MMoving to Japan

Questions about salary and moving to Japan

  • March 7, 2026

Hi guys, hope you all are doing great! This is my first post (and comment) here so please bear with me…

I am currently living in SEA working as a software engineer. My current monthly salary is around 140k JPY, with bonuses, usually it can go to 2M JPY per year.

I currently have an offer to work at a dispatch company, the offer is around 200k JPY per month, with bonuses, the total yearly can go to 4M JPY per year.

Looking around the internet (and this subreddit), I have found that although it is quite low, for a single person, 4M JPY can be quite comfortable to live with (provided that you cook and save smartly).

There are two problems:
1. I have to take 3-4 months mandatory Japanese training classes from the new company before I can go to Japan (I am N3 right now, and they are targeting for a N2 level kaiwa skills). This training includes the time for the visa processing, so that bit is nice at least. But, of course I have to quit my job and lose a significant amount of my salary here (the new company offers a bit of money to support me during the classes, but it's 1/10 of my current salary)
2. I plan to marry this year, so I am worried that I won't be able to support my SO in Japan with that salary.

So far, these are my options:

  1. Reject the offer and continue learning until I get N2 on my own (which will allow me to continue making a significant amount of money), then hope that I will be able to get better offer then

  2. Accept the offer, get married, then bring my SO to Japan with me right away

  3. Accept the offer, get married, bring my SO LATER when I have already understood how life is in Japan (this also allows her to save a bit of money back home)

  4. Accept the offer, go to Japan, then get married in back home, bring my SO to Japan later

My concern really is the salary… I really want to move to Japan, but I am not sure whether the salary is right for tbh, especially for supporting another person.
Should I try again next year with (hopefully) an N2? I am worried that a similar opportunity might not come up tbh…

Any insights is highly appreciated guys. Have a nice day!

by Strawuss