In today's episode, I’m sharing a conversation with Austin Zeng, a native of Singapore who first came to Japan on the MEXT scholarship, and is now actively involved in the startup space there. He’s a developer, translator and interpreter, blogger, and even participates in a Japanese think tank. Some topics covered in today's episode include the ways in which the Japanese government is trying (and in some ways failing) to support foreign students who want to work in Japan, the common pitfalls that foreign students face in Japan, as well as thoughts on balancing integration with maintaining the unique value foreign workers have to offer the country.

Today's Japanese:

term: とくてい　ぎのう（ビザ）

to-ku-te-i gi-no-u (bi-za)

kanji: 特定　技能（ビザ）

meaning: special/designated skill (visa)

Austin's Links:

Blog: https://austin-zeng.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-zeng-120a4563/

MEXT Scholars Association official website: https://mextsa.org/

MEXT Scholars Association Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mextscholars

Related Episodes:

How to Make it Big in Japan: Navigating Culture, Burnout, and Entrepreneurship with Misha Yurchenko: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/How-to-Make-it-Big-in-Japan-Navigating-Culture--Burnout--and-Entrepreneurship-with-Misha-Yurchenko-et1045

Communicating Your Value in the Japanese Job Market with Sam Thornton: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Communicating-Your-Value-in-the-Japanese-Job-Market-with-Sam-Thornton-ervoi9

Obstacles, Trends, and Ideas for Addressing the Japanese Talent Shortage with Alan Acosta: https://anchor.fm/businesssuccessjapan/episodes/Obstacles--Trends--and-Ideas-for-Addressing-the-Japanese-Talent-Shortage-with-Alan-Acosta-es7iep

Additional MEXT Scholarship Information: https://www.transenzjapan.com/blog/

Want to support the podcast? Check the podcast's ko-fi page to help keep me well-caffeinated: https://ko-fi.com/businesssuccessjapan

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¿Por qué elegí a mi pareja? - Lunes 24 de Noviembre del 2025

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