Is It Really Difficult for Foreigners to Find Employment in Japan?

“It’s difficult for foreign talent to find employment in Japan” is a common perception, but what’s the reality?

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of foreign talent employment in Japan’s IT industry, covering the barriers they face, sectors where employment is easier, success strategies, and key points for company selection.

Particularly in the high-demand IT industry, we’ll deliver specific advice on leveraging your strengths as foreign talent to succeed in Japanese companies.

1. Is It Really Difficult for Foreign Talent to Find Employment in Japan? Current Situation Analysis

“Finding employment in Japan is difficult” is often said about foreign talent job hunting. But what’s the actual situation? Let’s analyze the difficulty level of employment in Japan based on data and current conditions.

The number of foreign talent working in Japan has reached record highs

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “Foreign Worker Employment Status” report, as of the end of October 2023, the number of foreign workers in Japan reached approximately 2.04 million, marking a record high.

This figure shows an increasing trend year by year, reflecting the Japanese government’s policy of expanding acceptance of foreign workers and the growing corporate demand for global talent.

Particularly noteworthy is the high growth rate of foreign talent with “professional and technical” residency status.

This indicates that demand is growing not only for simple labor but for foreign talent with advanced expertise and skills.

In other words, for professionals with specialized skills, particularly IT engineers and other technical specialists, employment opportunities in Japan are steadily increasing.

Reference: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Categories of Working Foreigners

Job hunting difficulty for foreign talent varies significantly by industry

The difficulty level of employment for foreign talent varies greatly by industry.

Particularly in traditional Japanese companies and industries where Japanese communication with customers is crucial (finance, hospitality, etc.), high Japanese language proficiency is required, making the barriers higher.

On the other hand, manufacturing, services, wholesale and retail sectors have high proportions of foreign workers and tend to be relatively easier for employment.

Especially companies with global expansion and startups have increasingly strong tendencies to actively recruit diverse talent.

The IT industry is one of the most proactive sectors in hiring foreign talent

The IT industry is one of the most proactive industries in hiring foreign talent.

Main reasons for active recruitment

• Severe talent shortage
  Japan’s IT talent is expected to be short by approximately 450,000 people by 2030, and companies want to secure excellent talent regardless of nationality
  
• Relatively low language barriers
  Programming languages are universal, and workplaces where business can be conducted with some English proficiency are increasing
  
• Penetration of global standards
  Development methodologies and tools are internationally standardized, making adaptation relatively easy for foreign engineers
  
• Spread of remote work
  Through the COVID pandemic, location-independent work styles have become established, making it easier to overcome language and cultural barriers

In fact, IT industry job postings increasingly include conditions like “communication in English or Japanese acceptable,” making the employment gateway wider for foreign engineers compared to other industries.

2. Seven Barriers Foreign Talent Face When Seeking Employment in Japan

Foreign talent aiming for employment in Japan face various barriers.

Understanding these barriers and preparing countermeasures in advance is the first step to success. Here we’ll explain in detail the seven main barriers faced when seeking employment in Japan.

Japanese Language Barrier: The Reality of Business-Level Japanese Requirements

Many Japanese companies still tend to require business-level Japanese proficiency (JLPT N2 or higher, ideally N1 level).

Japanese language proficiency is particularly emphasized in internal communication, teamwork and smooth collaborative work, customer communication, and understanding and using Japanese-specific business terms and honorific language.

While the IT industry has relatively well-established English-speaking environments in some workplaces, without basic Japanese communication abilities, career development may still be limited.

Japanese language learning is a time-consuming process that requires planned approach before job hunting activities.

Reference: Japanese Language Proficiency Test JLPT: Certification Guidelines

Difficulty in Obtaining Residency Status (Visa) and Complex Application Process

To work in Japan, appropriate residency status (visa) is required.

Particularly for obtaining work visas such as “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services,” conditions include working in fields related to university or vocational school specialization, guaranteed salary levels above certain standards, and companies having the intention and capability to employ with appropriate qualifications.

Visa application procedures are complex and time-consuming, with extensive required documentation. Additionally, regular renewal and changes of residency status are necessary, requiring constant awareness of the latest information.

Especially for first-time arrivals to Japan, these procedures often become significant barriers.

Reference: Immigration Services Agency: “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services”

Difficulty Adapting to Japan’s Unique Job Hunting System

Japan’s job hunting (shukatsu) system has unique systems and customs including new graduate batch hiring (April entry) schedules, entry sheets, SPI tests and other unique selection steps, group interviews and group discussions, emphasis on self-analysis and company research, and job-hunting suits and hairstyles.

These customs are unfamiliar to many foreign talent and take time to understand. Particularly when the differences between home country and Japanese job hunting cultures are large, adaptation becomes more difficult.

Additionally, limited job hunting information and guidance specifically for foreign talent presents a major challenge.

Japanese Corporate Hiring Standards and Lack of Understanding of Foreign Talent

Many Japanese companies lack experience and knowledge in evaluating and utilizing foreign talent.

Issues that remain include ambiguous evaluation standards for foreign university degrees and skills, lack of systems to leverage unique strengths and values, immature organizational cultures accepting diversity, and insufficient knowledge about residency status procedures.

Such lack of understanding creates cases where excellent talent is not properly evaluated and fails to reach employment.

This tendency is particularly strong in small and medium enterprises with limited experience in hiring foreign talent.

Cultural Differences: Adapting to Japanese Workplace Environment and Work Styles

Japanese workplace culture has unique characteristics including implicit rules and “reading the atmosphere” culture, hierarchical organizational structures with seniority systems, collectivism and consensus-focused decision-making, and ambiguous feedback with indirect expressions, which can be difficult for foreign talent to adapt to.

These cultural differences significantly impact not only daily work but also career development and relationship building.

For foreign talent to succeed in Japanese workplaces, flexibility to understand and adapt to these cultural elements is required.

Intensifying Competition: Differentiation from Increasing Foreign Job Seekers

In recent years, the number of foreign talent wanting to work in Japan continues to increase.

Particularly, there’s increased inflow of advanced talent from Asian countries, growing numbers of international students hoping for employment in Japanese companies, and intensified international competition due to remote work proliferation.

Under these circumstances, merely being “foreign talent” no longer serves as a differentiating factor.

It’s necessary to clearly demonstrate strengths across multiple areas including specialized skills, Japanese language proficiency, and cultural adaptability. Competition is particularly fierce in popular industries and companies.

Unclear Career Paths and Long-term Prospects

One of the biggest challenges facing foreign talent working in Japanese companies is the lack of clarity in long-term career paths.

Issues include unclear promotion and salary increase criteria, existence of “ceilings” in career development, limited utilization methods as global talent, insufficient skill development and training opportunities, and uncertain evaluation of career value after returning home.

Such lack of transparency makes long-term planning difficult and often leads to early turnover. The low retention rate of foreign talent has become a major challenge for companies as well.

3. IT Fields and Positions Where Foreign Engineers Can Easily Find Employment in Japan

Japan’s IT industry faces severe talent shortages, presenting significant opportunities for foreign engineers.

Particularly in the following fields and positions, demand for foreign engineers is high with relatively easier employment prospects.

Web Development and App Development Fields with Severe Talent Shortages

Web development and app development face such severe talent shortages that domestic talent alone cannot meet demand.

Examples of particularly valued technology stacks

• Frontend development (React, Vue.js, Angular)
• Backend development (Node.js, Ruby on Rails, Python/Django, PHP/Laravel)
• Mobile app development (iOS/Swift, Android/Kotlin, Flutter, React Native)
• Full-stack engineers (talent who can handle broad technologies across disciplines)

In these fields, globally standardized technologies and frameworks are used, creating environments where it’s easier to excel beyond language and cultural barriers.

Additionally, with many Japanese companies pursuing DX (Digital Transformation), demand for engineers with these skills will continue to grow.

Reference: Ministry of Economy

Global Expansion Companies with Relaxed Language Requirements

Japanese companies actively expanding into overseas markets or already operating globally often have relaxed Japanese language proficiency requirements.

These companies often take the stance that “English proficiency is sufficient, Japanese can be learned after joining,” presenting significant opportunities for foreign engineers without sufficient Japanese.

Additionally, such companies tend to value diversity and have cultures that properly evaluate the value of foreign talent.

AI and Data Science Fields Evaluated as Advanced Professional Skills

The AI (Artificial Intelligence) and data science fields face global talent shortages, and Japan is no exception.

Examples of talent highly evaluated as “advanced professionals”

Machine learning engineers, data scientists, AI researchers, big data engineers, computer vision/image recognition specialists, natural language processing engineers

In such fields, advanced expertise and practical experience are required, so technical ability tends to be prioritized over Japanese language proficiency.

Additionally, recognition as “advanced professionals” provides preferential treatment in obtaining residency status and permanent residence applications.

Reference: Immigration Services Agency: Preferential Measures

IT Companies with Extensive Foreign Talent Hiring Records

Japan has many companies that are proactive in hiring foreign engineers with extensive track records.

Representative company examples

• Major tech companies
  Rakuten Group (internal language: English), Mercari (strengthening global expansion), LINE (strong in Asian markets), CyberAgent (proactive in international student recruitment)
  
• Foreign tech companies
  Google Japan, Amazon Japan, Microsoft Japan, Salesforce Japan
  
• Growing startups
  SmartHR (HR systems), MoneyForward (fintech), Preferred Networks (AI research), Mercari US (Mercari’s US entity)
  
• Traditional major companies’ IT departments
  Sony Group, Hitachi, Fujitsu, NTT Data

These companies not only hire foreign talent but also focus on creating environments where employees with diverse cultural backgrounds can thrive.

They feature support systems including foreign language training programs, mentorship systems, and multilingual information sharing.

4. Five Ways for Foreign Talent to Overcome Employment Difficulties in Japan’s IT Industry

Foreign talent aiming for employment in Japan’s IT industry face various barriers as mentioned above.

However, with proper preparation and strategy, these barriers can be overcome to pave the way to success.

Here we introduce five specific methods to increase employment success rates in the IT industry.

Understanding and Acquiring “Technical Skills + Alpha” Sought by Japanese Companies

Japanese IT companies seek talent with not just pure technical skills but “technical skills + alpha.”

This “alpha” refers to communication abilities, teamwork, problem-solving skills, business mindset, and continuous learning attitudes.

Effective activities for acquiring “alpha” elements

• Participation in open source projects
• Writing tech blogs
• Participating in hackathons and contests
• Following trends in Japan’s IT industry
• Attending industry seminars and study groups

These activities can be included in resumes and portfolios to demonstrate that you’re not just a technician but talent with “technical skills + alpha” who can adapt to Japanese corporate culture.

Understanding Japanese-Style Job Hunting Rules for Effective Preparation

Understanding Japan’s unique job hunting system and preparing accordingly can increase success probability.

It’s important to understand the characteristics of Japanese-style job hunting including hiring schedules, application documents, interview etiquette, self-PR, and company research, and develop countermeasures.

Additionally, for IT industry-specific selection processes like coding tests, technical interviews, system design challenges, and pair programming, preparation should include algorithm learning, practicing technical explanations in Japanese, and studying past interview cases.

Finding “Unique Strengths of Foreign Talent” Valued in Japan

Being foreign talent can become a significant strength when properly appealed.

Diverse perspectives, global knowledge, language skills, bridging roles, and cross-cultural adaptability are strengths.

Examples of finding and specifically appealing strengths

• How development experience in your home country can help Japanese companies’ overseas expansion
• How experience working in different cultures contributes to understanding diverse user needs
• How global standard knowledge can contribute to improving Japanese companies’ international competitiveness

Being able to explain such examples specifically is important.

Smart Utilization of Recruitment Companies and Foreign Talent-Specialized Job Support

Smart utilization of job support services for foreign talent can significantly improve job hunting efficiency.

Utilize foreign talent-specialized recruitment companies, university career centers, job support NPOs/organizations, government-sponsored job fairs, and online platforms.

Key points when using job support services

• Use multiple services in parallel
• Emphasize specialty matching
• Utilize feedback
• Conduct information gathering
• Leverage career advice

Recruitment companies provide support not only in job introductions but also in resume writing, interview preparation, and company negotiations.

Such support is particularly valuable for those unfamiliar with Japan’s job hunting system.

Balance Techniques: Adapting to Japanese Workplace Culture While Maintaining Your Identity

For long-term success in Japanese companies, a balanced approach is important – adapting to Japanese workplace culture while not losing your identity.

Points to adapt to include teamwork and cooperation, “report, contact, consult” communication, punctuality and promise-keeping, attention to detail and quality commitment.

Individuality foreign talent should maintain

• Creative problem-solving approaches
• Frank opinion expression (in appropriate forms)
• Global perspectives and diversity
• Expertise and career vision

Many successful foreign IT engineers find ways to leverage their strengths and individuality while showing understanding and respect for Japanese culture.

For example, when raising issues, they share their perspectives by providing options rather than creating opposition, saying “In Japan it’s done this way, but in my country, there’s also this solution method”

■Related Reading

The following articles provide guidance on interview strategies for Japanese companies and how to write resumes and career history documents.

5. How Foreign Talent Should Choose Japanese Companies – Key Points for Successful Company Selection

Even if employment in Japan is secured, the choice of company significantly affects subsequent career and quality of life.

Particularly for foreign talent, company selection mistakes can lead to serious consequences including visa issues and early resignation. Here we explain important points when selecting Japanese companies.

Common Characteristics of Companies with High Foreign Employee Retention Rates

Companies with high foreign employee retention rates share several common characteristics.

By choosing companies with the following features, the possibility of long-term success increases

• Clear career paths
• Understanding of diversity
• English communication
• Flexible work styles
• Global business expansion

In such companies, foreign employees tend to utilize their strengths more easily with less cultural friction. During job hunting, it’s important to conduct company research with these points in mind.

Additionally, the actual number of working employees and their length of service serve as important indicators. Gather information through company recruitment pages, employee interviews, and review sites.

Identifying Companies Seriously Committed to Globalization

Many Japanese companies claim “globalization,” but their commitment levels may vary.

Characteristics of globalizing companies include top management commitment, actual multinational teams, efforts toward English as official language, overseas branches’ decision-making authority, and global HR systems.

Methods to confirm company globalization levels

• Ask specific questions during recruitment interviews
• Contact current employees for feedback
• Research company’s international press releases and overseas expansion strategies

Companies with only superficial globalization may limit foreign talent’s ability to demonstrate true capabilities and career development.

Characteristics of Companies Supporting Foreign Engineers’ Career Growth

For IT engineers, technical growth and career development are extremely important.

Important points include continuous learning support, access to latest technologies, challenging projects, mentorship programs, and global activity opportunities.

To determine if companies actually provide support

• Ask specifically about employee career paths
• Confirm details about internal technology stacks and development environments
• Inquire about career development achieved by past foreign employees

Additionally, companies actively publishing tech blogs or contributing to open source communities tend to value engineers’ technical growth.

Balancing Work Environment and Salary

When choosing Japanese companies, it’s important to consider the balance between not just salary but overall “work comfort”

Elements of work comfort to check include work-life balance, flexible work systems, benefits, office environment, and visa support.

Points to particularly confirm regarding salary

• Basic and variable pay ratios, not just simple amounts
• Track records and criteria for salary increases and promotions
• Comparison with other companies in the same industry
• Balance with living costs (especially housing costs)

Japanese major corporations tend to have comprehensive benefits but slower salary increase paces.

Conversely, foreign companies and startups may have higher salary levels but lower employment stability.

It’s important to make balanced choices according to your lifestyle and values.

6. What Do Japanese Companies Seek in Hiring Foreign Talent?

For foreign talent to find employment in Japanese companies, understanding what companies seek is important.

Here we clarify what Japanese companies expect from foreign talent from recruiters’ perspectives and explain effective appeal methods.

Why “Not Hired Because of Foreign Nationality” is a Misconception

The idea that “Japanese companies don’t want to hire foreign talent” is a major misconception.

In reality, many companies actively seek them due to severe talent shortages, globalization needs, innovation promotion, and government support policies.

Main reasons foreign talent don’t reach employment | Mismatches

1. Gaps with skills and experience companies seek
2. Insufficient communication abilities
3. Lack of understanding of Japanese work culture and companies
4. Insufficient self-appeal during hiring processes

By resolving such mismatches and appealing yourself in forms matching company needs, your foreign background becomes rather a strength.

True Values Japanese Companies Expect from Foreign Talent

Values Japanese companies expect from foreign talent include global perspectives, language skills, specialized technical abilities, diversity introduction, and bridging roles.

Specific points particularly expected from foreign talent in the IT industry

1. Participation in overseas market-oriented product development
2. Introduction of global standard development methods and latest technologies
3. Smooth communication with international teams
4. UI/UX design incorporating diverse user perspectives

Since companies expect different values, it’s important to research what target companies seek and appeal your strengths accordingly.

Conditions for “Foreign Talent We Want to Hire” Revealed by Recruiters

When evaluating foreign talent in actual hiring situations, recruiters emphasize communication abilities, cultural adaptability, long-term commitment, problem-solving abilities, self-improvement motivation, and teamwork.

Important points to be conscious of in recruitment interviews include

1. Success experiences in multicultural environments
2. Experiences contributing to team problem-solving
3. Experiences overcoming difficulties to achieve goals
4. Understanding and interest in Japanese culture and Japanese companies
5. Maintaining basic business manners (punctuality, politeness)
6. Appropriate dress and grooming
7. Appropriate attitude and concise, specific answers to questions

By appealing these points with specific episodes and being conscious of them, you can make good impressions on recruiters and increase hiring probability.

Personnel Profile Evaluated Long-term as Global Talent

Global talent who thrive long-term in Japanese companies and continue to be valued share several common characteristics.

These include bicultural abilities (understanding both home country and Japanese cultures and bridging them), adaptability to change, continuous skill improvement, leadership, and understanding of Japanese companies.

Steps for long-term career building

1. Focus on understanding Japanese corporate culture and business processes in early employment
2. Gradually make proposals leveraging your strengths and unique perspectives
3. Expand internal networks to build trust relationships
4. Continuously improve Japanese language abilities
5. Polish both expertise and cross-functional business skills

Many successful foreign talent bring unique value to organizations while balancing adaptation to Japanese culture with leveraging their home country strengths.

They become indispensable members of organizations, not merely “foreign talent quota” employees.

7. Employment in Japan for Foreign Talent is Not Difficult with Understanding and Strategy

Finding employment as foreign talent in Japan’s IT industry certainly has various barriers, but it’s far from impossible.

Rather, the current situation with talent shortages and advancing internationalization presents significant opportunities.

What’s important is understanding Japanese corporate culture and expectations while establishing strategies to leverage strengths as foreign talent.

With proper preparation and company selection, building a fulfilling career as a foreign engineer in Japan is entirely possible.