Japan has produced some of the most famous games to date, attracting both domestic and international audiences. Besides games, a lot of work goes into creating sites and networking platforms, and even more so in maintaining them. Consider working in Japan as a web or software developer.
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IT industry
Since the advent of information technology, Japan has been one of the leading countries to generate significant innovations in the industry. This made its IT industry one of its recognizable exports to the world stage. Considering its contribution to economic prosperity, Japan considered its IT industry as an important feature of its development. Acknowledging the importance of the industry, the Japanese government presented a vision called Society 5.0 in 2016. The said vision was a program of the Japanese Council for Science, Technology, and Innovation (CSTI) presented in the G20 summit in 2019. Primarily, the main goal of the vision is to recreate a society wherein the connections would be redefined by science and technology. The information technology industry of the country will take part in such an initiative as it drives continuous innovations in the field. Such is a demonstration of the stability of the industry.
(※)TechCrunch, “Japan’s ‘Society 5.0’ initiative is a road map for today’s entrepreneurs”
Aside from the evident stability of the IT industry in the country, it also plays a key role in other sectors. Products of information technology should not be dissociated from other industries because it also helps in driving other fields. The trend of digitalization of the world necessitated a bare minimum of having access to the web through a device. Such fundamental involvement with the trend highlights the importance of web and software developers. Even the conception of the technology itself can be attributed to the pioneering batch of web and software engineers. Even now, the occupation as an engineer in the IT industry continues to be an important and lucrative profession. Provided that technology is irreversible in the present context, it is inevitable for companies in the industry to continue to look for a new generation of innovators.
Given that the industry’s growth has been accelerating and the government’s support on it, there is an increasing demand for web and software developers in the country. This is to sustain expanding projects and opportunities in the IT industry. In 2019, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, it has been predicted that the country will need up to 800,000 software engineers by the year 2030. Such is evident that the trajectory of the sector would be continuously upwards. Moreover, the demand is a reflection on the importance of the profession not only to the economy but also to the Japanese society in general. The Society 5.0 vision of the government was founded upon the premise of a scientific and technological approach to the evolution of Japanese society in the future. Hence, the profession would play a role in the pursuit.
(※) METI, “参考資料 （IT人材育成の状況等について）[Reference Materials (About the status of the growth of IT personnel]” pg. 5
Writer's Pick
Scope of work of Web and software developers in Japan
Website and software developers have an almost similar scope of work. Primarily, their main job is to create, design and manage their respective handles. In this case, the former would be concerned about websites while the latter would be on software. The scope of work of web and software developers in Japan is not detached from what one would expect to be the normal duties and responsibilities. Companies that post job openings ensure that the bare minimum of each scope of work is clear before proceeding with their specific expectations. For instance, a web developer may be working using a new framework in their pursuit to comply with their given tasks. Or a software developer will be focusing on other platforms to perform their work.
Furthermore, it is expected as well for a web programmer and software developer in Japan to improve, modify, and maintain the company's products. In this case, the developers need to be familiarizing themselves with the existing applications used in the company. For example, before the software is applied for an application development project, the performance of the software is carefully analyzed first before proceeding to the design stage of the process, where the components are organized and integrated. Only then will the actual development of the software will start. Intensive testing is needed to check the software's flaws and errors. Once the software is approved and running without any issues, the developer's job does not stop there. Maintaining the software or the system is an ongoing responsibility for developers for the software application to upgrade or adapt to the latest technology advancement frequently.
It could be seen, therefore, that the scope of work of each profession could be categorized into three: to create, to maintain and to innovate. Although one should keep in mind that each company has its expectations and demand when it comes to the scope of work of such jobs, it is equally important to emphasize that the roles should be centralized to their respective fields of expertise.
Job requirements
To prove competency within Japan’s IT industry, an ideal presupposition is always provided. Many companies in Japan prefer at least the following qualifications for eligibility in the industry:
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Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science
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Proficiency in various development language applications such as C++, Javascript, Linux, Python, XML or XSLT, etc.
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2 or more years of job experience working in a relevant field
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Sufficient understanding of methodologies involved in respective fields such as algorithm, data structure, mathematical formulations, and the likes.
Upon reviewing the minimum requirements of different developer companies in Japan, these are the fundamental qualifications needed for the position of web and software developer. Background with the field is a must since it provides essential features regarding the position. However, one may ask, how about Japanese language proficiency?
Many Japanese companies, especially in the IT sector, have begun to encourage and foster diversity in their respective workplace. This entails that the restriction of language proficiency would halt any possible diversification of the workforce. Although it would be very helpful for the possible candidate to at least acquire a conversational level of Japanese language proficiency, it is not immediately demanded as a prerequisite for application for some companies whereas others still absolutely require it. However, a willingness to learn is important as many companies do offer a subsidy for Japanese classes. Also, a conversational proficiency with the language could be helpful on a daily basis to converse with coworkers. Moreover, the exposure of the candidate or the employee with their immediate workmates or work setting could give them an adequate experience of the language.
Summary
The established and even growing IT industry in Japan extends a huge opportunity for people experienced in the field. It is expected that for the next decade to come, the Asian powerhouse for innovation and technology would continue their pursuit of producing changes beneficial to the people. These new measures would redefine how people live their lives. And these possibilities are not limited to the Japanese people but available to the world. As the present man endeavors himself or herself with the flourishing contributions of technology, the need for a workforce capable of securing and establishing it would be unending, thus providing a great opportunity for those seeking a job in the industry in Japan.
