Against the backdrop of increasingly fierce competition in the domestic market, more and more enterprises and high net worth families are looking overseas for new development opportunities. As the world's third largest economy, Japan has become a popular destination for overseas investment due to its mature business environment, sound laws and regulations, stable investment order, and favorable economic recovery in recent years. The attractiveness of the Japanese market is further evidenced by the investment of the stock god Warren Buffett in Japan's top five trading companies, Google's 100 billion yen data center layout, and the opening of TSMC's Kumamoto plant, among many other capital moves.

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For Chinese enterprises, registering a Japanese company can not only enhance brand image, but also leverage the advantages of local e-commerce to expand business in close connection with China-Japan trade. This article will focus on the core needs of registering a Japanese company, to create a list coveringProcess,Material,Fees, Frequently Asked QuestionsThe full guide to help you land in the Japanese market with efficiency and compliance.

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Hi, I am the customer service of Enterprise Finance Group! We provide domestic (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, etc.) company registration, overseas (Hong Kong, U.S.A.,Japanese(United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, etc.)Company RegistrationWe also provide Hong Kong identity application and renewal services, as well as cross-border tax planning, shareholding structure design, compliance and risk control programs, and other full chain of corporate services. Feel free to contact me at any time with your needs, Tel:16620947137, microsoft:Qicaiyingjituan(can be added by direct search)

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I. Core advantages of registering a Japanese company

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Choosing to register a Japanese company can bring multiple substantial assistance to the development of enterprises, and the core advantages are focused on the following aspects:

Brand image upgrade:Japanese products are known worldwide for their high quality, especially in the fields of electronics and precision manufacturing. Registering your company in Japan can quickly enhance your brand's international recognition and help you gain an advantageous position in the domestic and international high-end markets.

Registration capital is flexible and stress-free:Japanese company law has no hard and fast requirements for registered capital, and you can apply for registration with a minimum of 1 yen, which greatly reduces the entry threshold for small and medium-sized enterprises. If you need to open a bank account, it is recommended that you have a registered capital of no less than 3 million yen (approximately RMB 150,000); if you plan to apply for a management visa, it is recommended that you have a registered capital of more than 5 million yen.

The scope of business is broad and free:Whether it is medical, real estate, publishing, tourism, or e-commerce, trading, etc., you are free to choose your business scope and the registration procedure is easy, making Japan ideal for some industries that are difficult to register domestically.

Can apply for permanent residence status:If you invest 5 million yen or more in a registered company, you can apply for a Japanese investment and management visa and realize long-term residence. After 5 years of continuous residence, you can apply for Japanese citizenship, and after 10 years, you can apply for permanent residency, providing more possibilities for personal and family planning.

Adaptation to cross-border e-commerce development:Japan is one of the most developed retail countries in the world, the B2C e-commerce market size has reached 20.7 trillion yen in 2021, and the average consumption amount of online transactions is the first in the world. Rakuten, Amazon, Yahoo Yahoo three platforms occupy a dominant position, Chinese merchants registered Japanese company as an importer, can optimize the cost of shipping customs clearance, to avoid the problem of high tax burden of inverse accounting, to enhance market competitiveness.

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Hi, I am the customer service of Enterprise Finance Group! We provide domestic (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, etc.) company registration, overseas (Hong Kong, U.S.A.,Japanese(United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, etc.)Company RegistrationWe also provide Hong Kong identity application and renewal services, as well as cross-border tax planning, shareholding structure design, compliance and risk control programs, and other full chain of corporate services. Feel free to contact me at any time with your needs, Tel:16620947137, microsoft:Qicaiyingjituan(can be added by direct search)

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Second, how to choose the type of Japanese company registration? (2026 latest classification guide)

Japanese companies are mainly categorized into three types, namely, legal personality companies, representative offices and branch offices, and different types are suitable for different business needs, and the specific differences and applicable scenarios are shown in the table below, which is convenient for you to accurately match:

Ltd. (KK, Inc.)

Independent legal personality, shareholders with limited liability; high external creditworthiness, high pass rate of bank account opening; notarized articles of association required, minimum registration license tax of 150,000 yen; sound governance structure, including general meeting of shareholders and board of directors.

Companies that are in business for a long time, planning to raise funds or IPO, and focusing on the recognition of business cooperation.

Contract Society (GK, LLC)

With independent legal personality, the system is flexible and low-cost; no notarization of articles of association is required, and the registration permit tax is only 60,000 yen; single person can set up, no mandatory shareholders' meeting or board of directors' requirement; foreigners are exempted from consumption tax for the first two years of new establishment.

Small businesses, start-ups, holding structures, or everyday consumer companies such as restaurants and supermarkets (which may be converted to corporations at a later stage).

representation office

There is no human qualification, so they cannot engage in sales business; they do not need to register, so they cannot open bank accounts or hire employees; there are many restrictions on their behavior, so they can only carry out market research and commercial propaganda.

Companies that have not yet decided to enter the Japanese market and are in the initial research stage.

branch offices

No independent legal personality, need to be assumed by the foreign parent company debt; need to be registered, can be normal business; do not need to separate capital injection, but tax, bank need to be independent account; registration need to parent company notarized documents and consular certification.

A company that has an established overseas operation system and plans to make Japan a base for expansion.

Tips: If you are entering the Japanese market for the first time and your business is small, you can reduce your initial costs by prioritizing a contract company; if you focus on brand reputation and long-term development, a corporation is a more secure choice.

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Hi, I am the customer service of Enterprise Finance Group! We provide domestic (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, etc.) company registration, overseas (Hong Kong, U.S.A.,Japanese(United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, etc.)Company RegistrationWe also provide Hong Kong identity application and renewal services, as well as cross-border tax planning, shareholding structure design, compliance and risk control programs, and other full chain of corporate services. Feel free to contact me at any time with your needs, Tel:16620947137, microsoft:Qicaiyingjituan(can be added by direct search)

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III. The whole process of registering a Japanese company (practical version for non-Japanese residents)

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For non-Japanese residents, the registration of a Japanese company needs to follow a standardized process, the whole process is about 10-20 working days (the approval time of the Legal Affairs Bureau, the final period in January may be extended), the specific steps are as follows:

1. Pre-architectural design:Clarify the core information of the company, including 1-3 standardized company names (in Chinese, Japanese, or English, ending with Co., Ltd./Contracting Company, and the uniqueness must be confirmed), registered address (must be a physical address where mail can be received in Japan, and you can choose to rent an office or an address provided by an agent), information of the legal representative (non-Japanese residents must complete the notarization of their identity), the percentage of capital contribution, and the contents of the articles of incorporation.

2. Preparation and notarization of registration documents:The core documents include scanned passports of shareholders/directors, corporate/shareholder seals and notarized certificates with Japanese translation (2 copies); if the shares are held in the name of a company, an additional business license, official seal, seal of the legal representative and notarized certificate of address (with Japanese translation, 2 copies) are required. Among them, a corporation is required to submit its articles of association to a Japanese notary public for notarization, while a contractual corporation may omit this step.

3. Financial injections:Remit the registered capital to a temporary collection account or to a Japanese bank account in the name of the promoter, and obtain a certificate of payment from the bank (Japan has a paid-in system, not a paid-in system).

4. Submit an application for registration to the Legal Affairs Bureau:Organize the articles of incorporation, resolution of the shareholders' meeting, certificate of capital contribution, etc., and submit them to the Legal Affairs Bureau of Japan for registration and approval, and then obtain the documents related to company registration after approval.

5. Tax and related filings:Within two weeks after the completion of registration, the company must file with the Tax Administration Bureau, the Local Taxation Bureau, the annuity firm and other organizations, submitting information such as the lease contract, establishment prospectus, and proof of identity of the representative to avoid being recognized as an "unincorporated shell".

6. Opening of bank accounts:Apply for account opening with relevant documents, business plan, proof of office space and other materials after completion of registration, and you can formally carry out business activities after completion.

Upon completion of registration, you will be provided with the following core documents: a certificate of full biographical details, a certificate of seal, a notice of designation of corporate number, a certificate of acceptance of filing and seal, a certificate of e-dollar payment (CD), a company seal, a company bank seal, and a company representative's seal of banning office.

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Hi, I am the customer service of Enterprise Finance Group! We provide domestic (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, etc.) company registration, overseas (Hong Kong, U.S.A.,Japanese(United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, etc.)Company RegistrationWe also provide Hong Kong identity application and renewal services, as well as cross-border tax planning, shareholding structure design, compliance and risk control programs, and other full chain of corporate services. Feel free to contact me at any time with your needs, Tel:16620947137, microsoft:Qicaiyingjituan(can be added by direct search)

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Fourth, the registration of the Japanese company follow-up related cost details

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The cost of registering a Japanese company mainly includes government fees and professional service fees, as well as the cost of tax representation and other costs for subsequent operations, as detailed below:

Registration stage fees:①Registration license tax: 0.7% of registered capital for corporations, minimum 150,000 yen; only 60,000 yen for contract companies; ②Notary public statute certification fee: about 50,000 yen for corporations, not required for contract companies; ③Professional agency fee (judicial scrivener/administrative scrivener): about 100,000-200,000 yen. The total cost of the registration stage is about 250,000-400,000 yen (about 12,000-20,000 yen).

Follow-up operating costs:① Tax agent fees: about 40,000-60,000 yen per month (commissioned accounting firms / tax accountants to handle reporting and accounts); ② Registered address fees: tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yen per year for a virtual office, and additional deposits, gratuities, etc. are required for the actual rental of an office; ③ Bank account related: no account opening fees, but the basic funds of the account are required to be maintained.

Tax Benefits:Small and medium-sized enterprises with capital of less than 100 million yen are eligible for corporate tax incentives, and the tax rate for the portion of annual income of less than 8 million yen ranges from 15% to 23.2% (the effective rate of the regular corporate tax is about 30%); some local governments provide subsidies or tax incentives for the establishment of new corporations.

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Hi, I am the customer service of Enterprise Finance Group! We provide domestic (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, etc.) company registration, overseas (Hong Kong, U.S.A.,Japanese(United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, etc.)Company RegistrationWe also provide Hong Kong identity application and renewal services, as well as cross-border tax planning, shareholding structure design, compliance and risk control programs, and other full chain of corporate services. Feel free to contact me at any time with your needs, Tel:16620947137, microsoft:Qicaiyingjituan(can be added by direct search)

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V. Key points: bank account opening strategies and risk avoidance

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From 2023, Japan's major banks to strengthen the anti-money laundering (AML) and customer due diligence (CDD), non-residents registered company account opening difficulties raised. Below is the analysis and solution of account opening difficulties:

1. Core difficulties in opening an account

Banks are scrutinizing companies with non-resident directors, high-risk country backgrounds, and unknown business models, and are explicitly rejecting account opening applications from cryptocurrency trading, adult content platforms, and complex shareholder structures. Virtual office addresses may also make auditing more difficult.

2. Required account opening materials

Detailed business plan (with main business, major customers, deal structure, financial forecast for the next three years);

Office lease contract and interior photos (proof of non-virtual establishment);

Passports, visas, proof of address of all directors and contributors;

Company seal, seal supporting documents; legal person to contribute additional proof of registration;

Power of attorney and administrative scribe/accountant KYC documents are required when a third party assists in opening an account.

3. Tips to increase the success rate of account opening

Appointment of a local director who is a holder of a valid resident card in Japan;

Provide verifiable supporting materials for the office address (utility bills, rental invoices, etc.);

Prefer SME-friendly online banks (e.g. GMO, Sumitomo SBI) with easy digitization processes and short review cycles;

Guaranteed participation in account briefing sessions by an administrative scribe or CPA significantly improves the pass rate.

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Hi, I am the customer service of Enterprise Finance Group! We provide domestic (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, etc.) company registration, overseas (Hong Kong, U.S.A.,Japanese(United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, etc.)Company RegistrationWe also provide Hong Kong identity application and renewal services, as well as cross-border tax planning, shareholding structure design, compliance and risk control programs, and other full chain of corporate services. Feel free to contact me at any time with your needs, Tel:16620947137, microsoft:Qicaiyingjituan(can be added by direct search)

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VI. Notes on the declaration and cancellation of sensitive industries

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1. FDI declaration requirements for sensitive industries

Telecommunications, logistics, finance, broadcasting, aviation and other industries are required to complete a "pre-declaration" before registration, with a processing cycle of about 30 days; non-sensitive industries are only required to submit a "post-declaration report" within 30 days after the completion of registration. It is recommended to check JETRO's latest list of sensitive industries before registration in order to avoid being fined or denied a license for failing to make a declaration.

2. Company write-off process

Ltd./Contract Society: Dissolution by resolution of the board of directors or members' meeting is required, with an announcement period of not less than two months, and completion of tax clearance, social security cancellation, etc.; the legal seal is frozen during the liquidation period, and failure to settle debts, social security or employee relations will lead to the dismissal of the cancellation, and the cycle may be prolonged to more than half a year.

Branch: The parent company resolves to terminate the operation, submits the application for change to the Legal Affairs Bureau and completes the tax settlement; if there are employees or social security accounts, the relevant liquidation must be completed first.

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Hi, I am the customer service of Enterprise Finance Group! We provide domestic (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, etc.) company registration, overseas (Hong Kong, U.S.A.,Japanese(United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, etc.)Company RegistrationWe also provide Hong Kong identity application and renewal services, as well as cross-border tax planning, shareholding structure design, compliance and risk control programs, and other full chain of corporate services. Feel free to contact me at any time with your needs, Tel:16620947137, microsoft:Qicaiyingjituan(can be added by direct search)

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VII. Frequently Asked Questions about Registering a Japanese Company

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Q1: Can I choose any area in Japan for my registered address? How do I pay the fee?

A: Options are available nationwide. Common methods are virtual office (one-time payment for one year, tens to hundreds of thousands of yen) or leasing a physical office (deposit, gratuity, etc., in addition to monthly rent). Choosing a virtual office initially reduces costs, and can be relocated at a later stage when business expands.

Q2: Does the registered capital have to be physically present? What is the appropriate amount?

A: Must be actually in the account, need to provide a certificate of bank payment. The minimum legal amount is 1 yen, and 300,000-3 million yen is recommended from the perspective of creditworthiness; more than 3 million yen is required to open an account, and more than 5 million yen is recommended for applying for a business management visa.

Q3: Does the legal representative have to go to Japan in person?

A: Not required. It can be entrusted to a judicial scribe or an administrative scribe remotely, but it is necessary to prepare a certificate of the seal or signature of the legal representative and complete the notarization and send it.

Q4: How are taxes handled after the registration is completed?

A: It is necessary to complete the tax filing within two weeks, and it is recommended to appoint a professional tax accountant to handle the accounts and filing, which costs about 40,000-60,000 yen per month, and can avoid the tax risk.

Q5: What is the impact of CJK FTA on registering a Japanese company?

A: China-Japan-South Korea FTA negotiations have completed 16 rounds, if landing will further deepen the economic ties between China and Japan and reduce trade costs. Registering a Japanese company in advance can seize the policy dividends of the FTA and expand the regional market.

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Hi, I am the customer service of Enterprise Finance Group! We provide domestic (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, etc.) company registration, overseas (Hong Kong, U.S.A.,Japanese(United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, etc.)Company RegistrationWe also provide Hong Kong identity application and renewal services, as well as cross-border tax planning, shareholding structure design, compliance and risk control programs, and other full chain of corporate services. Feel free to contact me at any time with your needs, Tel:16620947137, microsoft:Qicaiyingjituan(can be added by direct search)

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Summary: Registering a Japanese company, choosing the right path is more efficient

Japan's stable business environment, favorable policy support and broad market potential make it a quality choice for overseas investment. To register a Japanese company, you need to focus on three core issues: choosing the right type of company to match your business, following a standardized registration process, and planning ahead for bank account opening and compliance matters. If you are a small or medium-sized enterprise or a start-up, you can prioritize the contract society to control the cost; if you pursue long-term development and brand reputation, Co.

If you need to accurately match the registration program and avoid practical risks, you can follow us to get one-on-one professional guidance to help you efficiently land in the Japanese market and grasp new opportunities for overseas development.

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