Set Up Your Company in Japan
We handle every element of your Japanese incorporation – structure selection, capital, Articles, seal, and Legal Affairs Bureau registration – end-to-end. Your company, operational from day one.
Response within one business day
Subject to Japanese company law requirements and Aplash terms.
Filed at the 法務局 Legal Affairs Bureau by Aplash judicial scriveners.
Two Structures,
One Decision
The structure you choose shapes your banking relationships, investor credibility, and administrative overhead for years to come. We help you choose correctly, then handle everything from initial planning to registration number.
Japan's joint-stock corporation, the gold standard for credibility.
Japan's LLC equivalent: lean, fast, and cost-efficient.
The foundational elements every Japanese company needs before filing with the 法務局 Legal Affairs Bureau. Get them right upfront: Aplash handles each one.
Company Name Review
Verify uniqueness in the Legal Affairs Bureau database. The name must use Japanese characters or Latin script.
Company Name Review
Verify uniqueness in the Legal Affairs Bureau database. Name must use Japanese characters or Latin script.
Registered Office
A physical verified address in Japan. Virtual addresses are not accepted for Business Manager Visa applications.
Capital Injection
Minimum JPY 1 legally. Capital amount affects corporate bank account approval and business credibility. If you also need a Business Manager Visa, a separate capital threshold applies – see our immigration page.
Business Manager Visa capital requirements →Articles of Incorporation
The foundational legal document defining company purpose, structure, and governance. KK requires notarisation at a Japanese notary (公証役場).
Corporate Seal
All Japanese companies must register a corporate seal (法人印鑑) with the Legal Affairs Bureau for document authentication.
Representative Director
KK requires at least one representative director with a Japanese address. Don't have a Japan-resident director? Aplash can introduce a qualified resident representative director and arrange remote directorship structures compliant with Japan Companies Act.
Tax Registration
New companies must register with the NTA within two months of incorporation for corporate tax, JCT, and payroll obligations.
Bank Account Opening
Japanese banks apply strict scrutiny to newly incorporated foreign-owned companies, so approval is not guaranteed. The account requires a certified representative application and is essential for capital injection verification.
Requirements differ for KK and GK. Our judicial scriveners (司法書士) are licensed and regulated by the Japan Federation of Judicial Scrivener Corporations. Contact our team
Free assessment →Built on Japanese Law
Every incorporation is conducted in strict compliance with Japan's Companies Act (会社法). Our judicial scriveners (司法書士) are licensed by the Legal Affairs Bureau and operate within a regulated professional framework.
Domestic 会社法 (Companies Act) · 商業登記法 (Commercial Registration Act) · 法務局 Commercial Register · 国税庁 NTA Registration
International OECD Corporate Governance Principles · APPI Data Protection · Transfer Pricing Guidelines · FEFTA Foreign Investment
Typical Incorporation Timeline
End-to-end from initial consultation to registered company number – typically 4 to 6 weeks for KK, as little as 7 business days for GK on expedited service.
Consultation
Determine structure (KK/GK), capital, purpose clause, and representative director arrangements.
Documentation
Draft Articles of Incorporation, prepare capital injection, arrange registered office.
Notarisation
KK: notarise Articles at a Japanese notary office. Prepare all filing documents.
Filing
Submit incorporation documents to the Legal Affairs Bureau. Registration number issued.
Post-Incorporation
Corporate seal registered. Tax registration filed. Corporate bank account application submitted.
Registration number issued and corporate seal filed, with tax registration complete. We then prepare and submit your corporate bank account application; approval rests with the bank.
The Aplash
difference.
Professional bilingual consulting, more thorough than local providers, at a fraction of global-firm fees.
We bridge Japanese corporate law with international business standards. Your incorporation is optimised for cross-border operations from day one.
Incorporation is just the start. Visa, banking, compliance, and ongoing operations – one partner, no handoffs.
No Japan-based director? We provide compliant director arrangements so you can operate remotely while meeting Companies Act requirements.
Every document, every filing, every communication – in English and Japanese. No translation delays, no lost context.
Investment
Professional bilingual consulting – more thorough than local providers, a fraction of global firm fees. Every filing, every document, in English and Japanese from day one.
Government fees of ~$1,500 included
- Articles of Incorporation drafting & notarisation
- Legal Affairs Bureau filing
- Corporate seal (法人印鑑) creation & registration
- NTA tax registration
- Corporate bank account coordination
- All documents in English and Japanese
Government fees of ~$400 included
- Articles of Incorporation drafting
- Legal Affairs Bureau filing
- Corporate seal creation & registration
- NTA tax registration
- Corporate bank account coordination
- All documents in English and Japanese
- Resident Representative Director introduction – pricing on consultation
- Registered office address arrangement – pricing on consultation
- Business Manager Visa application (bundled discount when combined with incorporation)
Incorporation Cost Breakdown
Government fees by structure – all figures in USD at ~¥150/USD (mid-2026 rate)
After you incorporate.
What happens after your company is registered
- Tax registration with NTA within 2 months: corporate tax, JCT, payroll withholding
- Qualified Invoice System (適格請求書) registration strongly recommended
- Social insurance enrollment: health insurance and pension mandatory for all corporations
- Annual accounting and filing: typical cost ~$670–$2,000/year (¥100,000–300,000)
- KK must file annual financial statements with the Legal Affairs Bureau
- JETRO provides startup assistance, market research, and temporary office space for foreign companies
- FSA Financial Start-Up Support Program: one-stop services for overseas financial companies
- J-Startup: public-private partnership supporting companies with global potential
- Startup Visa: expanded to 2 years nationwide (April 2025) for founders building toward full Business Manager Visa
- R&D tax credits and regional incentives available depending on location and industry
You don't need to live in Japan to incorporate
Since March 2015 (MOJ notification 平成27年3月16日), all directors can reside overseas. A FEFTA notification via the Bank of Japan is required. Aplash provides resident representative director services and registered office address for non-residents.
Common Challenges for Non-Residents
- Capital must be deposited in a Japan-regulated bank account
- Corporate seal registration requires physical coordination in Japan
- Signature certificates (サイン証明書) needed instead of inkan for foreigners without Japanese address
- FEFTA notification required for foreign investment via Bank of Japan
October 2025 Changed How You Incorporate
The Business Manager Visa reform introduced ¥30M capital, mandatory employment, B2 Japanese, and expert-certified business plans. How you structure your KK or GK now directly affects visa eligibility.
Can't meet ¥30M yet? The Startup Visa offers a 2-year pathway.
Filing only · Japanese language required · No visa or compliance support
Full English support · Visa-aligned structuring · Cross-border compliance · Trilingual team
Multi-country capability · Retainer/hourly billing · Generic process
How We Work with You
A transparent, milestone-driven process from first contact to operational company. Each step has defined outputs so you always know exactly where things stand.
Free Consultation
We assess your business model, visa requirements, and ideal corporate structure.
A relaxed, no-obligation conversation. Bring your questions and we map the path before any paperwork begins.
Frequently asked questions.
One partner across your Japan journey.
- Stage 01Test the marketImport and sell through IOR or ACP with no Japan entity required.Explore
- Stage 02IncorporateEstablish a KK or GK once your volume justifies your own entity.You are here
- Stage 03OperateRun the business with ongoing tax, visas, and compliance handled.Explore
Your company in Japan, operational from day one.
Tell us your business model and we recommend the right structure, KK or GK, with a clear, fixed-fee proposal.
Start your setup →Start your Japan company setup.
Tell us which entity you are considering. We respond within one business day.
From the journal.
Field notes on incorporating, registering, and running a company in Japan, written by the team that files the paperwork.
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