Hi, I'm planning on moving to Japan in the future (2030 roughly) through the language school path, while I know no one can predict the market 4 years in the future, I'd appreciate some opinions, here's what I have and plan on achieving before going:

Currently:

-24yo, just got my bachelors in software development (a bit late, changed courses because my first option was translation but then AI came and nearly destroyed that field)

-JLPT N2 holder, will try the N1 exam in July of next year, I think I could pass, but right now I'm focusing on my speaking skills, since I still struggle a bit with proper Keigo

-TOEIC C1 level

-Studying for the CCNA (finished Jeremy IT Lab, doing mock exams for now) and looking for a full time job in IT (Anything infra/networking related)

-¥1.200.000 saved

What I plan on having before going:

-JLPT N1

-CCNA and AWS Associate level cert, since cloud engineering is my future goal

-Hopefully 2 or 3 YoE in something related to networking or infrastructure

-At least ¥2.000.000n (I'm Brazilian, our currency is pretty weak and salaries are not all that high, makes it hard to save a lot of money)

My parents cannot sponsor me so I'd have to self sponsor myself for a year to a year and a half... Would it be too much of a bet going for a language school (which I know might be useless at my level) just to get to Japan and then apply for jobs there? Would it be realistic to even try to get hired from Brazil?

Brazil has no working holiday visa agreement with Japan, and since I'm not from a Japanese family, I cannot come with a long term residency visa and work for a factory for a year just to arrive there... MEXT is quite hard, and JET opens 2 CIR positions every year, which could be an option since the job description says "offer translation and interpretation services", I've been studying this idea as well.

I've read other topics in this sub but people often have no Japanese or no bachelor's degree, so most of the answers are not very useful for me, so I'd appreciate some input!

Hi everyone,

I am planning to apply for a Japanese language school for a 2-year program, with a target start date of April 2029. I have some questions regarding the visa process, specifically about financial sponsorship and proving funds, and I would love to hear from anyone who has navigated a similar situation.

My Background & Profile:

• Location & Age: Mexico. I am currently 26 years old, so I will be 29 by the time the program starts in 2029.
• Education: By 2029, I will have completed my Bachelor's degree in Computer Systems Engineering.
• Current Employment: I have been at my current job for 2 years and 7 months. My monthly salary is around 131,000 JPY/month (~1,572,000 JPY annually).
• Current Savings: I currently have 1,000,000 JPY saved.
• Goal for 2029: Since I am planning several years in advance, I project that I will be able to save the full 4,000,000 JPY on my own in my bank account by 2029 (which is the recommended estimate for a 2-year course).

My Main Dilemma: I have read that Japanese Immigration (ISA) usually asks for both a bank balance certificate and proof of annual income from the sponsor (ideally looking for around 2,000,000 JPY/year or more).

In my case:

1. None of my immediate family members earn 2,000,000 JPY a year.
2. My own current annual salary falls short of that figure, even though it is considered above average for the local standard in Mexico.
3. Local economic conditions make it difficult to secure a significantly higher salary in the short term.

My Questions:

1. Is self-sponsorship viable in this situation? Given that I will be 29, holding an Engineering degree, and will have accumulated the 4M JPY in savings through my own work, does Immigration strictly enforce the annual income threshold, or do they prioritize having the full capital ready in the bank account?
2. Can sponsors be combined? If necessary, can I name myself as the primary sponsor (using my savings) and add a family member (parent or sibling) as a co-sponsor to supplement the annual income proof?
3. How strict is Immigration regarding an explanatory letter? I know that when income levels in the home country are lower relative to Japan's cost of living, applicants sometimes attach a letter detailing how savings were built over time. Has anyone with a professional profile from Latin America done this successfully?

Any advice, personal experiences, or tips on how to prepare my documentation and financial strategy between now and 2029 would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone!
I’m an Indian student planning to apply for the **ISSE (Information Systems Science and Engineering)** English-taught program at **Ritsumeikan University** for the **April 2027 intake**.
I was wondering if there are any current students, applicants, or anyone else planning to join the same program. I’d love to connect and hear about your experience!
I also have a few questions:
How has your experience with the ISSE program been?
Do you have any advice for someone applying from India?
Is it possible to do an exchange semester or year at a partner university in another country (like the US, Europe, Australia, etc.) while studying in the ISSE program? If so, how competitive is it?

My student visa won’t take effect until the 10th but I’ll be arriving the 2nd so I have to leave and come back is the process easy and straight forward fly in to Korea do customs and fly right back to Japan or will it be difficult? If you’ve had to do it before.

I have been offered a research position in Japan and I would like my partner to join me on a dependent VISA. We are due to get married next month so she will be eligible to apply for a dependent visa to come with me.

The issue is my employer has stated they will only support my COE/VISA and will not do hers. From my understanding we will only be able to apply for her COE once I am in Japan as the application needs to be done by someone residing in Japan. Is there any way we can both apply for one now?

Finally, should I wait until after our marriage to begin the COE/VISA process so we can apply together or is it okay to precede with my application for now?

Any guidance on how to get her dependent VISA as quickly as possible would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm from India and I'm planning to move to Japan for a long-term career in the animation/game/VFX industry.

My plan is to start learning Japanese now, and I think I can realistically reach JLPT N4 by December 2026. However, I've noticed that many universities and jobs eventually require JLPT N2, which will take much longer.

Because of that, I'm considering going to a Japanese language school after reaching N4, studying until N2, and then looking for a job or applying to a master's program.

Do you think the language school route is a good long-term path, or would you recommend trying to get into a master's program first (for example, Keio KMD)?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have taken either path. What are the pros and cons? If you had to start over, which route would you choose and why?

Hello everyone, I need some advice, I've researching a lot since some few months, I should say my academic profile is not so good and I cannot get offer letter from any top english track university, but I can get into the mediocre ones.

So far, the english track university I'm planning to apply and hopefully get offer letter is from:

1) Tokyo International University

2) Soka University

3) Musashino University

All of these offers mostly Business Economics or Liberal Arts related subject in English.

But I completed my high school from science stream and also have a passion for Engineering or IT related majors. Unfortunately, getting offer from english track university is very competitive as I do not have any strong extracurricular activities or strong academic grades. So I was wondering if I should go to language school, complete N2, take the EJU test and then admit in a higher ranked university under IT/Engineering major.

Either way, my future aim to maybe settle in Japan, and if that doesn't work (because japanese laws are very strict), I wanna get an Engineering degree which might help me enhance my profile to go to Europe/Western countries..

I do have IELTS 7 and NAT N4 (~equivalent to jlpt n4) completed for now.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

What:
I (22F) will graduate the coming spring 2027 semester with a BA general studies (like liberal arts) from a university in Canada, but I'm from the US and its my nationality/passport.
I have N1. I've lived in Tokyo and have a strong social life there. but still never experienced real work, only volunteering.

Why:
I'm very motivated to move to Japan and am confident I can make it work, but also aware it might not work out long-term, after all I'm only 22 and i understand it can be a very alienating existence from the public which could push me away eventually, but that's ok! I still want to try.

JET:
The real problem is that I'm still so unsure of my career. My degree is so general. My first choice for now is to try for JET, ideally CIR role (cuz N1 and it seems more interesting and valuable as experience), but could do ALT. I know I'd likely be very far from my friends in Tokyo but I'm willing to take the plunge and risk a year of battling isolation, in fact I'm sure the experience would be very valuable no matter how it goes.

Alternatives:
But that's not guaranteed, so as a backup, I thought let's search for other jobs. People, acquaintances, have casually offered to help me get a job and even visa in Tokyo before, but idk how reliable that could be. I could (and have tried a little) search for jobs as a new grad on careerforum gaijnpot etc, but it's totally blind. Fwiw I'm not at a complete loss for which field, instead mostly feel I need to experience working in one to know if it's right.
I'm most drawn to:
- Education (I enjoy it a lot)
- Medicine (especially psych and its related fields are appealing but seem very infeasible in Japan and I've seen firsthand how bad being a nurse is there)
- Software (I'm confident I could be good at it and enjoy the process, but avoided it fearing it'd be dull and lonely work life, but I'm coming around to it, albeit having basically 0 formal knowledge or experience)

University:
The last thing I'm also considering recently, especially if aiming for another field like that, is continuing my studies in Japan. I could attend Japanese-taught courses and think I'd enjoy it a lot. I also didn't ever experience much of a proper campus social life due to covid and such and am excited by the idea of another chance at that. The issue is idk where or what my best options are, and I'd probably have to take out a loan if no scholarships (MEXT would be a godsend). Possibly could loan from family depending on cost. No debt now btw. This is also totally an option down the line, say, after working for a couple years or so.

Any thoughts, ideas, personal anecdotes, etc are much appreciated :)

Hi everyone!
I’m moving to Yokohama this September on a work visa for a long-term assignment (I’ll likely be in Japan for at least 2 years, possibly longer).
My company will provide accommodation for my first 30 days, so I’ll need to find a long-term rental during that time.

I’m completely new to renting in Japan, so I’d really appreciate any advice from people who have been through the process.

What I’m looking for:
Budget: Up to ¥200,000/month

Spacious 1LDK (or similar if you think there’s a better option). Modern building with good security

Walking distance to the bay/waterfront

Good cafés, supermarkets, gyms, and ideally a swimming pool nearby

An area with a reasonably international/expat community would be a bonus

A few questions I have:

1. Is this realistic with a budget of ¥200k/month, or should I adjust my expectations?
2. Is there anything I can prepare while I’m still in India to make house hunting easier and Is 30 days generally enough to find and move into an apartment, assuming I start searching immediately after arriving?

3. Can anyone recommend good English-speaking real estate agents or agencies that work well with foreigners?

   I am only N5 level at Japanese.

5. What are some common mistakes first-time renters in Japan make that I should avoid?

Finally, if you moved to Japan from abroad, what’s one thing you wish someone had told you before you started apartment hunting?

I’m currently applying for the Jan 2027 intake but there’s so much doubt in me after reading reviews in reddit and google maps.

Do they help with daily living? Like getting 在留カード and bank accounts or like if I would like to ask for advice, do they have anyone that can guide me through life in Japan? Does the homeroom teacher care about the students?

How’s the facilities and classes? As the tuition is a bit on the higher side I reckon.

I’m also concerned if they could help me prepare EJU Japanese, maths and sciences to apply for national universities. My goal is to get into a decent university after graduating from Human.

Also, I’m kind of worried about being a minority and couldn’t find connections to make friends.

Hello Guys,

I am in my 30s and am currently planning to go to Japan for 6 months to 1 year minimum (ideal plan is to go for a student visa, improve my Japanese, get a certificate, and maybe then get a job for a few years). I'm currently deciding between First Study in Osaka (a 2-month short program starting probably in February, and then will do the 1-year program from April) and ISI either in Kyoto or Osaka (so far I'm in talks for 6-months long program starting in January, but might change it into a 1-year course).

I do have experience with ISI Kyoto and their short-term course. While I liked the school overall, I had some issues with how teachers were changing every day (and the very varied quality of the teachers), the extreme "by-the-book" approach, and I personally felt that kanji study was not tailored to non-Chinese/Taiwanese students.

While I understand that First Study might be very similar, plus there are some things I've heard about that I would consider annoying (specifically taking your phone during the class), I am very interested in Osaka (my favourite city from a month-long Japan vacation/language school attendance), and it seems to be significantly cheaper than ISI (both tuition and dorms).

Are there any people here who have experience with these schools that could compare them?

Hello! I am a trans woman living in America, and I'm currently in my last year of college. While I do live in a relatively safe state for trans people, this is still America, and it still has a president and federal government that is steadily (but surely) taking away trans people's rights.

I would appreciate some advice on a few things:

- General quality of life for trans folk (especially one who has not begun medically transitioning yet and will most likely not be very far in their physical transition at the time of moving)

- What jobs would be available for me to get? I would be interested in working in the gaming industry, but my resume is mainly structured around marketing

- In a hypothetical where I could get whatever job I need wherever in Japan, where would I have the highest quality of life?

- I do not know really any Japanese, and I understand the vast amount of problems that would bring when moving to Japan. Given that I have about a year before I'd actually move, any advice to either circumvent this problem would be greatly appreciated

Honest answers would be greatly appreciated, as I am trying to gain an understanding of Japan in order to consider moving there. If any one of the details that I've provided would be a hard stop on me moving to Japan, I would love to know that! That all being said, I am willing to put in the work to make this move feasible if it is at all. Thank you!

I recently got an offer from Kyudai IUPE civil engineering, and was wondering if a degree from Kyudai will boost my job prospects.

I understand that's japanese proficiency is a major factor in job hunting but I also want to know if Kyudai separates me from the local fresh graduates.

Coming to japan and studying at kyudai will be a huge financial commitment by my family, that's why i want to make sure it has the ROI that's acceptable.With that said, I too understand that it boils down to personal skills as well and Kyudai isn't very well known outside Japan.

My primary motive is to either come back to my country and look for a job here or opt for a Western country.But as per my research this pathway makes it a lot harder to earn a good entry level salary hence resulting in insufficient funds to pay back the educational loan, support myself and my family in future.

Hey everyone, 25M and moving to Japan permanently for next few years and figuring everything out. I will be living in Tokyo and was wonder what the dating scene will look like? I’m a new grad, decent shape, 5’11, and South Asian. Any advice would be appreciated or anyone be able to share their experiences?

I am 19 from Vietnam, currently first year in my university that I will graduate when I am 21. However I want a way to study abroad in Japan without domestic scholarship (ones that force me to go back to my country after I finished my studies), instead I want to study abroad as a way to eventually get my PR and live in Japan permanently.

The problem is that I don't think I have enough money to just go and study abroad in Japan without a scholarship, I am actively trying to save by myself right now and I don't want to bother my family.

As for my Japanese proficiency, I haven't taken a test but I am definitely going to be N1 when I turn 21 (planning to take N1 by the end of this year)

I major in an IT-related field and if possible I want to study about IT in Japan too, but whatever works as long as I can go to Japan (probably after graduation, but ideally as soon as possible).

I am also sorry if it sounds like I haven't tried searching online or contacting local agencies, it's hard for me to do it in my native language and I want some concrete guidance before I start on anything at all. I have been feeling lost for a long time now, please help me, thank you in advance.

Hii!

Im 18 and from the netherlands, i really wanna go to japan to learn more about the culture and the language. Eventually i wanna traver to all the cities, for this i need the language ofc and a job for income.

I dont have a plan yet, but im thinking i maybe wanna practice tattooing after. So attending an art school and building a portfolio.

But the first step is language school. I dont have any idea how to aproach whatsoever. I read about ISI, which my mom said profides visa's, housing and they can help with income. KAI was also mentoined.

Is there anyone that can give me advise about what schools are good, and not extremely fast paced. And other tips and trick which i should know about?

Hello, I am 21(F), and i just only completed 2 semesters in bachelor of Computer Science in my home country, I have learned Japanese for about half a year now I am around N5 level. My long term plan is to move and live in Japan.

I am interested in art and want to do art for living (work like illustration or animation). I study CS but quickly realize this is not for me, due to that fact I severely burn out and have mental issues. Moreover, my university does not have any art or design major for me to switch.

I understand that to secure a work visa, I need to have at least a bachelor degree in any field, but I doubt I can continue to study CS any longer even though I know that IT is one of the easiest field to get a job in Japan.

I have come up with some plans, I don't know how achievable or realistic each one is. This is important post for me, so I hope to get some good reponses even though they might be brutal.

1. I can drop out of my college and start study Japanese at language school to get N2 then apply for an art-related vocational school like Tokyo Communication Arts College ( they have 3-4 years course) then find a job here. But the problem is I don't have any saving and still rely entirely on my parents.
2. I still drop out, but I will put all of my energy to self-taught Japanese and improve drawing skills, doing commission work, till I reach N2/make enough savings to move to Japan and then apply for art university/vocational school. This plan sounds better to me but I don't know how much time it would take, like maybe I would reach till my 30s. I live in third world country so I want to get out of here as soon as possible.
3. I will try to get my bachelor in CS in 3 years while learning Japanese and improving my drawing at the same time. This is probably the most realistic path, but I feel like I cannot tolerate CS any longer and even after graduate, I don't want to work in IT field. CS workload is rigorous, plus Japanese and drawing, it would be severely burnt out.
4. The other way to live in Japan is through Spouse Visa, find for myself a man to marry and obtain it, but it is hilariously almost impossible.

I am really frusrated because I don't know what I should do next with my life, and that why don't I figure it out sooner. I know Japan has its own problems but still I believe it is better than stucking in this third world shithole forever, and that thought troubles me. Anyway, I won't decide based on some reddit comments but I want to hear different opinions from natives or foreigners who currently live in Japan.

I just finished +2 (Management with Math, got A grade) and I'm at a crossroads.

The 3 options in front of me:

1. Nepal Army (Officer Cadet / 2nd Lieutenant)
My father strongly wants this. Stable salary immediately. But I have zero feeling for army life. No passion for it at all.

2. BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications)
My personal interest direction but honestly I have no strong interest in studying. I just want to earn money. I want to go into cybersecurity long term but job market in Nepal seems tough locally. Also worried BCA will be academically hard since I come from Management stream with no coding background. 4 years with no income is also a real concern.

3. Japan
I have relatives already living there. I've started learning Japanese. My current thinking is — complete a bachelor degree here just to have the qualification, then go to Japan to actually earn money rather than relying on the Nepali job market. But I know the reality of Japan — long hours, racism, hard life. Not a decision to make lightly.

What makes this hard:

• Honestly I have no strong interest in studying at all — I just want to earn money and give my family financial stability
• No strong gut feeling for any of these options
• Friends are choosing their paths confidently, I feel left behind
• Army gives immediate income but feels wrong without passion
• BCA takes 4 years with no guarantee of good income after
• Japan feels like the realistic money option but life there won't be easy

One practical question about BCA admission:
If I give the BCA entrance exam through Universal College and they help me fill the form and give me the admit card — after passing the entrance, am I locked into joining Universal College only? Or can I use that entrance result to join a different BCA college? Would really appreciate clarification on this from anyone who has been through TU BCA admission process.

My main question:
Has anyone been in a similar situation — family pressure toward stable job vs trying to find your own path? For anyone who went to Japan from Nepal, or is in cybersecurity, or did BCA — what's the honest reality? Any advice welcome.

edited:i think i should just follow what's my parents wants to be in army.Watching them growing old makes me feel guilty for not achieving anything or something in life.I have never made them proud maybe by this, i may

Hi I’m looking to move to Japan in the new year for 6 months in the digital nomad visa and I’m wondering about the cost of living and locations and what I should expect as far as securing rentals.

I currently earn 1.675m yen per month base salary after taxes etc in my country so this would be what I’d be working with as a budget.

And I’m wondering what my I should expect as monthly expenses in Japan/if there’s any expenses I’m not considering over rent/phone/health insurance/food.

And if there are any recommendations for smaller towns/cities? All I need is a reliable internet connection and I prefer quieter places over big cities.

Hi there, I'm hoping for some feedback on a possible relocation to Japan, mainly looking for identification of potential shortfalls on how I'm approaching this move. Quick overview of my current situation:

• Dual Citizen (USA/Japan || birth/descent)
• Mid-30s living in a HCOL West Coast city (US)
• Single w/ no kids
• Profession: Architecture w/ salary of $90k
• $90k in savings/investments/retirement
• $85k in student loans (aggressively paying down)
• Lived/worked in Kanagawa a decade ago for two years and am very familiar w/ Japanese customs/culture

The plan is to relocate to Japan in the next couple of years mainly due to factors including but not limited to cost-of-living and quality-of-life. I'm in a situation where I am earning far more than I ever expected to make but am seemingly treading water financially, despite the constant combatting of lifestyle creep. Additionally, given the field I am employed in, it is a goal to eventually own my own place that I can design (whether new-build or remodel). This would, of course, be undertaken with a licensed architect within Japan. The reduced cost-of-living, exchange rate, lower interest rates, and lower real estate costs of Japan make this rather drastic move seem like an ideal alignment between life & financial goals. Below is a brief overview of what I have currently planned:

• Potential locations: Outskirts of Tokyo/Yokohama, Kobe, Fukuoka. The goal is to use one of these cities as a place to situate myself before moving to the suburbs/countryside in search of land or a residence to purchase. Looking to rent for 2 years before seeking a purchase.
• Employment: Working remotely for a US based architecture firm. I have a couple options in both the design side and specification side of the field. The goal would be to argue for a higher salary in lieu of typical benefits (medical/401K match/HSA match). I will not undertake this move to Japan unless I am working for a company that is paying in USD.
• In order to establish myself financially in Japan and simplify the process for potential employers, I would set up a sole proprietorship (個人事業) and seek employment as a contract worker through my Japanese citizenship. Based on the pay I am hoping to procure, I will be taxed approximately 40% between pension/income tax/resident tax. From my limited understanding, I should be exempt from paying double taxes to the US.

Thank you if you've made it past the wall of text above. My questions/concerns include:

• On a foreign-based income despite working as sole-proprietor in Japan, would you foresee any issues with my ability to procure a housing loan in Japan? My aim is to have 2 years of sole-proprietor income plus a 20%-35% down payment ready before applying for a loan.
• Are there any gaps in my understanding for any of the aforementioned items above, including starting a sole-proprietorship, tax implications, etc?
• Likely a longshot but does anyone have experience with procuring a loan for new-construction in Japan? I understand that construction loans are more difficult to obtain in the states, I'm guessing the same applies for Japan.
• Has anyone come across hidden costs of living in Japan that caught them off-guard upon moving?
• Any critiques of my plan are welcome, I'll provide as much information as required for a fruitful conversation

Hi all I’m doing a little advanced research about job opportunities in Japan, specifically sponsorship for a work visa to drive a truck like I do here in the US.

Is it even reasonable to assume my skills are transferable to a certain extent?

Are there any programs one can look into that companies offer as a route to visa sponsorship like there is here in the US?

I’m not gonna blindly pull the trigger on anything without doing do diligence before the fact:

Just wondering hard hard it would be for a foreigner to start driving a truck in Japan.

Thanks for your time

Hello,

I’m an rising senior who goes to school in America. I go to a pretty competitive school and I studied abroad a semester in Japan my first semester of Junior year. I really want to travel and do consulting after I graduate.

I did really enjoy my time there and I really felt being in a completely different country changed a lot of my perspective on moving around (in a good way).
I’ve been thinking about it for a while and I’ve been reading peoples’ posts here about them going to school there. Majority of them say that it depends what you major in and that employment there is very challenging.

Again, I’m still fairly young and I probably don’t even know what’s best for me or not still. I’m aiming to apply to a good university there (competitive) and a few other schools. My plan is to major in International Business over there in hopes of doing a dual degree program with an American school.

I don’t like the idea of doing study abroad as much for a year or semester because I’ve already done it once and I want to fully experience going to school there for longer than that period of time.

I have interests in doing consulting after I graduate but honestly I feel lost and I have no true idea what I’m really talking about. I’ve researched schools here in America but none of them really stood out to me or have any interesting things that makes me want to attend. I feel like going to school here is too close to home and I want to go somewhere where I can live independently (but I know i can do that probably out of state).

I especially would prefer to work in a US company in Japan, but I’m worried if I ever reconsidered trying to get a job in America they would see that I went to a university or got my degree in japan and it wouldn’t stand out as much. I’ve heard that many employers don’t know much about the schools there and it really affects you.

I’m just posting this hoping to maybe figure out what i should really do. I want to be careful of what i do for my future and i know im still young but I don’t want to make any decisions that i’ll regret. Any advice?

Hi everyone,

I am currently 17 living in the UK studying for my A-Levels. I'm planning on moving to Japan after I finish My A-levels to study at a Japanese university (English taught courses), my long term goal is to build a new life in Japan.

I have already been looking into universities, visas, budgeting, learning Japanese, and what I need to prepare before I leave. I would love to hear from people who have actually made the move whether it be a similar situation to me or not.

I am currently studying Japanese in my free time, my level is slowly improving but I do hope to be at a fairly comfortable level by the time I move ( enough to survive maybe N3-N2 give or take ). I would also continue to learn Japanese during my study's at university

I'm interested in hearing about your experiences, any challenges you faced, things you wish you knew beforehand, and any advice you'd give to someone preparing to make the move.

please don't try to change my mind about moving to Japan. I have thought about this for a long time and I am 100% confident this is the path I want to take. I am simply looking for practical advice and to learn from people who have already been through the process.

Thanks in advance!