Foreign companies or foreign affiliates in Japan are often referred to as companies which hold more than a certain fixed ratio of capital (stock) in a foreign company. There is, however no official or particular definition to define foreign companies in Japan.
The number of foreign capital companies tend to be larger in the financial industry, consultation industry and investment banks. In addition, in these companies, it is possible to be asked to use English at the interview, CV and in the office. Also, the characteristics of the company and the corporate culture differs between each firm.

When a Japanese company's funds and a foreign company's funds are invested jointly, it's also called a "joint company". When the Japanese company's fund is considerably larger than the foreign company's funds, the characteristic of the company doesn't change very much, compared to a Japanese company. Also, even though a company may be considered as a "foreign company", when a firm has a long history in Japan, the system tends to be very similar to the one in Japan. Therefore, it is vital to research every company's environment, philosophy and culture when applying. Characteristics of the company could also depend on the area it was founded (North America or Europe). For example: It is said that a person from a foreign company based on the United States system holds a stricter image about business, when compared to a European foreign company.

Although it would depend on the enterprise, especially for companies which have smaller numbers of staff members, the director of the company reflects on the environment and atmosphere of the firm. When the director of the company changes, it could be very likely that the characteristics of the company will also change.

There is no set standard for the level of English required for employment, however business level English skills (more than 700 points in TOEIC) will be necessary. Interviews may take place in English or candidates may be asked to introduce themselves in English. If the candidates' aspiration is focused upon the managerial level, in particular, a high English ability will be desirable; to be able to communicate with other clients in foreign countries. Depending on the foreign company, there are also positions which don't require English, depending on the type of job.

In a Japanese based foreign company, the language used to communicate in the office will be Japanese, therefore in those particular offices, there is no need to speak English.