Enter Japan with one accountable partner.
One team runs your whole move into Japan: trade, incorporation, tax, visas, and compliance. Start selling with no local entity, and stop chasing four vendors. We work in English, Japanese, and Chinese.
No Japan entity needed to start · We reply within one business day
See the full service portfolio below.
Most companies enter Japan by stitching together separate vendors: a customs agent, a lawyer, an accountant, a visa specialist. Each owns one slice, and the regulatory risk lives in the gaps between them. Aplash is a regulatory strategy and market-entry firm, not a logistics provider. We take the entire entry under one accountable team, so nothing falls between vendors and no filing is missed.
One partner across your Japan journey.
- Stage 01Test the marketImport and sell through IOR or ACP with no Japan entity required.You are here
- Stage 02IncorporateEstablish a KK or GK once your volume justifies your own entity.Explore
- Stage 03OperateRun the business with ongoing tax, visas, and compliance handled.Explore
Every service your entry needs, from one team.
Start trading with no local entity. Incorporate when the volume earns it. Then operate and grow, all with the same team.
Skill over scale. Discretion by default.
We compete on capability, not headcount. And we keep our clients invisible, on purpose.
Senior people, not a call centre. Regulated, controlled, and multi-ministry matters are handled by the people who file them.
One accountable team. Trade, incorporation, tax, and visas run together, so nothing stalls between vendors.
Regulatory-first. We map every approval your product needs, including 外為法 (FEFTA)-sensitive and dual-use goods, before you commit a yen.
No logos, no case studies, no client names, by design. Discretion is the service. We work quietly for founders and corporates in English, Japanese, and Chinese.
From first call to operating in Japan.
One team, one plan, every stage. You always know the next step and who owns it.
Consultation
A free scoping call. We learn your product, your goals, and your timeline into Japan.
Structure & Plan
We pick your entry route, IOR, ACP, or incorporation, and map every approval your goods require.
Execute
Registrations, filings, and your first shipment or incorporation, handled end to end.
Operate & Scale
Tax, compliance, visas, and expansion, managed as you grow in Japan.
Entering Japan, answered.
The questions companies ask most before they choose an entry route.
Do I need a Japanese company to sell in Japan?
No. You can import and sell through an Importer of Record (IOR) or an Attorney for Customs Procedures (ACP / 税関事務管理人) with no local entity. Set up a Japanese KK or GK later, when your volume earns it. Aplash handles that step when you are ready.
IOR, ACP, or company setup, which one do I need?
ACP fits general consumer goods and Amazon FBA. IOR fits regulated, hazardous, or controlled goods, where a legal importer must carry the liability. Incorporation fits established operations that want their own entity. Tell us your product on a call and we name the right route.
Can one firm handle trade, incorporation, tax, and visas?
Yes. That is the point of Aplash. Trade compliance, KK/GK incorporation, tax and legal, and immigration run under one accountable team, in English, Japanese, and Chinese. You manage one relationship, not four vendors.
How is Aplash different from a freight forwarder or customs broker?
Aplash is a regulatory strategy and market-entry firm, not a logistics company. We carry the legal and compliance responsibility for entering the Japanese market and direct the licensed brokers and carriers on your behalf. We do not move freight ourselves.
How long does it take to start?
ACP registration is approved in two weeks. IOR onboarding and company incorporation move as fast as your documents arrive, and you get a firm, sequenced timeline on the first call.
Which languages and markets do you cover?
English, Japanese, and Chinese, from bases in Hong Kong and Osaka. We take companies into Japan from anywhere in the world.
Let's get you into Japan.
Tell us your product and your goals. We reply with your entry route and the next steps within one business day.
Book a free consultationStart your Japan market entry.
Tell us about your product and your goals. We map your entry route and next steps within one business day.
From the journal.
Field notes on entering and operating in the Japanese market.
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