I decided to ask here for advice because I've been walking in circles trying to solve a problem a my own creation, of sorts. There are many questions about getting hired as a software developer in Japan, but I coundn't find anyone in the same predicament. I am software engineer with 12 years of experience, most in C++, but also 2 years working with Golang on SaaS and another 2 in Rust. I also have a long history of living in Japan. I spent 12 years in the country, I have JLPT N1, and I speak relatively fluent Japanese. When covid struck, I had to return to my home country, Russia, to take care of a dying relative. As you might remember, that was the time when Japan closed borders and wouldn't let even PR holders back. And I was on a work visa which since then long ran out.
I guess I spent too much time in Japan, because I was never able to integrate back to my country. I tried living in Europe, in Germany, but that was even worse. It is hard to explain the alienness, so let me just say that to this day I tend to think in Japanese and then translate my thoughts back into Russian, even though I was born here. I think you can understand why I might want to go back. The problem is, no matter what option I pick, the door seems to be closed.
Software companies in Japan a few and far between, and most of them don't like to hire from abroad. It is understandable, of course. Too much money, too much paperwork, you hire someone, a years passes and the person quits. I tried some companies, but had little luck. The best experience was with Woven, I passed the interviews, and then they closed the position. Tried again, and they told me they decided it was to risky to bring me in. I had some connections in Google Japan and LinkedIn, but both seems to be on a permanent hiring freeze. Recruiters were mostly of the same opinion – it is much easier to hire locally, or at least from nearby countries like Vietnam. Why bother bringing someone from fuck knows where like Russia?
I considered other approaches as well. Language school is out – I did that when I first came to Japan and used my 2 years on that type of visa. Doing a masters degree at some Japanese university is problematic – most schools require recommendations from professors to apply, but I graduated 17 years ago. All professors who knew me have either retired or died. Then there is an option of startup visa, but no matter how I look at it, starting a company in Japan without already being there seems very problematic. Business is all about who you know, and if you are not there how would you even connect? Talking for advisors and investors, networking, securing funds, finding a co-founder – no way that is possible on a 6 month or 1 year startup visa that Japan provides.
Other options are out simply because I have wrong nationality. There is no working holiday visa for Russians, there is no JET, and there is no designated activities visa. Russia is simply not on the list. (technically JET is possible but the requirements are worded in such a way that it would be easier for me to get to Mars than to Japan). The upcoming digital nomad visa also excludes Russia. Intra-company transfer is also not possible – there are simple no companies that have offices established in both countries, especially these days.
What remains? Spouse visa is out, I am married and my wife is not Japanese. J-Find? That means getting a degree from Top100 university. There's only one in Russia, and it is already on the 99th place and grayed out because of all the insanity that is going on. There is UTexas that allows anyone to get a masters in AI, the university is in the Top 100 list, and they claim this degree is the same you would get if you studied there in person. But Japanese immigration might think otherwise – there is nothing about online degrees on mofa site. I think MOFA don't know it themselves. Investing significant amount of time and money into something that might flop simply because Japanese authorities never bothered to consider it is rather scary.
Then there are semmon gakko. So far this is the only option that I think might work. I don't know if I can apply directly from aboard, and the whole idea of spending 2 years to learn something that I already know and have plenty of experience of seems… stupid? And that's if I pick IT, of course, but picking anything else like becoming a cook seems even more insane. But at least it is doable.
I think I did a rather thorough research into why my options are, but I might have overlooked something, and this is where I need advise. Is there anything else I might be missing? Should I maybe work on developing some specific skills to increase my chances of getting hired? I can spend next several years doing that, but frankly speaking, I don't know what to focus on.
by teial
1 comment
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**Returning to Japan as a software engineer**
I decided to ask here for advice because I’ve been walking in circles trying to solve a problem a my own creation, of sorts. There are many questions about getting hired as a software developer in Japan, but I coundn’t find anyone in the same predicament. I am software engineer with 12 years of experience, most in C++, but also 2 years working with Golang on SaaS and another 2 in Rust. I also have a long history of living in Japan. I spent 12 years in the country, I have JLPT N1, and I speak relatively fluent Japanese. When covid struck, I had to return to my home country, Russia, to take care of a dying relative. As you might remember, that was the time when Japan closed borders and wouldn’t let even PR holders back. And I was on a work visa which since then long ran out.
I guess I spent too much time in Japan, because I was never able to integrate back to my country. I tried living in Europe, in Germany, but that was even worse. It is hard to explain the alienness, so let me just say that to this day I tend to think in Japanese and then translate my thoughts back into Russian, even though I was born here. I think you can understand why I might want to go back. The problem is, no matter what option I pick, the door seems to be closed.
Software companies in Japan a few and far between, and most of them don’t like to hire from abroad. It is understandable, of course. Too much money, too much paperwork, you hire someone, a years passes and the person quits. I tried some companies, but had little luck. The best experience was with Woven, I passed the interviews, and then they closed the position. Tried again, and they told me they decided it was to risky to bring me in. I had some connections in Google Japan and LinkedIn, but both seems to be on a permanent hiring freeze. Recruiters were mostly of the same opinion – it is much easier to hire locally, or at least from nearby countries like Vietnam. Why bother bringing someone from fuck knows where like Russia?
I considered other approaches as well. Language school is out – I did that when I first came to Japan and used my 2 years on that type of visa. Doing a masters degree at some Japanese university is problematic – most schools require recommendations from professors to apply, but I graduated 17 years ago. All professors who knew me have either retired or died. Then there is an option of startup visa, but no matter how I look at it, starting a company in Japan without already being there seems very problematic. Business is all about who you know, and if you are not there how would you even connect? Talking for advisors and investors, networking, securing funds, finding a co-founder – no way that is possible on a 6 month or 1 year startup visa that Japan provides.
Other options are out simply because I have wrong nationality. There is no working holiday visa for Russians, there is no JET, and there is no designated activities visa. Russia is simply not on the list. (technically JET is possible but the requirements are worded in such a way that it would be easier for me to get to Mars than to Japan). The upcoming digital nomad visa also excludes Russia. Intra-company transfer is also not possible – there are simple no companies that have offices established in both countries, especially these days.
What remains? Spouse visa is out, I am married and my wife is not Japanese. J-Find? That means getting a degree from Top100 university. There’s only one in Russia, and it is already on the 99th place and grayed out because of all the insanity that is going on. There is UTexas that allows anyone to get a masters in AI, the university is in the Top 100 list, and they claim this degree is the same you would get if you studied there in person. But Japanese immigration might think otherwise – there is nothing about online degrees on mofa site. I think MOFA don’t know it themselves. Investing significant amount of time and money into something that might flop simply because Japanese authorities never bothered to consider it is rather scary.
Then there are semmon gakko. So far this is the only option that I think might work. I don’t know if I can apply directly from aboard, and the whole idea of spending 2 years to learn something that I already know and have plenty of experience of seems… stupid? And that’s if I pick IT, of course, but picking anything else like becoming a cook seems even more insane. But at least it is doable.
I think I did a rather thorough research into why my options are, but I might have overlooked something, and this is where I need advise. Is there anything else I might be missing? Should I maybe work on developing some specific skills to increase my chances of getting hired? I can spend next several years doing that, but frankly speaking, I don’t know what to focus on.
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