Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
Can You Pay Japan Company Capital Through Wise or Payoneer? 2026 Rules for Non-Resident Founders
No. Wise and Payoneer are electronic money transfer service providers (資金移動業者), not banks under the Banking Act (銀行法) Article 2, Paragraph 1, so neither is confirmed to qualify as a...
Does a Foreign Company Need a Japanese-Style Company Profile (会社案内) to Sell to Japanese B2B Buyers? (2026)
Yes. A kaisha annai (会社案内), literally "company information" or "company profile," is a distinct Japan B2B convention that a Western one-pager or pitch deck does not replace. It functions as a...
Can You Apply for Japan's J-Skip Visa From Inside Japan, or Must You Apply From Abroad? (2026)
Yes. A foreign national already in Japan on another status, such as a student visa or an engineer/specialist work visa, can switch into J-Skip through an in-Japan Change of Status of Residence...
Japan Branch Registration 2026: Publish Parent Financials?
Yes. A foreign company that registers a Japan branch (外国会社の日本営業所) and whose closest Japanese equivalent is a 株式会社 (KK, joint-stock company) must publish its own balance sheet (貸借対照表) in Japan...
How Japan Customs Identifies the Real Importer in 2026: Reseller Deals vs Name-Lending
Japan Customs looks past the name printed on the import declaration (輸入申告) and asks who actually held disposal authority (処分の権限) over the goods at the moment of filing, and whose account bore the...
Does a Bag's Outer Material Change Its Japan Import Duty Rate? (2026)
Yes. Japan Customs (税関) classifies bags, cases and wallets under Harmonized System heading 42.02 primarily by outer surface material, not by product name or intended use. The same style of tote or...
Can a Non-Resident Be the Importer of Record for a Food Shipment Into Japan?
No. A non-resident cannot be the importer of record for a food shipment into Japan, and appointing an Attorney for Customs Procedures (ACP, 税関事務管理人) does not change that answer. Quarantine station...
How High Can a Liability Cap or Damages Clause Go in a Japan Contract? (2026)
A liability cap or a pre-agreed liquidated damages figure is generally enforceable in a Japan-governed contract, but a Japanese court can void the clause entirely, not just reduce it, if the...
When Must You Remove Business Equipment From Japan to Avoid Fixed Asset Tax? (2026)
Japan's Fixed Asset Tax (固定資産税) assesses whoever owns qualifying business equipment on January 1, with no proration for how many days that year the asset was actually in the country. Removing or...
Does a Japan Branch Owe JCT on Money Transferred From Head Office? (2026)
No. A registered foreign company branch (外国会社の支店) and its foreign head office are the same legal person, so an internal transfer of money or services between them is not a "transfer of assets"...