Japan / Executive Search
Every connection is a gift.
Makana Partners is a boutique executive search and talent advisory firm specializing in leadership placements across Japan.
Our Services
Executive search and talent advisory.
We run retained and contingent search side by side, so each mandate gets the model that fits it, with leadership advisory before and after the hire.
Discover our services →Retained Search
A dedicated, proactive search for senior and business-critical leadership roles.
Contingent Search
A flexible model where you pay only on a successful placement, for roles that need filling quickly.
Leadership Advisory
Hogan leadership assessment, succession planning and executive coaching.
Japan Expertise
Functional and industry specialists who know the bilingual leadership market.
Featured Insights
Thinking from the Japan talent market
A Third of Japanese Hires Come From Job Boards
Job media fill a third of Japan’s mid-career hires. Agencies fill 6.3%, and that is where nearly every senior bilingual seat sits.
6 October 2026
Japan’s 2026 Market Trends: Quiet Restructuring and Workforce Transformation
How Japan’s firms are phasing out routine roles, reskilling teams and reshaping careers.
5 June 2026
AI Is Not a Tech Problem. It’s a Leadership One.
Organizations keep investing in AI, yet results stall. The reason usually has nothing to do with the technology.
31 March 2026
Latest Issue
Makana 2.0 — Issue 5
May 2026
The Makana Partners magazine on HR, leadership and technology shaping Asia’s future. Issue 5 covers leading through a BANI world, Japan’s bilingual executive market and how organizations develop leaders.
Also from Makana Partners
The Hardest Market
Japan’s talent market, in English. Data, law and analysis for the HR leaders and executives who hire here.
Explore The Hardest Market →- Japan Human Capital DataPay, women in management, parental leave and gender pay gap data for Japanese employers
- Labour Law TrackerJapanese employment law changes, with effective dates and what employers must do
- Japan HR GlossaryJapanese employment terms explained in English for employers
- The NewsletterA biweekly read on hiring in Japan, sourced to primary data
Client Testimonials
Trusted by leaders across Japan
Yan Sen is very customer-focused and moderates the interests of candidates and clients very well. He proactively stays in touch and provides updates on the status of the search and how the finalist is progressing.
He doesn’t push people to make decisions but rather offers different perspectives so they can make the right one. He’s supportive, responsive, and open-minded — one of the best agents I want a long-term relationship with.
I recently partnered with Yan Sen and found him to be authentic, professional and a true partner in navigating the challenging HR talent pool. I would recommend him to help you with your talent needs!
Contact
Let’s start a conversation.
Whether you’re hiring or exploring your next move, tell us what you need and the right consultant will be in touch.
Stay informed
Japan’s talent market, every other week.
Subscribe to The Hardest Market newsletter for sourced analysis on hiring in Japan.