Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
Do Royalty Payments Have to Be Included in Your Japan Customs Value? (2026)
Yes, if the royalty relates to the imported goods and paying it is a condition of the sale. Under the Customs Tariff Law (関税定率法) Article 4, dutiable value is the transaction price actually paid or...
Can Yen Appreciation Push Your Japan Company Below the Management Visa Capital Threshold? (2026)
Yes. The Business Manager Visa (経営・管理 visa) capital route requires JPY 30,000,000 in paid-in capital, and that figure is fixed in yen. If a founder holds capital in USD, EUR, or another foreign...
EAR99 Self-Classification Contested at Japan Import: What Happens Next (2026)
When Japan Customs or an importer's own compliance review questions an EAR99 self-classification, the shipment does not clear on the shipper's label alone. The importer of record independently...
What Date Format Should a Japan-Market Website or App Use? (YYYY/MM/DD vs MM/DD/YYYY)
Use YYYY/MM/DD (or the full-form YYYY年MM月DD日) as the default date format for any Japan-facing website or app. This is the convention Japanese users read without hesitation. Western MM/DD/YYYY and...
What Is a 支配人 (Registered Manager) and When Does a Non-Resident-Owned Japan GK Need One?
A 支配人 (Registered Manager) is a person given registry-visible general agency over a Japan GK's (合同会社) head office or a branch, appointed under Companies Act Article 10 (会社法第10条) without becoming a...
Bilateral vs Unilateral APA in Japan: Which Fits Your Transfer Pricing Risk? (2026)
A bilateral Advance Pricing Arrangement (APA) with Japan's National Tax Agency (国税庁, NTA) and the counterparty tax authority fits foreign-owned subsidiaries with material related-party flows and...
Japan Management Visa and Shelf Companies (2026): Why Buying Dormant Works Against You
A shelf or dormant KK bought to speed up banking works against a Management Visa (経営・管理) filing, not for it. The Certificate of Eligibility checklist requires the most recent fiscal year's...
Cordless vs. Pneumatic Power Tools: Which HS Code Applies in Japan in 2026?
No. A cordless, battery-powered hand tool and a pneumatic, compressed-air-powered hand tool sit under different subheadings in Japan's tariff schedule: pneumatic tools fall under 8467.19, while...
Arbitration vs. Tokyo District Court: Which Fits Your Japan Contract? (2026)
Use the Tokyo District Court (東京地方裁判所) as exclusive jurisdiction when both parties operate in Japan and any judgment will only ever need to be enforced there. Use arbitration, typically at the...
Can You Recover Japan's Import Consumption Tax Without a Japan Entity? (2026)
Yes, but only when three separate appointments exist together: an Attorney for Customs Procedures (税関事務管理人) under Customs Act (関税法) Article 95, a Tax Administration Representative (消費税の納税管理人)...