How Much Does Entering the Japanese Market Cost? — Initial Costs, Running Costs, and the JPY 30 Million Capital “Considered Separately”

“In the end, how much does it all cost?” — it is always the first question we get in a consultation about entering Japan. And many people carry the frustration that “no one gives a straight answer.” To be honest, the total varies with the line of business, the region, and how you go about it, so we cannot answer with a single figure. But in terms of “on what, when, and roughly how much,” in categories and realistic ranges, we can answer honestly. In this article, we organize the cost of entering Japan for a foreign company or foreign owner-manager into three parts — ① one-time initial costs, ② running costs incurred every month and every year, and ③ the JPY 30 million capital, which is considered separately from cost — and, while showing our firm’s actual fees (tax included), guide you through a realistic picture of the total.

Note: The amounts and requirements in this article are current as of July 2026 (statutory costs and fees are subject to revision). All our firm’s fees are tax-included, and the final amount is presented in an individual quotation according to the content.

1. The Big Premise to Grasp First — the JPY 30 Million Capital Is Not a “Cost”

Before we start on cost, let us sort out the most misunderstood point. The Business Manager status of residence (the Business Manager visa) requires capital (the total amount invested) of JPY 30 million or more, but this JPY 30 million is not a “cost” that vanishes once paid. It is “paid-in capital” contributed to the company’s account, and after incorporation it is the company’s own funds — money used for the business, such as office rent, wages, purchasing, and capital investment.

In other words, the correct understanding is not “entering Japan costs JPY 30 million + various expenses” but “the JPY 30 million is business funds you put into the company, and, separately from that, there are costs.” That said, being considered separately does not mean it needs no preparation. Remitting the JPY 30 million from overseas and arranging it as paid-in capital (the remittance route, the account, filings under the Forex Act, and so on) takes commensurate time and care.

2. Initial Costs (One-Time Money) — Company Setup, Visa, Office, Licensing

Initial costs break down broadly into five items. We look first at the cost of company setup for a foreign national or foreign company, in order, and then organize it into a table at the end.

① The Cost of Company Setup

This consists of statutory costs (actual costs paid to the state and the like) and professional fees. For a kabushiki-kaisha, articles-of-incorporation notarization costs about JPY 50,000 at the notary office (for capital of JPY 30 million) plus the cost of a certified copy of the articles (a godo-kaisha needs no notarization at all). A paper set of articles incurs JPY 40,000 in stamp duty, but with electronic articles it is not required. And what is easily overlooked is the registration and license tax. You often see the explanation “at least JPY 150,000 for a kabushiki-kaisha, at least JPY 60,000 for a godo-kaisha,” but this is only the minimum. The tax is calculated as capital × 0.7%, so with capital set at JPY 30 million on the premise of Business Manager, it comes to JPY 210,000 (JPY 30 million × 0.7%) for both a kabushiki-kaisha and a godo-kaisha. For readers of this series, the realistic registration and license tax is not JPY 150,000 or JPY 60,000 but JPY 210,000.

Our company-setup support is quoted as a total that includes these actual costs. The kabushiki-kaisha setup support plan is JPY 515,000 (tax incl.; breakdown: our firm’s fee JPY 165,000 + notarization fee JPY 52,000 [certified copy included] + registration and license tax JPY 210,000 + our partner judicial scrivener’s registration fee JPY 88,000). The godo-kaisha setup support plan is JPY 463,000 (tax incl.; fee JPY 165,000 + registration and license tax JPY 210,000 + judicial scrivener’s fee JPY 88,000). Both are handled with electronic articles, so the JPY 40,000 stamp duty does not apply. Options (tax incl.) include introducing candidate offices at JPY 55,000, accompanying you to sign the office contract at JPY 33,000, and, where our firm acts as the underwriter of the capital, 1% of the capital.

② The Cost of the Status of Residence (Visa)

The cost of the Business Manager visa splits into statutory fees paid to Immigration and professional fees. As for statutory fees, the application for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) when bringing someone in from overseas carries no fee, while a change of status of residence or a renewal of period of stay is, after the April 2025 revision, JPY 6,000 (at the counter) / JPY 5,500 (online).

Note that an amended Immigration Control Act raising the ceiling on fees was enacted on May 29, 2026 (promulgated June 5), setting the ceiling at JPY 100,000 for a change or renewal of status of residence and JPY 300,000 for permanent-residence permission. In response, on July 3, 2026 a draft Cabinet Order setting the actual amounts was published, and the policy — after a public-comment period (July 3–August 2, 2026) — is to apply it to applications accepted on or after October 1, 2026. Under the draft, a change or renewal shifts from the current flat JPY 6,000 to a tiered system by period of stay: JPY 10,000 for three months or less, JPY 33,000 for one year, JPY 64,000 for three to under five years, and JPY 75,000 for five years or more (for over three months, an online application gets a JPY 3,000–10,000 discount; permanent residence is at the counter only), and permanent-residence permission rises from JPY 10,000 to JPY 200,000. The final amounts and effective date are fixed when the Cabinet Order is promulgated. A steep rise in statutory fees is imminent, so starting early is the realistic move.

As professional fees, our Business Manager visa support (tax incl.) is a plan system by situation. Where the person is already in Japan (change application), it is JPY 440,000–550,000; where the person is overseas and has a cooperator in Japan (certification application), JPY 440,000–627,000; and where the person is overseas without a cooperator, JPY 550,000–759,000. The no-cooperator case is the most expensive because it becomes a “two-stage” procedure: first entering on a four-month Business Manager visa, then, after entry, arranging company setup, the office contract, account opening, and so on, and then renewing the period of stay. The range within each is due to the plan (Light / Standard / Premium), which differs mainly in the scope of support in English and Chinese, document translation, and accompaniment. Details are provided with materials and a quotation. Beyond this, the guide figure for a renewal of period of stay is from JPY 132,000, and the main options are procedures for Dependent status (JPY 55,000–77,000 per person) and support with the corporate-account-opening procedure (JPY 66,000–165,000). For reference, support for the Startup Visa — staying first to prepare to start a business — is JPY 385,000–462,000.

③ The Initial Cost of the Office

Business Manager requires an independent place of business, and a virtual office is, as a rule, not accepted. In a commercial lease, the deposit and guarantee money can run from several months’ to 12 months’ rent, and once you include key money, the agent’s commission, and interior work, it is the item with the widest swing among initial costs. It varies greatly by region, size, and property conditions.

④ The Cost of Licensing

Depending on the industry, you may need to obtain a business license or the like, which incurs a fee to the authorities and professional fees. Our business-license support is, for example, JPY 77,000 each for a secondhand-goods dealer or a restaurant (tax incl.), and differs by industry. Both whether it is needed and the amount depend on the industry.

⑤ Other Actual Costs

Document translation, obtaining various certificates such as a signature certificate, visa issuance and travel, international remittance fees, and the like incur actual costs according to the content.

3. Running Costs (Money Incurred Every Month and Every Year)

A company begins to incur upkeep the moment it is set up. What is especially easy to overlook is the fixed costs that arise even when no profit is being made (even at a loss). Market rates are shown as general guides and ranges.

There are two points to grasp. First, rent and personnel costs (wages + the company’s share of social insurance) make up most of the running costs, and this varies greatly with each company’s choices. Second, the per-capita levy (about JPY 180,000 a year even at a loss for capital of JPY 30 million) and the company’s share of social insurance arise even when no profit is being made. In deciding on entry, it is safest to allow for not just the first year but two to three years of running costs.

4. The Combined Guide Figure for a Model Case — Setting Up a Kabushiki-Kaisha and Obtaining the Business Manager Visa

For the standard case of “the founder comes to Japan from overseas, sets up a kabushiki-kaisha, and obtains the Business Manager visa,” we bring the figures so far into a single table. These are guide ranges only, and vary with the line of business, the region, property conditions, and the exchange rate.

Note: In a year with a renewal of status of residence, allow separately for from JPY 132,000 + statutory fees on top of the above (the plan for “the person is overseas without a cooperator” includes support for the first renewal-of-period-of-stay application).

The exact total can only be worked out once the business plan and the premises of property and staffing are settled. Within our free consultation and Initial Consulting (PHASE 1), we present a detailed quotation tailored to your case.

5. Five Points for Not Going Wrong on Cost

• A “cheap address” costs more later — Sign for a virtual office to hold down fixed costs, and for Business Manager it is not accepted as an independent place of business, so with re-doing the contract and the visa delay, it ends up costing more.
• Save JPY 40,000 in stamp duty with electronic articles — A paper set of articles incurs JPY 40,000 in stamp duty, but with electronic articles it is not required. Our setup support handles electronic articles.
• Online applications have lower fees — The fee for a change or renewal of status of residence is currently JPY 6,000 at the counter versus JPY 5,500 online. Even under the new fees planned for October 2026, applications over three months get a JPY 3,000–10,000 discount online, and the higher the amount, the greater the saving from applying online.
• Delays in procedures create “dead spend” — During a period when you have leased an office but cannot open for business, only the rent goes out. Advancing setup, licensing, and the visa in parallel is, in the end, the best cost measure.
• The Immigration fee increase is imminent — As noted, an amended Immigration Control Act was enacted in May 2026, raising the ceiling on the change / renewal fee to JPY 100,000 (JPY 300,000 for permanent residence). A draft Cabinet Order setting the actual amounts was also published on July 3, 2026, and the policy is that, from applications on or after October 1, 2026, a change / renewal rises by period of stay to up to JPY 75,000, and permanent residence to JPY 200,000 (fixed by Cabinet Order after public comment). There is no “wait and it gets cheaper” factor, so starting early is the rational move.

6. Our Firm’s Approach to Fees — You Can Engage Us in Stages

Much of the anxiety about cost comes from “setting off without the total in view.” That is exactly why our support is staged. First, in the STEP 0 free consultation, we sort out your current situation and the aim of entering. If you engage us, in PHASE 1 Initial Consulting (from JPY 330,000 [tax incl.]) we handle organizing the entry approach and structure, drawing up the required procedures and points at issue, and designing the overall schedule, and on that basis we propose a detailed quotation for PHASE 2 (entry-execution support; per matter, separate quotation). After entry, we support you continuously with PHASE 3 operating advisory (monthly-fee basis, separate quotation). It is designed so that, even without spending heavily from the start, by PHASE 1 you have “the big picture and an outlook on the total” in hand. In quoting, we carefully explain the amounts that may arise before you sign.