Japanese-Speaking Finance Accountant
We are looking for a Finance Accountant who is equally comfortable working in Japanese and English to join our client’s finance team. This is a hands-on role at the centre of client’s day-to-day accounting: you will own a defined part of the month-end close, keep the ledgers clean and reconciled, and act as the finance point of contact for our Japanese-language stakeholders — whether that means suppliers, clients, auditors or colleagues in the Japan business. Because much of the source documentation, correspondence and local reporting is in Japanese, native or near-native Japanese is essential to the role rather than a nice-to-have.
Working hours ~09:00 - 18:00 (morning shift)
This opportunity is open only to candidates based in the Philippines
Key Responsibilities:
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Own the end-to-end accounts payable cycle: process supplier invoices, match to purchase orders and receipts, and resolve exceptions.
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Handle Japanese-language invoices, credit notes and supplier correspondence, including 請求書 and qualified-invoice (インボイス制度) requirements.
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Manage the AP inbox and act as first point of contact for supplier queries in Japanese and English, chasing missing documentation and clearing aged items.
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Prepare and execute payment runs, ensuring correct bank details, currency, withholding tax and payment terms.
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Reconcile supplier statements and the AP sub-ledger to the general ledger, investigating and clearing differences.
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Prepare and post month-end journals — accruals, prepayments, provisions — and support a timely close.
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Own the reconciliation of assigned balance sheet accounts, including bank, intercompany and accrued expenses.
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Maintain the general ledger and ensure transactions are coded accurately and consistently.
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Prepare monthly management reporting packs with variance commentary.
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Support cash management: payment forecasting, bank postings and short-term cashflow reporting.
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Act as the finance team's Japanese-language interface with suppliers, banks, tax agents and the Japan-based team.
Requirements
Required Skills & Experience:
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Native or near-native written and spoken Japanese - mandatory
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Fluent in English (verbal and written) - mandatory
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Around 3–5 years of accounting experience covering month-end close, reconciliations and transactional finance.
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Part-qualified or qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA, CIMA, CPA, 日商簿記 2級 or above, or equivalent), or qualified by experience with a demonstrable track record.
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Sound understanding of double-entry bookkeeping and core accounting principles.
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Strong Excel skills — pivot tables, lookups, large-volume data handling and reconciliation techniques.
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Experience with an accounting system such as Sage and / or Oracle Fusion
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Accuracy and attention to detail, with the discipline to reconcile properly rather than round off.
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Proven ability to work independently and manage deadlines in a remote or distributed team.
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Clear written communication — in a remote role, most of your work is handed over in writing.
Highlights
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Originally posted on Himalayas