While LinkedIn and Glassdoor are popular platforms for job seekers, they aren’t specially catered to tech-related roles. From marketing, generalist, sales to C-suite roles, all the mixed positions require specialists to filter and sort two things: the companies they want and the job they seek.
Finding a tech job in Japan can be difficult and, admittedly, time-consuming. Finding a good opportunity, however, is even more challenging. The IT industry is one of the largest industries in the Japanese economy, but the job market is growing hot, too. The Japan Times estimated that the country would face a shortage of 600,000 IT-related professionals by 2030.
An aspiring IT professional looking for tech career opportunities in Japan? We’ve compiled a list of some of the best IT job sites in Japan with open positions, from emerging startups to multinational software companies.
8 Job Sites we recommend for Tech professionals in Japan
Japan Dev
Japan Dev is one of the best resources available for job searching. Founded by Eric Turner, a former engineer in Mercari, Japan Dev has the largest list of foreigner-friendly companies in Japan hiring IT developers. They have guides on living in Japan and how to find jobs, too. They let you sort your search for a job with some of the best filters: Japanese level, salary data, job type and skills necessary.
All the companies on the site are recognized, reliable companies. A lot of the salaries are globally competitive. Their site is also super easy to use.
TokyoDev
TokyoDev describes itself as “a site dedicated to helping international developers start and grow their career in Japan.” The site has good descriptions of the jobs and their requirements. They let you know which jobs are for residents only, and whether the jobs are hybrid-remote or no remote. They also provide good descriptions of the companies they list — most which offer job visa.
On top of all that, the site also has articles meant to help software developers in Japan. The founder created TokyoDev to write about his own experiences as a developer in Tokyo. He would help out other international developers by answering their questions. They provide a lot of helpful information for developers in Japan. There is even a forum that keeps with the spirit of the website. On the forum, you can ask and answer questions. Feel free to use it! The founder, Paul McMahon, will often respond to questions asked.
Coto Work
If you want a dedicated job search that is specific to you, Coto Work is a tailored recruitment service that focuses on IT recruitment. Leveraging our vast network of connections, they introduce you to a company that fits your goal, skill and desired conditions. Whether that be a venture startup tech company or a large multinational corporation.
Register with us and our consultants will help you, taking their time to understand you well. Then we will introduce you to a company that we think you would be good at. If you have any problems we’ll be happy to help and guide you. Don’t worry about any language barrier either. Our consultants are multicultural and multilingual. They’ll be able to help you in English and Japanese. If you want a specialized job search, come to us at Coto Work!
Tokyo Tech
Meetups are a great way to find jobs. They let you network and meet new people, who can connect you with more people. Japan’s tech industry has a lot of frequent meetups, and there is usually one going on every day. But finding these meetups can be hard, especially if you don’t know where to look.
This is where Tokyo Tech comes in. It is your go-to site for finding meetups with other tech people in Japan. It is very easy to use. It displays the time of the event, how many people are attending and the meeting site. It specifies if the event is online. The site will take you to the meetups’ website, where you will be able to register.
Be sure to join the Tokyo Tech meetups organized by the founder! They intend on ‘weaving together the English and Japanese Tokyo tech communities.’
AngelList
While meant as a way for startups to get investments, AngelList is a very solid job search site. What makes them stand out from other job sites is their tags for companies. The tags on most companies on the listings are very insightful. These include strong hiring growth and showing what similar investors have invested in. They also have ratings from Glassdoor, so you can see what the employees of the company think. Ratings include work/life balance, faith in leadership and a general score.
On the company overview, they show company benefits in easy-to-understand icons. They also show you companies that others have viewed. A lot of the companies on AngelList are startups, but there are also a lot of larger companies.
Daijob
Daijob is a job search platform mainly tailored for bilingual professionals. It has many job listings from various industries, but with an emphasis specifically on tech roles. Some IT positions featured on the site include software development, network engineering, data science, and project management. Many of the listings through this site require language proficiency skills in Japanese and English. Daijjob offers resources like career advice and resume tips to assist job seekers in navigating the Japanese job market. This is a good option for any tech professional able to leverage their language abilities.
Startup Jobs
Startup Jobs has everything you would expect. It has a bunch of listings from many different tech startups. You are able to specify if you want to find remote work or the contract you want. They have a large library of tags that can help you find the job you want. Because Startup Jobs is an American site, it is not tailored to people living in Japan. As such the jobs may not all be foreigner-friendly, so read up first.
Thankfully, if one job is not foreigner-friendly, you will be able to find one that is. Startup Jobs has a huge collection of jobs on offer. If you look long enough, you will find something that suits you.
Wantedly
Wantedly is a platform popular among mainly startups and tech companies in Japan. While many of the listings are in Japanese, some positions are open to English speakers, specifically for the tech sector. Wantedly has a unique approach to job hunting in Japan, they encourage users to showcase their passions so that companies have an easier time finding candidates who align with their vision. They also try to promote casual meetups, and have an adequately named section to find such events.
Conclusion
It can be hard to find a workplace that is going to accommodate you. Hopefully at least one of the sites we’ve outlined will help you out.
But remember: You don’t have to choose only one of these sites to use. You can use all of them! Don’t restrict yourself, and good luck on the job search!
What do I need to work in Japan?
You must have a visa. For more information on how to get one, visit here.
I can't speak Japanese/my Japanese is no good. What can I do?
Most of the job sites on this list have taken that into account. A lot of the jobs from these sites require little to no Japanese. Of course, if you want to improve your Japanese you can always sign on to Coto academy!
I hear a lot about overworking when it comes to Japan. Should I be scared?
No, absolutely not. While some companies may overwork their employees, the companies from a lot of these sites are trusted and will respect you.
Want to set your career up for success in Japan? Improve your prospect and open more doors. Get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you achieve your Japanese language target. If you’re unsure where you need to start, we provide a free Japanese level check.