MMoving to Japan

What’s it like working in Japan’s aviation or engineering industry as a foreigner? (Pay, work-life balance, and culture?)

  • October 26, 2025

Hey everyone,
I’ve been seriously considering Japan because of its strong aerospace, automation, and manufacturing sectors (IHI, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, ANA, etc.).

Before I commit to learning Japanese more seriously and applying in the future, I wanted to hear from people already in the field:
– How’s the work-life balance in aviation or engineering companies in Japan (especially MROs, manufacturers, or tech firms)?
– Is the pay enough for a comfortable (not lavish) lifestyle, with some savings each month?
– How’s the workplace culture for foreigners — are teams open to non-Japanese workers or is it still very traditional?
– Are there foreign engineers or technicians in aviation companies (maintenance, manufacturing, or R&D)?

I’m not planning to move just yet — I still want to build more experience in the field and improve my Japanese proficiency to an appropriate level before making any decisions.

I’m not looking for “dream job” stories — just a realistic view of what to expect.
Would really appreciate hearing from anyone working (or who used to work) in Japan’s aviation or related engineering fields!
Thanks in advance for your insights 🙏

by ZzZRld

1 comment

  1. It’s rare. At least in terms of the engineering side of the industry, aviation is closely tied with space and defense, and these are programs that will not hire non-citizens. I wouldn’t have high hopes for getting hired at a manufacturer or R&D. Engineering opportunities at manufacturers for foreigners probably died along with the SpaceJet. Your best bet will probably be on the airline side, or maybe their subsidiaries that handle MRO for fleets.

    Work-life balance and pay will vary wildly by company. If you end up at one of the major industry players like the ones you mentioned, pay-wise at least you will be very much above average, definitely enough to live comfortably for Japanese standards.

    I will say that you should be realistic about your language proficiency though. Sure, something like an airline MRO will use English manuals, CAD drawings will be in English, but are you confident you can speak in technical terms with your coworkers in Japanese? That you can join meetings and leave them with sufficient understanding? Being able to speak/read English fluently is a huge plus, yeah. But you’ll need at least business proficiency in Japanese too.

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