Graphic Design Jobs in Japan

i want to learn everything about animation and graphic designing.. iwant to go to japan to study them but i lack the funds... could some help me ... ill work for no pay if i have too... just give me a place to stay and daily rations.... i want to pursue my dream....

hello

i think getting graphic design job in Japan is not so difficult if you have enough experience and Japanese language skill. most company who hires graphic designers do not care so much about their nationality.

So,if you can communicate with Japanese in compositing and finalizing,you have no problem at all. You need at least 3 years of experience in 3D modeling,Vector graphics etc.

You will also need good resume,a short portfolio of still image art and demo-reel for review are must.

Most company want to hire someone with work visa because they can't support visa isue.
Getting work visa in Japan is discussed in other thread of this forum,so you can research about the visa.

Hiya everyone. I've been checking up on this ongoing discussion and thought I would finally post my "two cents".

Currently, I am a junior college student in the U.S. with a Graphic Design major. My boyfriend is Japanese and has lived and worked in the U.S. for about 7 years. We both plan to go back to Japan and find jobs in both our occupational fields. He is in the culinary arts.

I think that what we really need is a way to create a list of companies or firms that have branches or offices in Japan. That would be a good place to start at! Good luck to everyone.

There are many foreign companies here in Japan who are looking for English speaking workers.

If you would like to continue designing in English, these companies would be perfect for you!

You can find jobs for foreign companies in Japan on this site.

http://www.findjobsinjapan.com/

Good luck to you!

My goal is to major in Japanese and find a job teaching English over there. But I'd like to know what the best, easy to find jobs for English-speakers are, as my husband would be going with me and his Japanese is minimal. His preference is definitely in the design field, but is open-minded to trying something new. :)

I'm also in the same boat as well planning on moving to Japan in about 4 to 5 years,
I'm working on my web design as well trying to become a better designer I also want to learn Japanese before I come over, I want to know if tere are any companies there thank =)

I'm from London and got a degree in Graphic Design in advertising. Would love the experience in working in this field but in a complete diffrent culture

I've worked as a graphic designer in Japan for several years, as well as in Sydney Australia and now am looking for a job in London as I had to move with my husband.

I'm really surprised that so many people want to work as a GD in Japan----- when I was there (and still is), the hours were crazy and the pay was low.
Thankfully I worked for a corporate so I could at least live on my pay, but my friend who was an art director with a small design studio earned US$2500 with no bonus, annual leave 10days which was non-existent as it depended on the projects she was assigned to.
It's the worst if you work for a magazine publisher, meetings held at 2am is nothing out of ordinary, everyone is working whether it be day/night, weekend/day!
Work condition varies between the companies of course, but long hours and low pay are the norm especially if you want to go for the more creative studios.

Be prepared the conditions are very different from Western companies .... and good luck!!!

I'm working in LA as a marketing assistant, and sometimes I do what in-house graphic designers would do. I may have to move back to Japan in the near future, if so, would like to work as a graphic designer in Tokyo but not sure if it's possible - what K above says sounds scary but true. I looked many ads and it's normal the pay starts about $1800/month before tax (entry level). How can they survive in Tokyo?!

Hi im currently studying at a 3d game art school and i was wondering if anyone knew of any japanese 3dartist sites, comparable to polycount or gameartisans, cant seem to find any. please help

here is my mail: jonasr_87@hotmail.com

Hana, try looking for a large-ish Western (gaishi) companies that are in need of in-house designers with English abilities as well as Japanese. You can try contacting their HR departments directly. There may not be many, but if you work for gaishi it's a little easier to have work-life balance, and if it's in-house they won't expect you to work 24/7 as others (say, people in HR) don't. Also try looking for a marketing role. I worked for a gaishi in Tokyo and life was like heaven compared to 24/7 working life in a studio, with much better pay and working hours, not to mention the bonuses.

Thanks for your advice, K! Yes, I will look for the company like this since I'm not sure if I can live with those crazy 24/7 design studios. (By the way you posted on my birthday - that�fs a nice birthday gift!)

Hey! I am hoping to be in a graphic design college soon after another year of school. But my dream of going to japan is my DREAM. I hope to read your responcies and hope to understand more about what i should do. I t seems like you guys all went to college first. So know any great colleges? I really admire this newly found web page, so now i understand what i should go into. thanks, plez respond!!

hy everybody,
I'm a designer from Belgium. I started designing about 7 years ago, and now i'm stil a student at the university of design in Ghent (belgium). My goals are set: to live and to design in Tokyo. I would love, if someone knows how to accomplish my dream, where do i start? I also worked in 2 designbureaus here in Belgium. I love the Japanese way of thinking and there culture... please: HELP ME :-P
(btw: sorry for my English :-s)
if you wanna help, please mail me at: spiral_design@hotmail.com
Thanks!!!!!!!!!
xxx

OMG. there are like thousands of ppl with the same dilemma, and i thought i was the only one. Come to think about it, after seeing all these comments, I made up my mind. Doesn't matter where I start, if my work is good, it will be recognized, and hopefully someone from Japan. Not saying I'm giving up, just be a realist. think about it, Just start small, don't rush and wanted to go to japan all of a sudden just because you want to work as a graphic designer in japan..-_- I was one of them, (Im not saying it's bad) but finally I get it, I get it. I know what to do now. =)

Thinking about moving to Japan and this site has provided me with an abundance of answers to questions I had. This is a great source for landing employment in Japan as a Graphic Design Artist and in getting housing assistance.

This website is an excellent resource especially for anyone looking to relocate back from Japan to the United States. There are so many valuable tools for locating a graphic design position. Whether you specialize in illustration, print, web-design or a little bit of everything this is the place where you can find that perfect position in the United States as well as other individuals to help you in your journey!

I also want to work in Japan as a graphic (print) designer. The problem is i can't speak fluent Japanese, I can only understand very basic Japanese. My English is pretty fluent though, and my Indonesian too (since I'm Indonesian). The purpose of going to Japan is to study the culture and the language while having a job in the design field. If anybody knows where I can find a design job in a design agency that does not really require me to speak Japanese fluently, please do let me know! :) my email is karen@karendjuanda.com And check out my portfolio at www.karendjuanda.com THANKS HEAPS!

Yet another graphic designer... I've always love Japanese culture, packaging advertising ... in other words everything. From food to design and culture I love them all. I finally got a chance to visit japan and i was searching for place to stay for my family and I came across this post from 2004... and I think I was Wayyyyy to late but YAY!!! i saw Karen's post...Hi Karen... I am an Indonesian too and I'd love to get information on this "gd community" doesn't have to be job but other stuff, experiences you have in Japan as a gd... Thanks a lot and nice to see other graphic designers here :D
yukih4mi@hotmail.com

Dang, I thought I was the only person with this dilemma...I've been to Tokyo several times since my relatives/friends/sister live there and wish to stay there for an extended period of time (1/2 years). I'm a graphic design student at Full Sail Uni. in Florida and was talking to my adviser about it. He said that if I really wanted to work in Japan that he had connections with such companies as Doritos and GAP who are now trying to penetrate the Tokyo markets. He also told me that if I were to attempt this to keep two things in mind: only seek internships that could build up to permanent jobs as opposed to just the latter and to not expect wages that can grant you a comfortable lifestyle. After all, almost all of them live dorms provided by the employer and even if you get your own place, it'll be about the size of a walk-in closet (no joke). Of course, so does everyone else who live in Tokyo lol. For anyone else seeking employment in Tokyo, don't be discouraged if you can't speak Japanese...half if not the majority of Westerners in Tokyo under employment can't speak the language at all. Its just a basic guarantee that you'll find employment if you do because Japanese ads a lot of times try to imitate the Western appeal (they have AXE commericals there! How else would they do it in a traditional, Japanese style lol). Until then, I'll be talking to graphic ad agencies in NYC so that if I get a job there, we'll have clients from Japanese industries. That's the way I think about it, even though I'll probably want to live in NYC over Tokyo anyway :-) Good luck