Robert Walters has launched a ‘Japan Desk’, operating from their offices in Dusseldorf. The Japan Desk will offer specialist recruitment services, tailored for the many Japanese companies in the region.

Japanese businesses in Germany

With around 410 Japanese companies in the city area and around 650 companies in the region, Dusseldorf is the biggest hub for Japanese companies in continental Europe. The first Japanese companies found their way to the city more than 60 years ago and until this day, Dusseldorf has lost none of its attractiveness for Japanese companies. Many of them have their European or German headquarters here and use the strong economic environment and excellent infrastructure to develop their markets. Thomas Hartenfels, Director of Robert Walters Dusseldorf: “Robert Walters has an international footprint in 31 countries, and we’re specifically well established as a market leader in Japan. The fact that our German business is currently quickly growing makes this the perfect moment to launch bespoke services for our local Japanese clients.”

Cultural differences

The Japan Desk will be managed by Toshifumi Takagi, who transferred from Robert Walters’ Tokyo offices to Dusseldorf for the occasion. Toshifumi brings a wealth of experience in matching specialist professionals with international businesses. Toshifumi: “When I heard that the German business planned to open a Japan Desk, I immediately knew that this was an opportunity I did not want to pass on. I’ve lived and worked in different international environments myself and I’ve learned a lot about the cultural differences that Japanese companies and professionals experience. I can be a bridge between companies and candidates. Both by helping local candidates understand the culture of Japanese companies, as well as by helping the companies decide which talents are the best cultural match.”

The Japan Desk can help bridge gaps in terms of cultural differences between the German and Japanese companies, as well as advise on setting up recruitment processes bespoke for local needs. The team will focus on recruitment across our specialisms in the region: Finance & Accounting, Sales & Marketing, HR, IT and Legal.

Contact our Japan Desk

For more information, please contact Toshifumi through toshifumi.takagi@robertwalters.com or +49 211 30 180 083.