Essential Japanese for Software Engineers

Software engineers understand that communication is one of the most important aspects of their job. This is true no matter what industry, country, or culture they work in. 

Engineers need to turn abstract and technical ideas into words, and deliver those words to their teammates in written or verbal form. It sounds simple enough, but it’s much easier said than done.

And if that wasn’t challenging enough, people working outside of their home countries also need to overcome language barriers. This is especially true in Japan, where English isn’t widely spoken and English proficiency levels can vary wildly from person to person.

Developers working in Japan can enjoy an exciting lifestyle and have amazing career opportunities, but language barriers do pose a challenge. In nearly all cases, software engineers in Japan will benefit a ton from speaking and understanding Japanese.

Here are some reasons why engineers should learn Japanese, and some tips on how to do it!

Why is it Important for Software Engineers to Know Japanese?

Daily Communications

Let’s start with the obvious: If you work as a developer in Japan, you probably need to collaborate with Japanese teammates on a regular basis. That includes not only other developers, but also designers, project managers, and business-side members.

Even though many companies are starting to promote English-speaking work environments, there’s still no doubt that Japanese knowledge provides huge benefits. Even if your coworkers can speak English, chances are that it’s not their native language and requires considerably more effort on their part.

Communication is a two-way street, and if you can speak some Japanese you’ll make life easier for your teammates. Even if your Japanese abilities are limited, any effort you make will be highly appreciated.

A common issue foreign developers experience is joining meetings as the only non-Japanese speaker. In these situations, the meetings will often be conducted entirely in Japanese, with the foreign member being completely left on their own.

If you have bilingual teammates, they might be able to help you communicate. They may be kind enough to interpret for you, explain what the team is discussing, or summarize the meeting afterwards. 

Of course, this isn’t ideal as it’s quite a burden for your teammates who are going out of their way to support you. Being able to understand and contribute to the meeting independently will no doubt make the experience better for both yourself and your team.

In addition, being in a software position you’ll likely find yourself working with others in one-on-one situations. Some examples include pair programming with a teammate, troubleshooting an urgent issue, or speaking with your manager about a sensitive topic. In these situations, you won’t always be able to rely on a third party to help you communicate.

For International Companies

Some international companies have language teams providing communication support. If you need to have documents translated or if you need an interpreter to join your meetings, you can request those services.

These are fantastic resources to have and can help you a ton with your day-to-day communication, but keep in mind that they have their limits! For example, even if you request to have interpreters join all of your meetings, there will inevitably be times when they can’t attend due to scheduling conflicts.

Additionally, relying on a third party for help means that it’s difficult to be spontaneous. If something urgent comes up (which happens all too frequently in the world of software) and you need to communicate with someone immediately, there’s a good chance you won’t be able to secure an interpreter in a timely manner. And in those cases, you’re on your own.

The majority of companies, especially internationally-minded ones, encourage foreign members to actively learn Japanese. A lot of them provide support through language classes, coaching, and subsidies for textbook or app purchases. Don’t hesitate to utilize these benefits because the efforts you make will be a net positive for your company, your coworkers, and yourself. 

Also, remember that even though many companies hire non-Japanese engineers to work in English-first environments, language requirements can change as you move up the ranks.

If you want to get promoted to a management position, or transition to a business-oriented role within your company, it’s very likely that Japanese will become a requirement. Having the right level of Japanese proficiency will open up lots of long-term career opportunities for you.

Lastly, and perhaps most obviously, knowing Japanese will drastically improve the quality of your life in Japan. You’ll be able to live independently, socialize, and enjoy a comfortable life without limits.

Helpful Japanese Words and Sentences for Work

To get you started, here are some Japanese words and phrases that will help you in the workplace, along with some other tips to help your communication skills further evolve.

The Development Process

These are some of the most common words and phrases that you’ll regularly hear in a tech company. They’ll be especially useful during meetings like daily standups where engineering teams gather to share and discuss progress and upcoming tasks.

Here are a few example sentences using the vocabulary above. 

Japanese: アプリの動きがちょっと遅いので改善したいです。

Pronunciation: Apuri no ugoki ga chotto osoi no de kaizen shitai desu.

English: The app is running a bit slowly, so I’d like to improve it.

Japanese: 新しい機能を実装して、プルリクを出しました。

Pronunciation: Atarashii kinō wo jissō shite, pururiku wo dashimashita.

English: I implemented a new feature and submitted a pull request.

Japanese: 何か進捗があったら共有しますね。

Pronunciation: Nanika shinchoku ga attara kyōyū shimasu ne.

English: I’ll share if there’s any progress.

Japanese: 不具合があるので修正をお願いします。

Pronunciation: Fuguai ga okita no de shūsei wo onegaishimasu.

English: There’s a bug, so please fix it.

Troubleshooting

As a developer, you’ll inevitably find yourself in situations where you need to fix technical issues. Knowing the following vocabulary can help you swiftly and efficiently communicate with your team.

Here are a few example sentences using the vocabulary above. 

Japanese: アプリがたまに落ちるけど、原因がわかりますか？

Pronunciation: Apuri ga tama ni ochiru kedo, gen’in ga wakarimasu ka?

English: The app crashes occasionally—do you know the cause?

Japanese: 先ほど起きた障害の対応をお願いします。

Pronunciation: Sakihodo okita shōgai no taiō wo onegaishimasu.

English: Please handle the issue that came up earlier.

Japanese: この不具合の原因がわからなくて、困っています。

Pronunciation: Kono fuguai no gen’in ga wakaranakute, komatteimasu.

English: I don’t know the cause of this bug, and I’m stuck.

Meetings

Meetings happen every day, so knowing the following meeting-related vocabulary can help you out quite a bit.

Here are a few example sentences using the vocabulary above. 

Japanese: 今日の朝会に参加しますか？

Pronunciation: Kyō no asakai ni sanka shimasu ka?

English: Will you attend today’s standup?

Japanese: この後の打ち合わせに少し遅れます。

Pronunciation: Kono ato no uchiawase ni sukoshi okuremasu.

English: I’ll be a bit late for the meeting after this.

Japanese: 今日は会議がないので開発に集中します。

Pronunciation: Kyō wa kaigi ga nai node kaihatsu ni shūchū shimasu.

English: I don’t have any meetings today so I’ll focus on development.

Programming Terminology

Thanks to English being the base for most programming languages, most Japanese engineers are quite familiar with English terminology. Knowing the Japanese words isn’t as essential as you might think, but it can still be quite helpful. Here are some of the common vocabulary words for your reference.

Other Tips and Resources for Learning Japanese

The words and sentences shared above should help you get started with communication in the Japanese tech scene.

There’s a lot to learn when it comes to foreign languages, and it might feel overwhelming. Just remember to take things one step at a time, and you’ll be surprised at how much your efforts add up.

If you want to learn more technical vocabulary in Japanese, here are some additional resources to help you on your journey.

• Engineer Vocabulary List (Provided by Mercari) 

• Japanese Vocab for Software Developers

• Intro to Japanese Programming Vocabulary

And of course, the number one way to learn Japanese is to simply immerse yourself in it. If you already work in an environment where you can speak Japanese, don’t be shy! Try to actively use whatever Japanese you know, while absorbing as much as you can from your coworkers every day.

If your company provides social spaces like events, lunch gatherings, or club activities, don’t hesitate to participate. Even if it means going out of your way to join, it’s worth it because you never know what kinds of people you’ll meet and what you’ll learn.

Learning Japanese as a tech professional is challenging, but it’s absolutely worth the effort. Keep at it and you'll not only unlock new opportunities, but also develop language skills that will stick with you for a lifetime.