// Featured Article
How Japan's labor shortage equals career opportunities for certain international developers.
// TokyoDev Basics
Survey 2024
TokyoDev conducts annual surveys on developer compensation, demographics, remote work opportunities, job-searching, technologies and more.Â
// Collections
// Visas (Show all)
The complete guide to visas that permit you to work as a full time software developer in Japan.
Curious about living in Japan? Learn from Christian, one of the first digital nomad visa holders, as he shares his experience and tips for obtaining the visa.
Explore paths to Permanent Residency in Japan with insights from Michael’s experience via the highly skilled professional scheme. Learn about eligibility and the process.
Discover personal insights into the J-Find Visa, a pathway for recent graduates to job hunt, start businesses, and pursue income-generating activities in Japan.
Understanding the importance of residence status when hiring foreign nationals in Japan. This article covers the 'working visa' required for full-time employment.
// Japanese Society (Show all)
How Japan's labor shortage equals career opportunities for certain international developers.
In 1985, D&D had a massively successful release in Japan. However, its popularity quickly waned. This article chronicles the rise and fall of D&D in Japan.
Curious about the barred windows in Japan? This article explores three key reasons: window placement, fire code regulations, and traditional architecture.
A personal perspective on the complex role English plays in Japan.
// Job Hunting (Show all)
This article aims helps you understand the structure of recruiting in Japan and assist you in your job search, with a focus on those looking to work as an engineer in Japan.
A guide to understanding your chances of getting a job as a programmer in Japan are, and what the first steps you can take are.
This article covers TokyoDev's role in your job search, detailing how we earn money, curate and improve job listings, and help you become a better candidate.
Ismael came to Japan on a Working Holiday Visa right after graduating from university. He explains his journey of job hunting as a Junior, and provides tips for others.
// Developer Experiences (Show all)
Telling the experiences of women who work as software developers in Japan, covering the positives and negatives of working here.
To get the real scoop on living in Kansai, TokyoDev asked three developers working in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefecture to share their experiences and advice.
This article aims to provide insight and help for Filipinos software developers looking for a job in Japan.
The story of my personal journey of coming to Japan straight out of university and finding a job as a Ruby developer at a Japanese startup.
Azjargal shares her journey of finding a job as a software engineer in Japan, and introduces some Mongolian communities in Japan.
// Relocating to Japan (Show all)
This guide to finding an apartment in Japan helps you understand the costs involved, and how to go about looking for a place to call your own.
.png)
Thinking about moving to Japan with your pet? Read this article now, as you might need to prepare almost a year in advance.
How much money do you need to make to live comfortably in Japan? This article helps you build a rough estimate
Learn how the Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination opens doors to Japan without a degree or extensive experience. Thomas shares his journey.
// Resumes and Interviewing
A guide for how to format an English CV when applying to a company in Japan.
The Japanese-style "casual meeting" is a terrific way to find out whether you're suited for a particular company and whether that company is a good fit for you.
Sharing my experience and tips based on interviewing with 30 Japanese tech companies.
ChatGPT seems like it is a powerful tool for writing a custom cover letter for a job. But what it produces won't help you.
// Family Life
How developers can bring their spouse and children to Japan.
An overview of Japanese vs. international schools, and what you can expect from the public school system.
Navigating childcare in Japan? Discover a variety of options tailored to your location, your child's age, and the season. Start here for a comprehensive guide to common childcare services.
Save up to ÂĄ4,400 per child on a babysitter with this government subsidy.
// Working Conditions (Show all)
An overview of the legal and cultural context for age discrimination in Japan's tech industry.
This article will help you understand what holidays you’re entitled to receive in Japan, along with what you can expect to be able to actually take.
An overview of the recent increase in return-to-office orders in Japan, and the various courses of action remote workers can take.
This article describes the mental health challenges a foreigner working in Japan may experience, and the available resources.
An overview of Japan's paternity leave system, including the options and benefits available.
// Salaries
Compiles various sources for software developer salary data to help you judge the market.
Wading through the cultural differences to maximize your salary as an expat in Japan's tech industry.
Companies in Japan can roughly figure out what you made at your previous job, so you might be caught if you exaggerate your compensation.
Software developer salaries in Japan have dramatically increased since I first came here, but this isn't without its downsides.
// Japanese Language
What is “reading the air”? Why do Japanese people ignore me sometimes?
How to understand Japanese language requirements on job postings.
// Startups (Show all)
This is the story of how the site has evolved from its humble origins as my personal blog to a flourishing job board and community that serves tens of thousands of visitors per month.
After working on it for more than ten years, I sold Doorkeeper, an event management platform I bootstrapped.
Learn to calculate your business’s growth ceiling using key metrics like churn rate and customer acquisition.
Mark Zuckerberg's focus on creating a simple, relevant product for college students shaped Facebook's success. Learn how his early strategy became a key lesson for entrepreneurs.
Bitcoin's hype is challenged by its low daily transactions. This article examines why Bitcoin is far from replacing traditional payment systems and proving its viability.
// Hiring Developers (Show all)
Strategies for not only attracting more women as candidates, but also helping you to hire and retain them.
Discover how Eugene designed a hiring process that reviewed 1,500 applications to hire 15 engineers, focusing on technical skills and mission-driven passion.
Turn applicants into fans with an exceptional candidate experience. This guide offers proven, cost-free strategies and practical examples to enhance your hiring process.
Streamline your developer screening process with this guide, focusing on coding tests, interviews, and minimizing bias to attract top talent, especially for startups
Learn how to write developer job postings that attract the right candidates by highlighting company culture, clarifying job expectations, and defining remote work policies.
// Working in Japan
A guide to tech meetups in Tokyo, including where to find them and the differences between Japanese and English meetups.
Everyone knows about coworking spaces, but what are some of the other options when looking for places to work remotely from.
EoRs can help your business expand to Japan and beyond, and they might be an option if you're looking to work for an overseas company from Japan.
// Business in Japan
How to transfer contracts and IP from an individual to a Japanese company.
An overview of the gotchas when incorporating a company in Japan based on my personal experience of incorporating three of them.
In October 2022, new regulations were put into place that put legal requirements on job board operators.
Operating a job board in Japan can lead to legal issues if not properly licensed. This article explains the legal requirements and guidelines for running a job board without facing penalties.
I’ve hired several Japanese virtual assistants to help me with various small tasks. Especially if you’re not a fluent Japanese speaker, knowing where to look for one can be tricky, so I’ll share my tips for finding one.
This article explores Ruby's evolution in Japan, from a niche language to a mainstream choice for startups. It highlights Ruby Kaigi sponsors and the shift to in-house development.
// Software Development
As adding more code to a product will slow down development, we should view all code as technical debt.
A step by step guide on how I used a migration to fix the typo in the has_one_attached association.
This article covers a zero-downtime approach for migrating from Paperclip to Active Storage in Rails, focusing on best practices for smooth transitions.
Learn how to generate social images for static sites using tools like HCTI API and Middleman, ensuring a smooth process for creating shareable visuals at build time.
Safari 12.1.1 has a bug causing crashes when clicking ruby tags, particularly with Japanese kanji readings.
Good design can set your open-source project apart. This article highlights how a well-designed interface, like Octopress’ theme, can significantly boost project visibility and appeal.
// Technology in Japan
An interview with Makoto Ueki, the founder of a web accessibility consultancy that services large Japanese clients, about web accessibility in Japan.
A moving company estimate site overwhelmed me with constant calls, creating a frustrating experience.
How technology played a critical role during Japan's earthquake, from early warning systems to social media and online communications, helping people stay informed and connected.
In Japan, Facebook is becoming a leading professional network, similar to LinkedIn, as users maintain a more business-like presence compared to other platforms like mixi.
// Living in Japan
This article is informed primarily by my experiences as a deaf American living in Japan for the last 16 years. It covers the challenges someone with a disability will face and the accommodations available.
A guide to the basic steps in buying a house in Japan, including the financing and purchasing process.
// Announcements (Show all)
Japan’s lack of same-sex marriage affects people I care about, so TokyoDev joined Business for Marriage Equality, a campaign with 500+ companies involved.
TokyoDev will instead improve the traditional hiring process.
TokyoDev's 2024 Developer Survey had 814 respondents. Explore insights on pay, remote work, the gender gap, job satisfaction, and more!
TokyoDev has launched a new Japanese language blog focused on aiding Japanese companies in building English-speaking engineering teams.
Our annual developer survey is now live! If you’re a software developer living in Japan, please help us by taking it.
In this article, we introduce TokyoDev's new logo, and talk about the process we took to arrive at it.
// Event Reports (Show all)
Recapping my first RubyKaigi - an unforgettable community experience.
A summary of TokyoDev's activities at the world's largest Ruby conference.
Tokyu RubyKaigi was one of the more unique conferences I've been to — and it was a lot of fun.
// Company Profiles
What is it like to work as an engineer in a multinational team at a Japanese company? Givery offers a case study.
How one of Japan's first B2B software companies has built an English-speaking team from scratch.
Forkwell is a platform for engineers to showcase their skills and network. It allows users to endorse each other's abilities, helping engineers find jobs and companies find talent more efficiently.
// Misc
TokyoDev's LinkedIn page was taken down due to broken automation on their side. Here's what happened.
After my lost MacBook was returned to me with an Activation Lock on it, Apple refused to unlock it. Only after emailing Tim Cook could I get it unlocked.
How I had paid ÂĄ77,619 (500 USD) to have a bricked MacBook returned to me.