The classic way · Open now

Become an expert in coding

From never having coded to your first engineering job.

A practical, sequenced path into software development, expanded from the workflow I've used to help many people in Japan switch careers (often from English teaching) into engineering. Walk it stop by stop: every stage unlocks new moves, and the big milestones earn you a new belt.

For: Career-changers, beginners, and job hunters

Start here: Introduction — How This Guide Works

Ranks you earn on this path

white belt
green belt
brown belt
black belt

Stage 1 of 6

Getting Started

Introduction — How This Guide WorksWhat this guide is, who it is for, and how to get the most out of it.Stop 1 of 12 · 1 min

Why Software Engineering in Japan?The honest case for switching into coding in Japan — the pay, the environment, and the reality checks you should know going in.Stop 2 of 12 · 2 min

See If Coding Is Right For YouBefore you commit months of your life, spend a few hours actually writing code to find out whether you enjoy it.Stop 3 of 12 · 1 min

New moves unlocked

Explain why engineering is a real path for you
Run your first lines of code
Decide if this career fits before betting on it

Rank up: white belt 🎉

Stage 2 of 6

Foundations

Learn to Code: Bootcamp or Self-TaughtThe two real paths to the foundations — a Tokyo bootcamp or self-teaching with online courses — and exactly what to learn first.Stop 4 of 12 · 2 min

New moves unlocked

Pick your training route: bootcamp or self-taught
Study to a plan instead of tutorial-hopping

Stage 3 of 6

Building Real Things

Build Your First Project: The TODO AppWhy a humble todo app is the perfect first project — and how to build it twice, first in vanilla JS and then with a modern stack.Stop 5 of 12 · 2 min

Build Your PortfolioYour GitHub is your developer portfolio — and most interviewers will actually look at it. Here's how to make it count.Stop 6 of 12 · 1 min

Get Involved in the CommunityThe single biggest differentiator — joining a real, production open-source project and getting genuine team experience.Stop 7 of 12 · 2 min

New moves unlocked

Build and deploy a real app end to end
Show a portfolio that is not tutorials
Ship code with a real team

Rank up: green belt 🎉

Stage 4 of 6

Interview Prep

Data Structures & AlgorithmsHow to prepare for the coding whiteboard — the data structures, algorithms, and Big-O fluency you need to pass technical interviews.Stop 8 of 12 · 2 min

System ArchitectureHow to prepare for the architecture/system-design interview — the building blocks, the scaling story, and how to reason out loud on a whiteboard.Stop 9 of 12 · 3 min

Cracking the InterviewPulling it together — study Cracking the Coding Interview, then practice the whiteboard, architecture, and behavioral loops until they're second nature.Stop 10 of 12 · 2 min

New moves unlocked

Solve DS&A problems out loud
Whiteboard a system design
Walk a full interview loop without surprises

Rank up: brown belt 🎉

Stage 5 of 6

Landing the Job

Get Ready to ApplySharpen your résumé, then apply strategically — including a candid tier list of companies in Japan and how to sequence your interviews.Stop 11 of 12 · 2 min

New moves unlocked

Target companies with a tiered strategy
Send applications that survive the screen

Stage 6 of 6

Practice

Practice Interview QuestionsA couple of real interview problems to practice with — and an open invitation to work through them together.Stop 12 of 12 · 2 min

New moves unlocked

Prove it: solve real interview questions end to end

Rank up: black belt 🎉

End of the path: your first offer.

The dojo door stays open. Come back, keep training, and mentor the next person walking it.

Next course · Coming soon

Learn the new Agentic Coding way

The second course, for people who can already build software and can feel the job changing under them. Learn to direct agents instead of out-typing them: specs machines can execute, harnesses that make autonomy safe, and verification sharp enough to trust the output.

See what it covers