11 Job Boards in Japan for Finding Exceptional Talent

Japanese professionals have always been synonymous with hard work and superior discipline. Adding such high performers to the team can make a world of difference to any business, so companies are going above and beyond to make themselves attractive to top talent in Japan.

If you need a leg up over the competition, you should explore some of the many online job boards frequented by Japanese jobseekers. Proper positioning on the right platform can help you stand out and uncover numerous experts in any industry.

Our review of the top 11 job boards in Japan will make your search for the best option a breeze. You’ll learn what makes each board stand out and how it can help you find the right match for your vacancy.

#1 Daijob

Daijob is among the best job boards for finding bilingual Japanese talent. It has over 540,000 registered candidates, over 70% of whom have at least business-level English proficiency. You can choose the language of the interface and the job posts between English and Japanese, making the platform suitable for local and international businesses alike. 

The platform also has a resume database with over 120,000 CVs that you can access with any of the plans. There’s no free job posting, and there’s a two-month minimum commitment at the following prices:

1. Single (1 ad)—480,000 JPY 
2. Standard (5 ads)—820,000 JPY
3. Premium (10 ads)—1,148,000 JPY

Besides the number of posts, the plans vary in the number of the so-called Scout Emails, which are used to contact the candidates from the resume database.

Businesses with extensive hiring needs can opt for longer service duration. The monthly cost drops as the period extends, but it’s still relatively high.

Source: Daijob

Each plan includes employer branding features, like the Company Page and Feature Article. You can craft a compelling write-up about your company to attract high-performing candidates.

For extra exposure, you can get featured on various homepage banners. The cost of this add-on spans between 150,000 JPY per week and 2,000,000 JPY per month, depending on the exact placement.

While Daijob is a popular, feature-rich board, it’s not for everyone due to hefty costs. You should compare several options before deciding if it’s worth the investment. 

#2 Careerjet Japan

Careerjet is an international job board with a dedicated Japanese site that gets around 200,000 monthly visits according to Similarweb’s three-month average.

Posting a job costs 10,000 JPY, and the price per post decreases if you opt for bundles:

1. 3 posts—21,000 JPY 
2. 5 posts—30,000 JPY 
3. 10 posts—50,000 JPY

If you need to advertise more vacancies, you can contact Careerjet for a custom plan. You can also choose subscription-based packages with varying numbers of monthly posts:

1. 5 posts—25,000 JPY
2. 10 posts—40,000 JPY
3. 20 posts—60,000 JPY

The above plans will get you a spot on the board without any extra features. If you want to boost your chances of attracting the best candidates, you can rank your job at the top of the search results for 5,000 JPY. Your post will enjoy the premium placement for two weeks, after which it will return to its regular position. 

Careerjet partners with various ATS platforms to let users integrate their solutions. Some of the most popular systems include:

• Hikoma
• Findin
• HR Ads Platform
• SmartPage
• Jobole

If your ATS of choice isn’t on the list, you can reach out to Careerjet for integration details.

The board’s main disadvantage is the lack of an English version of the platform, so it’s not ideal for international hiring. It also doesn’t have a resume database, which puts it at a disadvantage compared to many competitors. Affordable tiers somewhat make up for this, so it’s a great budget-friendly solution.

#3 BizReach

If you’re ready to splurge on hiring in Japan, BizReach is an excellent premium option. It has a massive pool of over 1.7 million registered candidates, with 20,000 new users joining monthly. 

After signing up, you’ll get a free resume search trial to assess the platform’s candidate availability. It’s the only freebie you’ll get as there are no free job posts. You can choose between two plans, both offering unlimited job posts and resume search:

Besides the base fee, you’ll pay the so-called “success fee” equaling 15% of the applicant’s annual income. Even without the additional cost, BizReach is among the most expensive platforms on the Japanese market and, therefore, not for everyone.

You do get a high-quality service for your money. On top of posting ads and searching resumes, you’ll have access to the platform’s experts and consultants, who can help you craft compelling ads and support various stages of the hiring process.

Still, this exceeds an average recruiter’s needs and might be redundant if you’re only looking to advertise open positions, which you can’t do without a comprehensive plan. The board is also not the best option for recruiters who don’t speak Japanese as there’s no English version of the platform or its job posts.

#4 Jobs in Japan

Founded in 1998, Jobs in Japan is a reputable board with over 75,000 unique monthly visitors. It may not offer mind-blowing exposure like some larger competitors, but the variety of features and great value for money make it stand out. Another benefit is the number of posts in English, which dominate the board.

The platform doesn’t offer free posting—you can choose from three plans:

1. Standard—16,500 JPY 
2. Advanced—27,500 JPY
3. Premium—38,500 JPY

The Standard plan is pretty limited and only offers a place on the board and the platform’s weekly newsletter with around 40,000 subscribers. You can get handy add-ons as you move up the tiers, with key extra features like resume access only available with Premium.

Source: Jobs in Japan

If you end up enjoying the board’s features and want to use it regularly, you can save up by opting for bundles:

Source: Jobs in Japan

Regardless of the tier, you can reap quite a few benefits like Google for Jobs syndication and built-in candidate tracking with a video interview tool. Pair this with decent exposure, and you get a solid board worth considering.

#5 J-Sen

J-Sen is a popular hub for fresh graduates and young professionals. Almost half of the talent pool is 19–24 years old, and the board is dominated by freelancers from various industries. It’s also an excellent board for women, who comprise 61% of all registered users. 

Source: J-Sen

The platform has a unique way of helping you get started. If you’re a first-time user, J-Sen’s team will first schedule a consultation to understand your needs and introduce their solution. You can then post on the board and start attracting candidates. This is convenient if you’re new to digital job boards, but it might be a nuisance if you want to start posting right away without extra steps. 

The board has two pricing models:

1. Success-based—From 50,000 JPY, depending on the location you’re targeting. Instead of a flat upfront fee, you pay a percentage of the hired recruit’s annual salary
2. Listing based—Variable, you must reach out to J-Sen for details

The price might be slightly above average, but your job will stay online until you hire someone, and you won’t make any payments beforehand. You might get a discount if you’re a non-profit, which you can request through the inquiry form.

The platform doesn’t seem to offer any extra features, like resume access or candidate matching. Another drawback is that the interface and job posts are in Japanese, which is not convenient for international hiring. 

Additional 6 Japan Job Boards

For further exposure, you can also consider placing your job ad on the following 6 Japanese job boards:

Bolster Your Candidate Sourcing Efforts by Advertising Your Vacancy Around the World

If you’re operating remotely and recruiting internationally, you might want to cast a wider net than solely advertising in Japan. 

We’ve reviewed the best job boards in various countries across continents, breaking down language and currency barriers, so you can choose where your next employee will come from without doing any of the legwork.