Accounting Manager

Location Tokyo
Discipline Accounting & Finance
Job type Permanent
Salary Negotiable
Reference 52639

Assistant Manager / Manager, Accounting

About the Role

As part of the Finance & Accounting team, you will be responsible for accounting operations, monthly and annual closing (mainly AR, tax, and GL). You are expected to take all necessary actions to ensure accounting processes are accurate, complete, and timely.

If hired at the Manager level, you will also manage a team of four as a hands-on (playing) manager.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Accounting (60%)

  • Accounts Receivable (AR) Management:

    • Invoice issuance control

    • Payment allocation and discrepancy investigation

    • Reporting to HQ

    • Duty-free sales data checks and adjustments

    • Other AR-related adjustments and reconciliations

  • General Ledger (GL):

    • Closing tasks (journal entries, accruals)

    • Audit support

    • BS review consolidation

2. Tax Operations (30%)

  • Closing (quarterly):

    • Corporate tax calculation/accruals (SAP)

    • Reporting to HQ (SAP BPC)

    • Consumption tax adjustments

  • Tax Filings:

    • Monthly: withholding tax, stamp duty, consumption tax

    • Year-end: payment reports

    • Annual: corporate tax, consumption tax, enterprise tax (outsourced)

    • Transfer pricing: management of master file and local file

3. Regulatory Filings (5%)

  • Store opening/closure notifications

  • Duty-free license applications/changes/closures

  • Tax treaties

  • Digital certificate issuance

4. Other (5%)

  • Process improvement projects

  • Other general accounting-related tasks

Requirements

Must-Have:

  • Bookkeeping level 2 knowledge (or equivalent) and 3+ years of accounting experience

    • Assistant Manager: 3–5 years

    • Manager: 5–8 years

  • Experience in corporate and consumption tax filings (preparation handled by tax advisors)

  • Strong Excel skills (vlookup, pivot tables)

  • People management experience (for Manager level: managing at least 2 staff)

  • Business-level English (mainly written communication with HQ; few meetings)

Nice-to-Have:

  • SAP experience

  • e-Tax / eLTAX experience

  • AR management experience

  • Accounting experience in retail or cosmetics industry, or strong interest in the sector

Personal Attributes

  • Strong communication skills and willingness to learn

  • Team-oriented mindset

  • Ability to explain accounting matters clearly to non-finance departments

  • Integrity in ensuring accounting accuracy while supporting business partners

  • Proactive problem-solving attitude