Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
Does a Japan Product Label Have to Name Your Importer? (2026 Guide)
Yes, in two distinct regimes, and the name is not a formality. Whoever appears as the responsible party under the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act (電気用品安全法) PSE marking becomes Japan's...
Can a Non-Resident Founder Route Japan Capital Through an Offshore Account?
No. Routing Japan company capital payment (払込) through an offshore intermediary account does not relax a home-country outbound capital control, and it makes the Japan-side outcome worse: the...
Does a Multimeter or Clamp Meter Need PSE Certification to Import Into Japan? (2026)
Generally no. Battery-powered measuring instruments such as handheld multimeters and clamp meters are not enumerated in the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act's (電気用品安全法, DENAN Act)...
Can You Appoint a 業務執行社員 (Managing Member) Without Making Them a Full GK Member? (2026)
No. A foreign-owned Japan GK (Godo Kaisha, 合同会社) cannot appoint a managing member (業務執行社員) without first admitting that person as a full member (社員) with a capital contribution. The seat is not a...
Why Do Some Japanese Names Show as Boxes on Your Website?
A Japanese name displays as an empty box, blank square, or "tofu (豆腐)" placeholder when the web font loaded on the page is a subset font that only bundles the few thousand most common Han...
Is a Bicycle-Use E-Bike Battery Exempt From PSE in Japan?
No. The Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act (電気用品安全法, DENAN) excludes lithium-ion battery packs used in automobiles, mopeds, medical equipment, and industrial machinery from PSE scope,...
Does a Japan GK Need a 職務執行者 If Its 代表社員 Is an Individual?
No. A 職務執行者 (executor of duties) seat exists only when the representative member (代表社員) or a managing member (業務執行社員) of a 合同会社 (GK, godo kaisha) is itself a corporation. Where the member is a...
What Happens If Your Management Visa's Qualifying Employee Quits? (2026)
A Management Visa (経営・管理) does not lapse the instant a qualifying employee resigns. The risk surfaces at the one-year renewal, when examiners check payroll records and social insurance...
Does a Japan Contract Need a Force Majeure Clause? (2026)
Yes. The Civil Code (民法) already excuses a debtor from damages when non-performance results from a cause not attributable to them (Article 415, paragraph 1 proviso), but Japanese courts construe...
Sub-100g Drones in Japan: Do You Still Need MLIT Registration in 2026?
No. Under Japan's Civil Aeronautics Act (航空法), registration (機体登録) is mandatory only for unmanned aircraft with a total weight of 100 grams or more. A drone under that threshold does not need a...