Etchujima Inspiration

My immediate advice is to see ads frequently for Job Seekers eNewsletter at shigotoaru.blogspot.com. My long-term advice and recommendation is to learn Japanese - it will be well worth the time investment. Although many foreigners get by in Japan without learning any more than, "arigato," knowing even some basic Japanese opens up an entire new selection of employment opportunities. But learning Japanese should be part of your Japan experience anyway. It can really give you an insight into how Japanese people interact, and this ultimately gives you the edge in most situations in daily life.

In terms of your job description, I agree that you shouldn't have to be a mind reader, especially as an international hire. However, if you put yourself in the head of your prospective employer, the world revolves around him and he has his staff supporting him and generally taking care of the details. In a normal (local) hire, the HR staff would figure out what the new hire would be doing and would arrange the documentation accordingly.

That said, I think I can guess what the company is thinking. They want you to:
1. Come in as general helper and learn business.
2. Do some local sales
3. Help with international enquiries and issues -- probably some translation
4. Prove that you're trustworthy
5. Do some specific international projects for CEO
6. Eventually get asked to bridge to U.S. or to manage whomever it is they hire in the U.S