Rakuten

I had a tech role, including much time during COVID. English is the main working language. The department was really diverse, with many foreigners. It's a good brand and well-known inside the country; if you say you work there, it's good.

At least in this department, the architects and tech leads were great, with many years of experience. They were without over-engineering and cared deeply about simplicity. They used a modern tech stack for new systems and projects.

There were many users, so your code and your work can actually reach many people.

At least in our department, the working culture was, in fact, without over-hours; people were leaving on time. And in general, you are even encouraged to take some paid vacation.

I still recommend learning Japanese if you plan to stay for longer than a year, not for the job as for the overall experience in Japan. The performance review drove me crazy. You set goals for yourself for the next half year, and then it's ideal if you perform extra well, doing even more. But for tech, it's hard to estimate the amount of work or even try to do more. You can't write more of an API or run another set of tests.

The CEO feels a bit like a tyrant. It sometimes felt like a personality cult, but mostly because of people themselves. To be able to get a promotion, you have to find opportunities yourself.