The status of residence “Business Manager” (the Business Manager visa), which allows foreign nationals to run a company in Japan, changed dramatically with the reform of October 2025. “JPY 5 million in capital is enough,” “a sole director is fine,” “Japanese language is not tested” — these assumptio…

"I don't meet the new 30-million-yen capital requirement, so maybe I won't be able to renew my Business Manager Visa." — Many business owners have probably heard news or rumors like this and feel anxious. However, in fact, the "real reason" a Business Manager Visa cannot be renewed is not a fail…

You might assume that once you form a company in Japan you can start operating right away — but that assumption can lead to an unexpected halt. In Japan, depending on the business sector, obtaining a government "license" (permit, registration, license, or notification) before you begin operating is …

Once you have decided on the form of entry and the type of company, it is finally time to form the company. The company formation itself follows a fixed procedure in Japan, and by advancing step by step you can steadily get all the way to formation. For incorporators and officers who are overseas, h…

Once you have decided that "what we will set up in Japan is a subsidiary," the next fork almost always awaits: "a stock company (KK), or a limited liability company (GK)?" Search online and the information conflicts — "a limited liability company is cheaper," "no, a stock company has the credibility…

"We want to set up a base in Japan, but there are several forms — subsidiary, branch, representative office, and so on — and we don't know which to choose in our case." This is one of the questions we most often receive from executives and staff at overseas companies in the very early stages of entr…

"We want to enter the Japanese market, but we don't know where to start" — this is the most common question we hear from executives and staff at overseas companies. Company formation, licenses and permits, residence status (visas), tax, and labor matters span a wide range, and each is handled by a d…

When an overseas company expands into Japan, moving ahead without adequate preparation can lead to significant rework and extra costs down the line. There is a wide range of issues to address—company incorporation, licenses and permits, visas, tax, and labor matters—but getting them properly organiz…

When an overseas company sets up a presence in Japan, both establishing a branch and setting up a subsidiary (a Japanese corporation) are options that are commonly chosen in practice. They may look similar at first glance, but they differ greatly in legal, tax, and practical terms. This article com…

When an overseas company or a foreign entrepreneur sets up a company in Japan, "what documents should I prepare" is a point you'll want to grasp at the very start. There are many types of documents, and some take time to obtain, so it is important to organize the full picture early on. This article…