There are cases where the way web development is done differs between Japan and other countries. In order to work as an IT engineer in a Japanese company, it will be easier to do your job if you know about the methods and approaches to web development commonly used in Japanese companies, as well as the knowledge and programming languages commonly used in Japanese companies.

What are some of the methods commonly used in web development in Japanese companies? In this article, we will explain the common methods of web development used by Japanese companies, the knowledge required, and the programming languages commonly used by Japanese companies. By reading this article, you will be able to obtain the information you need to carry out web development at a Japanese company. If you would like to work as an IT engineer in a Japanese company and be involved in web development, please use the recruitment agency “G Talent”, which brings together global companies in the engineering industry.

What is web development?

Web development is one of the most common types of engineering work in Japan and around the world, and involves the development of systems such as web services, web apps and web software. Nowadays, it is becoming more common to use web-based systems such as web services and cloud services. Because they are low-cost and highly convenient, there is a growing demand for web-based developers over on-premise systems and software developers.

Along with the growing demand for web developers, there is also a growing demand for web engineers in Japan. There is a shortage of IT-related personnel in Japan, including web engineers, and there is also a high demand for foreign web developers. If you are a foreign engineer and you want to work on web development in Japan, it is important to know about the common ways of doing web development in Japan.

Reference: Web開発とは？Web開発の流れや必要な準備について解説！／発注ラウンジ

[7 Steps] Common web development methods in Japanese companies

First of all, we will introduce common web development methods in Japanese companies. There are a total of 7 steps, so let's get to know the general development flow and the content of each step.

1. Requirement definition
2. External design
3. Internal design
4. Development
5. Testing
6. Release
7. Operation and maintenance

Requirement definition

Requirement definition is the process of clearly defining the necessary functions and requirements before starting a project. The website's design, what you want to achieve, what kind of output is needed, etc. are all defined in detail, and a document is created that summarizes these requirements.

Once the requirements have been more or less finalized, the necessary budget, personnel, project period, etc. are also decided at this stage. In Japan, it is often the case that a solid plan is made at the beginning of the requirements definition process. For this reason, it is said that the schedule tends to slip and work becomes tight the further along the process goes.

Reference: システム開発の「要件定義」とは？進め方やコツを解説／発注ラウンジ

External design

External design is the system's basic design stage, in which screen design, input/output specifications, etc. are designed based on the functional and performance requirements and constraints, etc. specified in the requirements definition document. In addition to the external design of functional requirements, it is also necessary to design the external design of performance requirements such as the number of users, number of accesses, and response time.

The external design is carried out while carefully checking to ensure that there are no omissions in the requirements. If there are omissions at this stage, it will cause major rework later on, so it is important to carry out the work in a reliable way. If a system is created with an incorrect design, it will have to be redone from the design stage, so the design is repeatedly reviewed to ensure that there are no omissions or mistakes.

Reference: 外部設計書と内部設計書の違いとは？作成ポイントまで解説！／株式会社システムイングレータ

Internal design

Internal design is the internal design work that is not visible from the outside, such as deciding what language and development environment to use, how to process data, and how to structure the system. It is necessary to clearly define the details, such as the internal operation of the system and the structure of the database. The system must be designed with lean processing and structure so that it can also meet the performance requirements.

Development

Based on the external and internal designs, this is the stage where the coding is implemented and the system and programs are developed. High-quality programs must be created while making full use of the programming languages that correspond to the system and programs.

In Japanese companies, it is common for development to be outsourced to subcontractors on a module-by-module basis. When outsourcing to subcontractors, it is necessary to hold thorough discussions with the subcontractors to ensure that there are no gaps in understanding. Depending on the subcontractor, there may be differences in approach, so it may be necessary to iron out any differences during the discussions.

Reference: WEBシステム開発のプロセス、プログラミング言語、費用などを解説／GALK

Testing

The testing process is an essential part of web development. Testing helps to avoid problems and security risks, and also allows you to check that the system has been developed as per the requirements. The testing process is divided into several stages, including unit testing for each module, integration testing where modules are combined, system testing where the system is run from the user's perspective, and operation testing where the system is checked for operation in the actual client environment. It is essential to complete all tests, and bugs are collected as necessary based on the results of the tests.

Reference: Webアプリのテスト工程とは？テストの内容と工数について解説／株式会社Desafios

Release

Once steps from 1 to 5 have been completed, it is time to release the completed program to the client's system environment. There are three common patterns of release work in Japanese companies: simultaneous migration, where all programs are released at once; sequential migration, where programs are released gradually in stages; and parallel migration, where the old and new systems are run simultaneously for a certain period of time before being gradually switched over. The method used for migration will depend on the system, the content of the program, and the company.

Reference: システムリリースを成し遂げるには？／エンジニアの入り口

Operation and maintenance

Once the release has been completed without any problems, the final stage is the operation and maintenance process. The content of operation and maintenance work that is often carried out by Japanese companies includes monitoring to check that the program is running without any problems, daily and monthly maintenance, changing settings as necessary, and dealing with problems. There are also cases where you have to respond to inquiries from end users of the system.

Reference: ソフトウェア・システムの「開発」「運用」「保守」の3つの仕事内容とは／Hybrid technologies

Knowledge and skills required for web development, which is common in Japanese companies

The following three are the knowledge and skills required for web development, which is common in Japanese companies.

• Programming
• Frameworks
• Databases

Programming

Programming is a skill that is required not only when programming in the development process, but also when in charge of the design or testing process. Common ways of using it include when reviewing programs as a designer, or when checking the modified parts of a program when a bug occurs in testing. Of course, advanced programming skills are required when programming. If you have a lot of work experience in the language you are using, you will be able to do a better job.

If you have skills such as being able to use advanced development environments and develop tools, you will be in high demand as a web developer. Being able to use advanced development environments has the advantage of being able to speed up compilation and detect program errors. By developing your own tools, you can also automate program checking, automatic debugging, program management, and automatic test data generation.

Reference: Web開発とは？Web開発をするために必要なスキルやフローを解説／Geekly Media

Frameworks

By mastering frameworks, you can develop high-quality programs efficiently, so knowledge and skills in frameworks are necessary when programming in the development process.

A framework refers to a set of pre-made source code that exists for each programming language. When developing a system, there are common functions that are used in many systems, such as login authentication, input forms, network communication, and payment functions, and by utilizing frameworks that have already been created for such functions, it is possible to efficiently develop high-quality programs.

There are frameworks for each programming language, such as Ruby on Rails for Ruby and CakePHP for PHP. If you learn the framework for the programming language you use in the workplace, you will be able to program at a high quality.

Reference: フレームワークとは？概要やプログラミング言語別の機能を分かりやすく解説／レバテックルーキー

Databases

In order to be active in web development at a Japanese company, you will also need knowledge and skills related to databases. In almost all cases, databases are used in any system. You will need to design and develop databases that store data such as customer data and transaction histories, and make them easy to access. Along with programming languages, you should also acquire the skills to develop and operate databases.

Reference: 【Web開発の基本】初心者が知るべき重要な概念／Qiita

The main languages used in web development at Japanese IT companies

From here, we will introduce the languages that are often used in web development at Japanese companies.

• HTML, CSS
• JavaScript
• PHP
• Python
• Java
• TypeScript
• Ruby

HTML, CSS

HTML and CSS are essential for web development. HTML is a language used to write web pages, and it can be used to create text, images, paragraphs, page structure, etc.

CSS is a language used to set styles for pages written in HTML. It can be used to specify font size, font, color, etc. There are also development environments that can automatically generate HTML and CSS, so if you make good use of these, you can develop efficiently. When working on web development, you will need to understand the syntax of HTML and CSS, as you will sometimes need to look at the source code itself to make improvements or find problems.

Reference: HTML/CSSとは？初心者向けの基礎知識と学習サイト5選／SAMURAI ENGINEER Blog

JavaScript

JavaScript is a language used to create dynamic screen movements. For example, moving the mouse on the screen to make an animation appear is something that can only be achieved with JavaScript. Many websites and web apps now use animated features, and JavaScript is used for all of these. JavaScript is used frequently, so it is a language that web engineers must learn.

Reference: JavaScriptとは？基本的な書き方や勉強方法～入門～／AKKODiS

PHP

PHP is a programming language developed for website creation, and it can be used to develop all kinds of website elements. As it is not the latest programming language, there is a good chance that it will be overtaken by other languages in the future.

However, there are already many websites that have been built using PHP, and there are many opportunities to use it for adding functions and operational tasks. For this reason, it is one of the languages that web engineers should learn.

Reference: PHPとは？基礎知識、できることを初心者にもわかりやすく解説します／カゴヤのサーバー研究室

Python

Python is a language that is used not only for website construction, but also for AI field development. It is used in AI development, automatic data processing, analysis, etc., but it can also be used for web service and web app development. If you want to work as an AI-related engineer as well as a web developer, we recommend that you learn Python.

Java

Java is a general-purpose language that can be used for development in a wide range of fields. Using Java, you can develop websites, smartphone apps, software, embedded systems, core systems, and more. It is a language that is widely used around the world, so it is a good idea to learn it.

TypeScript

TypeScript is an extension of JavaScript developed by Microsoft. It is highly compatible with JavaScript and is less prone to errors, making it easier to develop high-quality source code. If you want to develop web pages with advanced functionality, we recommend that you learn it.

Reference: 【TypeScript】TypeScriptとは何か？／Qiita

Ruby

Ruby is a programming language that is easy to write and read, and can be used to develop web apps and other software. There is an excellent framework called Ruby on Rails, and by making use of it, you can carry out development efficiently. Due to the existence of an excellent framework, it is expected to continue to be used in the future. It also has potential, so if you want to become a web developer, it is one of the languages you should learn.

Reference: プログラミング言語のRubyとは？特徴やできることを解説／発注ラウンジ

Let's get active as a web developer by referring to the methods commonly used by Japanese companies!

In this article, we have explained the methods and necessary knowledge for web development in Japanese companies, as well as the programming languages commonly used by Japanese companies. If you keep in mind the development methods commonly used by Japanese companies, it will be easier for you to participate in web development projects at Japanese IT companies. By acquiring the commonly used knowledge and programming languages in advance, you may be able to make a career change more advantageous.

We recommend that foreign nationals looking for IT engineer jobs in Japan use the job-placement agency for foreign IT engineers, “G Talent”. This is a job-placement site for foreign engineers living in Japan, but it also handles engineer jobs for Japanese people.

It has a track record of supporting the recruitment of over 200 companies and helping over 70 nationalities of engineers find new jobs. There are plenty of IT jobs at companies where you can work in a fair environment regardless of your nationality, so you're sure to find a web engineer job that suits you.