Fifteen years have passed since Rakuten and Uniqlo declared English as their official language in 2010. Today, many companies in Japan are establishing English-speaking environments and accelerating the recruitment of foreign IT engineers.
However, even when companies claim to have “English as an official language” the actual environments can vary significantly between organizations.
This article introduces 50 Japanese companies where you can work in English.
[2025 Latest] 50 English-Speaking Companies Popular with Foreign Engineers
The following 50 companies were independently selected based on these criteria
- Quality of English environment
- Track record and ratio of foreign engineer recruitment
- Support systems for foreign talent
- Employee reviews and reputation
- 2024-2025 recruitment trends
Major Tech Companies with English Environments and Recruitment Status (15 Companies)
Rakuten Group, Inc.
As a pioneer in English adoption, Rakuten has been developing an English environment since 2010. Approximately 50% of engineers are foreign nationals, with particularly active recruitment in AI, cloud, and e-commerce platform departments.
Over 90% of employees have TOEIC scores above 800, and new graduates must achieve 800 points by the time they join the company.
A bilingual environment has taken root, with technical documents and meetings 100% in English, though informal communication also uses Japanese.
Mercari, Inc.
Approximately 40% of engineers are foreign nationals, with the US team operating in a completely English environment.
The “Mercari Anywhere” program, which introduced a full remote work system from 2023 and actively recruits from overseas, has been well-received.
No Japanese language requirements upon joining. Foreign engineers are particularly numerous in AI, machine learning, and platform development teams.
Year-round recruitment for both new graduates and experienced professionals.
LINEYahoo Corporation
The company features an international development environment centered on expansion in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.
Approximately 30% of engineers are foreign nationals, with particularly high recruitment in AI, messenger, and fintech departments. English is the common language between Japanese and Korean engineering teams.
Following the 2023 merger of LINE and Yahoo Japan, the LINE division maintains its English environment.
CyberAgent, Inc.
English environment established primarily in the AI research and development division “ACES”
Foreign engineers comprise about 25% overall, but reach nearly 50% in AI and advertising technology departments.
The annual “Global Challenge” recruitment focuses on acquiring top talent from overseas universities. Recruitment is increasing in metaverse and Web3.0 departments.
DeNA Co., Ltd.
English environment established primarily in gaming, AI, and healthcare departments.
With the global expansion of gaming business, collaboration with overseas creators is increasing. Approximately 40% of the AI and machine learning team are foreign nationals.
The “Global Tech Talent” program launched in 2023 strengthens overseas engineer recruitment. Healthcare AI department recruitment is particularly active.
SoftBank Group Corp.
English environment established primarily in AI, robotics, and IoT departments. SoftBank Vision Fund-related departments operate in a complete English environment.
Many projects with overseas portfolio companies create a global environment.
Foreign engineers exceed 30% in the robotics department. Active recruitment of PhD holders in the AI research institute.
GMO Internet Group
Blockchain and fintech departments have established English environments. With the expansion of cryptocurrency and NFT-related businesses, recruitment of foreign engineers is trending upward.
Development documents are in English, but internal communication often uses Japanese.
Active recruitment in the Gen Z-focused fintech “Coin” department.
NTT DATA, Inc.
English environment established primarily in global project departments. Many collaborations with overseas offices make English standard for international projects. However, company-wide English adoption is limited.
Strengthening recruitment of foreign engineers in global AI and cloud departments.
Active recruitment in large-scale data analysis departments.
Hitachi, Ltd. (Digital Solutions Division)
English environment established primarily in the Lumada brand digital solutions division. International teams are increasing in IoT and smart city projects.
The research and development division has a high ratio of foreign researchers and engineers.
The “Global Digital Talent” program launched in 2024 strengthens overseas recruitment.
Sony Group Corporation
English environment established primarily in R&D and PlayStation divisions. Many foreign engineers in AI, computer vision, and robotics departments.
The “Sony Global Challenge” program focuses on acquiring top talent from overseas universities.
PlayStation division is fully English-compatible and collaborates with studios worldwide.
Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd.
English environment established primarily in the Indeed division. Foreign engineers comprise over 30% in AI, machine learning, and data science departments.
Global product development teams operate in complete English environments with flexible remote work.
Regular “Global Tech Meetups” promote interaction with overseas talent.
Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. (Uniqlo)
English environment being established primarily in digital transformation divisions. While English is the internal official language, reality varies by department.
Expanding recruitment of foreign engineers in supply chain optimization, customer data analysis, and e-commerce departments.
English is the standard language for collaboration projects with Alibaba.
Fujitsu Limited
English environment established primarily in global project departments and AI research institutes.
Active recruitment of foreign researchers and engineers in quantum computing, AI, and supercomputer departments. Many projects in collaboration with research institutes in Germany and the UK.
Company-wide English adoption is limited, but technical documents are standardized in English.
KDDI Corporation (Global Division)
English environment established in next-generation communication technology, 5G/6G R&D departments, and venture investment divisions. International projects are increasing with global telecommunications infrastructure expansion.
Foreign engineers comprise about 15% overall but reach nearly 30% in R&D departments. Active collaboration with international startups through the “KDDI Open Innovation Program”
Dentsu Digital Inc.
English environment established primarily in marketing technology and data analytics departments.
Many international advertising and marketing projects, with English as standard for global client response teams. Recruitment of foreign engineers is increasing in creative technology departments.
The “Global Creative Technology Program” launched in 2024 focuses on overseas talent acquisition.
Startup Companies Actively Recruiting Foreign Talent (15 Companies)
SmartHR, Inc.
A growing company providing HR and labor management SaaS platforms.
Approximately 20% of engineers are foreign nationals, with particularly active recruitment in backend and infrastructure departments. Internal documents are progressing toward bilingual Japanese-English support.
The “Global Tech Program” launched in 2023 strengthens overseas talent recruitment. Full remote work system allows work from anywhere in Japan.
LayerX Inc.
A rapidly growing startup in blockchain and fintech sectors. Foreign engineers comprise approximately 35%, with blockchain and smart contract development departments operating in complete English environments.
The bilingual management by founders creates an environment where foreign engineers can thrive.
Strengthened global recruitment from 2024 with full remote work possible. Particularly active recruitment in Web3/DAO sectors.
Preferred Networks, Inc.
A research and development company applying deep learning technology to industrial applications. Approximately 40% of researchers and engineers are foreign nationals, with all research papers and documents in English.
Joint research projects with major domestic companies like Toyota and FANUC also proceed in English.
Active recruitment of PhD holders with many hires from top global universities. Offices in Japan but adopts hybrid work model.
Woven by Toyota
Established in 2021 as Toyota’s mobility-focused subsidiary. Focuses on autonomous driving, smart city, and connected car development.
Strong connections with Silicon Valley, with approximately 30% of engineers being foreign nationals.
All development documents are English-compatible. The “Woven Global Mobility Challenge” program expanded international recruitment from 2024.
BizReach, Inc.
Operates career platforms for high-class professionals. English environment established primarily in AI and machine learning departments, with foreign engineers comprising approximately 25%.
The “Global AI Team” launched in 2023 accelerates overseas talent recruitment.
Bilingual Japanese-English environment with English-standard technical documents. Hybrid work model allows approximately 3 days of remote work per week.
Finatext Holdings
A fintech company providing financial data analysis and trading platforms.
Offices in London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo with complete English environment. Approximately 45% of engineers are foreign nationals, with active recruitment in financial data science and algorithm development departments.
The “Finatext Global Fellowship” program recruits financial tech talent worldwide.
PayPay Corporation
A fintech company providing deferred payment services (acquired by PayPal in 2021). Approximately 40% of engineers are foreign nationals with complete English environment.
The engineering organization maintains relatively independent culture after PayPal acquisition.
Active recruitment of global fintech talent, particularly in risk management and AI departments. Hybrid work model implemented.
Custodiem Inc.
Operates cryptocurrency trading platforms. English is the internal official language with approximately 50% of engineers being foreign nationals.
Active recruitment of blockchain, security, and trading system developers.
Offices in Singapore, Tokyo, and London with global remote work structure. Particularly active recruitment of cryptocurrency industry veterans.
Mercari US
Team developing and operating Mercari’s US market services. Complete English environment with no Japanese language skills required. Approximately 60% of engineers are foreign nationals.
Full remote work possible through “Mercari Anywhere” program.
Unique environment allowing participation in US market product development while residing in Japan. Active recruitment of AI, recommendation engine, and mobile app developers.
HENNGE K.K.
Company providing cloud security services. Approximately 40% of engineers are foreign nationals, with development teams operating in complete English environments.
CEO personally leads English communication and focuses on company-wide English environment development.
Adopts merit-based evaluation system regardless of nationality under “One Global Team” philosophy. Particularly active recruitment in cloud security and IAM fields.
freee K.K.
Company providing cloud accounting and HR software. English environment established primarily in AI and data science departments.
Approximately 20% of engineers are foreign nationals, with active recruitment in backend and cloud infrastructure departments.
Technical documents are progressing toward English support. “Global Developer Program” launched in 2024 strengthens overseas talent recruitment. Adopts hybrid work model.
Wantedly, Inc.
Operates social recruiting platforms. With expansion into Singapore and Hong Kong, development team internationalization is progressing.
Approximately 25% of engineers are foreign nationals, with active recruitment in frontend and mobile development departments. Internal document English adoption is being promoted.
Focuses on Asian recruitment through “Engineering Challenge” program.
VISITS Technologies Inc.
PropTech company providing real estate DX platforms. English environment established primarily in AI and data analysis departments.
Founder is former Google employee, featuring Silicon Valley culture-inspired organization building.
Approximately 30% of engineers are foreign nationals, focusing on data scientist and AI engineer recruitment. Adopts hybrid work model.
Ubie, Inc.
HealthTech company developing AI medical interview platforms. English environment development progressing in development teams with international expansion.
Medical AI R&D departments are fully English-compatible, actively recruiting medical data scientists.
Approximately 20% of engineers are foreign nationals, with strengthened international recruitment from 2023. Also recruits engineers with medical backgrounds.
Lang-8, Inc.
Operates language learning Q&A platform “HiNative.” Internal environment naturally becomes English-speaking due to multilingual service nature.
Approximately 35% of engineers are foreign nationals, with active recruitment in NLP and machine translation fields. Emphasizes cultural diversity recruitment due to global user base.
Remote work-centered work system implemented.
Foreign IT Companies’ Japanese Office Environments (10 Companies)
Google LLC (Google Japan)
Headquartered in Shibuya Stream, the Japanese office has approximately 40% foreign engineers. Complete English environment with no Japanese language skills required.
Many opportunities to participate in global product teams, with particularly active recruitment in mobile, cloud, and AI/ML fields.
“Work from Anywhere” policy introduced in 2023 allows full remote work. Comprehensive relocation support and visa assistance for foreign nationals.
Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd.
Based in Shinagawa office, strengthening engineer recruitment primarily in cloud and AI departments.
Approximately 35% of engineers are foreign nationals, with Azure, AI, and Microsoft 365 development teams operating in complete English environments.
“Flexible Work Policy” introduced in 2022 allows up to 50% remote work. Comprehensive benefits for foreign talent including housing allowances, language support, and medical insurance.
Amazon Web Services Japan G.K.
Based in Meguro Central Square, active engineer recruitment in cloud infrastructure, machine learning, and security fields. Technical positions operate in complete English environment with no Japanese language skills required.
Foreign engineers comprise approximately 30%, with frequent collaboration with global teams.
Adopts hybrid work model with approximately 3 days office attendance as standard. Comprehensive relocation packages for overseas transfers.
Salesforce Japan Co., Ltd.
Based in Nihonbashi, recruitment focuses on CRM and cloud platform development. Technical positions operate in complete English environment.
Emphasizes inclusive corporate culture called “Ohana Culture” actively promoting diversity. “Success from Anywhere” model introduced in 2023 makes hybrid work standard.
Foreign engineers comprise approximately 25%, with many opportunities for global product development participation.
Oracle Corporation Japan
Based in Akasaka office, recruitment centers on cloud infrastructure, database, and enterprise application fields.
Technical positions basically operate in English environment, but Japanese language skills are valued in customer-facing departments. Approximately 20% of engineers are foreign nationals.
Hybrid work model implemented, though some departments have office-based work as standard depending on roles.
IBM Japan, Ltd.
IBM Japan has unique culture that is foreign-owned yet maintains strong Japanese corporate aspects.
Watson, cloud, and quantum computing departments have established English environments with opportunities for international R&D project participation. Approximately 15% of engineers are foreign nationals.
Basically adopts hybrid work, though some departments involve frequent customer site work.
Global recruitment program “IBM Tech Talents” focuses on overseas talent acquisition.
SAP Japan Co., Ltd.
Based in Ebisu Garden Place Tower, recruitment centers on ERP solution and cloud service development.
Development departments operate in complete English environment with no Japanese language skills required. Approximately 30% of engineers are foreign nationals.
“Flex Work” policy allows 2-3 days remote work per week. Many opportunities for global product development team participation with personnel exchange programs with headquarters (Germany).
Adobe Inc.
Based in Yaesu, recruitment centers on Creative Cloud and Document Cloud development.
Technical positions operate in complete English environment, with particularly active recruitment in AI/ML and cloud service development fields. Approximately 25% of engineers are foreign nationals.
“Digital-First Work Experience” introduced in 2022 enables flexible hybrid work. Comprehensive benefits for foreign talent including housing allowances, visa support, and medical insurance.
Cisco Systems G.K.
Based in Shinagawa office, recruitment centers on network technology, security, and cloud infrastructure fields.
Technical positions basically operate in English environment, but some departments requiring customer interaction may need Japanese language skills. Approximately 20% of engineers are foreign nationals.
“Hybrid Work” model makes approximately 3 days office attendance standard.
Global rotation programs provide overseas office work opportunities.
VMware Japan
Based in Shibuya, recruitment centers on cloud infrastructure, virtualization technology, and security fields. R&D departments operate in complete English environment with many opportunities for global product development participation.
Approximately 25% of engineers are foreign nationals. “Distributed Work” policy enables flexible combination of remote and office work.
Engineering culture relatively maintained after 2023 Broadcom acquisition.
Gaming and Entertainment Industry English Environment Companies (10 Companies)
Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
Develops global titles like “Final Fantasy” and “Dragon Quest” English environment established in international departments (especially FF division) with approximately 20% foreign developers.
Strengthening global expansion, “Global Creator Program” launched in 2023 accelerates overseas talent recruitment. Technical documents are progressing toward English support, though game design and planning meetings also use Japanese.
Hybrid work model allows 2-3 days remote work per week.
Bandai Namco Studios Inc. (International Division)
Develops internationally popular titles like “Dragon Ball” “Tekken” and “ELDEN RING”
English environment established in international divisions to accelerate global expansion. Approximately 15% of engineers and artists are foreign nationals. English is standard for North American and European market title development teams, though Japanese environments are also common company-wide.
“Namco Global Talent” program launched in 2024 strengthens overseas university recruitment. Office attendance generally recommended, though some remote work possible.
Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. (International Development Division)
Handles titles like “Sonic Series” “Persona” and “Yakuza”
English environment established in overseas market title development teams with approximately 15% foreign developers. Many joint developments with Western studios make English standard for international projects.
Active recruitment of foreign talent for programmer and technical artist positions. Basically office attendance, though hybrid work possible depending on position and department.
Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (International Division)
Develops global titles like “Metal Gear Solid” and “Winning Eleven” series.
English environment development progressing in international divisions with approximately 10% foreign developers. Strengthening global expansion with increasing collaboration projects with overseas studios.
Technical position English environments established, though company-wide English environment still developing. Basically office-centered work with hybrid work being introduced for some positions.
Capcom Co., Ltd.
Develops global series like “Monster Hunter,” “Resident Evil” and “Street Fighter”
English environment established in overseas title development teams with approximately 15% foreign developers. “Capcom Global Development Program” launched in 2023 strengthens overseas talent recruitment.
Technical documents and tools progressing toward English support, though Japanese also used in planning and management layers. Office attendance generally recommended, though limited remote work possible for some positions.
Cygames, Inc.
Develops mobile and PC games like “Granblue Fantasy” and “Shadowverse”
Focusing on global expansion with increasing foreign talent recruitment in programming and art departments (approximately 20%). Technical documents and development tools progressing toward English support with English standard for international projects.
“Cygames Creative Fellowship” program provided for foreign creators interested in Japanese anime and manga culture. Hybrid work model allows 2-3 days remote work per week.
MIXI, Inc.
Develops hit titles like “Monster Strike”
XFLAG Studio promotes English environment establishment with global expansion strengthening. Approximately 20% of engineers are foreign nationals, with particularly active recruitment in game engine development and server-side departments.
Technical documents progressing toward English support, though Japanese environments remain common in game design and planning. Hybrid work model allows approximately 2-3 days remote work per week. Provides housing support and visa assistance for foreign employees.
CyberConnect2 Co., Ltd.
Handles many titles utilizing anime IP like “NARUTO” series and “Demon Slayer”
Strengthening overseas expansion with approximately 15% foreign developers. Many collaboration projects with Montreal studio make English standard for international teams.
Strong in animation and visual expression, actively recruiting foreign talent for artist positions. Basically office-centered work with limited remote work possible for some positions.
PlatinumGames Inc.
Known for action games like “BAYONETTA” and “NieR:Automata”
Frequent collaboration with overseas publishers makes English usage high in development environments. Approximately 20% of engineers and artists are foreign nationals. “Platinum International Program” launched in 2023 strengthens overseas talent recruitment.
Game design documents and technical materials progressing toward English support.
Hybrid work model allows approximately 2-3 days remote work per week.
FromSoftware, Inc.
Develops globally acclaimed titles like “DARK SOULS” and “ELDEN RING”
English environment establishment progressing with rising international acclaim. Foreign developers comprise approximately 10% overall, but “From Global Talent” program launched in 2024 strengthens overseas talent recruitment.
Technical document English adoption progressing, though Japanese predominates in game design and planning meetings. Office attendance generally recommended with limited remote work being introduced for some positions.
