Insights & Guides

Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.

Japan ACP for Australian and New Zealand Manufacturers: Non-Resident Importer Setup Under JAEPA and CPTPP (2026)

July 2, 2026

8 min read

Japan ACP for Australian and New Zealand Manufacturers: Non-Resident Importer Setup Under JAEPA and CPTPP (2026)

Australian and New Zealand manufacturers exporting to Japan have long relied on Japanese trading companies or distributors as the named importer on Japan customs declarations. Following a Japan...

By Aplash
Japan EOR for Retail and E-Commerce Companies: How to Build a Japan Team Without Incorporating in 2026

July 2, 2026

8 min read

Japan EOR for Retail and E-Commerce Companies: How to Build a Japan Team Without Incorporating in 2026

International retail and e-commerce companies expanding into Japan frequently need Japan-based staff before the business justifies incorporating a local entity. Customer support managers, digital...

By Aplash
Japan IOR for Cosmetics and Personal Care Brands: How to Import Without a Japan Entity in 2026

July 2, 2026

9 min read

Japan IOR for Cosmetics and Personal Care Brands: How to Import Without a Japan Entity in 2026

Japan is the world's third-largest cosmetics market, and its regulatory architecture operates on two parallel tracks. The first is the customs import structure under the Customs Act (関税法): who is...

By Aplash
Japan IOR vs ACP: Who Bears Product Liability When Your Product Causes Harm in Japan (2026)

July 1, 2026

10 min read

Japan IOR vs ACP: Who Bears Product Liability When Your Product Causes Harm in Japan (2026)

Most discussions of IOR and ACP focus on the customs mechanics: who is named on the import declaration, how JCT recovery works, and what happens when a shipment is held for inspection. Those are...

By Aplash
Japan IOR Returns and Reverse Logistics: How to Handle Goods Exported Back from Japan (2026)

July 1, 2026

10 min read

Japan IOR Returns and Reverse Logistics: How to Handle Goods Exported Back from Japan (2026)

Returns are the scenario that almost every company running Japan imports fails to plan for until the first one happens. When a Japan customer returns goods, when a warranty replacement requires...

By Aplash
Hiring in Japan Without a Japan Office: EOR for Remote-First and Distributed Companies (2026)

July 1, 2026

11 min read

Hiring in Japan Without a Japan Office: EOR for Remote-First and Distributed Companies (2026)

Remote-first companies occupy a peculiar position when they want to hire in Japan. They have no headquarters in the traditional sense. They have no Japan office, no local HR department, and often...

By Aplash
Japan IOR and ACP for Indian Manufacturers: Market Entry via the India-Japan CEPA (2026 Guide)

July 1, 2026

11 min read

Japan IOR and ACP for Indian Manufacturers: Market Entry via the India-Japan CEPA (2026 Guide)

India-Japan bilateral trade has grown consistently over the past decade. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA, 包括的経済連携協定) between India and Japan, in effect since August 2011,...

By Aplash
Japan IOR and EOR Together: When You Need Both to Enter Japan Without an Entity (2026)

July 1, 2026

10 min read

Japan IOR and EOR Together: When You Need Both to Enter Japan Without an Entity (2026)

Foreign companies entering Japan almost always frame the market entry question the same way: do we need a Japan entity? That framing is not wrong, but it puts the answer before the analysis. The...

By Aplash
Japan ACP for Taiwan Manufacturers: How to Import as Non-Resident Without Setting Up a KK (2026)

July 1, 2026

11 min read

Japan ACP for Taiwan Manufacturers: How to Import as Non-Resident Without Setting Up a KK (2026)

Taiwan is one of Japan's largest trade partners in electronics, semiconductors, precision machinery, and industrial components. For decades, the standard market-entry path for Taiwan manufacturers...

By Aplash
Japan EOR Onboarding: How to Hire Your First Employee in Japan in Under 30 Days (2026)

July 1, 2026

11 min read

Japan EOR Onboarding: How to Hire Your First Employee in Japan in Under 30 Days (2026)

Hiring a first employee in Japan through an Employer of Record (雇用代行, EOR) is achievable in under 30 days, but only when the documentation sequence is correct and no critical step is delayed....

By Aplash

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