One of the Most Important Features of the Japanese Job Hunt: “Company Research”
Researching companies prior to applying and interviewing is an integral and essential step in the Japanese job hunt. It is one of the defining steps that sets it apart from the rest of the world. Unlike most job markets that almost unilaterally emphasize skill fit, Japanese companies place the same importance on how you will fit in with the company culture, goals, and values. Thus, the only way for companies to gauge this during the interview is by talking with prospective talent about their understanding of the company and their possible long-term role.
So, how do you perfect your company research to find and land your dream job in Japan? Host Ruchira Atre met up with two fellow international talents working in Japan to share invaluable wisdom about the topic.
About Our Alumni Guests
Kamonkan (Humanities graduate from Thailand)
She recently signed with a Japanese bank, majored in Japanese to understand anime without subtitles. Her passion for Japan goes beyond anime. She loves sushi so much that when she was an exchange student in Japan, she part-timed at Kura Sushi. In life and in work, Kamonkan-san welcomes new challenges! Today, she continues her language-learning journey in Chinese and Khmer.
Sushant (Computer Science graduate from India)
He recently signed as a bilingual system engineer at a Japanese company, creating system solutions, DX-related HRD from April 2026. He was able to ace an interview with N3 level Japanese, but now is aiming for N2. His interest in Japan continues to grow conversation by conversation with a Japanese native.
3 Main Reasons Why Researching Companies is Important
- To understand how your and the company’s goals can align
- To ace this basic requirement for Japanese job interviews
- To find out if the company is right for you, even before the interview
Step 1: Understanding Your Goals VS. The Company’s Goals
Setting Your Own Goals
When you start your research, it’s not just about finding out about the company, but learning if the company fits your specific skills, values, and interests. This journey will help you find your motivation for applying. If you have a long list of companies you’re interested in or have shown an interest in, your research will also help you narrow down your options.
Before starting your research, it’s important that you know your own goals. What’s your target salary? What are your non-negotiables? Which industry excites you the most? What work do you enjoy doing? What are your values?
Understanding Your Company’s Goals
The next important thing is to try to understand the company’s goals. What are their goals as a general whole, and what is their goal in the context of this job hunt? You can draw a lot of insights from the company’s website. You need to fully understand the company’s vision and mission and how this relates to the kind of workers they’re looking for. From this initial research, you’ll learn about their values, mission, vision, products and services, and what their ideal candidate might be.
Step 2: Make a Well-Informed Decision to Pursue this Company
Before you proceed with your research, ask yourself: Do you really want to work with this company? Do your goals align? What motivates your application with this company? How do your skills, personal and career goals, and values match with the company? Would you want to work with this company for a long time? Japanese companies typically expect longevity in their employees.
If you’re working with FAST OFFER International, you will probably be given a roster of companies interested in you. It’s up to you which companies you want to pursue or drop. Given you’ll be preparing for multiple companies around the same time, it’s best to narrow down your list so you can give your absolute best. You will also have to do a lot more research if you decide they’re worth the effort.
Step 3: Know everything about the company
Once you’re fully decided on a company, you have to get to know them thoroughly.
Where to find Company Information
- Essential Primary Sources
- Company Website
- Company Review Websites
- Complementary Secondary Sources
- Social Media
- Company Seminars
- Job Listings on Job Hunting Websites
- Bonus Sources
- Print Material and News – extra points if you can quote your interviewer from an article you read
- Networking with Seniors
- Asking Family, Friends, and Acquaintances – always take what they say with a grain of salt
- Glassdoor – read both the good and bad reviews
Information Checklist
- Company name
- Industry
- Year established
- Capital
- Turnover
- Number of employees
- Average age
- Location of headquarters and offices
- Working hours
- Salary and benefits
- Benefits
- Corporate Philosophy
- Product/Service Information
- Strengths
- Weakness
Also, make sure you ask yourself the following:
- Particular company products/services you like or use?
- Do you know what kind of job position you are interviewing for?
- What are the specific skills that qualify you for that position?
- Does the company’s mission and vision resonate with you?
Step 4: Prepare a Self PR that shows your goals align with the company’s
What is a Self PR? It’s a quick self introduction that encapsulates what makes you unique and how your goals, interests, and values overlap with the company’s. A common mistake with this, though, is answering in a way you think the company will like. If you misrepresent yourself in order to seem like the perfect applicant, they might automatically disqualify you if they catch your lie.
Step 5: Prepare for Commonly Asked Questions
With all the research in your head, go over commonly asked questions. It’s important to go beyond memorization. Most of the questions asked will not appear 1:1. A clear understanding of your reasoning will allow you to answer the same, no matter how it’s phrased. The best way to prepare for this is through a mock interview.
Step 6: Craft your Reverse Questions
Reverse questions typically cap off a Japanese job interview. This is when the interviewer asks the seemingly innocuous question: Do you have questions for me?
This question gauges the following things from prospective candidates:
- Your genuine interest in the company
- The completeness of your company research
If you ask a generic question or ask something that’s answered on their company website, that can reflect badly on you. Using your thorough research, try to gauge what’s not publicly available information, what their possible room for growth is, or the particular ways you can get involved or help with the company.
Common mistakes when researching Japanese companies
- Getting the company name wrong! This sounds silly, but it’s an easy enough mistake. For example, YAMAHA Motors is different from YAMAHA Music. Make sure you’re research is based on the right company and subsidiary.
- Blindly relying on AI! AI has been normalized in most people’s lives. However, it’s very typical of AI to misquote and hallucinate. If you’re basing answers on AI’s mistakes, then this can be very bad for you. It’s important to double-check any information you got using AI.
- Sharing your research with a friend! If you and your friend are going for the same company, and you use one document with all your combined research, this can be detrimental. Especially if you share prepared answers or your prepared reverse question, the company might detect that your answers are too similar. In those cases, you might not get the job.
What’s Next?
Learned something new? Learn more and make sure you attend our next free Work in Japan 101 Webinar. Susbscribe to our Monthly Career Guide Newsletter to keep track of upcoming webinars or watch our Webinar home page.
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