oh yes, and that said, if you are willing to go with no pay, i think you have a pretty decent chance at many big firms. but of course, tokyo is... chotto takai
some American firms, like KPF for example, put a tokyo address on their cards because it looks prestigious, but in fact it's nothing but a desk with a phone and a secretary waiting for asian projects to bring back to new york.
most of the kids at my school have worked for sejima, ito, isozaki, etc, and they ALL work for free as interns. In fact they compete for the honor, along with scholarship wielding foreigners who also offer to work for free. Very tough to get in cold-call style, but might get lucky.
If you are looking for a real job then pay gets better but often is the total shits if you are doing it Japanese style. Working hours are typically 50 - 80 hours a week (or more) depending on who you are working for. And this all assumes you have a visa. If you don't my advice is to be prepared for a seriously depressing job hunt.
As far as English speaking goes, Tokyo is not even remotely bilingual so if you want to do real work its a good idea to know more than survival level Japanese.
Having said all that it might be possible to get a job with the super developers, like mitsubushi, nikken sekkei and so on. they are large enough that an English speaker might be useful in the office.
Or you can try Gensler, HOK, and that sort. they may have an easier chance of getting you a visa if you need one.
I'm not saying don't try, but be prepared for a trying time if you decide to go for it.
Gensler Tokyo will accept non-Japanese (English) speakers. Gensler will sponsor visas, and has a slightly better work hours than other Japanese firms - and pays better too. Not a lot of ground up architecture, but interesting blend of office, interiors, and brand projects.
yup. When I posted in 2005 I was a student at U of Tokyo, watching my classmates work for Ando, Sejima, etc. "It was a different time" sounds trite, but it is true. In the last 20 years working for free was challenged quite a bit and the famous offices have professionalized a little. Even so, internships remain a poor choice. Hiring non Japanese speakers is more common now than before as well, however speaking only for my own office, which is small, we are careful to limit the number of non-Japanese speakers/writers in our office because it is places a hard limit on the scope of work they can engage in. We have sponsored a number of visas over the years and that too has become much easier. However the scope of work issue remains a problem. Model making, sure. Working with non-English clients and teams, also OK. But drawings for work in japan need to be done in Japanese and it is hard to take notes at meetings if you cant understand what anyone is saying. A non-Japanese speaking life is possible, but still limited.
Nov 17, 23 10:47 am ·
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English speaking firms in Tokyo?
Know of any English speaking firms in Tokyo? or know how one might find a job or where to look for jobs in Tokyo w/ survival level Japanese?
anyone?
(but you better bring you own spinach, pops ... over there its seaweed or nada)
moshi moshi?
yup, as far as i know klein dytham is it. and i'm pretty sure they get a million applications a year.
bigger or more famous ones like toyo ito, maki, or shigeru ban might be somewhat english-friendly.
and don't know what position you're looking for, but as far as i know, no one pays interns.
oh yes, and that said, if you are willing to go with no pay, i think you have a pretty decent chance at many big firms. but of course, tokyo is... chotto takai
would there be any english/american firms w/ offices in tokyo?
i.e. som, kpf, oma......
i am looking for an entry postiton.. (have my masters and 2 yrs exp.)
are you serious no one pays interns
both fumihiko maki and kengo kuma are english friendly.
been to both offices.
yup, generally no pay and you are a total slave - 18 hour days.
geno is not exaggerating. its for real.
you may want to check rtkl:
http://www.rtkl.com/contact.aspx
they are located in the states, europe and asia.
some American firms, like KPF for example, put a tokyo address on their cards because it looks prestigious, but in fact it's nothing but a desk with a phone and a secretary waiting for asian projects to bring back to new york.
most of the kids at my school have worked for sejima, ito, isozaki, etc, and they ALL work for free as interns. In fact they compete for the honor, along with scholarship wielding foreigners who also offer to work for free. Very tough to get in cold-call style, but might get lucky.
If you are looking for a real job then pay gets better but often is the total shits if you are doing it Japanese style. Working hours are typically 50 - 80 hours a week (or more) depending on who you are working for. And this all assumes you have a visa. If you don't my advice is to be prepared for a seriously depressing job hunt.
As far as English speaking goes, Tokyo is not even remotely bilingual so if you want to do real work its a good idea to know more than survival level Japanese.
Having said all that it might be possible to get a job with the super developers, like mitsubushi, nikken sekkei and so on. they are large enough that an English speaker might be useful in the office.
Or you can try Gensler, HOK, and that sort. they may have an easier chance of getting you a visa if you need one.
I'm not saying don't try, but be prepared for a trying time if you decide to go for it.
Gensler Tokyo will accept non-Japanese (English) speakers. Gensler will sponsor visas, and has a slightly better work hours than other Japanese firms - and pays better too. Not a lot of ground up architecture, but interesting blend of office, interiors, and brand projects.
yup. When I posted in 2005 I was a student at U of Tokyo, watching my classmates work for Ando, Sejima, etc. "It was a different time" sounds trite, but it is true. In the last 20 years working for free was challenged quite a bit and the famous offices have professionalized a little. Even so, internships remain a poor choice. Hiring non Japanese speakers is more common now than before as well, however speaking only for my own office, which is small, we are careful to limit the number of non-Japanese speakers/writers in our office because it is places a hard limit on the scope of work they can engage in. We have sponsored a number of visas over the years and that too has become much easier. However the scope of work issue remains a problem. Model making, sure. Working with non-English clients and teams, also OK. But drawings for work in japan need to be done in Japanese and it is hard to take notes at meetings if you cant understand what anyone is saying. A non-Japanese speaking life is possible, but still limited.
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