To succeed in technical interviews at Japanese companies, it's essential to understand what they're really looking for. This guide offers practical approaches to interview success, based on real experiences of engineers working in Japan and insights from hiring managers.
Introduction
The hiring process at Japanese companies has unique characteristics. While technical skills are certainly important, communication ability and teamwork tend to be valued even more.
In the IT industry, Western-style interviews that emphasize technical expertise have become relatively common. However, as Japanese companies, the culture of valuing harmony is often reflected in interviews to some degree. The key to receiving high marks is not just showcasing technical skills, but also demonstrating an attitude that shows you can work smoothly as part of a team.
This article systematically covers what's required in technical interviews at Japanese companies, explaining the technical skills, mindset, and effective preparation methods needed to land an offer, complete with real examples.
Preparing for Cultural Differences
Japanese companies are deeply rooted in values of harmony, humility, and mutual respect. Before your interview, thoroughly research the company's history, philosophy, and latest business developments, and organize how these connect with your career vision.
Particularly important is having a clear answer to "Why this company?" Japanese companies value your understanding of their products and your willingness to work long-term. If you can explain specific reasons why you chose this company over competitors, you can give interviewers confidence that "this person will thrive here for the long haul."
Understanding Japanese Employment Practices
Compared to Western countries, Japan has stricter dismissal regulations. Companies cannot easily fire employees once hired. That's why enthusiasm at the time of hiring and empathy for the product are valued. Understanding this background will help you better grasp the intent behind interview questions.
Being Proactive with Language
Even if the interview is primarily in English, there may be some interaction in Japanese. It doesn't have to be perfect. Rather, the effort to learn Japanese itself is valued as a sign of your willingness to understand and adapt to Japanese culture.
In interviews, emphasize your contributions to the team rather than boasting about individual achievements. Being modest while answering with confidence leads to positive evaluations at Japanese companies.
Communication in Technical Interviews
Japanese interviewers value your thought process as much as arriving at the correct answer.
If your understanding of a problem is unclear, don't hesitate to ask for clarification. Confirming with phrases like "My understanding is that... Is this interpretation correct?" actually makes a good impression. While coding, it's important to voice what you're thinking, why you chose that approach, and what other options exist.
Even if you don't reach the optimal solution, you can still receive a good evaluation if you convey logical thinking and your approach to the problem.
Understanding Technical Test Formats
Coding Interviews
The most common format where you code in front of an interviewer. Problems focus on understanding data structures and algorithms, and you can usually choose your preferred language unless specified otherwise. While similar to Western company formats, there tends to be more emphasis on explaining your solution.
System Design Tests
Tests that assess your ability to design large-scale systems. These also follow formats similar to Western companies with few Japan-specific elements, though practicality of implementation and cost awareness may be evaluated.
Take-Home Technical Assignments
An increasingly common format where you work on a project similar to actual product development over about a week.
Example assignments:
- Backend implementation of an e-commerce site based on specifications
- Building a simple OAuth server
- Designing and implementing a RESTful API
After submission, you'll be asked detailed questions about your implementation in an interview:
- The intent of your code and reasons for design decisions
- Rationale for framework selection
- Implementation trade-offs
- Extensibility when adding new features
You need to prepare not just to submit working code, but to answer these questions.
Strategies for Take-Home Assignments
These tests evaluate production-level design thinking. Including the following elements demonstrates your practical abilities:
Essential elements:
- Creating a Technical Design Document
- Implementing comprehensive unit tests
- Clear comments that convey intent
- Error handling implementation
- README.md with environment setup instructions
About Using AI Tools
An increasing number of companies accept the use of AI coding assistance tools like Copilot and Cursor. The ability to effectively utilize these tools is also being evaluated as part of modern engineering skills. However, we recommend confirming with the hiring manager beforehand.
What's important is that you understand AI-generated code and can appropriately modify and optimize it. Be prepared to clearly explain why you chose that implementation and what improvements you made during the interview explanation.
Conclusion
To succeed in technical interviews at Japanese companies, it's important to prepare a balanced combination of technical skills, communication skills, and cultural understanding.
By deepening your algorithmic understanding while practicing to clearly explain your thought process, and simultaneously demonstrating understanding of Japan's harmony-focused culture, you'll be evaluated as an excellent candidate.
If you want to advance your engineering career in Japan to the next stage, check out JapanTechCareers job listings or subscribe to our newsletter for engineers to receive the latest industry trends and job information.
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