Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
Japan IOR for Marine, Boating, and Watercraft Equipment: Import Compliance for Foreign Manufacturers (2026)
Foreign manufacturers of marine engines, boat hulls, marine electronics, and watercraft accessories face a recurring structural problem when entering the Japanese market: marinas, boat builders,...
Japan ACP for Philippine Manufacturers: Non-Resident Importer Setup Under JPEPA and RCEP (2026)
Many Philippine manufacturers in electronics components, automotive parts, and machinery reach the Japan market through a local intermediary or distributor who appears as importer of record on the...
Japan EOR vs. Branch Office: Which Actually Gets Your First Local Hire on Payroll Faster (2026)
Foreign companies deciding to put a person on the ground in Japan usually reach for one of two structures before they have committed to a full subsidiary: hire the person through an Employer of...
Japan ACP for Malaysian Manufacturers: Non-Resident Importer Setup Under JMEPA, CPTPP, and RCEP (2026)
Malaysian manufacturers exporting to Japan sit under three overlapping frameworks: a long-standing bilateral agreement, a plurilateral agreement Malaysia joined more recently, and a broad regional...
Japan ACP for Hong Kong Manufacturers and Trading Companies: Non-Resident Importer Setup for an Entrepot Hub (2026)
Hong Kong occupies a different position in this series than the manufacturing-origin jurisdictions covered elsewhere. A large share of Hong Kong-incorporated companies selling into Japan are not...
Japan IOR for Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment: Importing Membrane, RO, and Treatment Skid Systems in 2026
Foreign manufacturers of membrane filtration systems, reverse osmosis (RO) units, industrial pumps, treatment skids, and sludge or sewage processing equipment face a specific problem when a...
Japan IOR for Telecom Network and Carrier Infrastructure Equipment: What Foreign Vendors Need Before Their First Carrier Rollout (2026)
A foreign manufacturer of base stations, RAN equipment, antennas, backhaul transmission gear, or carrier-grade switching and routing hardware faces a different import problem than a consumer...
When to Switch Between IOR and ACP in Japan: The Signals Your Current Import Structure No Longer Fits
Most companies that import into Japan without a Japan entity make one structural decision early: whether Aplash takes title as Importer of Record (IOR), or the non-resident company remains the...
Japan IOR for Used and Refurbished Equipment Imports: The Compliance Layer Most New Sellers Miss
Sellers moving into secondhand, refurbished, or remanufactured equipment often assume the compliance burden is lighter than for new goods: the unit already carries a certification history from its...
Japan EOR Minimum Wage, Overtime, and Working Hours Compliance Guide: What Employer of Record Actually Enforces
Foreign companies hiring into Japan for the first time, particularly those coming from at-will jurisdictions where overtime is a matter of manager discretion, consistently underestimate one layer...