Japan legal and compliance postings up 93% in a month, but the weekly pace has cooled from its peak
New roles jumped from 14 to 27 over 30 days, yet weekly postings fell from a peak of 11 to just 5 last week.
is what the typical role asks for. 16% ask for 10 years or more.
60% of open roles state yearsat 61 companies hiring in Japan.
Issue of 2 November 2026is the median time a role stays up before it closes.
Roles closed in the last 90 daysThis week's read
Legal and compliance hiring in Japan picked up sharply this month. In the last 30 days, 61 companies posted 102 open roles, and new postings grew 93%, from 14 to 27 compared with the previous 30 days. But the weekly pace has already eased: postings peaked at 11 in the week of 19 October and fell to 5 by 26 October, a drop of 55% from that peak.
If you are applying, expect roles to ask for real experience. The median role wants at least 5 years, and 16% ask for 10 or more. Only 60% of roles state a years requirement, so many postings leave this open and worth asking about.
Rakuten is the single biggest hirer, with 16 open roles, more than any other company on the list. Accenture and Manulife follow with 5 roles each, then Johnson & Johnson with 4, and Deutsche Bank and Hitachi with 3 each. Together, the top 8 companies hold 39% of all open roles, so a large share of this market sits with just a few employers.
Few roles name specific tools. AI and machine learning is the skill mentioned most, in 10% of postings. Certifications like CAMS and CPA each appear in 2% of roles, and CFA in 1%. Remote work is rare here too, with just 1% of open roles listed as remote.
Most roles target mid-level staff, who make up 59% of titles. Principal-level roles are next at 24%, ahead of senior at 13%. Junior and lead titles each make up a small slice, 3% and 2%.
What this means for you
Three things you can act on this week
- Apply now, pace has slowed
New postings grew 93% over 30 days, but the weekly pace fell from a peak of 11 roles to 5. Act on open roles now rather than waiting for a new wave.
- Know the experience bar
The median role asks for at least 5 years, and 16% want 10 or more. Only 60% of postings state a year requirement, so read each listing closely before ruling yourself out.
- Target the biggest hirers
Rakuten alone holds 16 open roles, and the top 8 companies hold 39% of the market. Start your search with Rakuten, Accenture, Manulife and Johnson & Johnson.
Momentum
New Legal roles each week
Each week counts the same companies, and a role counts as new only in the week it was posted, so a careers site we start reading never shows up as growth.
See the numbers
| Week starting | New roles |
|---|---|
| 7 Sep | 2 |
| 14 Sep | 5 |
| 21 Sep | 3 |
| 28 Sep | 2 |
| 5 Oct | 2 |
| 12 Oct | 9 |
| 19 Oct | 11 |
| 26 Oct | 5 |
Who is hiring
The companies with the most open Legal roles
61 companies are hiring. The top eight hold 39% of the open roles.
| Company | Open roles | Change in new roles |
|---|---|---|
| Rakuten | 16 | |
| Accenture | 5 | |
| Manulife | 5 | |
| Johnson & Johnson | 4 | |
| Deutsche Bank | 3 | |
| Hitachi | 3 | |
| Adyen | 2 | |
| Amazon | 2 |
Change compares new roles in the last 30 days with the 30 days before, shown where a company posted 25 or more in the earlier 30 days. Staffing agencies are left out. A company name links to its Ashney company page where there is one.
What they ask for
The technology Legal roles ask for most
Ask Rate is the share of roles that name a skill, from 99 postings read in full. Ways of working (methods such as Agile, tools such as Jira) are listed apart; office tools and soft skills are left out.
Ways of working
Industries named most: Pharmaceuticals 9%, AML 8%, Asset management 7%. Certifications named: CAMS 2%, CPA 2%, CFA 1%. 1% of open roles say they are remote.
Cite this report