I applied directly on the careers webpage. The process involved an initial phone screen, a face-to-face interview, another face-to-face interview, and then a final HR interview. All this took one month.

Initially, they told me that the position was new. They said I would typically work from 8 AM to 6 PM, with no late nights or weekends. The interview included standard language trivia with very few algorithms and data structures questions. They made sure I read the job description and had fundamental finance knowledge for the department. They danced around my specific questions and often responded with more questions, like "Why are you asking that?" or "What kind of answer are you looking for?" No one tested my Japanese, even though the job required it.

It was later revealed that the previous person had quit and they urgently needed a replacement. I would indeed work "market hours," but that would include Japan and London market hours, which meant a call every Saturday. I didn't ask about Sunday. Taking a day off required approval two months in advance, as well as finding someone to cover for me.

They were luring me in with a bait and switch.

Why Japan?

Are you married?

How long do you plan on staying in Japan?