Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
What Happens to a Japan KK or GK When Its Sole Representative Director Dies or Becomes Incapacitated? (2026)
The company does not dissolve, but its authority to act stops cold. A sole representative director's (代表取締役) signing authority ends on death, unlike on resignation, where authority can carry over...
How Do You Reduce Registered Capital in an Existing Japan KK or GK? (2026 Guide)
A Japan KK (株式会社) reduces registered capital by passing a shareholder resolution (ordinary or special, depending on purpose), running a creditor protection procedure (債権者保護手続) that includes an...
Can a Japan-Resident Collaborator's Personal Bank Account Receive Your Company's Capital Payment?
Yes. When every founder and every director of the new company is a non-resident of Japan, a Japan-resident collaborator, who does not need to be a founder, director, or shareholder, can receive...
Does a Japan KK With Only One Director Have to Enroll in Shakai Hoken in 2026?
Yes. A Japanese kabushiki kaisha (株式会社, KK) that pays its representative director any salary becomes a jigyosho (事業所, place of business) subject to mandatory enrollment (強制適用, kyosei tekiyo) in...
Does Buying a Dormant Japan Company Trigger an AML Red Flag? (2026)
Yes, the specific pattern of a dormant company changing hands, together with a change of representative director, a change of beneficial owner, and a change of registered address inside one...
Can You Pay Japan Company Capital With Equipment Instead of Cash? (2026)
Yes. Japan's Companies Act (会社法) permits an in-kind contribution (現物出資, genbutsu shusshi) of equipment, real property, securities, or intellectual property in place of a cash deposit for either a...
Home-Country Capital Controls and Japan Company Setup: Does Rerouting the Payment Actually Work? (2026)
No. If a founder's home country restricts outbound capital-account transfers, sending the share-capital payment (払込) through a third country or an offshore personal account first does not make the...
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...
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...
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...