There are also some reasons for moving to Japan I cannot recommend. They may well be perfectly valid for some, but they present some dangerous pitfalls. Some, for example, are so enamored with Japanese culture they intend to totally integrate. I can confidently tell you that this is absolutely impossible! You may speak Japanese fluently,, you may know six thousand kanji, you may have lived here over half your life and acquired the Japanese nationality, but by mere virtue of your skin colour you will never be accepted as Japanese.

Such is the homogenous nature of Japan’s society that you will immediately and for evermore be clocked as an outsider. People who insist on going down this difficult path of integration invariably leave Japan bitter and twisted and full of hate. And besides, it is the fact that you are foreign that sets you apart in the job market; it is something you should remember and take note of. No, full integration is impossible, don’t even try it.

Another dubious reason is probably the fact that you “love Japanese games.” A lot more titles get released in Japan than you’ll ever get to know about in the West, despite the internet, and surprisingly, not all of them are great.

Japan’s video game market is as diverse in both genre and quality as the western one, and to base your opinion on Japanese game development as a whole on a small sample of great games is as ludicrous as saying all western games are fantastic because of games like The Sims, Gears of War and, er, Tetris.

You need to be aware that yes, you’ll get a shot at making one of those great titles that fans in the west go ape over, but there is also a very real chance you’ll end up a small cog in a big machine working on a derivative cash-cow game rushed out the door for budgetary reasons. You’ll need to shop around quite a bit before you find the company you’ll be happy at – and as such it is no different than working in game development in the west.

In summary, Japan is not some wonderful, candy-coloured anime and manga, video game paradise; it is just a country no better or worse than any other. It has its good points and its bad points. You’ll enjoy life’s highs and you’ll get deeply frustrated. If you keep realistic expectations you can have a comfortable life over here both in work and in private.

But when would be a good time to make the move? In absolute terms there is no time like the present. Usually companies get their new staff from the massive pool of graduates that flood the job market every spring.

They get them young, keen and cheap and grow them up in-house. Japanese people don’t job-hop so much and often stay at one company for many years. And what with the current growth of technology in the western industry Japan is finding it hard getting new, qualified and experienced staff. A westerner with next-gen experience could find himself in favour.

In relative terms, I’d guess it is a move best made early on in your career. The way the Japanese system works, something I will expound on in more detail in the future, career advancement goes along with age and longevity within a company, as such, lead or managerial positions are very much harder to come by if you’re foreign.

And what with the working conditions and pay structures, again something that will be covered more deeply later, it is best suited to the young and keen. Do get some home-grown experience first, though, as that greatly improves your chances. Employers will be taking a gamble on hiring outsiders already so having to worry about educating them in game development as well may be too much to bear for some.