Career advice: Opportunities in Japan with a background in European tax law?

Hi everyone,

To keep it simple, ’m not planning to move to Japan anytime soon, but my partner (who’s Japanese) and I haven’t discarded the idea of moving there in the future, maybe in around 8 years or so.

I’ve been doing some research, but it seems like my career path might not easy to transfer to the Japanese job market, at least based on what I could find in English. So I was hoping someone with a similar background could share what the landscape looks like for my field.

For context, I hold a Master’s degree in European and International Tax Law, and I’m still in the early stages of my career. My experience so far has been mostly with VAT, tax returns, customs, and supply chain taxation. My expertise is definitely European-focused, and I don’t think it would make sense for me to study to become a zeirishi.

By the time we hypothetically move, I’m hoping to be proficient in Japanese, so language hopefully won’t be a major barrier.

Given all that, what realistic career paths or opportunities might be open to someone with my background in Japan? Any insights, experiences, or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance! 🙂