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Is a marketing background sufficient for IT jobs in Tokyo's tech scene?
During my education, I did gain some exposure to coding, which presents me with two potential paths:
Learn Japanese to a Proficient Level (N1 on the JLPT): This route would enable me to leverage my existing marketing skills to find a job in Tokyo. Fluency in Japanese would significantly increase my chances of securing a role in the marketing field.
Rebuild My Coding Skills: Alternatively, I could focus on enhancing my coding abilities, possibly transitioning into software engineering. This approach might provide a quicker and less language-dependent entry into the Tokyo job market.
I am currently weighing these options and would appreciate any advice or insights on the best path forward.
BTW: I'm a Chinese so I'm desperate to outside of the box, and become a true global citizen.
Your marketing background is actually more valuable here than you might think. A lot of Japanese SaaS companies are trying to expand to the US market and desperately need people who understand both how to sell to Americans and how to navigate Japanese business culture. I know a few Chinese expats in Shibuya who work as "bilingual marketing managers" for startups that pay around 7-8 million yen a year with solid English-only requirements.
The coding bootcamp path often leads to a dead end for non-engineers because most IT companies here still want a CS degree or 3+ years of proven experience for dev roles. And you'd be competing with local graduates who've been coding since university. If you're determined to switch into engineering, I'd suggest looking at technical product marketing roles first, where your combined skills actually give you an edge, then pivot from there once you're in the door.
For the language route, N1 is a serious time investment, 2-3 years of daily study for most people, and even then business Japanese is a whole different beast. You might be better off targeting bilingual marketing positions that require N2 or business-level Japanese, which is more achievable while you keep your current career momentum.
coding bootcamps in tokyo are pretty common now, maybe just do one of those to test the waters before committing to n1
honestly your marketing background is way more useful than you think for tech here, most of the software companies in Tokyo are desperate for people who can actually do product launches and SEO in English while understanding the local market. I'd skip the coding rebuild and go for the language route but target N2 instead of N1, that's good enough for most bilingual marketing roles and you'll pick up the rest on the job. also a lot of Chinese expats I know in Roppongi got hired specifically because companies wanted someone who could bridge the China-Japan-US markets, so youve got a unique
Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.
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