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:

• Own the end-to-end accounts payable cycle: process supplier invoices, match to purchase orders and receipts, and resolve exceptions.
• Handle Japanese-language invoices, credit notes and supplier correspondence, including 請求書 and qualified-invoice (インボイス制度) requirements.
• 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.
• Prepare and execute payment runs, ensuring correct bank details, currency, withholding tax and payment terms.
• Reconcile supplier statements and the AP sub-ledger to the general ledger, investigating and clearing differences.
• Prepare and post month-end journals — accruals, prepayments, provisions — and support a timely close.
• Own the reconciliation of assigned balance sheet accounts, including bank, intercompany and accrued expenses.
• Maintain the general ledger and ensure transactions are coded accurately and consistently.
• Prepare monthly management reporting packs with variance commentary.
• Support cash management: payment forecasting, bank postings and short-term cashflow reporting.
• Act as the finance team's Japanese-language interface with suppliers, banks, tax agents and the Japan-based team.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Native or near-native written and spoken Japanese - mandatory
• Fluent in English (verbal and written) - mandatory
• Around 3–5 years of accounting experience covering month-end close, reconciliations and transactional finance.
• 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.
• Sound understanding of double-entry bookkeeping and core accounting principles.
• Strong Excel skills — pivot tables, lookups, large-volume data handling and reconciliation techniques.
• Experience with an accounting system such as Sage and / or Oracle Fusion
• Accuracy and attention to detail, with the discipline to reconcile properly rather than round off.
• Proven ability to work independently and manage deadlines in a remote or distributed team.
• Clear written communication — in a remote role, most of your work is handed over in writing.