Fintech is attracting attention not only around the world but also in Japan. In this article, G Talent, a recruitment agency specialized in foreign IT engineers, summarized four advanced IT technologies in Fintech and each job demand in Japan.Fintech Four Key Advanced Technologies in FintechIn this article, we would like to focus on the following four important advanced IT technologies in Fintech.AI/Big DataBlockchainIoTBiometricsNow, we are going to explain each technology one by one, taking into account the current demand for recruitment.AI / Big DataThere are many cases in which big data technology is applied to credit examinations of credit cards and loans, using a large amount of data such as stock price information, economic indexes, and personal financial information.The cost of data analysis is drastically reduced due to cloud servers and distributed processing systems that can process big data, and large amounts of data are collected and processed by using text mining technology and natural language processing technology for data collection and conversion.AI performance has dramatically improved due to deep learning technology developed around 2010. AI technology has begun to be used in various areas of the financial industry, such as automation of counter operations, automatically analyze financial indicators, and buy and sell stocks using big data.Along with that, it is said that the work that people were doing in banks will be replaced by AI and that there is going to be a huge lay off in each bank in the future. Also, it is said that banks that cannot be transformed into IT companies will be eliminated.Job Demand for AI / Big DataIn fact, the recruitment of data engineers and data scientists are increasing at major insurance companies and credit card companies, and by effectively utilizing big data, each company is working to improve operational efficiency and create new services.Also, each bank is focusing on hiring IT engineers, every financial company is looking to become a fintech company.However, there is a shortage of human resources related to big data and AI in Japan. When working in Japan, the language of Japanese is often required, but some Japanese insurance companies do not require it, so there are many fields where foreign IT engineers can play an active role.BlockchainIt would be no exaggeration to say that the first word that comes to mind as fintech technology is “blockchain.” In more technical terms, it is also called “distributed ledger technology”. It is not a centralized type of management, but a network system made to distribute data to computers all over the world and reduce the risk of destruction and tampering.Normally, if you deposit money in a bank, transaction records are maintained by the bank’s central server. But with blockchain technology, the transaction information can be distributed and stored on the network without the needing for central management such as financial institutions. In addition, the encryption technology allows users to refer to only the items that are permitted, and the risk of leakage of personal information is extremely low.All records are stored on a computer network, allowing anyone to scrutinize and audit and prevent counterfeiting or double payments by exposing them to the eyes of the general public.Bitcoin and other virtual currencies are typical examples of blockchain technology. Speaking of blockchain, there are many people who think of virtual currency, but the reason why blockchain is getting so much attention is that it can be applied to a wide range of areas apart from the virtual currency, and it is expected to revolutionize the business so far.For example, it is expected that the blockchain will be utilized in the basic operations necessary for business, such as ordinary commercial transactions, electronic voting, and the conclusion of contracts.Job Demand for Blockchain TechnologyJob offers to require blockchain technology continue increasing in Japan. Not only in cryptocurrency companies but also in financial industries such as banks and startups that provide blockchain solutions are in very high demand. In addition, Japan has few engineers with blockchain technology knowledge, and this is an area where many foreign engineers are active.IoTCurrently, there are few cases where IoT has been introduced in the financial field. However, recently, with the introduction of IoT technology in automobiles, there is a possibility that data on automobile driving methods and automobile insurance may be linked, but the state of car insurance when automatic driving progressed is calling for a debate. Therefore, IoT technology in the financial field is gradually gaining attention.In addition, the use of IoT technology in the medical field may have a major impact on medical insurance. Recently, with the spread of wearable devices, IoT technology has been applied to the payment support of Apple Watch, etc., and there is a possibility that IoT technology in the financial field will grow in the future.Job Demand for IoT TechnologyIt is said that the market size of IoT technology will exceed 36 trillion yen in 2020 (Gartner’s estimate), and also, it’s said that the demand for IoT technology is a field with extremely high growth potential.The demand for IoT engineers is still low in existing financial companies and fintech companies, but in the manufacturing industry that produces IoT-equipped devices (cars, wearable devices, etc.) linked to financial companies the demand for IoT engineers is in a higher situation.BiometricsWhen using online services such as banks and securities, personal authentication is always the first key. In July 2012, the FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance was established by 6 companies such as Pay Pal and Lenovo aiming to standardize global authentication centered on online authentication including biometrics, and its scale still increasing at present. Board members, which are major companies, include global financial giants such as Visa, MasterCard, and Bank of America, as well as global companies such as Microsoft, Google, and NTT DoCoMo.Fingerprints and vein authentication have also started to be used at some ATMs at Japanese banks.Recently, not only image data but also authentication by physical movement such as keyboard typing method has been developed, demonstrating that it can be said the application of new technology is a remarkable field.Job Demand for Biometrics TechnologyRegarding biometric authentication technology, the application is still limited to personal authentication, so demand can be said to be still far ahead of AI, big data, and blockchain technology.ConclusionIn addition to the four technologies introduced this time, various new advanced IT technologies will be used in the fintech field. Also, not only advanced IT technology, modern frameworks have become necessary to improve usability for consumers. G Talent, a recruitment agency specialized in foreign IT engineers, will keep an eye on FinTech trends and keep updating our readers about relevant technology.

世界はもちろん、日本でも注目を集めるFintech（フィンテック）。今回の記事では、外国人ITエンジニアの転職エージェント GTalnetが、Fintech（フィンテック）に関連する4つの先端IT技術と各技術に対する求人需要をまとめました。Fintech（フィンテック）において重要な4つの先端IT技術今回の記事ではFintech（フィンテック）において、以下の重要な4つの先端IT技術について取り上げたいと思いいます。AI・ビッグデータブロックチェーンIoT生体認証それでは、各技術に関して現在の求人需要も踏まえて１つ１つ説明していきたいと思います。AI・ビッグデータ株価の情報、経済指数、個人の金融情報などの大量なデータを利用し、クレジットカードや融資の与信審査などにビッグデータの技術が応用されている事例が多く挙げられます。ビッグデータが処理可能なクラウドサーバーや分散処理システム等によりデータ分析のコストが大幅に低下、データの収集や変換もテキストマイニング技術や自然言語処理技術などを用いることで、大量のデータを収集・処理できるようになっています。そして、2010年前後に開発されたディープラーニング技術によりAIの性能が飛躍的に向上し、ビッグデータを使って自動的に金融指標の分析や株の売買、窓口業務の自動化など金融業界の様々な領域でAIの活用が始まっています。それに伴い、銀行等では人がやっていた業務がAIに取って代わられると言われており、各銀行で大きなリストが今後始まっていくと言われており、IT企業に変化できない銀行は淘汰されると言われています。AI・ビッグデータの求人需要実際、大手保険会社やクレジットカード会社などでデータエンジニアやデータサイエンティストなどの求人が増加してきており、ビッグデータを有効活用することで、各社ともに業務効率化や新サービスの創造を図っています。また各銀行においてもITエンジニアの採用に力を入れており、どの金融企業もフィンテック企業に変化することを視野に入れています。しかし、日本国内ではビッグデータやAI関連の人材は不足しています。日本で仕事をするときは、日本語が必要とされるケースが多いですが、一部の日系保険会社では日本語不要で採用をしたりもしており、外国人のITエンジニアが活躍できるフィールドが多くあります。ブロックチェーンフィンテックの技術として一番最初に思い浮かぶ言葉が「ブロックチェーン」と言っても過言ではないでしょう。より専門的な用語で表現すると、「分散型台帳技術」とも呼ばれています。中央集権型の管理ではなく、世界中にあるコンピューターにデータを分散させ、破壊・改ざんなどのリスクが低くなるように作られたネットワークシステムとなります。通常、銀行にお金を預けた場合、取引の記録は銀行の中央サーバーによって管理されますが、ブロックチェーン技術を使えば、金融機関などの中央管理を必要とせず、取引情報をネットワーク上に分散して保存ができるようになります。また、暗号化技術により利用者は許可された項目しか参照できず、個人情報の流出リスクも非常に少ないです。すべての記録はコンピューターのネットワーク上に保存されているため、誰でも精査・監査ができて、不特定多数の人の目にさらされることで偽造や二重払いを防止しています。ブロックチェーン技術が用いられている代表的なものは、ビットコインなどの仮想通貨となります。ブロックチェーンと言うと、仮想通貨をイメージされる方が多い状況ですが、これほどブロックチェーンが注目されるのは、仮想通貨以外の幅広い領域に応用ができ、これまでのビジネスが大きく変革されることが期待されているためです。例えば、通常の商取引、電子投票、契約書の締結など、ビジネスに必要な基本業務においてブロックチェーンが活用されることが期待されています。ブロックチェーン技術の求人需要ブロックチェーン技術が求められる求人は日本においても増加し続けています。仮想通貨事業者だけではなく、銀行などの金融業界、ブロックチェーンのソリューションを提供するスタートアップなど、非常に高い需要があります。また、日本はブロックチェーン技術を持ったエンジニアが少なく、外国人のエンジニアが多く活躍している領域でもあります。IoT現時点では金融領域でIoTが導入されている事例は少ない状況です。しかし、最近では自動車にIoT技術の搭載が進むにつれて、自動車の運転方法のデータと自動車保険がリンクされる可能性が挙げられたり、自動運転が進んだ時の自動車保険の在り方などが議論を読んでおり、金融領域におけるIoT技術が少しずつ注目を集めています。また、医療現場でIoT技術が使われることで、医療保険においても大きな影響を与える可能性があります。最近では、ウェアラブルデバイスの浸透により、Apple Watchの決済対応などもIoT技術が応用されており、今後金融領域におけるIoT技術は成長が見込まれる可能性があります。IoT技術の求人需要IoT技術の市場規模は2020年に36兆円超に達する（Gartner推計）と言われており、IoT技術の需要は今後も非常に成長性が高い分野と言えます。既存の金融会社やフィンテック企業においてIoT技術者の需要はまだ少ない状況ですが、金融会社にリンクされるIoT搭載デバイス（車、ウェアラブルデバイスなど）を製造している製造業におけるIoT技術者の需要は高い状況です。生体認証銀行や証券などオンラインでサービスを利用する場合は、必ず本人認証が一番最初に鍵を握ります。2012年7月には、生体認証を含むオンライン認証を中心とした世界的な認証の標準化を目指すFIDO(Fast IDentity Online) Allianceが、Pay Pal、Lenovo等6社により発足し、現在もその規模を拡大しています。主要企業であるボードメンバーには、Visa、MasterCard、Bank of Americaなどの世界的金融大手に加え、Microsoft、Google、 NTTドコモ等の世界的企業も加盟しています。また、日本の一部の銀行のATMにおいても、指紋や静脈による認証も開始されています。最近では、画像データのみならず、キーボードの打鍵方法等身体運動による認証も開発されており、新しい技術の応用が目覚ましい分野と言えるでしょう。生体認証技術の求人需要生体認証技術に関しては、まだまだ用途が本人認証に限られることもあり、AIやビッグデータ、ブロックチェーンの技術に比べると、需要はまだまだこれからと言えるでしょう。まとめ今回ご紹介した４つ以外にも、フィンテックの分野では様々な新しい先端IT技術が用いられていくでしょう。また、先端IT技術だけではなく、消費者のユーザビリティを上げるためにモダンなフレームワークなども最近では必要となってきています。外国人ITエンジニアの転職エージェント GTalnetでは、今後もフィンテックの動向を随時調査し、必要となる関連技術をアップデートしていきたいと思います。

In this article, we summarized the companies that are popular among Japanese university students who are going to do job hunting in 2021 and their reasons for international students who are looking for jobs in Japan. Unlike other countries, this is a result uniquely Japanese. If you are a foreigner looking for a job in Japan, please use this as a reference.Ranking of popular Japanese companies for Japanese university students(2021)Career-tasu Job Hunting21, a job search information medium for new graduate students, surveyed college students planning to graduate in March 2021 regarding companies where they want to find employment. The ranking is shown below.RankName of CompanyIndustryNo.1Tokyo Marine NichidoInsuranceNo.2Sompo JapanInsuranceNo.3Itochu CorporationGeneral TradingNo.4Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance GroupInsuranceNo.5Japan AirlinesAir TransportationNo.6All Nippon AirwaysAir TransportationNo.7Sony CorporationConglomerateNo.8Mitsubishi CorporationGeneral TradingNo.9SuntoryFoods & BeveragesNo.10ToyotaAutomotive ManufacturerReference：Career-tasu Job Hunting21/Ranking of Popular CompaniesBasically, only large companies have been focused in young people, and it is the same tendency in other countries. However, it is unthinkable in other countries that the first, second, and fourth place are insurance companies. What do current Japanese college students look for in employment and why do they choose insurance companies instead of the most popular Internet companies and manufacturers abroad?Why Are Insurance Companies Popular in Japan?While many companies have reduced the number of recruitment due to the influence of the new coronavirus, it seems that insurance companies have not reduced the number of recruitments. These companies have the impression that they have relatively high salaries and are stable, and that it is becoming popular that a wide range of students can apply, regardless of their major in university.In addition, the insurance industry, which was mainly a car insurance business, considering the possibility that demand for cars will disappear, has been focusing on the insurance that is applied in the event of an earthquake or other natural disasters in recent years. The insurance industry would has a high growth potential.With three insurance companies listed, it seems that job-seeking students in 2021 are looking for a stable workplace rather than a challenging workplace.Companies Whose Popularity has Risen and FallenWithin the companies ranked in the top 10 this year, some companies are popular every year, like JAL and ITOCHU, but some companies have risen noticeably in the ranking having a much higher position, like Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire Insurance.From now on, we would like to explain in detail about the five most distinctive companies in the ranking.Tokyo Marine NichidoTokyo Marine Nichido ranked 10th in the ranking of popular companies last year but ranked 1st this year. The factors behind this may be the high annual income and the international environment.High Annual InconmeAlthough the basic salary of Tokyo Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance is not much different from others insurance companies, the bonus received by each employee has a great impact on the annual income. The average annual income of this company is about 8.35 million yen, but according to the commitment and results of their employees, it is often seen that it exceeds 10 million yen.A bonus of about 600,000 yen was paid to a new graduate employee in the second month after joining the company, which makes it more attractive in terms of income than other companies. In addition to the monthly salary, employees can receive up to 100,000 yen in rent subsidies, which is excellent in welfare and can be said to be an attractive company in terms of treatment.International environmentTokyo Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance is expanding its business not only domestically but internationally as well, with approximately 45 overseas bases. Being able to work in different big cities around the world is also a reason for its popularity. Therefore, even in the working environment, diversity is spreading and it seems to be a popular place of employment for international students and overseas people.Itochu CorporationIn Japan, trading companies (Shousha) are a very influential type of business. In particular, ITOCHU Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, etc., which are said to be “general trading companies (Sougo-Shousha)”, are always employment destinations that are popular with university students.What is a General Trading Company (Sougou-Shousha)?General trading companies procure various products such as food, energy resources, and machinery on a global scale, and sell them not only in Japan but worldwide. They have big projects which have a big impact on the country, and they also have manufacturers and financial companies, that’s why they are expanding globally.High Annual IncomeThe average annual income of Itochu Corporation is about 14 million yen, which is a very high rate among Japanese companies. Even in the first year of new graduates, the average annual salary of a general-work employee is about 5.5 million yen, which means that a high standard of salary will be obtained from the first year after joining the company.Acquisition of Various SkillsMajor general trading companies have excellent human resources from Japan and the world, and not only is there an environment where they can learn business know-how, but there is also the aspect that they can acquire various skills from excellent human resources. One of the reasons why it is so popular is that you can learn languages such as English and the skills to do business globally such as finance.Japan Airlines (JAL)Specific Benefits for AirlinesIn addition to general benefits such as social insurance and transportation allowance, there is an employee discount system for air tickets. This system is a JAL-specific benefit that allows employees to purchase air tickets at a discount of 90%. There is no doubt that it is a benefit for students who like to travel.High Annual IncomeThe average annual income of the aviation industry is also high, and among them, the average annual income of JAL is about 8.27 million yen, which is the top class in the industry.SuntoryOverseas Expansion SuccessSpeaking of Japan’s major beverage makers, there are Kirin, Asahi, Suntory, etc. Among them, Suntory has always been very popular. The reason for this is the charm of the corporate culture. As the founder’s famous phrase says “Yatte-minahare”, wich means “Just try it”. Suntory is challenging various new things, and it is also Suntory that has actually succeeded in expanding overseas first than the others beverage companies.Unlisted CompanyAs the Suntory Group is a privately held company, it does not need to produce short-term results for its shareholders, so it may be one of its attractions to be able to engage in long-term projects.ToyotaWhy has it become less Popular?Speaking of Toyota, it is the company with the highest market capitalization in Japan and the world-famous automobile manufacturer. Although it is still a popular company for Japanese university students to find employment. This year Toyota was at the 10th place of popularity, but compared to a few years ago, the popularity of job hunting students is gradually decreasing. This is because young people today are less interested in automobiles, and considering the future of the automobile industry, it is not necessarily a growth industry. As more and more students are no longer interested in cars, the number of students who want to work for an automobile manufacturer may continue to decline.ConclusionDue to the corona shock, university students scheduled to graduate in 2021 are looking for a job which gives them an economic and labor stability besides looking for a job of their liking. Therefore, we think that companies with high stability will continue to be ranked high in the future. In addition, as the number of students seeking new ways of thinking and international communication has increased in recent years, companies such as Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. and ITOCHU Corporation that are focusing on diversity and international development are becoming popular for job hunters.We sincerely hope that by finding a job in Japan, you will be able to achieve your desired career development.If you are an international student who is thinking of finding a job in Japan and want to get a job related to IT, please register with G Talent, a recruitment agency specializing in foreign IT engineers. Professional consultants will help you with your job hunting for free.

現在、世界各国でFintech（フィンテック）と呼ばれる金融におけるITテクノロジーの分野が注目をされています。日本においても、政府も後押しして金融分野におけるITの活用を推進しており、大手金融業やスタートアップでFintech（フィンテック）と言う言葉が毎日のように使われています。この記事では、日本のFintech（フィンテック）領域に興味を持っている外国人の方々向けに、日本のFintech（フィンテック）の現状や注目企業などに関して、わかりやすく説明をいたします。Fintech（フィンテック）とは？ご存知の方が多いかもしれませんが、まず最初にFintech（フィンテック）とは何かを説明したいと思います。Finance（金融）とTechnology（技術）を組み合わせた造語であり、ファイナンス・テクノロジー（フィナンス・テクノロジーとも呼ばれる）の略。「ICTを駆使した革新的（innovative）、あるいは破壊的（disruptive）な金融商品・サービスの潮流」などの意味で使用される。既存の金融機関が持つ総合的な金融サービスのうち、顧客が必要とする一部の機能のみに特化することで、低コストでサービスを受けることが可能となる。出典: フリー百科事典『ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』もっとわかりやすく説明すると、AI、ビッグデータ、IoT、ブロックチェーンなどの先端IT技術を使って、これまでの金融サービスを変革したり、新しいサービスを創造したりすることです。身近なところで言うと、スマートフォンを使った送金や決済、ブロックチェーン技術を使った仮想通貨などが挙げられます。Fintech（フィンテック）が日本のITエンジニアから注目される理由現在、Fintech（フィンテック）の領域は、日本のITエンジニアから多くの注目を浴びており、フィンテックの領域に転職をするITエンジニアが増えています。その理由としては、「社会的インパクトの大きさ」と「先端IT技術の習得や応用」が挙げられます。社会的インパクトの大きさ経済や人々の生活を成り立たせるためには「お金」が必ず必要になり、金融サービスを変革させることで、経済や人々の生活を大きく変える可能性が秘められています。そのため、社会に大きなインパクトを与えたいと考えている多くの起業家やITエンジニアがFintech（フィンテック）の領域にチャレンジをしており、政府もそれを後押ししている状況です。後ほど説明しますが、日本のスタートアップの資金調達においても、Fintech（フィンテック）領域におけるビジネスが目立っており、大手銀行や保険会社などもCVC（コーポレートベンチャーキャピタル）を立ち上げて様々なフィンテック系のスタートアップに投資を行い、資本や業務提携を行いケースが増えてきています。先端IT技術の習得や応用Fintech（フィンテック）領域では、様々な先端IT技術を使う機会があり、技術力を磨いていきたいITエンジニアにとっては魅力的なキャリアアップ環境と言えます。フィンテックで重要となる関連技術としては、ビッグデータ、AI、ブロックチェーン、IoTなどが挙げられます。Fintech（フィンテック）における関連技術とその求人需要に関して、以下の記事でまとめておりますので、ご興味ある方はご参考にご覧ください。Fintechにおいて重要な4つの先端IT技術と求人需要Fintech(フィンテック）の１１分野と代表企業現在、経済産業省やシンクタンクが、世界や日本のFintech(フィンテック）の動向を頻繁に調査を行なっており、その際に使われるセグメントとして、フィンテックは11分野に区切られます。スマート決済投資・資産運用・ロボアドバイザー仮想通貨家計管理・アドバイス提供（PMF：Personal Financial Management）ソーシャルレンディングクラウドファンディング保険融資・ローン会計・財務送金・割り勘金融情報それでは、それぞれの分野の説明や代表的なサービスについて説明していきたいと思います。スマート決済スマート決済とは、現金や金融機関での手続きを必要としない電子的な決済方法のことを言います。スマート決済を使用することで、現金の管理が不要となり、金融機関での手続き時間、手間がなくなり、手数料も安くなります。スマート決済により、消費者の決済手段の幅を広げることができます。現在日本で使われているスマート決済は大きく分けて2つあり、カードを使った決済とQRコード決済がよく使われています。カードを使った決済とは、クレジットカードやデビッドカードの決済が代表的なものとなり、カード情報をオンラインなどで入力したり、店頭でカードを掲示することて決済をすることを言います。また、最近ではクレジットカードだけではなく、プリペイド式のカードも注目をされており、代表的なもので言えばLINEペイカードなどが挙げられます。プリペイドカードは審査なしで発行でき、コンビニなどでチャージした分だけ決済に使うことができ、これまでクレジットカードを持つことができなかった若年層なども使うことができるカードになります。QRコード決済については、PayPayやメルペイ、楽天ペイなど大手IT企業が多く参入しており、QRコードをスマートフォン経由で読み取ることで決済が完了します。中国などではQRコード決済がすでに主流となっており、PayPayも中国のAlipayの技術や機能を参考に作られています。スマート決済の代表的サービスPayPay、メルペイ、Paidyなど投資・資産運用・ロボアドバイザー株などの資産運用において、AI等による分析を用いて金融商品を選択・運用するサービスです。AIは、日々データの学習を行なっていくため、将来的には人の予測よりもAIによる資産運用や投資の方が精度が高くなるとも言われています。ロボアドバイザーとは、個人資産の運用などを、人ではなく、AIのロボが行うことを言います。日本では、投資アルゴリズムに基づいた運用・売買までを行う投資一任型と資産運用の診断・助言を行うアドバイス型の2種類のロボアドバイザーが存在します。投資・資産運用・ロボアドバイザーの代表的サービスウェルスナビ、THEOなど仮想通貨仮想通貨は、ブロックチェーン技術を活用することで、銀行のような中央で管理する機関がなかったとしても、入出金などの取引記録を保存することができる通貨となっています。円やドルといった法定通貨とは異なり、お札や小銭といった形を持たない新しい通貨になります。以前、投資目的で仮想通貨を持つ方が増え、仮想通貨の価値が急激に上がったり、暴落したりしたことはニュースでも報じられました。また、仮想通貨業者のセキュリティ管理が甘く、ハッキングにより仮想通貨が流出してしまった事件もありました。それにより、一時的に仮想通貨に対する世間のイメージが悪いものになりましたが、2020年7月現在では仮想通貨の市場は安定してきており、今後は安定的に市場も拡大されると予想されています。仮想通貨の代表的サービス（仮想通貨事業者）bitflyer、Coincheckなど家計管理・アドバイス提供（PMF：Personal Financial Management）Fintechの中で最も身近な分野の1つであるPMFは、主な機能として、毎日の支出や収入を管理することです。ようするに家計簿アプリケーションのやくわりを果たします。今までの家計簿ソフトやアプリとは異なり、様々な金融機関の口座を1つのサービスで管理することが可能となっております。銀行口座の情報だけではなく、クレジットカードなどの決済方法による支出をかんりすることができます。PMFの代表的サービスMoney FowrwardPMFのサービスを提供している日本企業の1つであり、コンビニで使った電子マネー、買い物に使ったクレジットカード、給料が振り込まれた銀行口座も、お金の出入りが一つで確認できる、利用者数が800万人を超える国内トップの家計簿アプリです。Dr. Wallet利用者数が100万人を超えるマネーフォワードの次に人気な家計簿アプリです。ソーシャルレンディングソーシャルレンディングは「貸付型クラウドファンディング」とも言われ、お金を借りたい借り手（主に企業）とお金を運用したい投資家を金融商品を通して結びつけるサービスです。ソーシャルレンディングを提供する企業は、借り手の審査、投資家の募集、貸付や返済金、分配金の管理を行います。投資信託との違いは、投資家が自分で融資先を探し、価格が相場に左右されない点などです。ソーシャルレンディングの代表的サービスSBIソーシャルレンディング、Crowd Bank、CROWD CREDITなどクラウドファンディングクラウドファンディングとは、インターネットを介して不特定多数の人々から少額ずつ資金を調達ができるサービスとなります。資金調達の場合、一般的に銀行からの借入やベンチャーキャピタルによる出資などがあげられますが、クラウドファンディングは、これまでの資金調達とは違い、「手軽さ」や「拡散性の高さ」、「テストマーケティングの実施」といった点で新たな資金調達の仕組みとして注目されています。社会問題の解決や新しいモノを発売したいといういアイデアや持つ人は誰でも“起案者”になることができ、それを応援したい方や新しいモノを試してみたいという人は誰でも“支援者”として支援できます。このように、クラウドファンディングでは、起案者がやりたいプロジェクトに資金提供してくれる人をインターネット上で募集し、資金を集めることです。クラウドファンディングの代表的サービスCamp Fire、Makuake、Ready Forなど保険これまでの保険のイメ―ジは、保険のセールスマンや代理店を経由して保険に加入するというものでしたが、ネットで加入できる保険が近年では成長をしており、今ではスマートフォン１つでで保険に加入することもできます。スマートフォンで加入ができるLINE保険などでは、スマートフォンのアプリで最短60秒で保険に加入することができます。また、自動車保険などでITを駆使して、走行距離や運転特性などの運転者のデータを取得・分析を行い、そのデータに基づいて保険料を決めるというシステムなどもあります。保険の代表的サービスLINEほけん、ソニー損保など融資・ローン銀行やローン会社などの融資などにもフィンテックの活用が進んでおり、住宅ローンの比較検討や住宅ローンの借り換えサービス、ビッグデータを使った借り手の審査や融資の限度額、貸付利率の決定などにテクノロジーが活用されだしています。融資・ローンの代表的サービスJ.Score、WhatzMoneyなど会計・財務企業の会計処理や財務管理の分野において、様々なクラウドサービスが提供されだしています。これまでの会計処理では、属人的なため人的ミスや時間の無駄が多く発生していましたが、クラウドサービスの出現により、会計処理の時間の短縮、人的ミスの軽減、会社の会計状況の可視化が可能になりました。会計・財務の代表的サービスfreee、弥生会計など送金・割り勘個人間での送金やお金の受け取り、飲み会の支払いなどの割り勘をスマートフォンのアプリなどを通してできるサービスが普及してきています。割り勘を行う場合は、１円単位での計算や現金の回収など非常に面倒でしたが、キャッシュレスで割り勘を簡単にできることが可能になります。送金・割り勘の代表的サービスKyash、よろペイなど金融情報投資家が資産を運用したり、企業の経営企画部が戦略を立てる際に、金融や経済のデータを効率よく収集する必要があります。そのようなニーズに対して、ITを使って金融や経済の膨大な量のデータを分析し、短時間で質の高い情報を取得できるサービスが生まれています。金融情報の代表的サービスZUU、SPEEDAなど日本のFintechカオスマップ最後に、MA STANDが発表した日本のフィンテックサービスのカオスマップをご案内します。これまで取り上げたサービス以外にも様々な企業がサービスを提供しています。参照：【最新2019年/カオスマップ】日本の最先端FinTech(フィンテック)企業50選/MA STANDまとめ日本でも多くのフィンテックサービスが生み出されており、ITエンジニアにとっては先端技術の習得や社会的インパクトの大きさなどを考えると、フィンテックの領域は非常に働きがいのある環境と言えるのではないでしょうか。日本のフィンテック業界で働きたいという外国人のITエンジニアの方でしたら、外国人ITエンジニアの転職エージェント GTalnetにご登録ください。プロのコンサルタントが無料でフィンテック領域への転職をご支援いたします。

日本には「正座」や「食器をもって食べる習慣」などの独自の文化やスタイルを持つ国として世界中に知られています。この独特なスタイルは私生活だけではなく日本のビジネス界にも反映されています。今回の記事では、日本の企業で働く予定の外国人や現在日本の企業に勤めている外国人の方々向けに、語学学校などで学べない日本独自のビジネスマナーについてご紹介したいと思っています。日本独特のビジネスマナー名刺交換アメリカなどでは、名刺はあくまでの連絡情報カードにすぎないのですが、日本での役割は挨拶代わりになるものです。昔から「名刺＝相手の顔と同じ」という考えがあるため、名刺を交換するときに注意をしなければならい点がいくつかあります。どんな場面で名刺を交換すればいいのか日本では、初対面の人とお仕事をする際には最初に名刺交換をしなければなりません。これが日本でビジネスをやる上での第一印象になりますので、以下の手順を参考に一度練習をしてみてはいかがでしょうか。名刺交換の手順日本の名刺交換の手順を簡単にご紹介したいと思います。 名刺入れから名刺を取り出しますどのような場面でも先に交換をしなければならない相手は、訪問先の上司です。名刺を交換する前に渡す相手の人数分の名刺を取り出し、名刺入れの下に重ねて置きます。その時の手の位置は胸元あたりにします。 名刺は目下の者から差し出します日本で名刺交換をする際、訪問している側の目下の人から名刺を差し出すのが基本です。ここで言う「目下」という意味は年齢や役職ではなく、「仕事をもらう側」のことを指しています。 例えば、営業マンが訪問を認められた企業に商品を提案する場合には、営業マンが先に名刺を指し出さなければなりません。この手順を間違ってしまうと相手に失礼になりますので注意しましょう。 社名と名前を名乗ります名刺を交換するとき、無言で相手に差し出すのではなく、相手と目線を合わせながら「○○社の○○と申します」と自分が勤めている企業の社名と自分の名前を名乗り、軽いお辞儀をしながら名刺を渡すようにしましょう。外国人の名前は、日本人にどうしても聞き取りにくいものがありますので、ゆっくりとわかりやすく自分の名前をカタカナ読みで伝えるようにしましょう。 両手で名刺を受け取ります名刺を受け取るときは、「頂戴いたします」と一言述べてから、両手で受け取りましょう。受け取った際に、相手の会社名や氏名などが記載してある部分を自分の指でふさがらないように注意しましょう。相手の名前の読み方が分からない場合には名刺を受け取った際に尋ねるようにしましょう。 商談中はもらった名刺を左手前に置きます相手側の上司の名刺を名刺入れに乗せ、座席順に自分の左手の手元に並べます（右利きの場合）。メモを取るなどしたときに誤って落としたりしないように利き手と逆の位置に置きます（左手が利き手の場合は右手の手元に並べます）。役職によって座る場所が変わる社会日本のビジネスシーンでは、会議や商談、食事の際には、目上の者に気を配らなければなりません。言葉遣いだけではなく、座る位置に注意を払う必要があります。上記の名刺交換は外国によく知られているものではありますが、今から説明をする座席配置については海外にあまり知られていませんが、日本のビジネスシーンでは昔から存在するビジネスマナーです。①＞②＞③、と立場が高い人順で座ります。上記の図の①のように、入り口から一番遠く離れた席のことを“上座”と呼びます。入口から近い席のことを“下座”と呼びます、上記の図では下座は③にあたります。上座下座の由来日本のビジネス界ではお客さんや目上の人に上座を勧めることが常識となっています。その由来は、上座と下座は武士がまだ存在していた古い時代（室町時代）にできた言葉であります。貴族や身分の高い人が暗殺されるリスクを減らすために、入口から離れた位置に座ることになりました。また、多人数の集まりでは部屋の出入りが激しいため、身分の高い人が快適に過ごしてもらうために、身分の高い人を入口から一番離れたところに座ってもらうようになったそうです。今でも会議の時だけではなく、タクシーやエレベーターでも、上司や目上の人に安全でいられる位置に座るようにしたり、故障の際に怪我をなるべくしない位置に立ってもらったりするのも、この危機管理のマインドがまだ残っているからだと考えられます。時間通り＝5分前日本では、時間通りに約束の場所に着くことは遅刻とほぼ同じです。時間に対しての考え方は小学校から教えられていて文化の1つになってります。そのため、ビジネス会議の開始時刻より5～10分前に到着することが重要です。目的地に出発する前に、その場所までの行き方や時間を調べ、電車で移動する必要がある場合は、その出発時刻や乗り換え場所を事前に確認するようにしましょう。“苗字”もしくは”下の名前”のどちらで呼ぶべきか海外では自己紹介をするときにはよく「I am ○○」か「My name is ○○」と下の名前から自己紹介をすることが多いです。しかし、日本では親しい関係である時に下の名前で呼んだりするため、日本のビジネスシーンにおいては、基本的に下の名前ではなく、相手の苗字に「さん」をつけて呼ぶようにしましょう。相手が顧客の場合は、苗字に「様」をつけて呼ぶようにしましょう。まとめ最近ではこのような日本独自のビジネスマナーは少なくなってきていますが、日本のほとんどのビジネスシーンにおいてはまだまだ多くの場面で日本独自のビジネスマナーが見受けられます。最近では、両手で名刺を受け取ったり、座る位置に気を配ったりなどの細かいビジネスマナーは少しずつ求められなくなってきていますが、外国人の社員が日本のビジネスマナーをできると、同僚や上司に対して日本企業で働く前向きな姿勢を見せることができたり、他のできていない社員と大きな差をつけることができるかもしれません。上記で紹介しましビジネスマナーを習得して損はありませんので是非自分のキャリア成長のために身に着けてはいかがでしょうか。

Compared to overseas, Japanese companies apart from having good salaries are said to have a lot of employee benefits in Asia. In this article, for foreigners such as international students who want to work for Japanese companies, we would like to explain the most common benefits that Japanese companies provide to their employees.Employee Benefits “Fukurikosei”First, employee benefits in Japan (Fukurikousei) means various efforts aimed at supporting employees and their families in terms of health and life. Also in Japan, there are two types of welfares, legal employee benefits (Houtei-Fukuri Kosei) which are said by law that companies must provide to their employees, and the other is which companies voluntarily provide (regardless of the law) to their employees.Types of Employee BenefitsLegal Employee Benefits (Houtei-Fukurikousei)Below, we would like to briefly describe each type of legal employee benefits (Houtei-Fukurikousei). Worker’s Accident Compensation Insurance (Rousai-Hoken)Worker’s accident compensation insurance is an insurance when workers are injured or ill due to accidents that occur during work or on the way to work. Child Allowance (Kodomo/Kosodate Kyoushutsu-Kin)This is a contribution that is paid to a family with children when the company pays the government a fixed amount. Unemployment Insurance (Koyou-Hoken)Unemployment insurance is the allowance paid by the state when a worker loses his or her job.For example, if the company’s business performance is poor and you are dismissed due to the reason, you can apply to the country and receive about 50 to 80% of the salary of the previous job as an unemployment allowance in a period of 90 to 150 days. Health Insurance (Kenkou-Hoken)Health insurance is a medical insurance system to prepare for situations such as illness, injury, birth, and death.For example, if you go to a hospital and receive medical treatment, depending on the case, and you show your insurance card, you will pay about 30%, and the rest will be borne by the government. Nursing insurance (Kaigo-Hoken)Nursing insurance is an insurance system in which the government provides a portion of the cost needed for nursing care when is determined that it is necessary. Welfare Pension Insurance (Kousei-Nenkin-Hoken)Welfare pension insurance is a pension system that is provided in addition to the national pension.These legal employee benefits (Houtei-fukurikousei) are legally obligatory for companies when they employ workers.The percentage at which the company and employees pay is regulated by law, the company deducts the amount to be paid from the employee’s monthly salary and the company pays it to the country.Most Common Employee Benefits in Japanese CompaniesIn many cases abroad, transportation costs to go to work are borne by workers themselves, but in Japan, it is common for companies to bear the transportation costs of their employees. Like in this case, the welfare provided by companies differs between Japan and abroad.From now on, we would like to introduce the most common welfares that Japanese companies provide to their employees. Commuting Allowance (Koutsu-teate)It is a benefit that the company bears for the cost of commuting from your home to your office with round trip. Some companies pay the full amount, while others only pay a fixed amount. Most companies in Japan provide employees with commuting allowances. Medical Check-up (Kenkou-shindan)Under Japan’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, companies are obliged to take good care of their employee’s health.A medical check is recognized as welfare for this health care obligation, and most of the Japanese companies offer their employees a yearly medical check as welfare.For details on the types of medical examinations that foreigners can take in Japan, their contents, and the time required, please read the article below if you are interested.What kind of medical examination can foreigners receive at a Japanese company? Housing Allowance (Jutaku-teate)It is a system in which part of the rent is paid together with the monthly salary. The amount paid depends on the company. This allowance is often found in financial and manufacturing industries that require national transfers. Employee Stock Ownership Plan (Juugyoin Mochikabu-seido)This is a system in which employees who are willing to purchase stock can withhold the deduction from the salary and purchase the stock of the company or its parent company and receive the profit separately from the salary. It is a system often found in listed companies and big companies. Retirement Allowance (Taishokukin)The money an employee is paid when they retire. The purpose of the retirement allowance is to provide monetary support for retirees who worked for many years in the same company.However recently the cases in which an employee works until his retirement (60 years old) in the same company are decreasing notably. Also, the retirement allowance fund is not being managed well, and the burden on the company side is increasing.For these reasons, instead of a retirement allowance, companies that offer a monthly fund to collaborate with a defined contribution pension plan have recently increased. Special Leave for Weddings and Funerals (Keichou-kyuuka)It is a type of leave that can be taken when you or a close relative gets married, it can also be used in the case of bereavement. Maternity Leave (Shussan-kyuuka)Maternity leave is a type of leave that combinate the prenatal period and the recovery period after delivery. Depending on the company, you can get leave from 6 weeks before birth but on the other hand, the recovery period is set by law to get 8 weeks. Parental Leave (Ikuji-kyuuka)Parental leave is a leave system that helps employees take time off and concentrate on childcare until their child is one year old. Working from Home or Telework (Zaitaku-seido)It is a system that allows you to work from home without having to come to the office. This system is often found in IT-related jobs such as web designers and system engineers, also in sales-related jobs such as inside sales and customer support services. Choose your own PCThis is a system that allows employees to freely choose a pc from the types of pc that the company prepares.ConclusionIn addition to the welfare that we have introduced, some companies have different types of welfare. Japan’s welfare program is fulfilling worldwide, and it can be said to be one of the merits of working as an employee in Japan.IT engineers who are looking for work or change jobs for a Japanese company, please register with G Talent, a recruitment agency specializing in IT engineers. A professional consultant will support you in changing jobs for free.

At present, the field of financial IT technology called Fintech is drawing attention around the world. In Japan as well, the government is supporting the use of IT in the financial field, and also the term Fintech is used every day in major financial industries and startups.In this article, for foreigners who are interested in Japan’s Fintech field, we will explain in an easy-to-understand manner the current status of Fintech in Japan and the featured companies in the field.What is Fintech?First of all, we would like to explain what Fintech is.Financial technology (abbreviated fintech or FinTech) is the technology and innovation that aims to compete with traditional financial methods in the delivery of financial services. It is an emerging industry that uses technology to improve activities in finance.[2] The use of smartphones for mobile banking, investing, borrowing services[3], and cryptocurrency are examples of technologies aiming to make financial services more accessible to the general public. Financial technology companies consist of both startups and established financial institutions and technology companies trying to replace or enhance the usage of financial services provided by existing financial companies.Reference: The Free Encyclopedia “Wikipedia”In more simple words, it is about transforming existing financial services and creating new services using advanced IT technologies such as AI, big data, IoT, and blockchain. Some familiar examples are, remittance and payment using smartphones, virtual currency using blockchain technology, etc.Why Fintech gets attention from IT Engineers in Japan?Currently, the Fintech area is receiving a lot of attention from IT engineers in Japan, and the number of IT engineers who are changing jobs to the Fintech field is increasing. The reasons for this are “magnitude of social impact” and “acquisition and application of advanced IT technology”.The Magnitude of Social Impact“Money” is indispensable to establish the economy and people’s lives, by transforming financial services, there is a potential to significantly change the economy and people’s lives. Therefore, many entrepreneurs and IT engineers who want to make a big impact on society are challenging in the Fintech field, and the government is supporting it.As we will explain later, the business in the Fintech area is outstanding, also in financing Japanese startups. Major banks and insurance companies have also started CVC (Corporate Venture Capital) and various fintech-related businesses. The number of these cases are increasing by investing in startups, making capital and business alliances.Acquisition and Application of Advanced IT TechnologyIn the Fintech field, there are opportunities to use advanced IT technologies, and we can say that it is an attractive career development environment for IT engineers who want to hone their technical skills. Related technologies that are important in FinTech include big data, AI, blockchain, and IoT.If you are interested in those technologies, please refer to the following article for related technologies in Fintech and their recruitment demand.Fintech Key Advanced Technologies and Job Demand in Japan11 Fields of Fintech and their Representative ServicesCurrently, the “Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry” and Japanese consulting firms are frequently researching the trends of Fintech around the world and Japan. As the segment used at that time, fintech is divided into 11 fields.Smart PaymentInvestment/Asset management/Robot-advisorVirtual currencyHousehold Management and Advice (PMF: Personal Financial Management)Social LendingCrowdfundingInsuranceLoans/LoansAccounting/FinanceRemittance & Split BillsFinancial InformationFrom now, we would like to explain each field and its representative services.Smart PaymentSmart payments are electronic payment methods that does not require cash or financial institution procedures. Using smart payment eliminates the need for cash management, procedures time at financial institutions, and also reduce the fee. Smart payments can broaden the range of payment methods for consumers.There are roughly two types of smart payments currently used in Japan, card payments and QR code payments are often used.Credit card payments and debit card payments are the most common examples of payment using a card. Payment is performed by entering card information online or displaying a card at a store. Recently, not only credit cards but also prepaid cards have been attracting attention. For example, LINE pay cards.Prepaid cards can be issued without a screening, they can be used for payment only as much as you charged them at a convenience store. It is a card that can be used by young people who couldn’t have a credit card until now.Regarding QR code payment, many major IT companies such as PayPay, Merpay, Rakuten Pay have entered the market, the settlement is completed by reading the QR code via a smartphone. QR code payments have already become mainstream in China and other countries. PayPay used China’s Alipay technology and features as a reference.Representative Services of Smart PaymentPayPay (In Japanese), Merpay (In Japanse), Paidy (In Japanese), etc.Investment/Asset Management/Robot-advisorThis is a service that selects and manages financial merchandise using analysis by AI in asset management such as stocks. Since AI learns data daily, it is said that asset management and investment by AI will be more accurate than human prediction in the future.A Robot-advisor means that an AI robot manages personal assets. In Japan, there are two types of Robot-advisors: the discretionary investment type, that manages and sells based on investment algorithms and, advice type that diagnoses and advises asset management.Representative Services for Investment/Asset Management and Robo-advisorWealthNavi (In Japanese), THEO (In Japanese), etc.Virtual CurrencyBy utilizing blockchain technology, virtual currency is a currency that can store transaction records such as deposits and withdrawals even if there is no centralized management agency such as banks. Unlike fiat currencies such as yen and dollars, it is a new currency that doesn’t have the form of bills or coins.Previously, it was reported in the news that the number of people holding a virtual currency for investment purposes increased, and the value of virtual currency rose and fell sharply. Also, there was a case in which the virtual currency leaked due to hacking because the security management of the virtual currency vendor was weak.Thereby, the public image of virtual currencies has become temporarily deteriorated, but as of July 2020, the virtual currency market has been stable, and it is expected that the market will expand steadily in the future.Representative Services of Virtual Currency (Virtual Currency Business Operator)bitFlyer, Coincheck, etc.Household Management and Advice (PMF: Personal Financial Management)One of the most familiar fields of Fintech is PMF. The main function of this is to manage daily spendings and incomes. In a nutshell, it plays the role of a household account book application. Unlike the household account book softwares and apps that have been used up to now, it is possible to manage accounts of various financial institutions with one service. Furthermore, bank account information, but you can also get information about payments by credit card and other payment methods.Representative Services of PMFMoney ForwardIt is one of the Japanese companies that provide PMF services. This app allows you to check the electronic money used at convenience stores, credit cards used for shopping, bank accounts with salaries transferred. Japan’s top household account book application with more than 8 million people.Dr. Wallet (In Japanese)It is the second most popular household account book application after money forward with more than 1 million users.Social LendingSocial lending, also known as “lending-type crowdfunding,” is a service that connects borrowers (mainly companies) and investors who want to invest money through financial products. Companies that provide social lending services perform, borrower screening, investor recruitment, loans, repayments, and also performs distribution management.The difference with mutual funds is that investors find the lenders, and the price is not affected by the market price.Representative services for social lendingSBI Social Lending, CROWD CREDIT, etc.CrowdfundingCrowdfunding is a service that allows you to raise a small amount of money from an unspecified number of people via Internet. In the case of financing, generally, there are loans from banks and investment by venture capital. But unlike traditional funding, crowdfunding is getting attention as a new funding mechanism for been “Easy”, “High diffusivity” and “Implementing test marketing”.Anyone who has an idea or wants to solve a social problem or launch a new product can become a “drafter”, and anyone who wants to support it or want to help try to a new product is a “supporter”. in this way, in crowdfunding, It is to raise money by recruiting people on the Internet to fund the project that the creator wants to do.Representative Services for CrowdfundingCamp-Fire, Makuake, Ready For, etc.InsuranceUntil now, it was supposed to take out insurance through an insurance salesman or an agent, but in recent years, online insurance services have grown now till you can take out insurance with just one smartphone. With LINE insurance you can take out insurance in as little as 60 seconds using a smartphone.There is also a system that uses IT for car insurance, to acquire and analyze driver data such as mileage and driving characteristics, determining insurance premiums based on that data.Representative Services for InsuranceLINE Hoken, Sony Assurance / Good Drive (In Japanese), etc.Financing/LoansFintech is being utilized for the financing of banks and loan companies. This technology has been used in mortgage comparison, mortgage refinancing services, the examination of borrowers using big data, the limit of lending, determination of loan interest rate, etc.Representative Services Financing and LoanJ.Score (In Japanese), WhatzMoney (In Japanese), etc.Accounting/FinanceVarious cloud services are being offered in the fields of corporate accounting and financial management. In the past accounting process, there were many human errors and wasted time, but with the advent of cloud services, the accounting process time is shortened, human errors are reduced. Now, it is possible to visualize the accounting status of the company.Accounting/Finance Representative Servicesfreee, Yayoi-kaikei, etc.Remittance & Split BillsServices that allow people to share payments, receive money, and pay for drinking parties (Nomikai) through smartphone apps are becoming popular. When carrying out split bills, it was very troublesome to calculate by 1 yen and collect cash, but due to this technology, it turns possible to easily split bills without cash.Representative Services for Remittance and Split BillsKyash (In Japanese), YoroPay (In Japanese), etc.Financial InformationFinancial and economic data needs to be collected efficiently when an investor manages an asset or when a corporate business planning department makes a strategy. In response to such needs, using IT technology to analyze huge amounts of financial and economic data, a service that can obtain high-quality information in a short time has been created.Representative services for financial informationZUU, SPEEDA, etc.Fintech Chaos Map of JapanLastly, we would like to introduce the Japanese Fintech service landscape map announced by MA STAND.In addition to the services mentioned above, various companies provide services.Reference:【Fintech Industry Landscape Map 2019】Top 50 FinTech Companies in Japan / MA STANDConclusionMany fintech services have been created in Japan, and considering the magnitude of social impact and the acquisition of advanced technology for IT engineers, the fintech field is a very rewarding environment for them.If you are a foreign IT engineer who wants to work in the Japanese fintech industry, please register with GTalnet, a recruitment agency specialized in foreign IT engineers. A professional consultant will help you to find a job in the field of fintech for free.

If you’re thinking about working in Japan’s advanced tech industry, now is the right time to pursue your career. Aside from the high pay, the country offers more growth opportunities for IT engineers. But the whole moving process and living adjustment can be mentally exhausting for foreigners. From picking the right apartment to making new friends at the office, worries might seem endless for those who just started living in Japan.What it’s like to be a Foreign Worker in Japan?There are over 28,000 foreign engineers in the IT industry, which comprise 3% of all IT engineers in Japan. With the influx of overseas talents to the country, the number is expected to grow even more. You’ll most likely meet or pass by a foreign national in a company that you will be working for, especially if you’re living in one of the big cities in Japan.Working in the country as a foreign worker has its pros and cons. Foreign workers are often offered housing assistance and other benefits. In the IT industry, there are hundreds of conventions and tech fairs that you can join. Foreigners also get the chance to experience many exciting holidays and visit places in the country. However, being away from your family, the new work culture, and communication barriers can cause stress. Once you know more about what to expect when working for a Japanese company, you will get the idea of how to avoid or cope with these stressors and benefit from the positive points.ProsLet’s discuss the positives of working in the Japanese IT industry or working as a foreigner in the country and why you should grab the opportunity. The following strengths don’t necessarily apply to IT companies only, but also to most organizations with foreign employees.Opportunity to upskillOne of the best points of working for a Japanese company is having the chance to upskill. More IT companies are accepting foreign engineers with minimal experience as they provide office training. Moreover, big companies also offer other classes and let you join conferences for free!PolitenessForeign workers appreciate this workplace character, and this also applies outside of work. People being pleasant and non-aggressive at work helps foreigners and Japanese feel comfortable and make way for excellent communication among colleagues.TeamworkAnother character foreigners love about Japanese colleagues is their teamwork. They prefer to collaborate and always give relevant feedback to each other’s output. Also, their teamwork is applied to their decision-making process, which is appreciated by many foreign IT engineers. They prefer making a decision based on everyone’s opinion, which allows you to share your ideas.ChallengesWorking in Japan can be inspiring and challenging at the same time, mainly because of the difference in cultures. These challenges are the main factors of stress you might get to experience when you’re working in Japan.Indirect CommunicationJapanese colleagues tend to be indirect and vague. You won’t get a definite answer once you ask for their opinion about your output. Instructions and feedback may be conveyed indirectly, leaving foreign workers to wonder. For IT engineers, if you can’t pick-up their subtle negative signals, this can cause delays and problems on your projects.Detail-orientedPeople worldwide applaud the country for the level of dedication they have for work, but it can cause a lot of stress and pressure, especially to foreigners in the IT industry. This can be time-consuming and may lead to extra work during the whole development process.LanguageIt’s true that most companies, especially big IT companies, have relaxed some of their language requirements, but the lack of direct communication can cause problems and stress. Unlike working in your country when you can easily ask for confirmation, you won’t be able to do that when working for a company in Japan with few to zero foreign employees. It’s also quite challenging to make new friends outside work if you haven’t learned the Japanese language.How to Fight Stress?In the IT industry, companies receive vast amounts of workload every month, and it can be hectic with all developments and team meetings. So what can you do to get rid of stress? Here are some tips to help foreign IT engineers have a pleasant career and stay in Japan.    1. Take Regular BreaksYou want to impress your Japanese colleagues through hard work and dedication especially when you’re new to the company, but don’t be afraid to slow down. You are allowed to have 45 minutes to an hour’s worth of break a day. That’s enough to take some time off away from your desk. Take breaks and enjoy those little pauses to look outside your window or eat some sweet treats.    2. Stay at an Onsen Ryokan (hot spring inn)Visiting a hot spring inn is one of the ways the Japanese relieve their stress from work. These places are usually away from the hustle and bustle of the city and surrounded by nature. You’ll have a relaxing time soaking at the hot spring or walking around under clear skies.    3. Indulge in Shopping, Food, and HobbiesThere’s nothing like rewarding yourself after your hard work. Japan has many restaurants and cafes that offer delectable dishes and treats. Aside from that, foreigners and locals are also fond of spending extra time shopping to take their minds off work. IT engineers usually go for exciting events in the country or pursue their hobbies, be it music, arts, and sports. You can even spend some time learning the language to make friends easily.    4. Know that it’s ok to ask for helpIf you have been having a hard time with your tasks, it’s always a good idea to ask for some assistance from your colleagues. Since you’ll be working most of the time with a team in the IT industry, checking each other’s work and asking for advice is common.If your coping strategies don’t work, you can always ask for professional help. Counseling support in Japanese and English is available online, and there are offices in big cities that you can visit.ConclusionWorking as an IT engineer in Japan can be one of the essential steps to leveling up your career and acquiring new skills. However, moving to a country with an entirely different culture and living situation can cause stress, which affects your emotional well-being, but don’t let it hinder your potential. Japan offers many activities and platforms you can use to get your mind and body away from work for a while. Don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it and continue having a successful career in the country.Sources:https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2019/01/30/how-tos/demand-non-japanese-engineers-growing-know-youre-apply/#.Xv1JYygzbIUhttps://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2019/01/30/how-tos/thinking-working-japan-good-know-youre/#.Xv1DHSgzbIU

この記事では、これから日本で就職活動をする外国人留学生向けに、2021年卒業予定の就職活動をしている日本人大学生に人気がある企業やその理由をまとめています。他の国とは異なり、日本ならではのユニークな結果となっています。これから日本で就職活動をする外国人の方は是非ご参考にされてみてください。日本の大学生（2021年卒業予定）の就職人気企業ランキング新卒学生向けの就職情報メディアのキャリタス就活21が、2021年3月卒業予定の大学生・大学院生を対象に就職希望の企業についての調査を行っています。そのランキングがこちらとなります。8位三菱商事総合商社順位企業名業界1位東京海上日動火災保険損害保険2位損害保険ジャパン損害保険3位伊藤忠商事総合商社4位三井住友海上保険損害保険5位日本航空（JAL）空運6位全日本空輸（ANA）空運7位ソニー総合電機9位サントリーグループ食品10位トヨタ自動車自動車メーカー参照：キャリタス就活21/人気企業ランキング基本的には大手企業ばかりとなり、これは他の国においても同じような傾向になると思います。しかし、1位、2位、4位が損害保険会社というのは他の国では考えられないことだと思います。現在の日本の大学生は就職で何を求めているのか、なぜ海外で人気のインターネット企業やメーカーではなく、保険会社を選んでいるのでしょうか。なぜ損害保険会社が人気なのか？新型コロナウィルスの影響によって募集人数を減少した企業が多々ある中、損害保険会社は採用募集人数を減らしていないようです。損害保険会社は給与が比較的に高く、安定をしている印象があり、また学校の専攻なども関係なく、幅広い層の学生が応募ができることが人気を集めているのではないかと考えられます。また、自動車保険の営業がメインだった損害保険は、近年、自動車の需要がなくなる可能性を考慮した上で、地震などの災害時に適用される保険に力を入れているため、損害保険業界はまだ成長性が高いと考えられます。3つの損害保険会社がランクインすることで、21年卒の就活生は、チャレンジができる職場より安定な就職先を求めていると考えられます。人気が上昇・低下した企業今年トップ10にランクインした企業の中にはJALや伊藤忠商事のように毎年人気がある企業もあれば、東京海上日動火災保険などの損害保険会社のように、今年になってランキングが更に上位に上がった企業もあります。これからは、ランキングの中でも特徴的な5つの企業について詳しく説明をしていきたいと思います。東京海上日動火災保険東京海上日動火災保険は、前年の人気企業ランキングでは10位でしたが、今年は1位となりました。この背景としては「平均年収の高さ」や「グローバルな環境」が要因として考えられます。平均年収の高さ東京海上日動火災保険では、基本給は他の企業と大きく差はないのですが、各社員がもらえる賞与は年収に大きな影響を与えています。この会社の平均年収は約835万円ではありますが、業績によると1000万円を超えるケースがよく見られます。入社2ヶ月目の新卒社員に約60万円のボーナスが支給されたことがあり、この点で他の企業よりも収入面で魅力的と言えます。また、給与以外にも、社員には最大10万円の家賃補助が支給されたりするため、福利厚生においても優れており、待遇面で魅力を感じやすい企業と言えます。グローバルな環境東京海上日動火災保険は、国内だけではなく、グローバルに事業展開をしており、約45の海外拠点があります。世界の様々な大都市で働くことができるのも人気の理由と言えるでしょう。そのため、働く環境においても、ダイバーシティが浸透し、留学生や海外の方々にも人気の就職先となっているようです。伊藤忠商事日本には「商社」というビジネス形態の企業が大きな影響力を持っています。特に「総合商社」と言われる伊藤忠商事や三菱商事、住友商事などは常に大学生に人気がある就職先です。総合商社とは？総合商社は、食品、エネルギー資源、機械など様々な商品をグローバル規模で調達を行い、日本国内に限らず世界で販売を行なっています。国に大きな影響を及ぼす大きなプロジェクトもあり、またグループ会社にメーカーや金融会社などもあるため、グルーバルに大きな規模で事業を展開しています。平均年収の高さ伊藤忠商事の平均年収は約1400万円となっており、日本の企業の中でも非常に高い水準と言えるでしょうk。新卒1年目でも総合職社員の平均年収は約550万円なので、入社して1年目から高い水準の給与が得られることになります。様々なスキルの取得大手総合商社には日本国内や世界から優秀な人材が集まっており、ビジネスのノウハウを学べる環境がそこにあるだけではなく、優秀な人材から様々なスキルを取得できる側面もあります。英語などの語学、ファイナンスなどグローバルにビジネスをしていくためのスキルを学ぶことができることも人気の理由の1つと言えるでしょう。日本航空（JAL）航空会社特有の福利厚生社会保険や交通手当などの一般的な福利厚生の他に、社員用航空券制度があります。この制度は社員が9割引きで航空券を購入することができるJAL特有の福利厚生です。旅行が趣味な学生にとって、とても魅力的に感じる福利厚生であることは間違いありません。平均年収の高さ航空業界は一般的な平均年収も高く、その中でもJALの平均年収は約827万円と業界の中でトップクラスとなります。サントリーグループ海外進出の成功日本の大手飲料メーカーと言えば、キリンやアサヒ、サントリーなどが挙げられますが、その中でもサントリーが常に高い人気を集めています。その理由として、社風の魅力が良く挙げられます。「やってみなはれ」という創業者の有名な言葉がある通り、様々な新しい物事にチャレンジをしており、実際に海外への進出も一番最初に成功を収めているのもサントリーです。非上場企業サントリーグループは非上場企業であるため、株主のために短期的な成果を出す必要がないことから、長期的なプロジェックトに携わることが可能であることも魅力の1つなのではないでしょうか。トヨタ自動車なぜ人気が低下した？トヨタと言えば、日本で一番時価総額が高い企業であり、世界的にも有名な自動車メーカーとなります。日本の大学生の就職先として現在も１０位と高い人気ではありますが、数年前と比べると就活生への人気は少しずつ低下しています。なぜなら、現在の若い層は自動車への興味が減っており、また自動車業界の今後を考えると、必ずしも成長産業とは言えない状況です。自動車への興味を持たなくなった学生が増えれば増えるほど、自動車メーカーに就職したい学生は今後も減少していくかもしれません。まとめコロナショックをきっかけに、2021年卒業予定の大学生は今まで以上に安定性を求めていると言われています。そのため、今後もランキングの上位には安定性が高い企業が入ってくると思います。その他にも、新たな考え方や国際的なコミュニケーションを求める学生が近年増加しているため、三井住友海上火災保険や伊藤忠商事などのダイバーシティや国際的な展開に力を入れている企業が就活生に人気も集めていくと考えられます。日本で就職をすることによって、ご自身が望んでいるキャリア構築が実現できるよう心よりお祈りしております。日本での就職を考えている留学生でIT関連の仕事に就職したいという方は、外国人ITエンジニア専門の人材紹介会社G Talent（ジータレント）にご登録ください。プロのコンサルタントが無料で就職活動をサポートいたします。

Japan is known throughout the world as a country with a unique culture and style such as sitting on the floor (Seiza) or eating holding tableware and bringing it closer to their mouth. This unique style is not only reflected in their personal lives, but also the Japanese business world.In this article, we would like to introduce some of the Unique Japanese Business Etiquette that cannot be learned in language schools and other schools for foreigners who are planning to work in Japan or are currently working in Japanese companies.Unique Japanese Business MannersExchange of Business CardsIn the U.S. and other countries, business cards are just contact information cards, but in Japan, it is used as a substitute for greetings. There are some things you should pay attention to when you exchange business cards because there is an old belief in Japan that a business card is the same as a person’s face.When to Exchange Business Cards?In Japan, when you meet someone for the first time, you must exchange business cards when you start working with them. This will be the first impression you get when doing business in Japan, so why not practice the following steps to help you get started?Procedure for exchanging business cardsWe’d like to give you a brief introduction to the process of exchanging business cards in Japan. Take a business cards from the business card case.The first person you need to exchange business cards with in any situation is the boss or superior you are visiting. Before exchanging business cards, you should take out enough cards for each person you are giving them to and place them underneath the card case. You should place your hand on your chest when exchanging cards. The inferior one in the business (Meshita) had to start the exchanging of the business card.When you exchange business cards in Japan, the basic rule is that the inferior person who is visiting should give their card first. The word “inferior” here does not refer to the skills, age or the position of the person, but to the person who offers a business idea. For example, if a salesperson is proposing a product to a company that has been approved for a visit, the salesperson must show his or her business card first. Be careful not to get this procedure wrong, as it is rude to the other party. Give the name of the Company and your Name.When exchanging business cards, instead of offering your business card silently, make eye contact with the person you are giving it to and say, “My name is XX and I work for XX company.Some foreign names are difficult for Japanese people to understand, so try to say your name slowly and clearly using the katakana pronunciation. Receive the business card with both hands.When accepting a business card, say “Thank you” (Choudai-Itashimasu) and accept it with both hands. When you receive the card, be careful not to block the part of the card where the other person’s name and company name are written with your fingers. If you do not know how to read the person’s name, ask the person when you receive the card. During business negotiations, put the business card you received on the left front.Place the other party’s superior’s business card on your card case and arrange them in order of seating position close to your left hand (if you are right-handed).Place the card case in the opposite direction of your dominant hand to prevent it from being dropped accidentally when you are taking notes (if your left-handed, place it close to your right hand).A society where your seat depends on the company hierarchyIn the Japanese business world, you must pay attention to your superiors when you are in a business meeting or a meal. Not just wording, you also need to pay attention to where you sit. Although the above business card exchange manner is well known abroad, the seating arrangement we are about to explain is not so well known in other countries, but it is a business etiquette that has existed in the Japanese business scene for a long time.The order of seating is ① > ② > ③, in order of high hierarchy.As shown in ① above, the seat farthest from the entrance is called “kamiza”. The seat closest to the entrance is called the “shimoza”; in the above diagram, “shimoza” is ③.The Origin of Kamiza & ShimozaIn the Japanese business world, it is common practice to recommend the “kamiza” to customers and superiors.The origin of these words was in ancient times (Muromachi Period 1336-1573) when Samurais still existed. To reduce the risk of the assassination of a nobleman or person of high status, they were to sit away from the entrance. Also, because of the large number of people coming and going out from big rooms, they started asking people of the higher status to sit farthest away from the entrance so that people of higher status would be more comfortable.Even now, this crisis management mindset is still present, not only in meetings but also in taxis and elevators, where we ask our bosses and superiors to sit in a position where they can be safe or stand in a position where they can avoid injuries in a case of breakdown.On-time = 5 minutes agoIn Japan, arriving on time is almost the same as being late for an appointment. Punctuality is taught from elementary school and is part of the Japanese culture. Therefore, it is important to arrive 5 to 10 minutes before the start of a business meeting. Before you leave for your destination, find out how to get there, and if you need to take a train, find out the departure time and transfer point in advance.“First names” or “Last names”?In foreign countries, people often introduce themselves by saying “I am XX” or “My name is XX”, starting with their first name. However, in Japan, when you are in a close relationship with someone, you often call them by their first name, so in Japanese business situations, you should basically call them by their last name with a “san” at the end, not their first name. If the person you are talking to is a customer, you should call them by their last name adding a “sama” at the end.ConclusionThese days, this type of business etiquette is becoming less common in Japan, but it can still be found in various business situations in Japan.However, if foreign employees can use Japanese business etiquette, they can show their colleagues and superiors that they have a positive attitude towards working at a Japanese company and can make a big difference to other employees who are not as well versed in this area.There is no loss in learning the above-mentioned business etiquette, so why not learn it for your career growth?