I have talked with several Japanese recruiting firms. As with anything, some are better than others. However, what I found is that they all are much more polite and actually helpful in comparison to the horrible foreign recruiters-- Michael Page, Hays, Intelligence, Robert Walters in particular. In the future, I will give specific examples of why I hate those foreign recruiters, but for now, I will hold my tongue.
Japanese recruiters understand the way of doing business in Japan. Cultural expectations and business customs are essential in doing business, particularly in an industry such as recruiting where you are introducing human capital to a firm. Therefore, careful screening, understanding of the fit between the candidate and the hiring company, as well as people management skills are all critical. Understanding and working with a Japanese company requires a lot of indirect interaction. By that, I mean that you cannot be direct and say what you exactly want to say. This may be a turn off, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Anyways, check out these firms:
Antelope Career Consulting
Recruit
Kotora
