Your guide to
tech careers
in Japan

Ten topics, end to end

Everything from landing the visa to negotiating a raise — written for international developers, grounded in how the system actually works.

Visa ビザ

Visa & work permits

Which status of residence fits you, how sponsorship works, and the path to permanent residency.

12 min read Updated Jun 2026

Culture 文化

Company culture

Hierarchy, meetings, nemawashi, and what 'foreign-friendly' actually means in practice.

14 min read Updated Jun 2026

Salary 給与

Salary insights

Real pay ranges by role and seniority — and how to negotiate without breaking local norms.

15 min read Updated Jun 2026

Hiring 採用

Hiring process

Where the jobs are, how interviews run, and the resume format Japanese recruiters expect.

13 min read Updated Jun 2026

Living 生活

Living costs

Rent, taxes, health insurance, and what your take-home really covers in Tokyo vs. elsewhere.

11 min read Updated Jun 2026

Tech 仲間

Tech communities

Meetups, Slack groups, and conferences where international engineers actually connect.

10 min read Updated Jun 2026

Language 言語

Language tips

How much Japanese you truly need, JLPT for work, and the keigo that matters on the job.

12 min read Updated Jun 2026

Career 成長

Career progression

Switching jobs, getting promoted, and growing from engineer to lead in the Japanese market.

14 min read Updated Jun 2026

Interview 面接

Job interview guide

Interview stages, coding tests, common questions, and cultural etiquette for foreign engineers.

15 min read Updated Jun 2026

Companies 企業

Top companies hiring foreigners

Ranked list of IT companies that hire foreign engineers, with salaries, tech stacks, and red flags.

18 min read Updated Jun 2026

Visa 永住

Permanent residency (PR)

How IT engineers can qualify for Japan PR in 1–3 years via the HSP visa — points system, documents, and process.

14 min read New Jul 2026

Career 言語

Working without Japanese

Where English truly works in Japan's tech industry, what "English OK" really means, and the long-term reality.

12 min read New Jul 2026

Finance 種金

Japan tax guide

Brackets, year-end adjustment, furusato nozei, iDeCo, and social insurance — the full picture for foreign engineers.

13 min read New Jul 2026

Finance 外人種

Gaijin tax explained

The hidden costs foreigners pay in Japan — salary gaps, transfer fees, housing premiums, visa costs, and pension loss.

14 min read New Jul 2026

Career 都市

Best cities for IT jobs

Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya — salary, rent, English-friendly companies, and quality of life compared honestly.

15 min read New Jul 2026

Real salaries, by role

Self-reported base pay from foreign and bilingual engineers in the Tokyo market, in millions of yen per year (¥M). Foreign-friendly employers and global firms sit at the top of each band.

Source: TokyoDev Developer Survey 2025 · Japan IT Salary Report. Ranges reflect base pay at foreign-friendly and global companies in Tokyo.

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