Japan marketing hiring cools: postings down 19%, weekly pace off 62% from its peak
Rakuten still holds the most open marketing roles in Japan, but its own hiring pace has dropped sharply, and the market's weekly posting volume has eased well below its late-September high.
is what the typical role asks for. 15% ask for 10 years or more.
59% of open roles state years86 new roles in the last 30 days, against 106 the 30 days before, at the same companies.
Companies read for 60 days or moreat 147 companies hiring in Japan.
Issue of 2 November 2026This week's read
Marketing hiring in Japan slowed this month. New postings fell 19% over the last 30 days compared with the 30 days before. The weekly pace tells the same story: the busiest week was the one starting 28 September, and the most recent week logged is down 62% from that high.
Rakuten is still the single biggest employer in this market, with 96 open marketing roles, more than any other company tracked. But its pace of new postings fell 84% over the last 30 days compared with the prior month, the sharpest pullback of any employer here.
Beyond Rakuten, the next biggest names hiring are AstraZeneca, Marriott International, Netflix and Johnson & Johnson. Together, the top 8 employers in this market hold 44% of all open marketing roles, so a small group of companies controls a large share of the openings.
Most roles are aimed at people already a few years into their career. Seven in 10 open roles are listed as mid-level, and the median minimum experience asked for is 5 years. Fifteen percent of postings ask for 10 or more years. Remote work is rare here: only 2% of open roles allow it.
On skills, SQL is the most asked-for, named in 9% of postings. Roles tend to sit open for a while too: the median listing stays open 51 days, so there's no need to rush a decision once you find one that fits.
What this means for you
Three things you can act on this week
- Expect mid-level requirements
70% of open roles are mid-level and the median minimum experience asked is 5 years. If you have fewer years, look for the smaller share of junior-labeled roles instead.
- Watch beyond Rakuten
Rakuten has the most open roles (96) but its new postings fell 84% in the last 30 days. AstraZeneca, Marriott, Netflix and Johnson & Johnson are also actively hiring.
- Don't count on remote
Only 2% of open marketing roles in Japan are remote. Plan for in-office or hybrid work when applying in this market.
Momentum
New Marketing roles each week
Last 30 days: 86 new roles, against 106 the 30 days before (-19%). 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 | 33 |
| 14 Sep | 21 |
| 21 Sep | 5 |
| 28 Sep | 45 |
| 5 Oct | 22 |
| 12 Oct | 14 |
| 19 Oct | 31 |
| 26 Oct | 17 |
Who is hiring
The companies with the most open Marketing roles
147 companies are hiring. The top eight hold 44% of the open roles.
| Company | Open roles | Change in new roles |
|---|---|---|
| Rakuten | 96 | -84% |
| AstraZeneca | 13 | |
| Marriott International | 10 | |
| Netflix | 10 | |
| Johnson & Johnson | 9 | |
| Amgen | 7 | |
| CC | 5 | |
| Disney | 4 |
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 Marketing roles ask for most
Ask Rate is the share of roles that name a skill, from 340 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: E-commerce 10%, Pharmaceuticals 10%, Advertising 9%. Certifications named: JLPT 1%. 2% of open roles say they are remote.
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