Hi everyone,
I’m considering moving to Japan for work and would really appreciate some outside perspectives, especially from people who work in Japan or in engineering/tech.
I’m 26F, from Europe, and I work in the space industry as a satellite engineer. I recently got an opportunity from a Japanese space company. It’s still a relatively small company, but they told me around 40% of the employees are international. The HR person I spoke with is also European and said that, compared to more traditional Japanese companies, their work-life balance is better. That did calm me a bit, because overwork is honestly my biggest concern.
That said, the contract would come with 12 days of paid holiday per year, which for me feels pretty shocking coming from Europe where I currently have around 30 days. I can accept fewer holidays, but I’m more worried about day-to-day life: long hours, not having real evenings, or weekends that aren’t really “off.”
So I’d love to hear: is work-life balance in Japan’s space/engineering sector generally better than the stereotype, or does it still tend to be pretty intense?
I’m also trying to understand salary expectations in Tokyo. Right now in Europe, my salary allows me to:
- live alone in a ~60 m² apartment (not luxury, but comfortable and not claustrophobic),
- cover normal living costs without stress,
- and still save a bit every month.
I don’t expect Tokyo to be the same, but I also don’t want my quality of life to downgrade drastically. I’m single, no kids, no dependents.
Given that:
- I have a Master’s degree in space engineering,
- I’m still junior-ish with about 1.5 years of experience,
- the role is in the space industry,
what would be a realistic salary range to ask for to live comfortably in Tokyo, rent a decent not claustrophobic apartment by myself, and save at least a little?
I also wanted to ask people who moved to Japan from a European country:
- what were the hardest challenges you encountered, both at work and outside of work (culture, communication, isolation, bureaucracy, expectations, etc.)?
- how did you deal with or adapt to those challenges over time?
- and, looking back, would you do it again, or do you regret the decision?
I’ve always wanted to experience living in Japan, and I know this doesn’t have to be forever. My current mindset is: try it, stay at least a year, and if it’s not for me, I can always return to Europe. I don’t want fear to be the reason I don’t go but I also want to make an informed decision.
TL;DR:
26F European satellite engineer considering a job in Japan (space industry). Company is small and international but worried about work-life balance. Looking for realistic Tokyo salary expectations (junior engineer, MSc, ~1.5 yrs experience) that allow living alone comfortably and saving a bit. Also asking Europeans who moved to Japan about the hardest challenges, how they handled them, and whether they’d do it again.
by WorldlinessMany9308
8 comments
I’m in a similar situation as you. I find myself in a paradox. I got a ¥10M offer and people I spoke to often described as top-20% income in Japan, yet it’s also described as a salary that requires a frugal lifestyle.
Trying to reconcile the two is confusing.
> 12 days of paid holiday per year, which for me feels pretty shocking coming from Europe where I currently have around 30 days
I believe the legal minimum is 10, so the fact that they gave you above the minimum is a good sign about the company IMO. I recently received an offer which was 10 days, and many people I know started with 10 days.
> live alone in a ~60 m² apartment
You can go on https://suumo.jp/kanto/ and browse apartment listings that are 60 sqm to get an idea of the price. 60sqm is considered large for central Tokyo, but you may be able to find something outside central Tokyo and commute in.
It would also be helpful to know the actual salary number (assuming they have an advertised salary range) and the office location to provide more detailed advice. Like if your salary was 10M and you were willing to spend 1/3 on rent, then you could find such an apartment in central Tokyo.
I think this kind of move would only really work out if you are very very interested in moving to Japan, for all of the benefits that come with moving to Japan. For me, the move is very attractive because Japan is very supportive of my hobbies (motorsports, photography) and I will be able to enjoy them there and it’ll offset the frugal lifestyle that I will have to live. If Japanese culture does not interest you, if you don’t want to learn an entirely new (and difficult) language to learn and all of the nuances that come with it, you should reconsider the move.
National space center satellite engineer. Intense work hours, expect working hours from 9:30 to 8-9. Intense travel to other countries. Salary is above median wage but is not enough to live comfortably, have to squeeze or invest a lot to buy big property
I moved to Tokyo and have worked with 2 space startups as engineer and now back to UK.
When I moved, I had 6 years of experience and was offered 6.5mil yen. With that salary, I managed to live okayish, travel around Japan occasionally and saved some money. However, I lived in a small 18m2 apartment which required a 50 mins train travel to the office. The travel cost is fully covered by the company. Do note that during that time the Japanese yen was much stronger than it is now. So I would probably aim for around 6mil.
For both the startups that I have worked with, the work life balance is okay, but it does require you to be pro-active and independent in terms of problem solving as there is limited senior/experience personnel to guide you. Do note that the 12 days of paid leave does not covered sick leave. I remembered feeling really sick during my first months of moving and I had to take paid leave while recovering. It was the same during Covid period where I literally spend half of my paid leave to recover from it.
But I do learn a lot from my 5 year stay in Japan. Startup are usually fast-paced and they launch satellites much faster than in EU.
You don’t write the salary you have been offered so hard to say how it compares. Also Europe is not a country, 60sqm will be vastly different in price depending on city and country in Europe.
DISCLAIMER: I know I might be an anomaly but I want to share my position just to highlight that these situations exist.
I’m 27M, moved from Europe as a software engineer with 2 years of experience. The culture is definitely NOT Japanese – I work flex remote, I start around 9 and end around 5, although sometimes I start later and sometimes I end earlier, nobody checks this. I earn 10M+ and my life has been so much more comfortable here than in Europe given the cost difference. However, I believe this earning is on the higher end so don’t take it as the base benchmark.
I think 60m2 will be unusually big for a single person living alone in Tokyo. You might have to compromise on this unless you are willing to pay high rent. But other than that, I was in your shoes and had the same worries, but it turned out to be the best move I’ve made in my life. I hope it works out for you. Good luck!
Congratulations on your offer!
**imo, Japanese working culture has been getting much better in the last 5 years.**
First, there was a very high profile case with a young employee at Dentsu that spread on social media and forced the Government to take it more seriously. There has been a few reforms on labor, max amount of overtime allowed, etc. Hours must now be manually tracked by each employee, extreme overwork carried a heavy fine.
Second, Covid had a positive impact on work culture here. Everyone got a taste of WLB, and WFH. Employees are really pushing back. Companies that are returning to everyday in the office are STRUGGLING to hire.
**Make sure the information you are reading about is recent.** (for example, 30~40 years ago, 6 day work weeks were standard)
**Apartments:**
You will find that most apartments here for singles are in the 18~36 SQM, but I find the newer ones, (last 7 years or so) to be very well designed. 60~80 SQM is very big here and the only people I know living in them are very high earners making 18~20M+ a year.
* I know a very good English speaking realtor, I will pm you their details. They are amazing, they call in advance to make sure they are ok with a foreigner etc, so that you don’t waste your time.
**Vacation Days**
Japan does have ALOT of national holidays, almost every month has at least one 3 day weekend. If you don’t know, there is also a block of holidays called “golden week” and “silver week”, if you are smart with your holidays can easily take 3~4 full weeks off a year. (not as good your European 30days). I started with 12 days, and even when I take a bunch of trips, I struggle to use them all.
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