A front-end developer with a decade of experience, I had no trouble job-hunting in the UK—but Japan was different. Here’s how I got hired.
Language school paved the way to my tech job, and also helped properly prepare me for life in Japan
From park workouts to budget meals, this guide explains how to gain weight and build muscle in Japan without overspending.
Avoiding investing in Japan because it feels overwhelming? It’s easier than you think—learn how to get started, even if you don’t plan to stay long.
TokyoDev reimburses sponsored events up to ¥1,000 per attendee—typically enough to cover pizza and drinks.
Passing the JLPT N2 is one thing, but actively managing projects in Japanese is another. This is how I used Magic: The Gathering to bridge the gap from academic study to professional confidence in Tokyo.
Practical ways to contribute, communicate clearly, and avoid creating extra work.
Here’s the story behind Japan’s most controversial phone service, and what you can personally do to avoid being overcharged.
A PIP in Japan rarely ends your employment—but believing it will often does. Here’s what to do if you receive a PIP.
Research shows that speaking two languages at home doesn’t ensure your children will become bilingual. Here’s how I'm raising my children to comfortably speak both English and Japanese.
Wondering how your visa affects your job prospects in Japan? Learn how employers rank residency statuses when hiring software engineers, from PR to Digital Nomad.
From visa hurdles to fraud prevention, here's why many Japanese companies limit hiring to residents of Japan.
Ann Kilzer relates her crash-landing in Tokyo, the work and lifestyle changes she’s observed, and why it’s so important to take time to understand Japan.
Working on an international tech team comes with communication challenges that go beyond just language. Here’s some practical advice I’ve gathered in my ten years of working in Japan.
Richard Ramsden, CTO at Degica, talks about why which company you work for in Japan makes all the difference.
Official government statistics can help answer questions about immigration in Japan.
Discover the most popular developer conferences in Japan, with details on location, languages, ticket prices, attendance, and dates.
Deputy Manager Anditto Heristyo explains the importance of finding the right cultural balance at work, and why you should always choose the high road.
An administrative scrivener explains important factors in having your permanent residency application successfully approved.
Engineering Manager Matthew Gillingham talks about the engineer shortage in Japan, the pros and cons of not being Japanese, and his top two tips for other developers.
Japanese business expert Yumiko Horie interviews an HR and Labour Law Specialist on what you need to know before signing an employment contract.
Reflections on 2025's milestones for TokyoDev and what they mean for us going forward.
A deep dive on what’s legal, why companies include fixed overtime in contracts, and how much overtime international developers in Japan really work.
Living abroad can be isolating, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Here's everything I learned about making friends in Japan over the course of ten years.
A breakdown of some of the most common software development job titles in Japan, their practical differences, and the cultural nuances surrounding them.
A parent’s guide to the best things to do with kids in Karuizawa, from playgrounds and easy hikes to ice skating, pools, museums, and nearby day trips.
TokyoDev's 2025 Developer Survey had 989 respondents. Explore insights on pay, remote work, the gender gap, job satisfaction, and more!
International students at Japanese vocational schools are rising fast. Two recent graduates share the costs, benefits, challenges, and how they landed developer jobs.
Considering starting a business in Japan? Learn when a sole proprietorship is enough, when a company makes sense, and the real tradeoffs in taxes, liability, and ownership.
How to write a Japanese shokumu keirekisho (職務経歴書) for developer jobs in Japan—when to use it, what to include, and how to impress recruiters.
An overview of Japan’s Freelance Act, including who qualifies as a freelancer, what rights freelancers have, and step-by-step instructions for reporting violations.
Practical tips for writing job postings that attract the developers you want to hire, based on reviewing 1,000+ postings and seeing what truly works.
Of Japan’s several flexible work systems, this can be the most unfamiliar one to international employees. If you’ve signed a discretionary labour contract, find out exactly what that means for you, your paycheck, and your work schedule.
Resumes from 460 individuals submitted to TokyoDev were accidentally exposed on Bing. We explain who was affected, why it happened, and our response.
Our annual developer survey is now live! If you’re a software developer living in Japan, please help us by taking it.
Four success stories from people who became software developers after moving to Japan, and their advice for anyone who wants to do the same.
My personal experience extending my work visa in Japan as a freelancer—with dependents, a new sponsoring company, a recent move, and other fun factors. Spoiler alert: it was easier than I thought it would be!
Why networking is absolutely vital for developers’ long-term careers, and how to do it online, offline, or in Japanese without feeling like a used car salesman.
I bought a house in the scenic resort town of Karuizawa. Learn about my experience, the buying process in Japan, and tips for prospective homeowners.
Learn how new grads are hired in Japan and how to improve your chances of getting a tech job in Japan.
We’ve gathered statistics, other developers’ experiences, and advice from industry professionals to help you decide if you want to move to Japan, and what your best visa and job options are.
Nine recruiters go into detail on what causes them to accept or reject candidates’ resumes, and how to improve your chance of success.
How to check a company's reputation before you sign that contract.
Recapping RubyKaigi 2025, three days in Matsuyama packed full of learnings, meetings, and mikan.
The benefits of having a local account, tips on selecting a bank, a list of what documents you'll need, and more.
When your company suddenly changes the rules, is it possible to push back? Dennis Tesolat, General Secretary of the General Union, illustrates how both Japanese law and collective action can support tech workers’ rights.
Investing 1000+ hours and ¥8 million in developer communities hasn’t brought much in direct returns but has still been the key to my startups' success.
A recent update to the Child Care and Family Care Leave Act expands the benefits available for employees with small children. But are there downsides?
Personal impressions of coworking spaces and other places to work in the town of Karuizawa, where I currently live.
Japanese businesses discuss the two main problems they have encountered hiring internationally, and their solutions.
Japanese tech companies share their reasons for hiring international talent, and what they’ve gained from their multinational teams.
As the year winds to a close, I’ve been reflecting on both the accomplishments and the challenges we’ve faced, and how they’re paving the way for what is to come.
Five developers share the good, the bad, and the ugly of being a game developer in Japan, and their top tips for entering the industry.
An overview of the recent increase in return-to-office orders in Japan, and the various courses of action remote workers can take.
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!
A personal perspective on the complex role English plays 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.
How Japan's labor shortage equals career opportunities for certain international developers.
What is it like to work as an engineer in a multinational team at a Japanese company? Givery offers a case study.
TokyoDev has launched a new Japanese language blog focused on aiding Japanese companies in building English-speaking engineering teams.
What is the best way to address a Japanese person in English? There isn't a clear answer, but this article discusses the nuances of the different approaches.
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.
Our annual developer survey is now live! If you’re a software developer living in Japan, please help us by taking it.
TokyoDev's LinkedIn page was taken down due to broken automation on their side. Here's what happened.
What is “reading the air”? Why do Japanese people ignore me sometimes?
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.
How one of Japan's first B2B software companies has built an English-speaking team from scratch.
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.
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.
How much money do you need to make to live comfortably in Japan? This article helps you build a rough estimate
How to understand Japanese language requirements on job postings.
Learn how the Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination opens doors to Japan without a degree or extensive experience. Thomas shares his journey.
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 how Eugene designed a hiring process that reviewed 1,500 applications to hire 15 engineers, focusing on technical skills and mission-driven passion.
Thinking about moving to Japan with your pet? Read this article now, as you might need to prepare almost a year in advance.
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.
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.
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.
Azjargal shares her journey of finding a job as a software engineer in Japan, and introduces some Mongolian communities in Japan.
A guide to the basic steps in buying a house in Japan, including the financing and purchasing process.
How developers can bring their spouse and children to Japan.
A summary of TokyoDev's activities at the world's largest Ruby conference.
An overview of Japanese vs. international schools, and what you can expect from the public school system.
Curious about the barred windows in Japan? This article explores three key reasons: window placement, fire code regulations, and traditional architecture.
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.
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.
Strategies for not only attracting more women as candidates, but also helping you to hire and retain them.
Johannes describes his experience doing a master’s program in computer science at the University of Tokyo.
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.
An overview of the legal and cultural context for age discrimination in Japan's tech industry.
How to transfer contracts and IP from an individual to a Japanese company.
In this article, we introduce TokyoDev's new logo, and talk about the process we took to arrive at it.
Dmitrii won a coding contest at the Polish-Japanese Tech Job Fair & Forum, which landed him a trip to Japan and meetings with possible employers.
Highlights include 74 devs getting a job via TokyoDev, going from me being the only author to having 13 others contributing, and sponsoring 8 different organizations.
Understanding the importance of residence status when hiring foreign nationals in Japan. This article covers the 'working visa' required for full-time employment.
Bryn recounts his experience of obtaining a Business Manager Visa in Japan which he has used to do contract software development.
An interview with Makoto Ueki, the founder of a web accessibility consultancy that services large Japanese clients, about web accessibility in Japan.
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.
From 2003 to 2022, the number of home burglaries in Japan decreased by a factor of 12! Reasons behind it include a lower unemployment rate, an increase in crime prevention volunteers, and higher building security standards.
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.
My story of moving my family from Jakarta to Yokohama to work as a software engineer.
This year’s survey had a total of 713 respondents who shared their experiences working as an international developer in Japan.
Vulcanus in Japan is more than just an internship, it’s a complete package including an intensive language course, cultural lectures and accommodation support.
Mary Grygjeanne Grace Icay talks about her experiences in Japan as not only a QA engineer, but also as a woman from the Philippines
How I had paid ¥77,619 (500 USD) to have a bricked MacBook returned to me.
If you’re a software developer living in Japan, please help us by taking it.
A guide for how to format an English CV when applying to a company in Japan.
Lai Huynh Binh Minh speaks about his experience moving from Vietnam to Japan and breaking into the world of tech as an intern.
Turn applicants into fans with an exceptional candidate experience. This guide offers proven, cost-free strategies and practical examples to enhance your hiring process.
This article describes the mental health challenges a foreigner working in Japan may experience, and the available resources.
A guide to tech meetups in Tokyo, including where to find them and the differences between Japanese and English meetups.
Tokyu RubyKaigi was one of the more unique conferences I've been to — and it was a lot of fun.
Advice about using a recruiter to land a tech job at a Japanese company.
An overview of Japan's paternity leave system, including the options and benefits available.
Advice from an intern who has worked with several Japanese companies in a software engineering capacity.
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.
The process of setting yourself up in Japan can feel like it's full of circular dependencies. Here's a basic guide on how to get started.
A step by step guide on how I used a migration to fix the typo in the has_one_attached association.
This article explores the challenges I've faced as a working mother in Japan, along with those of society as a whole.
Wading through the cultural differences to maximize your salary as an expat in Japan's tech industry.
Save up to ¥4,400 per child on a babysitter with this government subsidy.
Sharing my experience and tips based on interviewing with 30 Japanese tech companies.
Compiles various sources for software developer salary data to help you judge the market.
Theories about why it is more difficult to get a job as an international developer in Japan in 2023 than a couple years prior.
Everyone knows about coworking spaces, but what are some of the other options when looking for places to work remotely from.
This article aims to provide insight and help for Filipinos software developers looking for a job in Japan.
Recapping my first RubyKaigi - an unforgettable community experience.
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.
Recapping the first Rails Girls event held in Nagasaki
Companies in Japan can roughly figure out what you made at your previous job, so you might be caught if you exaggerate your compensation.
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.
Telling the experiences of women who work as software developers in Japan, covering the positives and negatives of working here.
TokyoDev sponsors communities that are working to empower women in technology.
In October 2022, new regulations were put into place that put legal requirements on job board operators.
558 international developers living in Japan answered our survey about themselves and their work.
If you're living in Japan and working as a developer, please take our survey by November 6th, 2022.
435 international developers living in Japan answered our survey about themselves and their work.
If you're living in Japan and working as a developer, please take our survey by November 22nd, 2021.
After working on it for more than ten years, I sold Doorkeeper, an event management platform I bootstrapped.
This article covers a zero-downtime approach for migrating from Paperclip to Active Storage in Rails, focusing on best practices for smooth transitions.
Software developer salaries in Japan have dramatically increased since I first came here, but this isn't without its downsides.
362 international developers living in Japan answered our survey about themselves and their work.
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.
If you recruit without a license in Japan, you could go to jail. The surprisingly interesting historical origins of recruiting in Japan explains why.
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.
An overview of how COVID-19 affected the software developer market in Japan soon after the pandemic started.
The complete guide to visas that permit you to work as a full time software developer in Japan.
The results of a survey of international software developers in Japan. Breakdowns based on several criteria like language, tech, and company size.
Safari 12.1.1 has a bug causing crashes when clicking ruby tags, particularly with Japanese kanji readings.
Learn to calculate your business’s growth ceiling using key metrics like churn rate and customer acquisition.
As adding more code to a product will slow down development, we should view all code as technical debt.
Streamline your developer screening process with this guide, focusing on coding tests, interviews, and minimizing bias to attract top talent, especially for startups
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.
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.
While solid technical skills are necessary to land great jobs, your ability to sell yourself is as important, if not more so.
Learn how to write developer job postings that attract the right candidates by highlighting company culture, clarifying job expectations, and defining remote work policies.
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.
Developer conferences are ideal for recruiting—if approached correctly. Learn how companies can sponsor events, support their engineers, and build credibility in the developer community.
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.
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.
The experience of an Australian software engineer working in Japan.
An overview of the gotchas when incorporating a company in Japan based on my personal experience of incorporating three of them.
A curated list of the best resources for developers starting a business—from blogs and podcasts to conferences and real-world advice from entrepreneurial engineers.
In our first survey, we only got fifteen replies. Future surveys would do much better.
How a developer living in London got a job at a Japanese startup.
After adding a security contributors page to our small startup’s site, we were flooded with low-value bug reports. Here’s how a simple thank-you turned into ongoing security noise—and what we learned.
Tokyo Rubyist Meetup’s first pair programming event brought Japanese and international developers together through hands-on collaboration—here’s how it unfolded.
A moving company estimate site overwhelmed me with constant calls, creating a frustrating experience.
How RubyKaigi and Sapporo Ruby Kaigi handle real-time translation, the challenges of live IRC-based interpreting, and a proposed process to deliver clearer, higher-quality bilingual presentations.
A reflection on Sapporo Ruby Kaigi 2012—its international atmosphere, community serendipity, and how it helped open Regional RubyKaigi events to the world.
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.
Why you won't find junior developer positions advertised 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.
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.
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.
TokyoDev seeks diverse perspectives on software development in Japan. If you're interested in writing an article for the site, please get in touch.
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