Hello,
I'm 32M, currently living and working in the US in the gaming industry. I have overall 7+ years of working experience between consulting and AAA gaming. My career is off to a very good trajectory here, I can potentially be a VP of Product in the next 3-4 years if I stick around and perform well.
However, other than the job, I've come to not like my daily life here anymore. For many reasons, I can't see myself settling down in the US and have a family here. I went to university in Japan around 10 years ago, spent 3 years in Tokyo, so I kind of know how life is there. I travel to Japan twice a year. I'm N1-level so I can speak Japanese pretty decently. I am considering really hard to go back and settle down in Japan.
I have spent the last three months applying to job related to my experience in gaming, but I've been told that it is really hard from abroad. I've applied to many jobs (+25) but got zero invites to the first interview. I've been told that the visa sponsorship is a big hurdle for the companies and I can mitigate that by moving to Japan first.
So I am thinking of giving up my job in the US, move back to Tokyo via student visa (I am thinking of applying the the 1-year Language Program at Waseda or Keio), network and work part-time in the meantime and land a full-time job in the gaming industry after that. I have studied Japanese by myself, I haven't taken courses while in Japan, so I know I can apply for the student visa.
I am giving up my career here in the US for good if I move. I'm on H1B, which means I cannot come back to US anymore.
How feasible it is to find a gaming related job as a foreigner? That's the only thing I cannot compromise, I don't work to work for a random IT company just to get a job in Japan, I want to keep working in gaming. Also, I know my salary will be much lower, I don't really care about that, I just want to work on interesting stuff. So even a salary that is 1/3 of my current one is okay.
Give me your honest feedback. I'm looking for people that did something similar around my age. It would have been much easier for me to do 5-6 years ago, but now I'm having some doubts.
by Mikeye92
5 comments
If you’re truly N1, then getting a student visa and grueling through that is a complete waste of your time. If you’re a self proclaimed duolingo N1, then school. ( N1 is considered fluent as in consider going to the tax office, and walking in and understanding all your nenkin and tax related documents without pulling out google translate. )
I think you need to do a hard look at what the gaming industry, and japanese economy is going through. Yen is continuing to deflate. This means you’re salary expectations need to be tempered, to at least be happy with 1/2 to 1/3 of what you’re making now. You wont be getting hired as a VP or PM at a japanese gaming company. Planning this out over the next few years is a great way to start.
Have you considered to continue your job now, and take extended vacations to Japan and network like crazy while you’re here? Attending game conferences and symposiums is a great start to getting connected to the industry. With the yen being so weak, its not prohibitive to have multiple trips around these industry events. And the other component, use your network stateside to look for roles that will transfer you to japan at your level.
What is WE? and what position are you applying for?
The biggest issue is that you’re limiting yourself by focusing on just one country. You have the experience and knowledge to apply to opportunities worldwide in the gaming industry places that may offer more interesting and engaging work. Expanding your search could open up better opportunities that align with your skills and career goals.
Is there an option for you to get a PM job in gaming that is WFH?
This way you can move to Japan while still working for any US company and meanwhile also applying jobs in Japan.
Hello. I am also aJapanese speaking game leadership person originally from the us who does a bunch of work with Japanese developers for games. Can speak on some aspects of that lifestyle and the expectations associated if you like. I also went to a language program at Waseda/keio in the long long ago!
Generally speaking it’s very hard to leap into the kinds of roles you’re talking about without demonstrated time in the trenches in Japan, but not impossible. You’ll really need to look for a niche where your product experience is valued.
Also if you have significant experience in your field it’s fairly easy to parlay your work view into permanent residency in 1-2 years provided you have enough skills/income/degrees to earn the required points!
Finally I’d be extra aware of whether the job you have now means the same thing in Japan. Do you want to be a producer? Product manager? Marketing manager. The jobs roles and skills don’t always map one to one with English titles, so be aware of the uncanny valley!