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Mar
Getting a job in Japanese Video Game Development1
posted by James Kay
Score Studios is not actually hiring at the moment, but we know there are a lot of people who dream of working in Japan on Japanese video games, so we thought we'd look at our collective experiences over here and write a little post on what that all entails.
It's not a pipe dream!
Many people seem to think that working in Japan as anything other than an English teacher is some kind of impossible dream. The language and cultural barriers do seem overwhelming at first, and if you don't have any experience of proven skills it can be rather difficult, but with a little effort and study it is far from impossible. In fact, it seems to be more common; more and more foreigners are working at Japanese development studios these days than just a few years ago. You'll have to work at it, but if it's something you really want to do there is no reason you won't be able to achieve this.
You will need to learn Japanese!
Not only will life be a lot easier, you will vastly increase your employment opportunities and day to day work life if you speak Japanese. Some studios will make concessions for people without Japanese abilities, but only if they bring something to the table they need, like experience and skills. That said, communication within the company will be mostly Japanese, with very few of your future colleagues being able to speak English at all. Certain jobs let you get away with less Japanese ability than others; a video game artist, for example, requires less Japanese ability than, say, a designer or planner, who has to communicate with the entire team on many levels.
The good news is, Japanese isn't that hard to learn. You'll need to learn new vocabulary and, of course, the dreaded kanji, but once you're in Japan and you take the effort to study you'll find your skills improve rather rapidly. It takes a lifetime, though, so the sooner you start the better.
You will require a proper visa!
Though there are always loopholes, especially for those wishing to pay for good immigration lawyers, getting a working visa has minimum requirements. These change over time, so do check the proper authorities before applying, but generally a degree is required, a sponsor and a clean record. Japanese companies are slowly getting accustomed to hiring foreigners and so also the paperwork that comes with that. Your company will have to sponsor you, apply for certain papers, etc. To this day you will still see job adverts stating the possession of a proper visa as a requirement, meaning that they don't want to have to go through the hassle of getting one for you. A holiday visa doesn't allow you to work, and a student visa only allows for part-time work up to 20 hours a week.
You will work hard!
The industry in Japan, as it is everywhere, changes over time, but one thing that remains is a propensity for unpaid overtime, and lots of it. If you want to come to Japan to soak up its history and travel around, you may find a career in video game development is a little too draining and time consuming for your plans. It certainly isn't a "gateway" job to get you here so you can learn about Japan and its language, there are much better jobs for that that give you the time and opportunity.
Salaries are lower!
Lower than in the West, that is, for similar jobs at similar levels of employment. It's not a terrible paying job, though, you can certainly have a comfortable life on the salary of an experienced game developer, especially if you negotiate hard before joining a company, but if you think you'll be rich making video games in Japan, well, you won't be.
It can be worth it!
Despite it being hard work with some barriers to entry, it can be a worthwhile pursuit. Moving to a different country broadens your horizons and learning a new language is as fun as it can be challenging, but it is certainly an experience. Because of the study and work required before making a move such as this I highly recommend visiting Japan a few times first, on holiday, and straying off the beaten track. Or try a homestay or study here for a few months. If you're serious about it, though, start now! Start learning the language, work on getting some work experience at home first and study up on Japan a bit. And most of all: good luck!
In a future post we will cover some more basic elements, like the difficulties of apartment hunting, opening a bank account, getting a visa or alternative jobs to get you to Japan, like the JET programme. If you have any specific questions about working in Japan you'd like to see covered, please feel free to contact us at info@score-studios.jp and we might include it in a future blog post.
Comment in our forums ...
It's not a pipe dream!
Many people seem to think that working in Japan as anything other than an English teacher is some kind of impossible dream. The language and cultural barriers do seem overwhelming at first, and if you don't have any experience of proven skills it can be rather difficult, but with a little effort and study it is far from impossible. In fact, it seems to be more common; more and more foreigners are working at Japanese development studios these days than just a few years ago. You'll have to work at it, but if it's something you really want to do there is no reason you won't be able to achieve this.
You will need to learn Japanese!
Not only will life be a lot easier, you will vastly increase your employment opportunities and day to day work life if you speak Japanese. Some studios will make concessions for people without Japanese abilities, but only if they bring something to the table they need, like experience and skills. That said, communication within the company will be mostly Japanese, with very few of your future colleagues being able to speak English at all. Certain jobs let you get away with less Japanese ability than others; a video game artist, for example, requires less Japanese ability than, say, a designer or planner, who has to communicate with the entire team on many levels.
The good news is, Japanese isn't that hard to learn. You'll need to learn new vocabulary and, of course, the dreaded kanji, but once you're in Japan and you take the effort to study you'll find your skills improve rather rapidly. It takes a lifetime, though, so the sooner you start the better.
You will require a proper visa!
Though there are always loopholes, especially for those wishing to pay for good immigration lawyers, getting a working visa has minimum requirements. These change over time, so do check the proper authorities before applying, but generally a degree is required, a sponsor and a clean record. Japanese companies are slowly getting accustomed to hiring foreigners and so also the paperwork that comes with that. Your company will have to sponsor you, apply for certain papers, etc. To this day you will still see job adverts stating the possession of a proper visa as a requirement, meaning that they don't want to have to go through the hassle of getting one for you. A holiday visa doesn't allow you to work, and a student visa only allows for part-time work up to 20 hours a week.
You will work hard!
The industry in Japan, as it is everywhere, changes over time, but one thing that remains is a propensity for unpaid overtime, and lots of it. If you want to come to Japan to soak up its history and travel around, you may find a career in video game development is a little too draining and time consuming for your plans. It certainly isn't a "gateway" job to get you here so you can learn about Japan and its language, there are much better jobs for that that give you the time and opportunity.
Salaries are lower!
Lower than in the West, that is, for similar jobs at similar levels of employment. It's not a terrible paying job, though, you can certainly have a comfortable life on the salary of an experienced game developer, especially if you negotiate hard before joining a company, but if you think you'll be rich making video games in Japan, well, you won't be.
It can be worth it!
Despite it being hard work with some barriers to entry, it can be a worthwhile pursuit. Moving to a different country broadens your horizons and learning a new language is as fun as it can be challenging, but it is certainly an experience. Because of the study and work required before making a move such as this I highly recommend visiting Japan a few times first, on holiday, and straying off the beaten track. Or try a homestay or study here for a few months. If you're serious about it, though, start now! Start learning the language, work on getting some work experience at home first and study up on Japan a bit. And most of all: good luck!
In a future post we will cover some more basic elements, like the difficulties of apartment hunting, opening a bank account, getting a visa or alternative jobs to get you to Japan, like the JET programme. If you have any specific questions about working in Japan you'd like to see covered, please feel free to contact us at info@score-studios.jp and we might include it in a future blog post.
Comment in our forums ...
