Japan Dev Podcast #11 - Máté Kovács

Episode #11 of the Japan Dev Podcast features the story of Máté Kovács! He moved from the U.S. to Japan to build a life and career as a software engineer 🇯🇵💻Máté talks about why he left San Francisco, how Japan’s tech scene surprised him (in a good way!), and the real differences between working in Silicon Valley vs. Japan. He shares how he found jobs at top startups in Tokyo, what it’s like working with modern stacks in Japan, and how to thrive as a foreign developer without fluent Japanese.Curious about Japan’s tech ecosystem? Wondering what it’s actually like working there as a foreign dev? This episode is packed with honest insights and actionable tips! 🎙️More from Máté:LinkedIn: / mate-j-kovacs Personal Website: https://mkovaxx.net/Timestamps:00:00 – Intro ( Mate's journey )00:55 – Life in San Francisco and the Tech Grind06:15 – First Trip to Japan and Falling in Love with the Culture10:30 – Deciding to Leave the U.S. for Japan14:45 – Finding a Job in Japan Without Speaking Japanese20:10 – How Japan’s Tech Scene Compares to Silicon Valley25:50 – Busting the “Outdated Tech in Japan” Myth31:20 – Work-Life Balance and Culture in Japanese Companies36:40 – Building a Career Long-Term in Japan42:00 – Tips for Developers Looking to Move to Japan47:15 – Language, Community, and Making Friends Abroad52:40 – Final Thoughts: Is Japan Worth It for Engineers?💬 Have questions about tech jobs in Japan? Drop them in the comments — we’ll read them. And we’ll do our best to answer them!🌟 Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell 🔔 so you never miss a new video from Japan Dev!👉 Find your dream tech job in Japan:🔗 Website: https://japan-dev.com📸 Instagram: / japan.dev 🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/jpn_dev💼 LinkedIn: / japan-dev