Careers and jobs in Japan for gaijins?

Question

I've been contemplating about pursuing a career of some sort and living in Japan for quite a while now. I am an Asian American undergraduate at UF currently majoring in EALL. I am fluent in English and Chinese-Cantonese, but I am not literate in the latter (I cannot read the kanji). I am planning on spending a year in Osaka to study abroad during 2008.

This may be a broad question, but what studies should I be focusing on to get a good career in Japan? I've done alot of research on the subject, and I know that many gaijins first enter the country through various work visas and most predominantly, the JET program. These foreigners usually also go on to become entertainers, English teachers, or bartenders, none of which suit my tastes. My general interests lie with computers for the most part: stuff that involves IT and networking. Grabbing a translation job for a gaming company of some sort would be a dream come true for me, but I'm not sure what current job situation is over in Japan.

I'd also like to know how native Japanese view Asian foreigners as well, although I hope that I'll be able to "blend in" better than say a white or black foreigner.

Answer 1

Too many foreigners here rely on their Japanese language skills but, in reality, almost without exception you will have to be able to communicate in Japanese at a business level to work here. It's not enough. Study business in college and study Japanese on your own.

If you want a real career in Japan, you want to work for a foreign company. With few exceptions (Sony, e.g.), a Japanese company may hire foreigners, but you will never receive the recognition and reward of your Japanese co-workers. So study the things in school that will make you attractive to a foreign multinational - marketing, finance, accounting, etc. IT skills would be the prerequisite if you want to work in that field, but young grads with IT skills in Japan are a dime a dozen. So you'll need to supplement these with something that distinguishes you - "hard skills" that are sorely lacking among young Japanese grads. And in addition to your other skills, in Japan what you want as a foreigner is to be hired for your Western mindset.

Foreign companies need employees that can communicate with management with the same way of thinking, analyzing problems, and looking for solutions. As we all know, most Japanese students do not acquire these critical thinking skills in the course of their formal educations. So to sum up, set yourself up to be able to market yourself in the future as a native English speaker with business level Japanese who has a solid foundation in analytical skills - all in addition to whatever speciality you are particularly interested in pursuing.

Answer 2

Actually, people who go through the JET Programme aren't that likely to get into the fields that you're talking about. The JET Programme compiles data about what happens to their alumni, and it really doesn't look like that at all.

The JET Programme is highly respected, and if you're an English-speaking undergraduate, it would likely be the best line of employment in Japan. You'll be working in the public school system as opposed to Daichi's Superfun English Parlour, and you'll be surrounded by co-workers who have at least as much education as you do. Don't let the bad English skills fool you.

The foreigners that go on to bartending and certain types of entertainment, usually come over to Japan starting that way.

Also, the JET Programme offers positions for liaisons at various "international centres" and boards of education. I believe they are called CIR's, Co-ordinators of International Relations. You could easily use this type of position to further your Japanese skills to the point of becoming a translator. You will likely be doing elementary translating in these positions anyway. You'll be meeting a lot of people and be in a better situation than most other foreigners.

If you're looking for IT/computer work in Japan, you have to be at the absolute top of your field before you go, or at least be fluent in Japanese.

In general, if a position can be given to a Japanese, it will be.

I did some Mac media work in Japan, but that was after 6 years of living in Japan and learning the language. I also had a bilingual Japanese friend come to the interview with me. It was from a job posting in a local newspaper, and a friend of a friend happened to know that the employer was interested in things foreign.

Having Asian features has good and bad points. The good is that you will be expected to understand Japanese. This should help you learn quicker. People won't be talking to you as if you're a toddler. On the other hand, that could end up being fairly stressful for you, and you might want to just be treated like the non-Asians are.

Answer 3

There are tons of English schools so that is the easiest kind of job to get. You can apply to tons of jobs and see what happens. Honestly, I lived there for 3 years and didn't meet very may IT people at all that were gaijin. It is worth a shot though.

Answer 4

Japan has incredibly strict laws for working in thier country. According to Japanese law, in order to be granted a work visa, you must possess a skill that natives do not. I'm sure you'd make a great IT person, but like previous posters said, you have to possess a special skill that the natives there do not.

That is why it's easier to get in via English schools because you're given the work visa easier.

Also working with the gaming companies, most of the gaijins who end up working in game companies are translators and according to a friend of mine, you've got to have near-native skills in Japanese and English in order to work those fields.

One possibility of coming into Japan with computing is to work for a business that deals with Japanese companies.

As for how the native feels about asian foreigners, my boyfriend (who is Japanese) says that some Japanese tend to discriminate against Chinese and Koreans. It's kind of the way the USA feels about Mexicans: Some Japanese feel that Chinese and Koreans are inferior and criminals.

Answer 5

Please don't get away from learning Japanese. ppl don't understand English there. If you blew it off, you won't be able to get any job other than English teaching.

Following guys are from the US.
Both speak Japanese fluently.
http://web-japan.org/trends/people/peo050315.html
http://www.martyfriedman.com/
They are seen blending among Japanese.

This woman is Hongkongese. Maybe your parents know her name. Agnes Chan. She also speak Japanese and famous in Japan.
http://www.agneschan.gr.jp/
Language is the key in Japan.

By the way, I like Stephen Chow(Chow Sing-Chi) and Kelly Chen. I don't know why but I like Cantonese. Gaocuo!

Answer 6

u better look for foreigh-affiliated company.
i had lots of gaijin friend when i lived in tokyo. they received veeeery good salary. and no racism, using english...
but not japanese company.
especially asian-american.
they make fool of asian-american and black.
i think u better choice tokyo!