In order to work as a front-end engineer at a Japanese company, it is necessary to learn the programming languages that are in demand at Japanese companies. In addition to development languages, it is also useful to know the knowledge that is useful when working in Japan, and this will make your job-hunting activities as an engineer in demand in Japan smoother.

In this article, we will explain the development languages and frameworks that are in demand at Japanese companies, as well as the knowledge you need to know in order to work in Japan. If you are looking for a job that suits you in Japan, we recommend using “G Talent”, a recruitment agency that brings together global companies in the IT industry.

Front-end development languages in demand at Japanese companies

The following three languages are in demand and should be learned in order to work as a front-end engineer at a Japanese company.

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript

HTML

HTML is a language that is essential for web development, so you should definitely learn it if you want to work as a front-end engineer, not just for Japanese companies. The latest version of HTML is HTML5.

It is a language that is necessary for creating the composition of text and images on web pages, and front-end engineers in web development always use it. Even if you don't actually do the coding, there are cases where you need to know HTML, such as when you need to verify or improve the content by looking at the source of the screen. It is one of the languages that are indispensable for front-end development.

Reference: フロントエンジニアに必要な言語とは？フレームワークやライブラリについてもご紹介／パーソルクロステクノロジー

CSS

CSS, also known as a style sheet, is a language used in conjunction with HTML. It is necessary for specifying font and color, etc., and for front-end engineers who must master HTML, it is also essential to master CSS.

Even if you are not actually developing the source, you may also need to look at the source if you are involved in website development or web app development. For this reason, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with its structure and syntax. Along with HTML, it is a language that is in demand for web development.

Reference: フロントエンド言語とは？フレームワークやライブラリについても解説／トライコーンラボ

JavaScript

JavaScript is a language for developing dynamic web page movements. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of websites and web apps with complex, screen-based movements, so JavaScript can be said to be a skill that is essential for front-end engineers.

As the need for JavaScript continues to evolve, languages that extend JavaScript and are upwardly compatible, such as TypeScript, have also appeared. By acquiring the knowledge to develop advanced screens, you can become a front-end engineer who can work in Japanese companies.

Reference: JSが苦手なフロントエンドエンジニアが語る 「JavaScriptと仲良くなるための基本の「き」」／PLAN-B

Front-end languages you want to learn to become an engineer in demand

The front-end development languages that Japanese companies need, as mentioned above, are all basic ones. It is only natural to know these languages, and in order to be an engineer in demand at a Japanese company, it is necessary to master an advanced, upwardly compatible language.

One such upwardly compatible language that front-end engineers should master is TypeScript. TypeScript is an extension of JavaScript developed by Microsoft. It is a type language that performs type declarations, and has the advantage of being able to prevent errors at the time of compiling the source. For this reason, it is characterized by being able to suppress the occurrence of bugs compared to JavaScript, and being able to develop efficiently.

Currently, more and more companies are switching to TypeScript, which allows them to develop JavaScript code more safely. If you learn TypeScript as a front-end engineer, you will be able to handle more work and become an engineer in demand.

Reference: フロントエンドの開発で必要な言語一覧！JavaScriptだけでなくTypeScriptのスキルも必要？／転職GUIDE

If you want to master front-end development, framework skills are also important

In order to master front-end development in Japan, you need to learn not only languages but also frameworks. A framework is a collection of already-made source code.

For example, login authentication and payment functions are often used in web development, and frameworks play a role in organizing these functions in a way that makes them easy to reuse. If you use a framework that has already been created, you can develop more efficiently.

Since frameworks already have quality assurance, if you use them well, you can develop high-quality programs quickly. From here, we will introduce five frameworks that are in demand in front-end development.

• jQuery
• React.js
• Vue.js
• AngularJS
• Bootstrap

jQuery

jQuery is a JavaScript library. A library has a similar role to a framework, and while a framework is a framework, a library can be used as a component in parts.

If you use jQuery, you can easily implement code for web browsers, and it is designed to be easy for beginners to use. It is used in many web production environments, so if you want to work as a front-end engineer at a Japanese company, you should learn it.

However, while it makes it easy to implement things like animations, it also has the disadvantage of being slow. Since many functions have been added since it was first released, be aware that it may be slow and difficult to use in some cases.

Reference: jQueryは終わったのか論争を、終わらせにきました。／TOMORROW GATE

React.js

React.js is a JavaScript library similar to jQuery. It is a library developed by Facebook and its community, and is mainly used to build UI components. It is used by many Japanese companies, so if you want to work as a front-end engineer at a Japanese company, it is recommended that you learn it.

It is designed to make it easy to manage the source code, and is suitable for large-scale development, which tends to have a complex design. However, since many of the documents are in English, you will need a high level of English ability to gather the information you need. In that respect, it is a library that is easy for foreign engineers to use.

Reference: React.jsとは？基本情報からメリットに至るまで詳しく紹介／発注ラウンジ

Vue.js

Vue.js is one of the JavaScript frameworks for building UIs. It was designed based on the concept of a progressive framework, and it has the feature of being easy to use even when the system is gradually added to with functions at a later stage.

Once a web system has been developed, it doesn't end there - there are often times when functions are added to respond to the requests of clients and end users. In such cases, the framework introduced at the beginning of development may not be able to handle everything, but Vue.js can be extended without any problems. This is made possible by the concept of a progressive framework.

Reference: Vue.jsについて学習してみた ＜基礎編＞／ラクスエンジニアブログ

AngularJS

AngularJS is a Model-View-Whatever (MVW) framework developed by Google and its community. Using AngularJS allows you to efficiently develop the front end of complex web applications. It is a framework that is particularly suitable for business applications and CRUD applications.

Bootstrap

Bootstrap is a web framework that is made up of HTML/CSS and JavaScript. It includes commonly used functions such as forms and buttons, and is also characterized by the fact that it includes website design templates. By using Bootstrap, you will be able to build a website with a high level of design, even if you don't have programming languages such as HTML/CSS or JavaScript, or design skills.

There are several types of Bootstrap, including one that can be used in conjunction with AngularJS and one that has been developed for WordPress. We recommend that you learn the type that is most appropriate for the type of Japanese company you are working for.

Reference: Web用フレームワーク「Bootstrap」について徹底解説／R-Stone

Three types of knowledge other than the languages required for front-end development

In order to work as a front-end engineer at a Japanese company, it is not enough to have knowledge of programming languages, frameworks, and libraries. Here, we will explain the knowledge that will be useful to acquire in addition to languages.

• Knowledge of UI / UX design
• Knowledge of web marketing (SEO)
• Knowledge of back-end engineers

If you acquire knowledge that is useful for these jobs, as well as development languages and frameworks, you will be able to smoothly enter the development field after changing jobs.

Knowledge of UI/UX design

You can't develop a website that is easy for users to use just by being able to build websites using HTML/CSS and JavaScript. You also need UI design skills to build designs that are easy for users to use, and UX design skills to improve users' customer experience. If you study both of these in depth, they will definitely be useful as a front-end engineer.

However, it may be difficult to directly apply your knowledge and skills to your work if you only study them. You will gain practical skills by gaining knowledge and skills and gaining work experience. It is important to continue to hone your UI and UX skills even after you have found a job or changed jobs.

Also, these days, websites and web apps are not only viewed on computers, but are increasingly being used on a variety of devices such as tablets and smartphones. For this reason, it is important to be aware of and acquire knowledge of “responsive design”, which is design knowledge for supporting a wide range of devices.

Reference: レスポンシブWebデザインとは？基本知識から作り方まで詳しく解説！／NIJIBOX BLOG

Knowledge of web marketing (SEO)

In order to build a website or web app that will be seen by many users, it is not enough to simply improve the content. As web marketing knowledge, you need to know about SEO.

SEO is a method of ensuring that your website appears at the top of the search results when people search for keywords on Google, Yahoo! and other search engines. In addition to building a site with excellent content, SEO requires a number of other measures, such as tag composition, the use of appropriate keywords, and link improvements.

In order to carry out SEO measures, you need specialist knowledge and you have to carry out a lot of very tedious work. It's very difficult because you don't see immediate results, and even if you do take measures, you can't be sure that you'll get results. By gaining knowledge and experience in SEO measures, you can become an excellent front-end engineer.

Reference: 【2024年版】SEOとは？基本と初めにやるべき具体策5つをわかりやすく解説／SATORI

Knowledge of back-end engineers

In order to be active as a front-end engineer, you also need knowledge outside of front-end development. The most important thing is knowledge of back-end development, which is carried out alongside front-end development.

In order to develop websites and web apps, both the front-end and back-end sides are necessary, and the two systems are ultimately combined and used together. However, if each engineer carries out development without knowing about the other's system, the systems will not combine well.

To prevent this from happening, you need engineers who know both the front-end and back-end. If you have an engineer who knows the whole picture of website and web app development, development will progress smoothly.

Master the languages for front-end development that are in demand and become an active engineer!

In this article, we have explained the development languages and frameworks that are in demand at Japanese companies, as well as the knowledge required. If you can use the front-end development languages, frameworks and libraries that are in demand at Japanese companies, you will be able to make your job-hunting activities more successful. In addition to programming languages, frameworks and libraries, we also recommend that you study other knowledge that will be useful to you.

For those looking for jobs as foreign IT engineers, we recommend the foreign IT engineer job change agency “G Talent”. This is a job change website for foreign engineers living in Japan.

It has provided recruitment support for over 200 companies and has a track record of helping engineers from over 70 nationalities change jobs. There are a wide range of IT jobs at companies where you can work in a fair environment regardless of your nationality, so you are sure to find a front-end engineer job that suits you.