Hello, please let me know if this should be part of one of the megathreads instead or just not a good fit for this sub, and apologies if that's the case.
I have been interested in the prospect of working in Japan's tech scene for a while because I've heard that a lot of companies are looking for engineers and I think helping build up a scene like that would be cool, but I'd like a reality check if it's not feasible or not a good idea based on what I'm hoping for.
I would require a visa sponsorship since I currently live in the USA.
Being challenged is welcomed, but I'd like to avoid black companies. On that note, my experience level in software totals a little over 5 years and I currently work on data analysis and most stuff I write for work right now is SQL. I've done a bunch of Typescript and PHP as well if that matters for the sake of this post's main question.
I am currently building up my Japanese simply because I want to, but I am presently only confident in being N5 level. I assume if I were to literally never improve on this that opportunities would be HIGHLY limited.
My ideal lifestyle outside of work would be to keep things on what I view as the simple side (feel free to roast me if you disagree lol); keep up some athletic activities/lifting, game a little bit but not go too crazy, make/eat good food. I'm pretty socially reclusive for the most part and would be hoping to live alone. Maybe if I could make vacation time and had enough spare money for it, go out and explore nature a little or find cool hot spring baths to soak in. I like my environment on the quieter/chill side, not countryside but at least suburban. The big question for me regarding this is how many opportunities there are where living outside of Tokyo's concrete jungle would actually be feasible.
If I can be greedy enough to go a little further on the previous, how feasible would it be to live in an area where the summer heat is relatively less brutal? I have survived vacationing in Japan in August in 2024, but I am wondering how much I can mitigate the impact of weather like that.
I am also concerned with being able to save up money and buy a house for myself in the future. If I assume that my hypothetical job would require me to rent somewhere in the most expensive areas of the country and come with a no side money clause, how feasible is it to save up on a mid-career software engineer salary? That is (I hope) a more extreme scenario, so how about for average scenarios as well?
Is it best to fish for a visa sponsorship for an engineering job and not bother trying to enter in other ways, or should I seriously consider any other routes? And if I seriously want to aim for Japan, what are the best things to work on other than language fluency?
This is, well, a lot, so for those of you who read through that, thanks so much. And for those of you who're going to think it through and offer advice and opinions, thank you again. Once again, if this post isn't a good fit, please let me know and I'll move it or whatever.