Japan based Software Engineer (Python / React)

Location: Tokyo, on-site

Language: English required, Japanese a plus

Experience: 3 years building production software, with depth in Python backend development or React frontend development, or both.

We're building a product-first company transforming how people file taxes: automating what others still do manually. Our app helps turn tax filing from slow and messy into something clear, fast, and (yes) enjoyable.

We're hiring Software Engineers to join our high-ownership engineering team. We care most about one thing: you write good code. Tell us where your strengths and interests lie, frontend, backend, or across the stack, and we'll shape the interview and your role around that.

The Role

As a Software Engineer at FreedomTax Japan, you'll design, build, and maintain the features that power our tax platform. Depending on your focus, you'll work on:

Backend (Python): Designing and building REST APIs (FastAPI or Django REST Framework), including endpoints, request and response schemas, validation, and error handling. You'll also integrate with databases and third-party services and ensure secure, reliable processing of tax data. Basics in GCP, Kubernetes or Docker are valuable.

Frontend (React): Building clear, fast, and accessible user interfaces that guide people through complex tax workflows. You'll turn designs into polished components and work closely with backend engineers on API contracts and data structures.

Across both, you'll collaborate with designers, product, and accountants to translate tax and business requirements into scalable technical solutions, and you'll help troubleshoot and improve existing code.

Qualifications For everyone

• Professional experience building and maintaining production software
• Clean, testable, maintainable code, and good judgment about when to keep things simple
• Experience with Git and collaborative code review
• Ability to work in a cross-functional team, communicate clearly, and document technical decisions
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

Backend focus

• Strong Python skills, including object-oriented design
• Experience with RESTful APIs and Document databases (e.g. Mongo DB, Firebase, Dynamo DB)
• Knowledge of security best practices, performance optimization, and error handling

Frontend focus

• Strong React and modern JavaScript/TypeScript skills
• Experience with state management, consuming REST APIs, and component-based architecture
• An eye for UX detail, responsive design, and accessibility

Nice to have

• Experience on both sides of the stack
• Background in fintech, tax, or other domains where data accuracy matters

Why Join Us

• Meaningful problems: Document processing, data pipelines, and workflows that directly impact how people file their taxes.
• Great team: Work directly with the founder and a senior backend engineer in a low-bureaucracy environment
• Work that matters: Build something people genuinely need—not just another CRUD app or internal tool
• Fast-moving environment: High iteration speed, direct feedback, real product impact
• Real ownership: You'll own projects end-to-end with clear success metrics—not just tickets in a queue