Executive Search in Japan
🎙️ Executive Search in Japan
Unlock the secrets of Japan’s elite hiring landscape. From C-suite strategies to cross-cultural insights, this podcast dives deep into the world of executive recruitment in one of the world’s most unique and challenging markets. Whether you're a global talent scout, a leadership candidate, or simply curious about how top-tier hiring works in Japan—this is your front-row seat.
🔎 Candid interviews, expert analysis, and the stories behind the headhunting headlines.
Executive Search in Japan
The Rise of the CHRO — Talent Leaders Shaping Japanese Work Culture
In this episode of Executive Search in Japan, we explore how the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) role in Japan is evolving from a behind-the-scenes administrative position to one of the most strategically vital functions in today’s business environment. As Japanese companies grapple with demographic headwinds, global competition, and shifting employee expectations, CHROs are taking center stage in driving organizational change.
We examine the forces shaping this transformation — from Japan’s shrinking labor force and declining “lifetime employment” model to the pressure to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and reimagine talent development.
Listeners will learn how Japan-based CHROs are:
- Partnering with CEOs and CFOs to align HR with business strategy.
- Navigating cultural traditions like wa, nemawashi, and tatemae while driving modern HR innovation.
- Tackling the bilingual talent shortage and managing workforce reskilling and upskilling.
- Balancing digital transformation with privacy and adoption challenges.
- Championing DEI initiatives, even within a conservative social framework.
We also highlight key Japan-based CHROs, offer insights into leading executive search firms specializing in senior HR placements, and share powerful anecdotes that illustrate how HR leadership is reshaping the future of work in Japan.
Whether you’re an HR professional, a corporate executive, or a recruiter navigating Japan’s unique labor market, this episode will give you valuable context on why CHROs are no longer behind the curtain — they’re directing the show.
Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Okay, let's start with a word you might not know, but it says a lot. Kurchi. It's Japanese, and it literally means death from overwork.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. Yeah, pretty intense, right?
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. It kind of immediately signals this, well, deeply ingrained work ethic. But here's the thing that's really interesting. In response to pressures like that, and frankly, a whole host of others reshaping Japan, there's this huge shift happening inside companies.
SPEAKER_01:Really profound one.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So today we're doing a deep dive into the strategic rise of the chief human resources officer, the CHRO, in Japan. This role, you know, used to be seen as more back office, kind of supportive.
SPEAKER_01:Admin stuff, basically.
SPEAKER_00:Right. But Now, it's becoming absolutely central to, well, business survival and growth in this really unique, evolving landscape. Think of this deep dive as like your shortcut to getting your head around this critical change and why it actually matters.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and our goal really is to give you clear insights into how these forward-thinking CHROs in Japan are actively driving some monumental changes. We're talking about adapting to hybrid work, really championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, DEI, and, you know, significantly boosting employee engagement.
SPEAKER_00:So they're taking HR beyond just compliance.
SPEAKER_01:Totally. They're transforming it from just a compliance department into a real catalyst for innovation and long-term competitiveness. You get a much better understanding of how these leaders are balancing Japan's sort of deep traditions with this urgent need for transformation.
SPEAKER_00:And why understanding that balance is so important if you're engaging with the Japanese market today.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. It's crucial.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so to help us unpack all this, we've dug into a pretty rich set of sources. We've got detailed articles looking at how the CHRO role is changing, profiles of some key HR leaders who are really making waves, insights from specialist recruitment firms. Yeah,
SPEAKER_01:the ones on the ground there.
SPEAKER_00:And some honestly fascinating anecdotes that really bring the nuances of Japanese work culture to life. So let's jump right in.
SPEAKER_01:Let's do it.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, first off, why now? Why is HR suddenly seen as so, well, business critical in Japan What's driving this shift?
SPEAKER_01:It's a huge shift, almost like a revolution in thinking. Historically, yeah, HR was support, payroll, basic compliance, that sort of thing. But now it's really establishing itself as a strategic partner. We're seeing more and more CHROs on executive committees, even on company boards.
SPEAKER_00:Really? On the board? Oh,
SPEAKER_01:yeah. Especially in the multinational firms operating there. These CHROs, they aren't just administrators anymore. They're vital partners to the CEO, the CFO, the COO. Guiding talent strategy through huge initiatives like restructuring, big digital transformations, going global. They're right there at the table making key decisions.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Deeply integrated.
SPEAKER_00:That makes a lot of sense, especially with those big strategic shifts. But Japan is known for, you know, its traditional corporate structure, specific hierarchies.
SPEAKER_01:Very much so.
SPEAKER_00:How are these people actually getting that influence? Is it always a formal CHRO title or are there like subtle ways they operate within those old structures?
SPEAKER_01:That's a really sharp question. And it leads us perfectly into this little anecdote we call the title that wasn't. It's actually quite common for traditional Japanese companies not to use the CHRO title formally.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, interesting. So what do they use?
SPEAKER_01:You get these, well, long-winded alternatives like General Manager of Human Capital Development and Planning or maybe Executive Officer, Human Resource Strategy and Organizational Innovation.
SPEAKER_00:Wow, that's a mouthful.
SPEAKER_01:Right. But the key thing to remember is despite these sometimes awkward titles, these people are functionally CH They're doing the job. They hold enormous influence over culture, over talent strategy. Often their mandate goes way beyond what the liberal job description says. It's about the function, really, not just the label.
SPEAKER_00:OK, so the title might be traditional, but the impact is definitely modern, strategic. So what are the big underlying pressures forcing this change? What's happening structurally in Japan?
SPEAKER_01:There are several really critical drivers, first and foremost. Demographics. It's huge. Japan's working age population has shrunk by over 10 million people since 1995. 10
SPEAKER_00:million. Wow.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And the projections show it just keeps declining steeply right through 2050. That directly impacts hiring retention. It makes the talent war incredibly fierce.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. Demographics is number one. What else?
SPEAKER_01:Second, you've got the slow but definite breakdown of the lifetime employment model.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, the classic Japanese system.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. That's been a cornerstone for decades. But it's shifting. And that has massive implications for how companies attract, develop, keep people. They have to compete differently now. Third, new worker expectations, especially from, you know, Gen Z and millennials. They prioritize things like flexibility, purpose, getting feedback, stuff that wasn't such a big deal for older generations.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Different priorities.
SPEAKER_01:And finally, there's significant external pressure from investors, even from the Japanese government itself, pushing companies to raise wages, diversify who's in charge, modernize how they handle labor.
SPEAKER_00:You mentioned companies. Right at the start, that death from overwork idea, how does that fit into these pressures? Are CHROs actually tackling that ingrained overwork culture?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, absolutely. It's a massive factor. And it brings us right to the great overwork escape anecdote. I mean, the fact that Japan even coined the term karushi tells you it's not just about like work-life balance. It's a strategic issue with real societal costs.
SPEAKER_00:So what are they doing?
SPEAKER_01:Well, some progressive CHROs have put in place really innovative mandatory vacation systems. Things like randomly assigning days off so people have to take them or locking people out of their work email after certain hours.
SPEAKER_00:Locking them out. Seriously.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Or even requiring employees to show proof of travel like hotel receipts to prove they actually took their vacation.
SPEAKER_00:That sounds extreme but maybe necessary.
SPEAKER_01:Well and here's the funny twist you mentioned about it being deep seated. One company offered a bonus about 200 U.S. dollars for taking five consecutive days off. They had to stop the program because they found out some employees were secretly working from their hotel rooms.
SPEAKER_00:No way. Just to avoid falling behind.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. It just highlights how deep that work ethic runs. So CHROs are innovating, definitely, but shifting those cultural norms that have been around forever, that's a constant battle. It's about actively enforcing well-being, even when the tide pulls the other way.
SPEAKER_00:Secretly working from hotel rooms. I can't get over that. It really shows the challenge. Okay, so Given these intense pressures, the cultural stuff, how are CHROs actually fighting this global war for talent in Japan? What strategies are they using?
SPEAKER_01:Well, they're basically reimagining everything. Recruitment, internal mobility, how people move within the company. They're launching innovative reskilling and upskilling programs. That's crucial because of the demographic crunch and because the skills needed are changing so fast.
SPEAKER_00:Addressing those mismatches.
SPEAKER_01:Precisely. And they're intensely focused on the bilingual talent shortage that's vital for any company operating globally from Japan. Plus, introducing global leadership development to groom future leaders with a more international perspective. And a really key part of this is partnering with top executives Headhunters. CHRO searches themselves. And Stanton Chase in Tokyo focuses on finding those transformational HR leaders.
SPEAKER_00:So they're using specialized help to find the right people.
SPEAKER_01:Definitely. And others too, like Horton International Japan and Russell Reynolds Associates, known for their rigorous analytics-based approach. These partnerships are basically essential now.
SPEAKER_00:It sounds like these aren't just abstract ideas. Can you give us examples of real CHROs who are leading this charge in Japan right now, maybe from different kinds of industries?
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. The transformation is really being driven by some very influential figures. Take Utai Nakamishi. She's the SVP and CHRO at Renesas Electronics, a major tech firm just appointed this year. Her focus is global HR transformation, building inclusive high-performance cultures. So that's tech. Then you have Hugh Aoki, EVP and CHRO at NTT Data Group, also new in the role, effective this June. She's driving strategic HR across their huge global IT operations talent leadership development.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so tech and IT are definitely moving. What about more traditional sectors?
SPEAKER_01:Good question. Look at Keiko Uishi. She's senior executive officer, head of global HR and CHRO at Daiichi Sankyo, the pharmaceutical giant. She oversees global HR strategy, making sure their talent matches their international expansion plans. It shows how even traditional industries are embracing modern HR. And it's not just individuals. Fujitsu recently held a CHRO roundtable led by their own Hiroki Hiramatsu. It brought together HR leaders from massive companies like Ineos Holdings and YK Line, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial group, Resonac Holdings. Big names. Huge names. And they're collaborating on cutting-edge stuff, like data-driven human capital management. It shows this collective push for innovation happening across industries. You also have people like Masayuki Nishida at CINZ Corporation, a retailer who's on the board of Jacquetro, shaping best practices.
SPEAKER_00:Those examples really make it concrete, which brings us to culture change, Japan's famous for its deep traditions. How do these CHROs manage reshape culture. Moving from, say, harmony towards agility, that sounds like walking a tightrope.
SPEAKER_01:It is absolutely a delicate balancing act, but it's crucial. CHROs are leading this cultural transformation, often within companies with really strong, long-standing ways of doing things. They have to balance traditional values like wah, that's harmony, group cohesion.
SPEAKER_00:Right, keeping things smooth.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. And Nimawashi, the process of kind of informal, behind-the-scenes consensus building, they have to balance those with the modern need for innovation, speed, agility. It's not about ditching tradition, but integrating it smartly. And Nemawashi leads to the meeting before the meeting anecdote.
SPEAKER_00:Ah, OK. Tell me about that.
SPEAKER_01:So a foreign CHRO new to Tokyo, was totally baffled. Her proposals kept getting shot down in formal leadership meetings, even though her Japanese colleagues seemed polite, nodding along. It wasn't until a Japanese peer pulled her aside quietly and said, essentially, you need to do Numawashi. The real meeting happens before the meeting.
SPEAKER_00:Wow. So you build the agreement privately first.
SPEAKER_01:Precisely. Consensus is often built in those private, informal chats, way before anything hits the official agenda. Modern CHROs absolutely have to master these written rules if they want their changes to stick. It's a deep insight into how decisions actually happen there.
SPEAKER_00:That's fascinating. A whole hidden layer. But how do you encourage open communication then in these hierarchical places where maybe speaking up isn't the norm? That seems like a huge cultural hurdle.
SPEAKER_01:It is huge. And that brings us to the whiteboard revolution anecdote. A CHRO at a startup in Tokyo was struggling to get feedback because of that culture where direct criticism or even just speaking up is often avoided.
SPEAKER_00:The don't rock the boat idea.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. So her solution, pretty ingenious. She put up anonymous feedback whiteboards in the office bathrooms.
SPEAKER_00:In the bathrooms.
SPEAKER_01:Yep. And one day someone wrote, let's have standing meetings so they finish faster. Simple idea. Within months, the company started this rotating Stand Up Friday. It's now like a celebrated thing there. It fostered more open, even if still indirect, feedback. It shows that these small, culturally sensitive hacks can actually work.
SPEAKER_00:That's clever. Using the culture, not fighting it head on.
SPEAKER_01:Right. And then there's the idea of slow is fast in Japanese HR. Picture this. A European CEO, totally frustrated because rolling out a new performance management system took nine months in Japan, while it only took three months everywhere else.
SPEAKER_00:I can imagine the frustration.
UNKNOWN:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:But the Japanese CHRO calmly explained, look, we move slowly at first, do the nimawashi, get everyone aligned. But once we start, it sticks. You won't have to retrain everyone in six months like you might in other markets. It highlights that transformation in Japan often needs patience, needs the internal alignment first. But the changes tend to be more lasting, more culturally embedded, because everyone genuinely bought in. It's a fundamental difference.
SPEAKER_00:Slow is fast. That's a great way to put it. Patience for long-term impact. Okay, speaking of performance reviews, how do they navigate feedback in a culture where direct criticism is tricky or where maybe a three out of five means something different?
SPEAKER_01:Ah, yes. The Tatmé performance review anecdote fits perfectly here. An American manager tried using a standard Western five-point rating scale in Tokyo. He was completely confused because his Japanese managers kept rating almost everyone a three, middle of the road.
SPEAKER_00:Seemed like they were avoiding conflict.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly, or avoiding making clear distinctions. The CHRO had to step in and explain. In Japan, giving someone a three can actually be the equivalent of a standing ovation.
SPEAKER_00:Really? A3 is a standing ovation? In
SPEAKER_01:that context, yes. Because in a culture-prizing harmony... Wa, giving top scores, can sometimes create unwelcome competition or make individuals stand out too much, disrupting the group harmony. It's a classic case of understanding the public face or facade versus hunting the person's true feelings or intentions. So CHROs, they don't just train managers on the system, the tool. They have to train them on how to interpret and deliver feedback within that cultural context. What does that three really mean? How do you still give useful feedback without causing friction? It's subtle,
SPEAKER_00:incredibly subtle. It really underscores how deep that cultural understanding needs to go. OK, let's shift gears a bit to diversity, equity and inclusion. How is Japan doing there, especially given, you know, it's more traditional social norms that might seem, well, different from global goals?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's definitely an area where Japan is moving. Slowly but steadily. But there's a long way to go. Just to give you a concrete number. A 2025 report showed only 13.2% of management positions in Japan are held by women.
SPEAKER_00:13%. That's
SPEAKER_01:low. It's one of the lowest among all the OECD nations. So progress is happening, but that number really highlights the scale of the challenge. CHROs are right in the thick of it, pushing against some deeply entrenched norms. They're launching women's leadership programs, things like returnship schemes, to help people, often women, get back into the workforce as Like
SPEAKER_00:after having kids.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. And implementing more inclusive hiring practices overall. The real trick is navigating Japan's more conservative social norms while trying to bring in global DEI frameworks. They're also shaping things like LGBTQ plus support, raising awareness around neurodiversity, developing strategies for including different generations, but always trying to find uniquely Japanese ways to do it, respecting the existing culture rather than just imposing something from outside.
SPEAKER_00:Finding that local adaptation makes sense. Okay, finally, what about technology? How is tech playing a role in this whole HR transformation? What's in the new CHRO toolkit in Japan, and are there unique challenges in getting it adopted?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, technology is absolutely central to this. There's a massive push for HR digital transformation. We're talking talent analytics, AI tools for engagement, internal job marketplaces so people can find opportunities inside the company, sophisticated platforms to improve the whole employee experience.
SPEAKER_00:So all the modern HR tech.
SPEAKER_01:Pretty much. But CHROs have this balancing act. Push innovation, but stay compliant. with Japan's quite strict API privacy law, which governs personal data. They're also working super closely with the CIOs, the tech chiefs, to roll out these new HR systems across teams that might be multilingual in different locations and a unique challenge. Managing change fatigue, sure, but also ensuring tech adoption among older segments of the workforce who might just be less comfortable with constant digital shifts.
SPEAKER_00:That makes sense, especially with the demographics.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and a couple of data points really show the ambition and the ongoing challenge. 62% of Japanese companies now say HR transformation is one of their top three strategic priorities. That's huge.
SPEAKER_00:Wow, nearly two-thirds.
SPEAKER_01:But on the other hand, Japan's hybrid work adoption rate, still under 35%. Compare that to over 70% in the U.S. and Western Europe.
SPEAKER_00:Big gap.
SPEAKER_01:Huge gap. And employee engagement scores, while CHROs are working really hard on them, still remain among the lowest in Asia. So it just shows the incredible ongoing effort needed. It's not just about changing systems. It's about changing mindsets. So, okay, as we wrap up this deep dive, let's pull out the key takeaways from all these sources. First, it's clear. CHROs are really taking center stage in how Japanese corporate culture is evolving. They're way beyond just admin now. Second, and maybe the most profound insight here, is how Japan's unique cultural DNA, things like Nemawashi, isn't just a barrier. Paradoxically, it's shaping a new, highly effective model of HR leadership Well, they're leveraging that deep-rooted consensus building to make rapid global standard changes stick more securely, more permanently maybe, than in places where changes are just pushed through quickly. Third, despite big challenges demographics, the work ethic Japan is pioneering some really innovative talent and DEI strategies that cleverly blend tradition with transformation. And finally, the bottom line for anyone listening, if you're looking to grow in Japan or just understand the modern market there, Getting a handle on the crucial, nuanced role of these HR leaders with both deep local insight and global smarts is absolutely essential. You just can't ignore it.
SPEAKER_00:What a fascinating journey through Japanese corporate culture and this pivotal role of the CHRO. It really makes you think, doesn't it? Considering how deeply those cultural norms shape business in Japan, what other seemingly small, culturally sensitive hacks like that whiteboard in the bathroom might be unlocking engagement in workplaces all around the globe that maybe we just haven't noticed yet?
