You are on the right track if you are looking for a professional to handle your business, but it has to be focused on bilingual accounting in Japan. Bilingual accounting in Japan refers to an individual or company that can put together accounting reports in both English and Japanese. And it sure will be a very valuable resource to your company.
Doing business in Japan is going to be a wonderful experience, even with the recent events on the earthquake. Japan is going to need help in rebuilding their country, and restoring investor confidence. If there is any country in the world capable of doing this, it’s Japan. Their sense of discipline and pride in their culture and country make them an ideal place to start a new business.
Here are some suggestions on accounting firms in Japan who have above-board reputation and excellent feedback. They also work very well with bilingual accounting.
The Ascendant Business Solutions is an accounting firm that focuses more on foreign companies. They outsource, do consulting, and have an excellent reputation among international businesses. Their expertise lie in back office support, compliance, and human resources.
Okamoto & Company hire bilingual accountants and labor specialists to handle your financial and human resources needs. Their services include payroll, annual reports, taxes, translation, note disclosure, FS, auditing, consolidation, and insurance.
The InterGest Japan has been a global company since 1997. Their home base is in Japan, and their list of clients are companies interested in investing in Japan through imports and exports.
There are many more accounting firms in Japan, as well as individual CPAs offering their services. However, here are some tips on how to handle a Japanese accountant so that no undercurrents develop and ruin the business relationship.
- Japanese believe in saving face. His loyalty is undeniable, and he has strong human relationships with the people he works with. Unlike the American slant of not being concerned about how others think as long it is right, the Japanese put a lot of emphasis on impressions others have of him.
- There is a hierarchy that they respect, and they refuse to cross this or break tradition. The accountant you select will not be willing to “go out for drinks” casually, especially in the first few months of your business relationship.
In a strange way, the two cultures work very well together if respect is properly in place. Japanese are quickly adapting a more western attitude, and this makes it easier for foreign investors to settle in nicely.