Apologies in advance if this has already been asked. I tried searching and couldn't exactly find an answer for my scenario.
I'm an American with a masters degree in computer science, currently working as a senior-level software engineer with 8 years of experience. I've been to Japan many times and after a lot of thinking, I've decided that I want to live in Japan. I've been followomg sites like TokyoDev and see job postings all the time, but honestly because I am quite comfortable at my current position, I haven't made any attempts to apply, but I want to change that in the near future. So that brings me to my next question: how hard or difficult is it for someone like me to get interviews and eventually hired as a software engineer, preferably by a company that's foreigner-friendly? I know a lot about the CS job scene in the US and it's currently not great.. but I know very little about what it's like in Japan besides the surface-level stuff like software developers aren't valued, salaries are much lower, etc. I don't know much about the job hunt scene.
Other information that might be relevant to answer my question:
* Location isn't important.
* I don't have any official credentials for Japanese ability yet, but I plan to take the JLPT next time it is offered. If I were to rate myself, I'd say I could comfortably pass N2, but struggle with N1.
* I don't care that much about salary, as long as it's enough to get me permanent residency within 1-3 years using the point system – at least 5-6m yen.
Thanks in advance!
by maadotaa_is_scammer