I think the options you have listed are pretty accurate. If you are a working for a large multi-national then getting an internal transfer to the Japan office is probably the best way to move to Japan.

As for companies in Japan, there is a wide range. From very old fashioned businesses where programming is seen as simple grunt work to modern development shop that keep up with industry best practices. If you don't speak Japanese you will limit your options, but filtering for English speaking workplaces will probably leave you with a smaller number of better companies.

Start off by taking a look at the English speaking expat focused job sites [1][2].

If you have a university degree and can get hired by a company in Japan the visa situation is very straightforward. No lotteries or waiting lists, just a few forms.

You would be right in saying that salaries tend to be lower. This article[3] from JapanDev is a good starting point. Cost of living is also lower, depending on your lifestyle. Inflation is starting to catch up with Japan so it's not clear what things will be like in the future.

[1] https://japan-dev.com/

[2] https://www.tokyodev.com/

[3] https://japan-dev.com/blog/software-developer-salaries-in-ja...