Japan Market Entry

Enter Japan with one accountable partner.

We map the regulatory route, sequence every step and coordinate the specialists. One plan, one owner.

Get your entry planBook a 15-minute call

Do you need a Japanese company to sell in Japan?

No. You can import and sell with no local entity.

Use an Attorney for Customs Procedures (税関事務管理人) appointment (the ACP) or an Importer of Record arrangement. A KK or GK comes later, when volume, hiring or contracts earn it.

Japan Customs on the ACP

Which route is yours?

Trace a route
  1. What do you need first?goods moving into Japan, or a company operating in it (on the traced route)
  2. a company first
    A company in JapanFrom USD 2,500 / 4,000GK or KK formationA new KK or GK, or acquiring an existing company for its corporate record and its banking route.
  3. goods first
    A company, office or address in Japan?the appointment route is for non-residents (on the traced route)
  4. already have one
    Your own entity importsIt is named as the importer and files in its own name.
  5. not yet
    Regulated, hazardous or controlled goods?these need a Japan-side importer arrangement (on the traced route)
  6. yes
    Importer of RecordThese goods may need a Japan-side importer arrangement, quoted on its own after review.
  7. no
    ACP appointmentUSD 500one timeYour company stays the importer of record. Aplash holds the appointment; a licensed customs broker files each declaration. (on the traced route)

Not on the chart: founder visas, on the Business Manager (経営管理), Highly Skilled Professional or J-SKIP track, are quoted per applicant. Immigration

Assessed first: a sector designated under 外為法 (FEFTA) or otherwise licensed, dual-use goods, military end use, a resident Japan-side director, day-one banking, or any matter reaching three or more ministries.

What do you need?

Four vendors leave gaps. One team doesn't.

A customs agent, a lawyer, an accountant, a visa specialist: each owns one slice, and the risk lives between them. Aplash is a regulatory strategy and market-entry firm, not a logistics provider. We own the plan for the whole entry, and licensed professionals do the regulated work.

Discuss your Japan entry
  • Customs agent
  • Lawyer
  • Accountant
  • Visa specialist
  • Aplash · one plan, one accountable team

How it works, step by step.

  1. 01

    Tell us the goal

    You: Share what you sell and your target date

    Aplash: Assesses the facts

    Others: None at this stage

    Fee: Freebefore any fee
  2. 02

    Map the route

    You: Approve the plan

    Aplash: Sequences every workstream

    Others: Professionals review where required

    Fee: Freenothing charged yet
  3. 03

    Set up the structure

    You: Sign and fund

    Aplash: Instructs and coordinates

    Others: Scriveners file; the registry registers the company

    Fee: USD 500 / 2,500 / 4,000ACP, GK or KK
  4. 04

    Trade and operate

    You: Ship and sell

    Aplash: Holds the ACP appointment

    Others: Broker files each declaration; Customs reviews it and decides release

    Fee: Duties, JCT, freightDuties and Japanese Consumption Tax (JCT) go to Customs, freight to carriers, never to Aplash

Two ways to start.

Still deciding → free assessment

Some routes are scoped before any fee is set: a resident Japan-side director, a 経営管理 (Business Manager) visa track, day-one banking, a business sector designated under 外為法 (FEFTA) or otherwise licensed, and any matter reaching three or more ministries.

Dual-use goods and military end use are never sold online and are assessed individually before scope or terms are set.

Request the assessment

Questions, answered.

Choose a question

IOR, ACP, or company setup: which do I need?

Two facts decide it: what you ship and whether you have a presence in Japan.

ACP fits general consumer goods and Amazon FBA, where your company stays the importer. IOR fits regulated, hazardous or controlled goods. Incorporation fits operations that want their own KK or GK. The online ACP appointment is for importers and exporters with no registered entity, office or address in Japan.

Can I sell on Amazon Japan (FBA) without a Japanese company?

Yes, where the ACP route fits.

Your foreign company remains the importer and appoints an Attorney for Customs Procedures (税関事務管理人), or ACP. A licensed customs broker files the declaration, and your company funds duties and Japanese Consumption Tax (JCT). Inventory then moves into Amazon Japan fulfilment centres with no Japanese entity. Eligibility depends on the transaction and on who qualifies as the importer, not merely on where the seller is incorporated.

What does Aplash do, and what does a licensed professional do?

Aplash maps the route, sequences the work and holds the accountability.

Aplash is not a Japanese law firm or a licensed tax-accounting firm. Customs brokers file declarations, scriveners draft and file registrations, notaries certify KK Articles, and reserved legal and tax work is done by licensed independent professionals.

Do I need a visa to enter the Japanese market?

Not to import and sell.

A founder who will live in Japan and run the business does. A KK or GK is the structure the 経営管理 (Business Manager) visa is granted against. The visa track is scoped before any fee.

We already have a Japan entity. What can you do?

The operating side.

Corporate tax, Japanese Consumption Tax (JCT), labour law, contracts and data protection (APPI); founder and executive mobility; a Japan tax agent with Qualified Invoice Issuer registration; a Japan address of record; and buy-side or sell-side M&A. The online ACP appointment is not one of them: it is for importers and exporters with no registered entity, office or address in Japan.

How long does it take?

It is case-specific. You get a timeline on the first call.

ACP timing depends on the customs office, your documents, product controls and broker readiness, and we do not promise a fixed government processing time. IOR onboarding depends on your documents and the goods, and incorporation also depends on the notary and the registry.

Are you a freight forwarder or customs broker?

No. We are a regulatory strategy and market-entry firm.

We hold the accountability for the entry plan and coordinate the licensed professionals each step requires, customs brokers included. We do not move freight.

Which languages do you work in?

English, Japanese and Chinese.

Client-service teams in Singapore, Hong Kong and Osaka, serving companies from anywhere.

Can I order a service online, or do I have to start with a consultation?

Both routes are open.

Services with a published fee are ordered online, with the scope, the exclusions and the amount stated before you pay: ACP appointment setup, KK or GK company formation and the shelf-company profiles are ordered from their own pages, and the order catalog lists everything else sold online. Routes that have to be scoped before a fee can be set start with the assessment instead: a resident Japan-side director, a 経営管理 (Business Manager) visa track, day-one banking, a business sector designated under 外為法 (FEFTA) or otherwise licensed, and any matter reaching three or more ministries. The order pages and the service agreement are in English.

Tell us the goal. We'll map the route.

No need to pick a service. Four facts are enough:

  1. 1 · What you sell, build or operate
  2. 2 · Where you are starting from
  3. 3 · Your target date
  4. 4 · Your current Japan footprint
Prefer to talk? Book a free 15-minute call
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From the journal.

Field notes on entering and operating in the Japanese market.

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