Japan has always been an influence

Perhaps Japan was always inspiring me. At 7 years old, I got hooked on anime, starting with Detective Conan. I was inspired by how he used his brain, and I wanted to be as smart as he is. Later in life, Hollywood movies inspired my interest in hackers and computer science. I loved how powerful they were as they whizzed through code, safely tucked in a chair—almost like Detective Conan but without the danger, mysterious curse, and somehow much more achievable. So, I decided to pursue Computer Science as my bachelor’s degree and even pursued it for my master’s degree at a Japanese university. 

I was looking forward to learning Japanese in Japan. I put off studying Japanese, confident I would be forced to learn while in the environment. My course subjects, however, did not require me to learn any Japanese as it was all in English. Sadly, the pandemic hit. China was locked down. Along with everyone else in the world, my travel plans were put on an indefinite hiatus, and all my classes were taken online. I didn’t get to learn Japanese organically as I’d hoped. 

My Short Time Exploring Japan: Seeing the Best and The Worst 

When the pandemic eased up a little, I got to take the last half semester in Japan. When I got there, my professor, to my surprise, told me to just enjoy this last slice of time to explore Japan. I went way beyond my campus—to Shikoku, Kansai, and Tokyo—seeing as much as I could possibly see. Tokyo enamored me above all. It was definitely all I’d hoped for, but sadly, in such a compressed short amount of time. 

Seeing Japan’s best: Japan’s Bustling “Real” Economy Vs. China’s Fixation with Cheap Door-to-Door Deliveries 

One of the things that I loved about Japan was its real economy. People were always out and about, crowding both shopping streets and large department stores. Their consumer culture is focused more on the quality of the objects they buy. Thus, seeing and touching it in real life is essential for them to make a purchase. Shopping in Japan is so much more enjoyable. 

Chinese vs Japanese work culture: Seeing the real cost of efficiency 

This was in contrast to how it is in China. Everyone is incentivized to stay isolated at home with how much cheaper it is to just order everything online and get it delivered to your doorstep. Brick-and-mortar shops are closing down one after another, overpowered by the rapid growth of cheap online shopping. City streets have lost their vitality, lined by vacant stores. Even worse, the reason online shopping is so much more affordable is that it’s built on a business model that doesn’t compensate delivery services fairly.

The shocking revelation of seeing Japan’s worst 

I loved Japan so much that when I started working in China, I decided to go to Japan again, this time as a tourist. My first trip to Japan had felt like a too-good-to-be-true fever dream; I wanted to see if it was just a mirage. I went to the sort of underbelly in my area at that time. I’d seen the best parts of Japan, and I also wanted to see the worst parts. I booked an extremely tight, cigarette-scented accommodation at just 1000 yen a night. From my own experience in my country, I was expecting the worst. 

When I arrived, unhoused people were drinking and sleeping on the street. That night, I went to a nearby konbini for dinner. To my shock, a random old man on the street spotted me looking confused, holding my Nissin cup, and pointed me to where to get hot water for my noodles. It was nice and odd for me, who didn’t expect to witness kindness and hospitality in that situation. Overall, during the time I spent there, I felt it wasn’t so bad. It’s almost like you can change their situation but not their core as kind people. I thought that if the lowest sector of Japan was great, then all of Japan must also be great.   

The root of differences: Japan Vs. China Work Culture 

I think my observations are rooted in cultural differences. In China, we have a strong tendency for Machiavellian thinking: “The end justifies the means.” It’s helped the country’s economy skyrocket and turn into an economic giant. In Japan, however, the process and the journey seem to be just as important. One of Japan’s work culture pillars is “hourenso,” which focuses on “reporting, contacting, and consulting.” Even though it may seem time-consuming at first, I realized that this method could prevent big mistakes. I also like the fact that the hierarchy in the workplace is clear, and the division of roles is clear. In the case of delivery services, Japanese culture would have flagged underpaid delivery services as an unjustifiable part of the process. 

When I began my career in China, I began to understand the stark difference for myself. I experienced being a victim of efficiency at all costs. It became clear how much I preferred the Japanese way of working. 

Launching My Career in China Made Me Dream of working in Japan 

After my degree, with the pandemic still happening, I had to start my career in my home country, China. I worked at a very famous brand as an engineer for a year and a half, then quit. 

In China, you end up working a lot of “unpaid overtime.” It’s so common to work late into the night, especially in the IT industry. My friends often worry that they can’t take a break because they have to work on weekends. 

The regulations in China aren’t so supportive of workers. For example, in the game industry, government regulations in China can suddenly change, and a completed game can no longer be released. 

In Japan, you can continue working for a long time while balancing work and private life. This is in part because the Japanese government is very strict about overtime and holiday pay. It’s resulted in a stable working environment that allows the Japanese workforce to take long vacations during golden week or travel every weekend. 

Experiencing the difference between Japanese Vs Chinese work culture, made me yearn to work in a Japanese environment even more. I wondered how far I could hone my skills in a company that was rooted in excellence, sustainable long-term thinking, and taking care of their employees. 

Experiencing Japanese Vs Chinese Culture Made Me Take a Gap Year to Learn Japanese 

By the time I quit, I was so convinced and determined to work in Japan. I took a gap year just to study Japanese. I began studying December 2023, and by July 2024, I was able to pass JLPT N2, then JLPT N1 by December 2024. Overall, it only took a year to master Japanese from 0. 

How I Sped up learning Japanese through Enjoyable Hobbies 

Since I didn’t have many opportunities to communicate with native speakers, I created a Japanese language environment for myself by watching YouTube videos and anime and 

playing many video games in Japanese. While this may have had a limited impact on my speaking skills, it significantly improved my listening ability. It helped me become more familiar with everyday expressions and natural phrasing. 

Meeting FAST OFFER International on Chinese SNS Was The Career Boost I Needed 

My career aspirations didn’t move though until I found FAST OFFER International’s post on Chinese SNS Rednote . From there, I saw the comments from fellow Chinese job seekers that said that their service was top-notch and quick for international talents looking for a job in Japan. 

Soon after, at around February, I signed up. Around that time, I also saw a post on Chinese SNS about their new job in Japan through FAST OFFER International which really encouraged me to continue. I actually got to talk to her, and that strengthened my faith in FAST OFFER International. 

I was soon contacted for a conversation to talk about my career goals. They contacted me again with a list of possible companies and asked if these roles and companies fit me. From that list, I was then scheduled for an interview with a Japanese company. 

The Quick Online Job Interview Process 

From that one Japanese company in total, I took one coding test and two online job interviews. I was asked to prepare slides for self-reflection, summing up my background and experiences. I actually used a quote from My Hero Academia at the start, which reflected my career ambitions as well as my love for Japanese culture. 

After the final interview, I couldn’t sleep. I was so tense with anticipation and worry. The next day, my career advisor called me up to tell me I got the job offer! I was ecstatic. I quickly shared the news with my friends, then ended up not sleeping for a second night, this time from sheer joy. 

Looking forward to a sustainable long career in Japan 

I’m excited to be part of the Japanese workforce. Who knows how much I can grow as an engineer unhampered by the debilitating effect of excessive overwork? I’m keyed up and ready to juggle growing professionally while seeing more of Japan every weekend. My life will surely change embedded in Japan’s work and life culture. 

I was lucky got to see Japanese vs Chinese work culture for myself that it’s led me to this path. If, like me, you want to escape the current work culture of your home country, or maybe you’re an otaku like me who dreamt of Japan since childhood, then I definitely recommend going through FAST OFFER International to help you build a career in Japan. 

中文快问快答版

1. 为什么想在日本找工作？ 

我从小就是日本文化的爱好者，最早是通过《名侦探柯南》接触到动漫，小时候就梦想着像柯南那样聪明，后来渐渐爱上了日本社会中所展现出来的理性、秩序和礼貌。在大学读计算机专业期间，我有幸得知学校与日本的大学有合作项目，便顺利前往日本读研。虽然因为疫情大部分课程都改为线上，但我在疫情放宽后亲自到访日本，深刻感受到了日本社会的真实氛围。 

相比之下，我在中国开始职业生涯后，体会到中国职场节奏之快、加班之频繁，特别是在IT行业，几乎没有“下班”的概念。即使是节假日，许多朋友也因为项目进度被迫加班。我意识到自己并不适合这种“效率优先、过程不计”的工作文化。反而在日本，重视“汇报、联系、商量”的职场文化让我感到安心，也让我对“长期稳定发展”的职业路径充满憧憬。因此，我坚定了想在日本工作的决心。 

2. 是如何了解到 FAST OFFER 的？ 

我最初是在中国的小红书平台上看到有同学在分享自己通过FAST OFFER项目拿到日本工作机会的经历。当时我还在自学日语、准备未来的求职方向，看到大家一致好评这个平台，说他们服务高效、针对国际人才资源丰富，我就有些心动。虽然我已经决定要在日本找工作，但如何找、找哪类公司、流程是什么，一切都还没有头绪。 

于是我便注册了FAST OFFER，并参加了首次面谈。在面谈中，我向他们说明了自己的背景、语言能力和职业目标，很快他们就帮我推荐了几家日企，并根据我的兴趣和专长做了初步匹配。过程中，工作人员也不断跟进，告诉我后续安排。这种有节奏、有支持的流程让我觉得很安心。通过FAST OFFER，我不仅节省了自己搜寻和筛选的时间，还获得了专业的职业指导和企业匹配机会，为我最终拿到内定起到了关键作用。 

我也尝试使用了其他一些日本的线上求职平台。然而我发现，大多数平台在筛选海外申请者适用职位方面并不够有效。比如，日本国内的许多招聘网站，并没有提供明确筛选“招聘国际人才”的选项。我认为 FAST OFFER 在这方面具有独特的优势——它能够将海外求职者与合适的岗位进行精准匹配，这一点对我来说起到了非常关键的作用。 

3. 求职准备是如何进行的？ 

我本来在国内一家大公司工作，在工作1年半后，为了实现赴日工作的目标，我决定离职，并专心投入到日语学习中。2023年12月，我正式开始日语学习，目标明确：在一年内通过JLPT N1考试。在起步阶段，我选择了系统的语法书和单词APP进行基础构建；进入中后期，我大量观看日语YouTube频道、动画片，并玩日语版游戏来培养语感。这些“兴趣导向”的输入方式，不仅减轻了学习压力，也极大提升了我的听力和阅读能力。 

此外，我还尽量每天安排固定的学习时间，严格打卡自律。在短短七个月内，我通过了N2考试，并在12月顺利考取N1。在备考之余，我也花时间准备面试所需的材料，包括自我介绍PPT、职业目标陈述等。日语学习和求职准备是并行推进的，虽然压力不小，但因为目标清晰、动机强烈，我反而觉得非常充实。通过这一年，我不仅提高了语言能力，也建立起了对日本文化与职场的深入理解。 

4. 面试和讲述经历的感受？ 

我最终面试的公司是一家专注于POS系统、称重设备、包装解决方案的日本企业。在整个面试过程中，我感受最深的是日企对候选人背景和价值观的关注。第一次技术面试是编程能力测试，之后是两轮在线面试。HR让我准备一份介绍自己经历和动机的PPT，我在开头特地引用了动漫中的台词，表达了我从动漫中获得的动力，也体现出我对日本文化的共鸣。 

面试过程中，对方不仅关注我作为工程师的技术能力，还特别重视我的成长路径、职业态度、学习日语的过程和动机。对我而言，这不仅仅是一次“技能评估”，更像是一次“人生故事”的分享。当我得知拿到内定时，我激动得整晚睡不着。回顾整个过程，我觉得最重要的是表达真实的自己，并用“故事”去建立人与人之间的情感连接，这在日企面试中尤其重要。 

5. 最后，想对 FAST OFFER 说什么？ 

我由衷地感谢 FAST OFFER的团队，是他们让我从一名“跨文化求职小白”逐步走向在日职场的第一步。从初次注册、面谈，到职位匹配、面试准备，他们都非常细致负责，每一步都让我感受到被重视和被支持。在面试阶段，他们不仅提供企业信息，还会协助审阅简历和PPT，甚至在面试前提供模拟练习，这对我这种第一次参加日企面试的候选人来说帮助非常大。FASTOFFER的流程真的非常快。我是在2月注册了FAST OFFER，结果在同年4月就拿到了内定，从注册到拿到offer前后不到3个月的时间。 

更重要的是，FAST OFFER 不只是一个“介绍工作”的平台，而是一个真正为国际学生设计、理解我们需求并愿意为我们赋能的团队。我很幸运在小红书上看到了他们的帖子，也希望有更多像我一样有日本梦想的人，能通过这个平台迈出第一步。如果你也在迷茫、也有对日本的热爱，我由衷推荐你尝试FAST OFFER，说不定这就是你人生转折的开始。