Insights & Guides

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

J-Skip Visa vs HSP Visa: Which Fast-Track Status Fits Your Case? (2026)

August 6, 2026

7 min read

J-Skip Visa vs HSP Visa: Which Fast-Track Status Fits Your Case? (2026)

Choose J-SKIP if you already clear a graduate degree or strong professional experience plus the published income threshold, since it requires no scoring exercise. Choose HSP if your income falls...

By Aplash
J-Skip Visa Eligibility: Income and Degree Requirements Explained (2026)

August 6, 2026

5 min read

J-Skip Visa Eligibility: Income and Degree Requirements Explained (2026)

J-SKIP eligibility runs on two pathways: a master's degree or higher combined with annual income above a Ministry of Justice (法務省)-published threshold, or sufficient professional work experience...

By Aplash
What Is the J-Skip Visa? Japan's Fast-Track Status for High-Income Professionals (2026)

August 6, 2026

6 min read

What Is the J-Skip Visa? Japan's Fast-Track Status for High-Income Professionals (2026)

The J-SKIP visa is a Designated Activities (特定活動) residence status for high-income foreign professionals and graduate-degree holders, created as a companion track to Japan's point-based Highly...

By Aplash
Diamond PSE vs Circle PSE: How Japan Classifies Your Electrical Product for Import (2026)

August 6, 2026

7 min read

Diamond PSE vs Circle PSE: How Japan Classifies Your Electrical Product for Import (2026)

Diamond PSE (特定電気用品, Specified Electrical Appliances) requires mandatory third-party certification by a METI-registered conformity assessment body, including a factory inspection, with...

By Aplash
Can a Japan GK Reimburse a Foreign Parent's Officer Without a Second Manager? (2026)

August 6, 2026

5 min read

Can a Japan GK Reimburse a Foreign Parent's Officer Without a Second Manager? (2026)

Yes. A Japan GK (合同会社/Godo Kaisha) can bear and reimburse a foreign parent officer's business costs without appointing that person as a second Manager (職務執行者). The Japanese Manager grants the...

By Aplash
MLIT Flight Permission for Drones in Japan: When Registration Alone Isn't Enough (2026)

August 5, 2026

6 min read

MLIT Flight Permission for Drones in Japan: When Registration Alone Isn't Enough (2026)

Registering a drone under the Civil Aeronautics Act (航空法) is mandatory for almost every unmanned aircraft in Japan, but it does not authorize where or how you can fly it. A separate flight...

By Aplash
Notarizing a Foreign Company's Affidavit for a Japan GK: The Consul-in-Japan Route (2026)

August 5, 2026

10 min read

Notarizing a Foreign Company's Affidavit for a Japan GK: The Consul-in-Japan Route (2026)

When a foreign corporation cannot produce a home-country company register extract in the form Japan's Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) requires, the standard fix is a notarized affidavit (宣誓供述書) with a...

By Aplash
Do You Need EOR for a Two-Month Japan Hire? Short-Term and Seasonal Staffing Without a Japan Entity (2026)

August 5, 2026

4 min read

Do You Need EOR for a Two-Month Japan Hire? Short-Term and Seasonal Staffing Without a Japan Entity (2026)

Not every Japan hiring need is an open-ended headcount decision. A company might need someone on the ground for a trade show season, a product launch push, a market-validation pilot, or a defined...

By Aplash
Sending Product Samples to Japanese Influencers and Press: What International Brands Get Wrong About Customs (2026)

August 5, 2026

5 min read

Sending Product Samples to Japanese Influencers and Press: What International Brands Get Wrong About Customs (2026)

Marketing teams running influencer seeding and press sample programs into Japan almost always start from the same assumption: it is a gift, no money changes hands, so customs should not be an...

By Aplash
Shipping Kickstarter and Indiegogo Rewards to Japan: The IOR Guide for Crowdfunding Creators (2026)

August 5, 2026

7 min read

Shipping Kickstarter and Indiegogo Rewards to Japan: The IOR Guide for Crowdfunding Creators (2026)

Japan is consistently one of the strongest backer markets for hardware, gadget, and tabletop campaigns on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Most creators do not think about Japan customs until the...

By Aplash