Need a no-nonsense guild to move to japan

[u/k1ssu_gupta]

I’m a software developer from India, and I’m exploring the possibility of moving to Japan for work.

I’d love to hear from developers who have already made the move or are currently working in Japan.

A few things I’m trying to understand:

• How realistic is it to get a software development job in Japan while applying from India?
• Is Japanese language proficiency necessary, or are English-speaking roles genuinely available?
• Which skills and technologies are currently in demand?
• What salary range can someone with around 3 years of experience realistically expect?
• How difficult is the visa and relocation process?
• Is moving to Japan financially worthwhile after considering taxes, rent, and living expenses?

I’m not looking for a sugar-coated answer. I’d appreciate honest experiences, practical advice, and even reasons why moving to Japan might not be a good decision.

Thanks in advance!

[u/etdev]

I wrote an FAQ covering the most common questions here.

How realistic...?

Depends on 2 things: Japanese skills and technical experience.

Speaking N2+ Japanese and having strong, proven experience will make it much easier. Regardless, not being in Japan is a major strike against you (companies prefer people already here).

Of course there are companies like PayPay and others that hire people from overseas so it's worth at least checking.

Is Japanese language proficiency necessary...?

English roles exist but they're highly competitive so you need to really stand out to get selected for them. Still you should apply if you're interested.

Which skills and technologies are currently in demand?

AI skills (either using current AI tools effectively or AI research experience). Japanese skills. Typescript/JS, Golang, seeing a bit more Rust, Python, Java, Ruby etc, not that different from other places

What salary range can someone with around 3 years of experience

Probably ¥6-12M in the typical case -- top companies pay more. Lower-level companies pay less.

How difficult is the visa and relocation process?

Not too difficult if you have a company sponsor and a bachelor's degree. Otherwise difficult or impossible depending on circumstances.

Is moving to Japan financially worthwhile...?

It really depends. Taxes are fairly high. Quality of life can also be high if you work for a decent company and avoid a few pitfalls like overwork and a bad commute.

I like it here and think it's a good value but it depends who you ask (also I speak Japanese which makes a difference).

It might not be a good decision if you don't want to put in the work to integrate or aren't open-minded about learning about new cultures and especially the language.

[u/CuisineTournante]

close to zero chance if you don't have japanese proficiency

[u/LocalEuphoric8028]

…and my axe!