Welcome. This is the course I built and refined over years of helping people in Japan — many of them English teachers — become professional software engineers. If you are considering the switch, or already committed to it, this is the path I would walk you through in person.
What this guide is
A sequenced, practical path from "I have never coded" to "I have a job offer." It is opinionated on purpose. There are a thousand ways to learn to code; this is the one I have watched actually work, again and again.
It moves through five stages:
| Stage | What you are doing |
|---|---|
| Getting Started | Deciding this is for you, and trying code before you commit |
| Foundations | Learning to code — bootcamp or self-taught |
| Building Real Things | The TODO-app project, a portfolio, and real team experience |
| Interview Prep | Algorithms, system architecture, and cracking the interview |
| Landing the Job | Résumé, applications, and the Japan market |
How to use it
- Go in order. Each chapter builds on the last.
- Do, don't just read. Every chapter ends with something to actually do. The doing is the learning.
- Get unstuck fast. When you hit a wall — and you will — join the Discord and ask. Struggling alone for days is the most common way people quit.
- Practice with me. Several stages (mock interviews, architecture whiteboarding, résumé review) are things I'll happily do with you in the community. Don't be shy.
Let's start with the honest question: why get into coding in Japan at all?