Corporate Information

Company Name
Hobbylink Japan
Location
Kurohakama-cho 162-1, Sano, Tochigi, 327-0813 JAPAN
Establishment
January 6, 1997
Capital
38 million yen
Representitive
President and CEO Yasu Watanabe
Employees
More than 75 (as of May 2022)
Business Content
Sales and import / export of models, plastic models, toys, etc.
Affiliated Companies
Beaver Corporation (100% subsidiary)
https://beavercorp.jp/
Main Bank
Tatebayashi Shinkin Bank, Ashikaga Bank, Gunma Bank, Tochigi Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Company History
1995
HobbyLink Japan opened as online overseas mail order business
1997
January 6: Established corporation in Adachi, Tokyo
1999
Headquarters moved to Tatebayashi, Gunma
2007
Headquarters moved to Sano, Tochigi
2009
Opened online domestic mail order business https://hlj.co.jp/
2013
December: Acquired all shares of Beaver Corporation and acquired Beaver Corporation as subsidiary
Interested in Joining the HobbyLink Japan Team?
We are currently accepting applications for IT and Customer Service positions!
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IT
Customer Service
Other

IT Department

We're always accepting applications from candidates interested in working at HobbyLink Japan, the world's largest online retailer of Japanese toys, model kits and hobby items. Join our IT team, helping build the back and front end of HLJ from our office here in Sano-shi, Tochigi.

Responsibilities:

Understand product goals/feature requests and translate them into working software

Work as part of a team consisting of both internal and external developers

Write efficient and well documented code

Test both your own and other's commits to ensure site functionality

Requirements

English proficiency, both written and verbal

Ability to work in a fast paced environment with shifting tasks as need requires

Self-motivated and driven to contribute without much need of supervision

Strong skills in object oriented coding as well as scripting, with a main focus on the LAMP stack

Excellent front end development skills (HTML/CSS/Javascript)

Experience in working with relational databases

Comfortable working with software control, namely Git

Comfortable working with APIs and external libraries

Bonus Skills

Development experience in Wordpress

Basic understanding of AWS and working with micro services

Japanese language skills

Higher priority is given to candidates who:

Are bi- or multilingual

Are currently residing in Japan with valid working visa

Have a knowledge of and passion for the products we sell

Education

A university-level degree or relevant work experience

Annual Salary

3,500,000 JPY or higher, depending on experience

Other Benefits

Transportation allowance

Social insurance (national health insurance, welfare pension insurance, employment insurance, and worker injury insurance)

Discount system for employees to purchase merchandise sold by HobbyLink Japan

10 paid vacation days per year, which grows each year spent at the company up to 20

National holidays + new year and Obon holidays

The opportunity to receive swap days (daikyu) in exchange for any voluntary work over holiday periods

Casual work environment - suits not required

Location

Sano-shi, Tochigi-ken

Working Hours

9am – 6pm Monday - Friday

If you're interested in this position and meet our requirements, please send your resume and cover letter to hr@hlj.com!


While we accept resumes from candidates outside of Japan, any relocation expenses will be the responsibility of the candidate. Visa support can be provided if necessary.


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Customer Service Department

We're always accepting applications from candidates interested in working at HobbyLink Japan, the world's largest online retailer of Japanese toys, model kits and hobby items. Join our web retail team, assisting customers worldwide from our office here in Sano-shi, Tochigi.

Responsibilities:

Provide customers with support on technical, operational, and account-related issues, via email and social media

Document, track and monitor the customer's experience to ensure a timely resolution of issues and concerns

Ensure consistent communications across all customer service channels

Requirements

At least 20 years old

Fluency in English, with excellent verbal and written communication skills

Strong organizational and time management skills

Ability to collaborate well with team members

Flexibility to assist with tasks throughout the organization as needs demand

Willingness to learn new and regularly improve on existing skills

A proactive personality that takes the initiative to get things done

Bonus Skills

Strong understanding of social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Snapchat, etc.)

IT Skills (Front-end and back-end development)

Digital advertising experience

Video editing experience

Experience using WordPress

Higher priority is given to candidates who:

Are bi- or multilingual

Are currently residing in Japan with valid working visa

Have a knowledge of and passion for the products we sell

Have customer service experience

Are experienced in a high-volume customer service environment

Have online retail marketing or merchandising experience

Are experienced using Zendesk (helpdesk software)

Education

A university-level degree or relevant work experience

Annual Salary

2,600,000 JPY - 3,300,000 JPY (negotiable based on experience)

Other Benefits

Transportation allowance

Social insurance (national health insurance, welfare pension insurance, employment insurance, and worker injury insurance)

Discount system for employees to purchase merchandise sold by HobbyLink Japan

10 paid vacation days per year, which grows each year spent at the company up to 20

National holidays + new year and Obon holidays

The opportunity to receive swap days (daikyu) in exchange for any voluntary work over holiday periods

Casual work environment - suits not required

Location

Sano-shi, Tochigi-ken

Working Hours

9am – 6pm Monday - Friday

If you're interested in this position and meet our requirements, please send your resume and cover letter to hr@hlj.com!


While we accept resumes from candidates outside of Japan, any relocation expenses will be the responsibility of the candidate. Visa support can be provided if necessary.


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Other Opportunities

Here at HobbyLink Japan, we are always on the lookout for top talent. If you've got something special that you could bring to our team, we would love to hear from you! We are always accepting resumes, however, when we have specific job openings, details will be posted here. All candidates must meet the following minimum requirements for any position at our company:

At least 20 years old

Possess at least a 4-year university degree or equivalent

Fluent in English or Japanese

Demonstrable skills in desired position

While we accept resumes from candidates outside of Japan, any relocation expenses will be the responsibility of the candidate. Visa support can be provided if necessary.


For all positions, preference is given to candidates who are:

Currently residing in Japan with valid working visa

Bi- or multilingual

Experience in internet service industry

Currently accepting inquiries related to the following areas:

Customer Service (English fluency required)

Marketing

IT (Front-end and back-end development)

Purchasing (Japanese fluency required)

Management

If you're interested in joining our team, and meet our minimum requirements, please send your resume to hr@hlj.com!

Profile
HobbyLink Japan Ltd. is an internet retail business based in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Founded in 1995, the company started out offering Japanese model kits to international customers out of a small apartment in Tokyo, Japan. Today, HobbyLink Japan operates a custom-built office and state-of-the-art warehouse in scenic Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, and offers over 120,000 hobby products including anime & action figures, model kits, Gundam products, hobby publications, and other collectibles at domestic prices, shipping to over 220 countries worldwide. In addition to retail sales (B2C), the company provides wholesale (B2B), third-party logistics and e-commerce services (3PL/3PEC).
Services
Authenticity

All of our products are sourced from official suppliers, or directly from manufacturers themselves. No bootlegs -- ever. We also occasionally make used items available, but only after a thorough vetting process. All used items are clearly labeled on our website, so customers will never end up with a secondhand product by mistake!

Private Warehouse

Shipping from Japan can be expensive. Coupled with our array of shipping options, our Private Warehouse system allows customers to store their items at our warehouse for free, up to 60 days*. During that time, customers can create and customize shipments, split orders into small packages, or combine separate orders into a single package. Learn more here

The 60-day limit is currently suspended, allowing customers to hold their items indefinitely.

Currency Customization

We don't force our customers to shop in Japanese yen, or the currency of the country in which they're located. Customers have over 125 currencies to choose from when shopping on our website. Learn more here

Shipping Options

We offer 9 shipping options to our international customers, and 2 shipping options to our domestic customers. Customers can choose the best shipping method for them based on their personal priorities, such as budget, speed, security, and more. There's something for everyone! Learn more here

Payment Methods

We accept payments through either a PayPal Billing Agreement or our payment processing provider Reach, which allows you to pay safely and securely in a wide range of currencies, by credit card, PayPal and more. Find out more here

Authentic Customer Support

Our customer support team meets customers where they are, whether that's their email inboxes, preferred messenger service, or favorite social media network. We answer questions and offer assistance across multiple platforms to get you the answers you want, when you want them. Our customer support team is staffed by fluent English and Japanese speakers, who are dedicated support agents -- getting our customers the help they need in a timely, friendly manner.

Customer-Centered Policies

We are one of the few international hobby merchants to offer a flexible cancellation policy, so customers are given leeway to change their mind about purchases for any reason. We never require prepayment for preorders, so customers do not need advance funds simply to place an order with us. Our robust returns & refunds policies help protect customers against lost, damaged, and defective products.

Brands
HobbyLink Japan
HobbyLink Japan

HobbyLink Japan is the primary brand of HobbyLink Japan Ltd., under which all other brands fall. Domestic and international retail and wholesale operations exist under this brand.

hlj.com / hlj.co.jp

hobbylink.tv


hobbylink.tv is the creative division of HobbyLink Japan Ltd., which specializes in nerd-centric content creation. Examples of content produced at hobbylink.tv include model kit tutorials, collectible reviews, YouTube video series (Gunpla TV, Toy Tengoku), and hobby show reports!

hobbylink.tv