[Event Report] Overseas x Tech Skill-up Meetup (Vol. 6) | Tokyo Developer Meetup

Event Recap

Tokyo Developer Meetup | Overseas x Tech Skill-up Meetup Report | NPO Red Look

We, NPO Red Look, champion the slogan "Making World Connection With Skills," and our main activities include supporting Japanese individuals pursuing careers abroad and assisting foreign nationals with employment and career development in Japan. As an initiative to connect our two core pillars—"Overseas Challenge" and "Skill Support"—we held the "Overseas x Tech Skill-up Meetup" on a certain day in August 2025, at Kikakku Creation Inc.'s event space in Shibuya. (This was the 6th installment of this specific meetup format, and our 150th cumulative related event.)

The event aimed to provide a practical space for foreign and Japanese engineers residing in Japan to study, network, and exchange knowledge beneficial to their respective careers.

Approximately 20 people attended, including engineers, students, individuals interested in working abroad, and foreign nationals seeking engineering jobs in Japan—a highly diverse group. This article reports on the day's activities and provides information about the next event.

---

🎯 Event Objectives and Background: Matching Japanese Who Seek Overseas Challenges with Foreigners Who Seek Employment in Japan

The planning of this near-monthly meetup was driven by the following challenges:

• Foreign engineers new to Japan are looking for opportunities to build their careers here.
• A significant number of Japanese engineers are interested in "overseas employment" and "global work styles."
• However, opportunities for exchange and information sharing are still limited due to linguistic and cultural differences.

Therefore, we adopted the theme "Learn and Connect" and structured the event in the style of "Mokumoku-kai" (focused work session) + LT (Lightning Talk) + Networking. Our concept at NPO Red Look, guided by our slogan "Making World Connection With Skills," is to connect Japanese people aspiring to global careers with foreign nationals seeking employment in Japan, enabling mutual information exchange.

---

📅 The Day's Flow

The event followed the schedule below:

The event is primarily conducted in English. We do not require a specific English proficiency level; even those who are less confident try hard to communicate using translation apps or drawing diagrams. However, we also allow Japanese if participants find English too difficult or prefer it. This flexibility is provided because many foreign engineers are studying Japanese for their job search in Japan, creating demand for opportunities to practice the language.

Ultimately, the event is based on the idea of being able to "speak without worrying about language proficiency and participate casually."

---

💡 Highlights of the Day

1. Mokumoku-kai (Focused Work Session)

Participants primarily worked on the following during the session:

• Personal development projects
• Job searching/consultation (portfolios, résumés, etc.)
• Certification study (AWS, TOEIC, etc.)

There was a quiet period of concentration, but also an atmosphere where people felt comfortable asking questions to their neighbors. It truly became a time to "learn while communicating and loosely connecting."

2. Icebreaker: Introducing Small Exercises

We started incorporating icebreakers into Red Look events from the previous session. We realized that moving straight from self-introductions to the Mokumoku-kai often left participants without a shared topic, making conversations difficult to sustain.

Because we want every attendee to maximize their communication opportunities, we prepared a simple exercise.

The specific problem was about the difference between HTTP and HTTPS.

The exercise had three sections:

• First: Write down the answer from memory without using a phone or computer.
• Second: Use a computer, phone, or AI to write a more detailed description.
• Finally: Participants exchanged opinions and discussed the topic with each other.

The effect was positive, with many people continuing their conversations even after the allocated time was over.

3. LT Session

This time, many of the Lightning Talks (LTs) were presented by individual developers.

The LT session is voluntary (optional), with participants being recruited to present on the spot on the day of the event. This is rooted in our desire for the participants, rather than the organizers, to take ownership and lead the session.

🙋 Participant Feedback

• "I enjoyed the international vibe, being able to talk comfortably in an environment mixing English and Japanese."
• "This is a valuable opportunity to network with overseas engineers outside of work. I will definitely attend next time."
• "The number of presentations was just right, and I could really focus during the Mokumoku-kai."
• "The organizers clearly stated the rules and prohibited actions, so I felt safe from solicitation or sales, which was a relief."

---

🌱 Future Development and Next Event Information

Through this Meetup, we reaffirmed the value of spaces where people can learn across national borders.

We are planning the following developments:

• Continuing the regular monthly event schedule (once per month).
• Considering new formats such as English LT sessions, hackathons, and career consultation sessions (looking for collaborators!).
• Incorporating online streaming to enable participation from regional areas in Japan and overseas.

📢 Next Event Details

• Date: October 26, 2025 (Details to be announced on the Meetup / Connpass pages)
• Venue: Shibuya, Kikakku Creation Inc.

If you wish to participate, please register for the community via the links below to receive the next event announcement as soon as possible.

👉 Meetup Page

👉 Connpass Page For Japanese

---

✨ [A Call to the Next Challenge from Red Look]

While continuous learning is a given for engineers, the experience of "learning and connecting with international peers" is a powerful stimulus that elevates careers to the next level. We hope this Meetup served as that valuable first step.

If you are thinking, "I'm not confident in my English yet," or "My technical level might not be high enough," we urge you to take your first step toward a challenge by joining us next time.

We, NPO Red Look, will continue to support your "Overseas Challenge" and "Skill Up" under our slogan, "Making World Connection With Skills." We sincerely look forward to meeting all passionate challengers at our next event.