Kasun Perera sat across from us in a small café near Shibuya crossing, a laptop bag over his shoulder and the unmistakable look of someone who has built a life exactly as they imagined it.
Eighteen months ago, he was a software engineering graduate in Colombo with a degree from Moratuwa University, a dream of working in Japan, and exactly zero Japanese language skills.
The Decision
"I'd been applying to companies in Australia and Singapore," Kasun told us, "but I kept reading about how Japan has this incredible demand for software engineers and the salaries are competitive. The problem was obvious — you need Japanese."
He found Susurrus Education through a Facebook group for Sri Lankans interested in Japan. He enrolled in the JLPT N5 Foundations course on a Saturday morning, nervous and uncertain.
The Grind
What followed was 18 months of consistent study. N5, then N4, then the Interview Preparation module that Kasun calls "the real turning point."
"The interview prep was unlike anything I expected. We didn't just learn vocabulary — we learned how to think and communicate in a Japanese professional context. The mock interviews with feedback were brutal but invaluable."
His JLPT N3 pass opened doors. His interview preparation opened them wider.
The Outcome
Kasun now works as a backend engineer at a 50-person tech startup in Shibuya. He joined us via video from his apartment in Sangenjaya, a quiet residential neighbourhood southwest of Tokyo.
"My Japanese is still improving every day. But the foundation Susurrus gave me — not just the language, but the cultural understanding — that's what got me through the door and keeps me growing."
For students considering the same path, his advice is simple: "Start. The first month feels impossible. The second month feels hard. By the sixth month, you'll be surprised by yourself."
