If you’re trying to start (or advance) a career in software development in Japan, you’ll need to know which programming languages are popular, which are useful and which are up-and-coming on the market.
But what are the programming languages you need to focus on in Japan? After taking into consideration career perceptive, future demands, business requirements, and features of different programming languages we are here with our list of top programming languages demanded by Japanese companies. The required language skill will naturally depend on the company or specific project, but there are general trends.
| Rank | Programming Language |
|---|---|
| 1 | Javascript |
| 2 | C/C++ |
| 3 | HTML/CSS |
| 4 | Python |
| 5 | Typescript |
| 6 | C# |
| 7 | Ruby |
| 8 | Swift |
| 9 | PHP |
| 10 | Kotlin |
1. Javascript
JavaScript is the most common coding language in use today around the world. Java is currently one of the most trending technology. It is used in desktop applications, mobile applications, web development, Artificial intelligence, cloud applications, and many more.
Globally, Java currently ranks as the third-most sought-after programming language for hiring managers globally. If you look at Indeed Japan, you’ll find more than 102,000 jobs for engineers that demand knowledge in Javascript.
2. C/C++
C is another old programming language, even called the mother of all languages. There are two reasons: most compilers are written in C, and most programming languages follow C syntax. Even though there are many recent languages, C is still widely used to develop systems and applications. It is also commonly used to program hardware products. There are 68,000 listen to engineering positions in Japan.
3. HTML/CSS
If you’re thinking of building a website, then you’ll almost certainly have come across the acronyms HTML and CSS. These two essential tools form some of the foundations of any webpage. In essence, HTML is used for creating the primary content of a webpage, giving it structure.
CSS, or cascading style sheets, is usually applied in conjunction with HTML and governs the site’s appearance. While HTML organizes site text into chunks, CSS is responsible for determining the size, color and position of all page elements.
4. Python
Python is usually used for backend (server-side) development, machine learning and data science positions. It is easy to learn that non-programmers start using it for everyday tasks. For example, accountants can use python to organize finances.
As per the latest statistics, Python is the main coding language for around 80% of developers. Currently, 43,000 job openings in Japan require Python.
5. Typescript
TypeScript is a newcomer to top programming language lists, but it’s excellent for both front-end and back-end development. It was developed in 2012 by Microsoft and is a typed version of JavaScript that is well-suited for large code bases. TypeScript is used to create JavaScript-based projects with typing in both client-side and server-side development, making useful for catching errors and preventing systemic issues.
6. C#
Developed by Microsoft, C# rose to fame in the 2000s for supporting the concepts of object-oriented programming. It is one of the most used programming languages for the .NET framework.
C# is best suited for applications on Windows, Android, and iOS. C# is used on the back end of several popular websites like Bing, Dell, Visual Studio, and MarketWatch. There are bout 67,000 open positions in Japan that demand C# language.
7. PHP
PHP is known as the most used language for web servers on the internet. Japan is no exception. Launched in 1994, almost 80% of websites on the internet use PHP to run their servers nowadays. It is chosen by many companies because of its efficiency, user-friendliness, and affordable price.
60,000 job openings
8. Ruby
If you want to start with a language that is known for being relatively simple to learn, consider Ruby. Developed in the 1990s, it was designed to have a more human-friendly syntax while still being flexible from the standpoint of its object-oriented architecture that supports procedural and functional programming notation. A web-application framework that is implemented in Ruby is Ruby on Rails (“RoR”). Ruby developers tout it for being an easy language to write in and also for the relatively short learning time required.
9. Swift
An open-source programming language that is easy to learn, Swift supports almost everything from the programming language Objective-C. Swift requires fewer coding skills compared with other programming languages, and it can be used with IBM Swift Sandbox and IBM Bluemix. Swift is used in popular iOS apps like WordPress, Mozilla Firefox and SoundCloud. Currently, there are 43,000 job openings for Swift programming language.
10. Kotlin
Kotlin is another Java alternative. At first, it was built specifically for Android development. However, it became popular. Since then, its usage has expanded to full-stack web development and data science. Kotlin has been the fastest-growing language over the last couple of years.