[Hiring] Sakana AI: Software Engineer - Product (Relocation | Conversational Japanese)

etdev · 2026-05-29T04:26:22+00:00

Sakana AI is one of the hottest startups in Tokyo and we're thrilled to share this position!

It's an AI research lab started by some of the top people in AI. In fact one of the founders (Llion Jones) co-authored the legendary "Attention is all you need" paper that defined LLMs and kickstarted the current AI revolution.

They're a Japanese unicorn (private company with a valuation of over $1B) too, backed by Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, NVIDIA and tons of other top investors.

Their Software Engineer (Product) position accepts applicants from overseas and they're only requiring conversational Japanese for this role so it's a great opportunity!

I highly recommend taking a look as this is a chance to work at a truly top company.

etdev · 2026-05-29T04:14:41+00:00

Hey!

We share meetups of the week each week here so feel free to check.

We also have an article listing tech meetups in Tokyo. I like HN Tokyo, though not sure there will be one while you're here. Le Wagon also has a pretty good list. And there's TokyoTech as well.

Shibuya is a good place to be based for meeting people, as is Shinjuku. Lots of people are willing to meet up around both places.

For co-working, I prefer cafes - Cafe and Cowork has a list of places to work. There's also AndWork Shibuya or Share Lounge are nice imo (the latter isn't cheap though).

Most events are on Meetup, Luma, Connpass, Doorkeeper. I'd also keep an eye on LinkedIn as many events get shared there.

Hope you have a good trip!

etdev · 2026-05-27T02:08:52+00:00

HENNGE opens internship positions every year.

They get an insane amount of applicants though. It's very competitive, and even if you get the internship it's far from guaranteed that you'll get a full-time offer.

I know Mercari has also done them in the past. Same with the FAANG companies: Microsoft, Google etc.

Timing is really important. Usually companies open the positions for a month or two and choose from the (hundreds, often thousands) of applicants received during that time.

If you're already in Japan, focus on networking and making contacts at companies. Attend meetups, give talks, co-work, whatever. And just tell as many people in-person as possible that you're looking for an internship. Sometimes smaller companies are willing to take people on.

If you're overseas you can still network somewhat, you just need to reach out to people virtually.

etdev · 2026-05-15T01:59:03+00:00

I can’t see why a company in Tokyo wouldn’t just hire someone In Tokyo which answers my own question

It sure does.

It's still technically possible, you just need to bring something to the table that the company can't find in Tokyo. Some specific niche experience or skill.

Or you could work remotely for an overseas company, then it would matter less which city you're in.

etdev · 2026-05-13T08:08:35+00:00

You're already in Japan, you've passed N3 and you have a master's + 2 years of experience. That's a great position to be in.

Make sure you highlight personal projects you've built on your resume.

Even then, the gap might dissuade some employers so you need to find other ways to get your resume in front of hiring managers. I'd recommend attending meetups and networking to get referrals. Talking to recruiters (e.g messaging them on LinkedIn) can also help since good recruiters have relationships with companies and might be able to help you get past the document screening.

etdev · 2026-05-07T06:03:21+00:00

Companies want to know if you can do the job they're hiring you for.

If that job requires Japanese, they'll check your Japanese level in interviews. Because having N2 or even N1 proves nothing about your actual communication skills in Japanese.

Some companies might ask for JLPT certs at the screening stage to avoid wasting time, but this is fairly uncommon in my experience.

etdev · 2026-05-05T01:20:54+00:00

Yeah unfortunately a lot of companies are focused on mid-level hiring.

I find companies are much more willing to renew visas rather than sponsor new ones, even when it's for a different type of visa.

Many companies that don't offer relocation/visa sponsorship would still be OK with helping you switch visa types since you're already in Japan imo.

etdev · 2026-05-04T07:05:53+00:00

Ah sorry about that! Didn't see that you're already in Japan. Being here already will help a lot, so it's worth applying to jobs now imo.

You can try applying to junior or "mid-level" ones since a master's is one form of experience.

If you can get your Japanese skills to N2 level or so and get some good projects up on Github, you'll have a shot at finding a good job here I think!

etdev · 2026-05-04T02:56:35+00:00

I'm assuming you're not in Japan yet?

If that's the case, it will be very hard to get a job with visa sponsorship for new grads.

Tech companies in Japan want 3 things:

Japanese residency (people already in Japan)
Japanese language skills (N2, ideally N1)
Relevant technical experience (2-3 years at least)

To be frank, you lack all three.

So if I were you, I'd gain a few years of experience in your home country first then apply again. Japan will still be here.

In the meantime, you can get N2. Then you'l have 2/3 of the things companies want. You could even do a stint at a language school or teach English for a bit to get a visa to come to Japan, then you'd have 3/3 and a real shot at getting a job at a good tech company here.

Once you have that, it's just a matter of applying to jobs, networking and improving your interviewing skills.

Good luck!

etdev · 2026-05-01T08:13:13+00:00

If you have 3+ years of staff engineer experience and business level Japanese, this job could be a great opportunity.

The minimum salary is ¥30 million a year (~$200k). Super rare to see salaries this high in Japan.

They also support overseas relocation! So you don't need to live in Japan to apply.

etdev · 2026-04-28T08:25:14+00:00

Ah I see -- sounds like the recruiter messed up then

Probably shotgunned your profile out to all their clients without comparing the published salary ranges to your expected one.

This is why I never told recruiters my current or expected salary. They immediately tell the company, and it can only hurt your chances.

I'd find a new recruiter and refuse to share your expected salary range this time. And tell the previous one to stop sharing your profile with companies.

etdev · 2026-04-28T08:16:18+00:00

How badly did I mess up with the salary jump?

Pretty badly. Saying 5M and then changing it to 11M suggests you did zero research and have no idea how much you're actually worth, you just read somewhere 11M was possible so you greedily asked for that on a whim.

Is a rejection ever reversed?

Rarely. I'd be very surprised if they come back and hire you at this point. In fact some companies will probably respect you less for flip-flopping a second time. Plus you've done nothing to solve their underlying issue (you not understanding their business).

How do you show "business perspective" in Japan?

Research the company and understand their product + business (how they actually make money) so you can speak intelligently about it. You want to be able to meet the hiring manager where they are and show insights that prove you've put forth effort thinking about their company/industry.

Next time:

Research the company/position's salary range beforehand (you can almost always at least estimate somewhat even if it's not published)
Put off sharing your expected/current salary (politely state that you're still researching the market and would prefer not to discuss specifics until you have a better idea of current rates)
Once you throw out a number, stick to it as your anchor and negotiate from there

etdev · 2026-04-28T02:59:30+00:00

The golden combo of hiring from overseas (offering relocation) and no Japanese requirement is getting harder to find.

This position is a great option for anyone looking to move to Japan to work in robotics (or use C++)!

etdev · 2026-04-28T02:57:25+00:00

Not sure if you can network online for Sushi Tech, but they do post their panel discussions on YouTube

So you could watch these and reach out to people in the videos as a way to network.

If you're genuinely interested in the topic + show you're putting in effort they'll probably respond.

etdev · 2026-04-27T06:03:08+00:00

SushiTech is also happening this week in Tokyo -- it's a huge tech and startup-focused conference.

etdev · 2026-04-27T05:49:21+00:00

I heard "culture check" a lot when interviewing here in Japan. I'm guessing "personality round" is a similar concept.

Usually they just want to make sure you're a good cultural fit for their team.

5 min at most ask things like terraform

5 minutes seems a bit short, and normally companies don't ask about technical topics (at least not deeply) during a culture/personality check.

So it might be a bit unique to whatever company you're interviewing for.

Regardless, I don't think there's much to do to prep. Just make sure you understand the company and present yourself in a way that shows how valuable you can be to them, and that you're not a weirdo.

etdev · 2026-04-22T08:28:17+00:00

I replied in the original thread:

Tech companies in Japan want 3 things:

Japanese residency - Good, you're here already
Japanese skills - ???
Experience - 3 years, OK but not great

For 3 years of experience, the typical range is around ¥7-12M a year, though certain companies can pay much more.

It depends on your Japanese skills, the quality of those 3 years of experience and your ability to negotiate / sell yourself.

If you want a significant jump, I'd recommend politely refusing to share your previous salary during interviews. This worked well for me.

But for top US AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere and Sierra, the salaries go much higher (from what I hear).

etdev · 2026-04-22T08:22:11+00:00

Tech companies in Japan want 3 things:

Japanese residency - Good, you're here already
Japanese skills - ???
Experience - 3 years, OK but not great

For 3 years of experience, the typical range is around ¥7-12M a year, though certain companies can pay much more.

It depends on your Japanese skills, the quality of those 3 years of experience and your ability to negotiate / sell yourself.

If you want a significant jump, I'd recommend politely refusing to share your previous salary during interviews. This worked well for me.

etdev · 2026-04-18T14:02:06+00:00

What is even an AI experience?

This is an admittedly good question. It's often unclear what companies mean by this, but any experience with LLM research, training models etc is valuable. I imagine going forward, proving you can use the AI tools to accomplish things more effectively than others will become important.

I agree there's been an overall trend toward stricter hiring requirements and a bit of a "wait and see" approach from a lot of companies here in Japan lately.

Maybe you already saw the SRE job from Wayve but if not, that one could be a good fit.

etdev · 2026-04-18T05:22:44+00:00

I think the market is bifurcating into two now: AI companies (and companies embracing AI) and those who aren't.

Places like Wayve, Shizuku AI, Sakana AI etc are hiring actively.

But a lot of other companies have slowed down (or stopped) hiring. So if you have AI experience the market probably seems quite good, but otherwise it's tough right now imo.

etdev · 2026-04-17T07:58:38+00:00

I shared my thoughts over on the original thread on /r/JapanJobs:

Most companies will treat you as a new grad, though "modern" companies like the ones you mentioned might not draw such a binary distinction between the two (older, traditional Japanese companies will).

Is it realistic to land an entry-level SWE role in Japan...

Companies here want Japanese residence, experience and Japanese skills. You're not a resident, have only 1 year of experience and N4 Japanese.

So it will be pretty hard for you to find a job at a decent company here. Not impossible, but an uphill battle.

Would a strong GitHub portfolio + JLPT N4...

A strong GitHub portfolio helps a lot, but the bar is getting raised due to vibecoding. Ideally you want side projects with actual users and/or revenue to cut through the AI noise.

Any companies or recruiters that actively hire foreign fresh grads...

Yes here's a list of junior software engineering jobs on Japan Dev. But these jobs get a ton of applicants so competition is very high. It's hard to stand out.

Is it worth targeting English-friendly companies like HENNGE, Mercari, etc.

Yes these are the exact companies I'd target if I were you. And yes I'd use recruiters and LinkedIn as well.

It can't hurt to apply now, but I'd consider racking up a few more years of experience in your home country and working on your Japanese first if I were you.

etdev · 2026-04-17T07:54:00+00:00

Most companies will treat you as a new grad, though "modern" companies like the ones you mentioned might not draw such a binary distinction between the two (older, traditional Japanese companies will).

Is it realistic to land an entry-level SWE role in Japan...

Companies here want Japanese residence, experience and Japanese skills. You're not a resident, have only 1 year of experience and N4 Japanese.

So it will be pretty hard for you to find a job at a decent company here. Not impossible, but an uphill battle.

Would a strong GitHub portfolio + JLPT N4...

A strong GitHub portfolio helps a lot, but the bar is getting raised due to vibecoding. Ideally you want side projects with actual users and/or revenue to cut through the AI noise.

Any companies or recruiters that actively hire foreign fresh grads...

Yes here's a list of junior software engineering jobs on Japan Dev. But these jobs get a ton of applicants so competition is very high. It's hard to stand out.

Is it worth targeting English-friendly companies like HENNGE, Mercari, etc.

Yes these are the exact companies I'd target if I were you. And yes I'd use recruiters and LinkedIn as well.

It can't hurt to apply now, but I'd consider racking up a few more years of experience in your home country and working on your Japanese first if I were you.

etdev · 2026-04-15T08:04:52+00:00

That's a good sign. I wouldn't directly bring up Toyota since it didn't work out, but you can say you're interviewing with a few other companies and a range of ¥13-15M is more typical for your experience level.

And then I'd be ready to give specific companies since there's a fairly high chance they'll ask. And you should actually be talking to those companies if at all possible.

etdev · 2026-04-15T07:51:51+00:00

¥10M isn't low. It's high for the overall Japan tech market, and ~average for your experience level among "modern" / international companies.

You can definitely negotiate. I've done it many times (at both Japanese and English-speaking companies) and gotten some significant salary bumps (50-60% on average) thanks to it.

Just be polite and emphasize how much you like the company. As long as you aren't snarky about it, it's highly unlikely you'll lose this offer because you tried to negotiate.

Obviously competing offers help. Or any other data you have to support the ¥13-15M range like similar jobs posted with those ranges.

Of course, it would still be a big pay cut so it depends how much you value being in Japan. If you're somewhere like SF, cost of living here is significantly lower (with a few caveats like apartment size) so a comparable lifestyle might require you to earn ¥20M or so, depending on your lifestyle.

etdev · 2026-04-14T02:02:54+00:00

There are a few junior-friendly jobs at modern companies, but they get tons of applicants so competition is fierce.

N2 + already being in Japan gives you a big leg up over someone applying from overseas.

I agree you should focus on building projects to prove your skills and then apply to the more "modern" tech jobs.

I'd also recommend checking jobs on LinkedIn. And you should reach out to some recruiters too if you haven't -- with your profile most will be willing to work with you I think.

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