Working as a Freelance Tech Professional in Japan

When I came to Japan from the UK in 2019, I already had many years of experience in data jobs. I had progressed from Analyst to Data Science Manager, the latter being a varied and dynamic role covering data management and statistical modelling, but also strategic planning and team leadership. However, I was conscious that I wasn’t likely to find a similar position in Japan, where roles tend to be more specialized. In my search, I could see district roles such as Database Engineer, Data Analyst, or Project Manager, but rarely for positions that combined analysis, project and team leadership.

I also had firsthand experience with Japanese corporate culture, having worked at the UK office of a large Japanese electronics manufacturer. While my experience was very positive, I was under no illusion that maintaining a healthy work-life balance in Japan would be anything but challenging. Besides, there were so many things I wanted to do in Japan, and I needed time to learn and explore!

After a few otherwise promising talks with recruiters, I decided against getting a full-time job in Japan. I had spent years working in public and private organizations, so I now wanted more flexibility and autonomy. The experience I had built up gave me the confidence to go solo—it felt like the natural next step.

• Setting up as a freelancer
• The kind of work I do
• Finding clients
• What clients in Japan are looking for
• The financial side
• What surprised me about freelance work

Setting up as a freelancer

As in my case, as long as you already have a status of residence in Japan that allows work, you can become a freelancer.

This is not as simple as it sounds in many cases, as you will need to provide details of your freelance contracts to show immigration that you make enough to support yourself (roughly at least 3 million yen per year). Additionally, for some visas, such as the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa, one of the companies you contract with will need to…