In order for foreigners to work as IT engineers in Japanese companies under good conditions, it is important to know which programming languages are in demand in Japan. When choosing which programming languages to learn, choose languages that are not only in demand, but also those that are used in the workplace or industry you want to change jobs to, and those that make it easy to earn a high annual income.
In this article, we will explain the programming languages that are in demand at Japanese companies and the languages that are expected to become more in demand at Japanese companies in the future. By reading this article, you will be able to understand what programming languages you should learn in order to work as an engineer at a Japanese company. If you want to work as an engineer in Japan, please use IT-related global recruitment agency “G Talent''.
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8 programming languages in demand in Japan that you should know as an engineer
If you want to work as an engineer for a Japanese company, you should familiarize yourself with the following eight programming languages. We will also introduce the situations in which each language is used and the level of demand for each, so please check which language is most suitable for the field you want to work in or the job you want to do.
- Python
- avaScript
- C, C++
- Java
- C#
- HTML, CSS
- PHP
- Ruby
Python
Python is a programming language that is used in fields such as AI, big data, and IoT. If you are hoping to change jobs to a workplace that handles AI or machine learning, you should learn it. It is also possible to develop web apps, games, desktop apps, etc., but the main focus is on AI and machine learning. As the number of companies that handle AI and big data analysis is increasing, further demand is expected in the future.
Reference: 【入門】機械学習に役立つPythonの学習方法 | できることやおすすめサイトも紹介／スキルアップAI Journal
JavaScript
JavaScript is a language for front-end engineers to build dynamic movements on web pages. It enables dynamic movements on the screen, such as starting an animation when the mouse cursor is moved to the relevant part. Such high-functionality screen movements are now being adopted by many websites. For this reason, if you are involved in website development or web app development, it is essential to learn JavaScript.
Reference: フロントエンドエンジニアに必用な言語4選 | フレームワーク・ライブラリなどもご紹介／R-Stone
C, C++
C is a programming language that has been used for a long time and is often the first language to be learned. It is used for a wide range of development, including operating systems, core systems, software, and embedded systems. On the other hand, C++ is an object-oriented language that extends the C language. It can be used for web apps, embedded systems, AI development, game development, etc.
Although neither of these languages is the latest, there are still many systems in Japan that are still running on C or C++. There is a lot of demand for maintenance of existing systems and for changing specifications, etc., so if you want to be a successful programmer, it is a language you should know.
Reference: C++という言語について／HITECHS
Java
Java is a language with a long history that is used in a wide range of fields and is related to existing systems, so it is a language that programmers should learn as a priority. There are many existing systems that have been developed in Java, so if you want to work as a programmer or IT engineer, you should learn it. However, as it is not the latest language, you will probably need to learn new technologies and languages other than Java in the future.
Java is used in a wide range of fields, including web apps, Android apps, PC apps, CG development, and embedded systems. Java is a highly secure language that minimizes bugs and security risks, and it is also attractive because you can use frameworks such as Spring and Spring Boot to code efficiently.
C#
C# is a language developed by Microsoft that is used for web apps, smartphone apps, game development, etc. It is highly versatile, so there are many situations where it will be useful if you learn it. Note that it is not related to C or C++, although the names are very similar. Although it is not the latest language, there are many existing systems that are running on C#, so it is recommended that you learn it if you are going to do the above jobs.
HTML, CSS
HTML and CSS are essential development languages for website and web app development. HTML is used to create the structure of web pages and determine the placement of text, images, etc., while CSS, also known as a style sheet, is used to set the color of text, font size, etc. When using these languages, you will need to learn HTML and CSS as a set. These are essential languages for web engineers, so be sure to learn them.
Reference: CSSとは？ – HTMLとセットで覚えよう！-／Cyber Bridge
PHP
PHP is a language that is often used in web development, and is used in the development of web applications, EC sites, etc. WordPress, a leading CMS, is developed using PHP, so if you work for a company that uses WordPress, it is essential that you learn PHP.
There are many existing systems that have been developed using PHP, and demand for this language is expected to continue in the future for tasks such as changing the specifications of existing systems and maintenance. As it is not the latest language, it is thought that it will give way to new languages in the future, but as it is used in many situations, it is useful to learn it.
Ruby
Ruby, which is used in the development of many websites, is an easy language to learn for beginners, and it is expected to continue to play an active role in the future. Ruby is designed so that the code will be the same no matter who writes it, so it has the advantage of being less prone to bugs. It is also characterized by its ease of programming, thanks to the excellent framework known as Ruby on Rails.
In order to carry out development efficiently, you should also learn Ruby on Rails as a set. Ruby is still continuing to evolve, so it is one of the languages that engineers should learn. In particular, it is often adopted by venture companies, so it can be said that it is a language that is essential if you are aiming for a job at a venture company.
Reference: Rubyの将来性と需要は？懸念されている点も解説／レバテックキャリア
5 languages that are expected to be in demand in Japan in the future
From here, we will introduce languages that are expected to become increasingly in demand in Japan. When choosing a programming language to learn, it is a good idea to take future trends into account.
- Go
- TypeScript
- Kotlin
- Swift
- Scala
Go
Go is a relatively new language developed by Google in 2009, and it is compatible with most operating systems, including Windows, MacOS X, Linux, Android, and iOS. Because its syntax is completely different from Java and Ruby, it takes longer to learn than other languages.
However, because Go is a language that requires less coding, it has the advantage of allowing compact development and reducing the risk of bugs. It is expected that there will be increasing demand for the efficient development of high-quality programs in the future. There are still not many engineers who have mastered Go, so if you learn it, you will be able to increase your value in the job market.
Reference: Go言語を扱う仕事内容の例は？学習方法や将来性を徹底検証！／Freelance hub
TypeScript
TypeScript is a language for front-end development that is an extension of JavaScript. As it is an extended version of JavaScript, it has the feature of being able to be developed safely with higher development efficiency and less bugs than JavaScript.
TypeScript is expected to see an increase in demand as an extended version of JavaScript in the future. If you want to be active as a web engineer, you should learn it together with JavaScript.
Reference: TypeScriptとは？JavaScriptとの違いなどを解説／レバテックキャリア
Kotlin
Kotlin is a relatively new language based on Java for Android development. Java was the language of choice for Android development, but now there is a growing demand for Kotlin, which is said to be overtaking Java. If you are developing smartphone apps, this is a language you should learn. However, if you are developing for iOS, you will also need to learn Swift and other languages for iOS.
Reference: 『Kotlin（コトリン）』とは？特徴やJavaとの違いを解説／SB Technology
Swift
Swift is a relatively new language developed by Apple in 2014, and it can be used to develop iOS-compatible apps for devices such as the iPhone and iPad. If you want to work in smartphone app development, it is a language you should learn. However, in order to develop for Android, you will also need to learn Kotlin and other languages for Android.
Scala
Scala is a relatively new language that appeared in 2004. It is compatible with Java, and has the advantage of being compatible with existing systems developed in Java, as well as being able to process data quickly and having a high development efficiency. It is expected that the need for this language will increase in the future due to its high performance, which allows it to use most of the Java library and has a high development efficiency. It is a language that can be used in various fields, as it can be used not only for server-side development of web systems, but also for the development of big data analysis platforms.
Reference: Scala（スカラ）とは？言語の特徴や開発手法、Javaとの違いや共通点について解説！／発注ラウンジ
How to choose a language when working as an engineer for a Japanese company
The various programming languages introduced here are used by Japanese companies, but it is not easy to learn all of them. To learn a language in order to work as an engineer in Japan, we recommend prioritizing the languages you want to learn and starting with the ones that are most important.
To help you prioritize the programming languages you want to learn, we have put together a list of recommended languages. Please choose the programming language that suits you best, depending on what area you want to work in and what you want to prioritize.
Choosing by job content
The programming languages you should learn will vary greatly depending on the nature of your work. For example, if you are a web engineer, it is essential to learn screen-based programming languages such as HTML and CSS. As you can see, the languages you need will vary depending on the type of engineer you are, so we have put together a list of recommended languages for each type of engineer. Let's check the languages you need to become the engineer you want to be.
| Types of engineers | Programming languages used frequently |
| Web engineers | HTML/CSS、JavaScript、TypeScript Ruby、PHP、C#、Python、Java |
| Web designers | HTML/CSS、JavaScript、TypeScript |
| Back-end engineers | Java、PHP、Ruby、Go、C# |
| Smartphone app engineer | Kotlin、Swift、C#、Java |
| AI engineer | Python、C＋＋ |
| Embedded system engineer | C、C＋＋、Python、Java |
| Game development engineer | C#、C++、JavaScript、Swift、Ruby |
Reference: エンジニアにおすすめのプログラミング言語は？需要の高い言語も解説／ユニゾンキャリアメディア
Choosing by annual income
If you want to increase your income, it's a good idea to choose a language that engineers with high annual incomes are learning. We will introduce the programming languages that can be used to aim for a high income, in order of ranking.
- 1st: JavaScript
- 2nd: SQL
- 3rd: C/C++
- 4th: R
- 5th: VBA
- 6th: Python
- 7th: C#
- 8th: Java
- 9th: Visual Basic
- 10th: PHP
The languages with the highest annual incomes vary depending on the way you work, the size of the company, the experience and skills of the engineer, etc., so please use the above ranking as a rough guide only.
Reference: プログラミング言語別の平均年収ランキング！高収入を狙える言語は？／SAMURAI ENGINEER Blog
Let's become an engineer who can meet the needs of Japanese companies!
In this article, we have explained programming languages that are in demand at Japanese companies and languages that are expected to become more in demand at Japanese companies in the future. In Japan, there is currently a high demand for languages such as Python, JavaScript, C, and C++, and it is expected that there will be a growing demand for new languages such as TypeScript and Go in the future. If you learn these languages before changing jobs, you will be able to make your job search more advantageous.
For those looking for jobs as IT engineers for foreigners who can use these languages, we recommend the job-placement agency for foreign IT engineers, “G Talent”. It is a job-placement site for foreign engineers living in Japan, and it has provided recruitment support for over 200 companies and helped over 70 nationalities of engineers find new jobs. There are many IT jobs at companies where you can work in a fair environment regardless of your nationality, so you are sure to find a job that suits you.
