Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
Who Is the Importer of Record for a Japan Consignment-Sale Import? (2026)
For goods you sell in Japan on consignment, either you as the overseas seller or your Japan-based selling party can be the import declarant, and Japan Customs has published both as acceptable...
Is Under-Invoicing to Lower Japan Customs Duty Legal? (2026)
No. Declaring a lower value than the actual price paid for imported goods is a criminal false declaration under Japan's Customs Act (関税法), not a gray area or a negotiable discount. The dutiable...
Can an Importer of Record Keep Your Supplier and Buyer From Seeing Each Other in Japan? (2026)
Yes, within limits. An Importer of Record (IOR) that genuinely buys the goods and resells them can be directed in writing to withhold the upstream supplier's identity from the Japan buyer, and the...
Can You Use a Pure Import Agent in Japan Instead of an IOR or ACP? (2026)
No. Japan has no legal category for a pure import agent who neither takes title to the goods nor becomes the named importer. The Customs Act (関税法) requires whoever appears on the import...
Can You Net Seller and Buyer Payments in a Japan IOR Deal? (2026)
Yes. Netting the goods-value payables and receivables between an overseas seller and a Japan buyer is not prohibited under Japanese law, provided the underlying Importer of Record (IOR) purchase...
Can You Use One Japan IOR Arrangement to Clear Shipments Through Multiple Ports? (2026)
Yes. A single Japan Importer of Record (IOR) engagement covers shipments arriving through any number of Japanese ports, because the arrangement is a buy-and-sell structure tied to the importer's...
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...
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...
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...
What Is an Exporter of Record (EOR) in Japan? Export Compliance for Non-Resident Sellers and Re-Exporters (2026)
Search for "EOR in Japan" and most of what comes back is about hiring: payroll, work visas, and staffing a Japan team without incorporating. That is a real question with a real answer, but it is...