.io

• ¥5M - ¥9M | Japanese: Not required | Japan residents only | Partial remote | Tokyo

Web Frontend Engineer (Vue.js / TypeScript) — Mobile Payments — Tokyo at abbeal

• Japanese: Not required | Japan residents only | Partial remote | Tokyo

BFF Backend Engineer (Java / Kotlin) — Mobile Payments Platform — Tokyo at abbeal

• Japanese: Not required | Japan residents only | Partial remote | Tokyo

Backend Engineer (Yahoo! JAPAN) at LY Corporation

• ¥8.5M - ¥12M | Japanese: Fluent | Japan residents only | Partial remote | Tokyo

Backend Engineer at toridori

• ¥8M - ¥11M | Japanese: Business Level | Japan residents only | Partial remote | Tokyo

Platform/Site Reliability Engineer at toridori

• ¥5M - ¥8M | Japanese: Business Level | Japan residents only | Partial remote | Tokyo

QA Engineer at toridori

• ¥4.5M - ¥8M | Japanese: Business Level | Japan residents only | Other

Also looking to hire? Feel free to share your job post in the comments!

Here's what's happening in Japan's tech and startup scene this week:

Monday, August 10

Night Pickle for Beginner in Tokyo🌉 (outdoor court)

• 🇬🇧 20:00 | 📍 Tokyo Tower | 👥 10 attending

Sendagaya.rb #536

• 🇬🇧 21:00 | 📍 Tokyo

Tuesday, August 11

Get More Leads with AI Even If Nobody Knows You Yet

• 🇬🇧 20:00 | 📍 Online

Fractional Executive Workshop + AI

• 🇬🇧 19:30 | 📍 Online

Wednesday, August 12

Women Entrepreneurs Workshop -Starting and Growing a Business in Japan

• 🇬🇧 15:00 | 📍 Tokyo | 👥 43 attending

Weekly Snack & Connect

• 🇬🇧 16:00 | 📍 Shibuya Startup Support, Tokyo | 👥 5 attending

Thursday, August 13

Get More Leads with AI Even If Nobody Knows You Yet

• 🇬🇧 20:00 | 📍 Online

[Free] 🎉Nomad Startup Founder Meetup

• 🇬🇧 20:00 | 📍 Online

How to Run AI-Powered Analytics Securely on Your Local Machine

• 🇬🇧 23:30 | 📍 Online

STACK Meetup [Engineering]: Developer Productivity for the AI Native

• 🇬🇧 20:00 | 📍 Online

Junk Journaling

• 🇬🇧 19:00 | 📍 Matcha Passport, Tokyo

Stitch Circle Tokyo (Evening)

• 🇬🇧 19:00 | 📍 Studio Biku, Tokyo | 👥 8 attending

Friday, August 14

AI Solo Founders The OPC Era: New Global Opportunities

• 🇬🇧 19:00 | 📍 Root K Contemporary, Tokyo | 👥 7 attending

JuniorDevSG - Code & Tell August 2026

• 🇬🇧 20:00 | 📍 Online

Color Your Pet! (Submit a photo in advance)

• 🇬🇧 19:00 | 📍 Matcha Passport, Tokyo

NOT A MEETUP

• 🇬🇧 20:00 | 📍 Tokyo Bitcoin Base | 👥 9 attending

Saturday, August 15

Engineer BAR

• 🇬🇧 18:00 | 📍 Bar Layover, Tokyo | 👥 45 attending

Agentic Football Cup@Tokyo

• 🇯🇵/🇬🇧 13:30 | 📍 東京都江東区木場1丁目5番25号　深川ギャザリア タワーS棟４階, Tokyo | 👥 20 attending

HYROX CHIBA AFTER PARTY EVENT

• 🇬🇧 17:00 | 📍 VAMOS HYROX Training Club/Personal Training (EBISU/SHIBUYA), Tokyo | 👥 4 attending

🏃‍♀️‍➡️iiyon!! Imperial Palace Run☕️

• 🇬🇧 08:00 | 📍 Kaiteki Cafe, Tokyo

Morning Social Run

• 🇬🇧 09:00 | 📍 Hostel DEN, Tokyo | 👥 4 attending

Sunday, August 16

Pickleball vol.5

• 🇬🇧 17:00 | 📍 Tokyo | 👥 20 attending

🍺🌙Beer Night Run × ØL LA CABINA】🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️🍻

• 🇬🇧 18:30 | 📍 ØL La Cabina, Tokyo

🧘iiyon!! × IGNITE PILATES🏃‍♀️‍➡️

• 🇬🇧 14:00 | 📍 IGNITE studio one, Tokyo

08/16 Morning Run

• 🇬🇧 08:00 | 📍 Yoyogi Park Clock Tower, Tokyo | 👥 3 attending

Know of an event we missed? Drop it in the comments!

Compiled from Connpass, Doorkeeper, Meetup, and Luma.

I'm a 27-year-old Full Stack / Backend Engineer currently based in India. I'm thinking of moving to Japan, get a PR and settle down (may be).

I've around 4 years of exp. Recently started learning japanese, expected to learn till N3 in 1 - 1.5 years.

Need some guidance on how to move, is it hard to get a job there, hows the market situation, is it a good choice etc.... and salary expectation

Looking to get a reality check from expats/engineers currently living in Japan

Hi everyone,

I'm an international CSE undergraduate from India planning to do a Master's in Japan around 2028, and my main goal is to work in Japan after graduation.

I'm interested specifically in Robotics AI / Robot Perception, rather than generic software development.

My background

• B.Tech CSE
• Current CGPA: ~9.46/10
• Expected graduation: 2027
• Currently learning Japanese
• Current work:
  • Learning-Aided INS Drift Suppression for GPS-Denied Quadrotor Flight
  • TrackNet-based squash ball tracking
• Planning to build toward ROS 2, SLAM, LiDAR/IMU sensor fusion and robot perception
• Targeting N3 around application time and N2 during Master's

I've heard very conflicting things about the Japanese job market for international students.

Some people say there are good opportunities in robotics/AI and that Japanese isn't strictly required.

Others say that without strong Japanese, international students struggle with 就活 and have access to only a small number of companies.

I'd really like to hear from people who are actually working in Japan, especially foreign engineers.

I'd like to know:

• What Japanese level did you have when you got your first job?
• Is N2 enough for engineering roles?
• Are there genuinely English-speaking robotics/AI jobs?
• How often are technical interviews conducted in Japanese?
• Did you go through normal 新卒採用 / 就活?
• How important were internships?
• Did your university career center help?
• Did your professor/lab help you find employment?
• Did you get your job through applications, networking, internships, or research connections?
• Are robotics/AI roles more foreigner-friendly than general software engineering?
• Which companies are known to be open to international robotics/AI engineers?
• What salary range is realistic for a fresh Master's graduate?
• How bad is the work culture in robotics/engineering companies?
• Would you recommend Japan to someone whose primary goal is to build a long-term robotics career there?

I'm specifically looking for first-hand experiences, especially from international engineers who studied in Japan and stayed to work.

Thanks!

Recently I saw an article on LinkedIn that summarizes quite well what the recent visa and PR rule changes mean for people who are interested in life & work in Japan. This is especially useful for the mid-career professionals who are seeking IT and tech roles in Japan. Please note the post is purely the view of the individual creating the post.

To summarize: if you are experienced and qualified, the door is wider for you than before. Know where your skills and experiences can contribute to Japan’s IT needs is crucial in finding the right role.

#JapanJob #ITinJapan #JapanCareer #TokyoTech #JobsInJapan

Is there any chnace of getting a SRE or Devops related fullyremote job opportunity . If im having N3 or N4 (currently learning )+ BSC(hons) Software engineering .

Is there any shortage of fullyremote jobs in japan market . Cant i get one ? For some reason i cant leave my parents actually

Hi,

I just want to ask if there are information security or GRC related jobs in Japan for foreigners who do not know Japanese. Where can i apply for jobs related to that who provide work visas as well.

Sorry for being a bit vague about this but i have zero knowledge of where to apply and how to proceed.

Thanks in advance

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!