Data released by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) shows that theNumber of newly established foreign corporations in Japan to reach 14,200 by 2025Year-on-year growth 8.6%The percentage of investment from the Asian region is more than 45%, showing the continued attractiveness of the Japanese market for cross-border companies.

go into 2026Japan's foreign investment facilitation reform has been accelerated:

• Expansion of foreign-owned enterprises Full online registration Scope to more areas of the country;
• Simplify capital remittance procedures and eliminate the pre-qualification process for some industries;
• Optimize the process of tax resident status determination and shorten the approval cycle to 3-5 working days(Announcement of the National Tax Agency of Japan, January 2026) In addition, from April 2026, a new version of the Japan National Tax Agency's Electronic Filing System (e-Tax Phase III) will be fully operational and the efficiency of corporate tax filing is expected to increase on average compared to 2025. 35%The

As the world's third largest economy, Japan has a stable rule of law environment, a high-quality consumer market and a well-developed industrial chain. From registering a Japanese company, opening a bank account, to maintaining compliance and filing tax returns, there are clear legal and practical requirements for each step. This article summarizes 2026 UpdateThe whole process of practical points to help you in the Japanese market less detour. If you need to register a Japanese company, you can also directly add our customer service WeChat! (WeChat: jxhqcy890 / Mobile: 16625410105) Arrange for you to be answered by a professional manager.

Directory

01Japanese company registration information and process

02 Bank Account Opening for Japanese Companies

03 Post-maintenance of Japanese companies

04 Japan Investment Compliance Guide

01.Japanese company registration information and process

1. Selection of Japanese company type

• Ltd. (Kabushiki Kaisha, KK): The most common, similar to a joint-stock company, with high creditworthiness. Shareholders and directors can be separated, suitable for future financing and introduction of investors; high social creditworthiness, easier to pass bank/platform audits; representative directors (at least 1) are required, can be foreigners.
• Contract Society (Godo Kaisha, GK): Similar to a limited liability company with lower setup and maintenance costs.
• Simple structure, low set-up costs and flexible profit sharing;
• However, some banks/platforms may refuse to accept them because of their external image as a "small workshop".

Recommendation.If you plan to operate for a long period of time, apply for a business management visa, or interface with B-side customers, you will be prioritized to select Co.

Personal holding (natural person shareholder) registration required information

1. Japanese Company Registration Information Form
2. Scanned passport of shareholder & representative director (complete with all four corners)
3. Individual square stamp (2x2cm)
4. Declaration of personal seal (Hong Kong Hague certification + Japanese translation required)

Company Holding (China Company 100% Shareholding) Registration Required Documents

1. Japanese Company Registration Information Form
2. Passport + seal + declaration of seal on behalf of the director (ibid.)
3. Chinese company provided: Shareholding penetration chart (English and Chinese, to ultimate natural persons)
4. Business license, articles of incorporation, resolution of shareholders' meeting (1 copy each with Hague certification + Japanese translation, 3 copies in total)
5. Declaration of company seal (stamped + signature, certified by The Hague + Japanese translation)
6. Scanned passport of authorized signatory

Registration Process

①Company name search → ②Make a contract (Articles of Incorporation) and have it notarized → ③Injection of capital → ④Registration of establishment with the Legal Affairs Bureau (online is available) → ⑤Obtain a copy of the registration book (business license) and a certificate of seal registration.

Electronic applications are the fastest 3-5 working days Approved, paper application approx. 1-2 weeksThe

take note of::Involving specific industries (e.g. finance, healthcare, education, liquor retailing, etc.) requires a license from the competent authority

If you have Japanese company registration, bank account opening, other overseas company registration, overseas structure construction, cross-border e-commerce tax compliance needs, you can scan the code to add our online customer service!(WeChat: jxhqcy890 / Mobile: 16625410105)We will arrange professional managers to answer your questions and provide professional advice andFull one-on-one service ↓↓↓

02.Bank account opening for Japanese companies

In practice, Chinese bosses who want to open a public account in a local bank after registering a Japanese company have a much higher difficulty than in Singapore, Hong Kong and other places, mainly in the following aspects:

1、Work visa is a hard threshold

Japanese traditional banks generally require shareholders and directors of Japanese companies to hold a Japanese work visa, such as a management visa or a high level talent visa (similar to the Singapore EP or Dubai ID).

It is basically impossible to open an account with a tourist visa alone, and you must prove that you intend to work and live in Japan for a long period of time before the bank will accept it.

2. Strict review of actual operations

Japanese banks place a high value on whether a company is operating in a genuine manner:

• Not only do we have to provide documents such as business contracts, orders, etc..
• It is best to have a physical office (provide a rent contract), active employees, a Japanese landline, and other hardware. The bank's logic is: open an account for real business, not for shell companies or offshore companies to "transfer funds". If the company is a shell or pure offshore model, you can basically give up the idea of opening a local account in Japan.

3. Japanese directors become a hidden requirement

Japanese company registration itself does not require shareholders or directors to be Japanese nationals, but many Japanese banks implicitly require a Japanese director when opening an account to reduce risk and increase trust.

As a result, many companies get an additional dependent Japanese person as a shareholder/director in order to open an account.

However, this not only increases the cost and legal risk (nominee holding, control issues), but even more embarrassing - even if this step is done, the bank may not necessarily approve the account, because the bank will also comprehensively assess the authenticity and qualification of the business.

In response to the above difficulties, more and more Chinese bosses are choosing to open a compliant e-account remotely as a transitional or long-term solution. For example:

CBI - a Singapore licensed financial institution, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), legally operating in Japan, can provide online public account services for Japanese companies registered with Chinese owners:

• Remote account opening: No need to go to Japan in person, no need for a work visa or a Japanese director, just submit your information online;
• Multi-currency Receipt and Payment: Supports receipt and payment in major currencies such as Japanese Yen (JPY), US Dollar (USD) and Chinese Yuan (CNY), which is convenient for cross-border e-commerce and international trade settlement;
• Compatible with mainstream platforms: can be bound to Amazon JP, Stripe, PayPal and other e-commerce platforms and collection tools, funds directly to the account to reduce intermediate links;
• Compliance and security: regulated by MAS, strictly enforcing AML and KYC requirements, high account stability;
• Convenient operation: Bilingual interface between internet banking and mobile, support for Chinese customer service, lower language threshold.

Suggestion: If your Japanese company focuses on online business and does not have the physical operation conditions required by traditional banks, you can give priority to a compliant e-account such as Fortune Harbor CBI as a start-up solution, and then apply for a local bank account in parallel when the business scale and qualifications are mature to realize a dual-channel layout.

If you have Japanese company registration, bank account opening, other overseas company registration, overseas structure construction, cross-border e-commerce tax compliance needs, you can scan the code to add our online customer service!(WeChat: jxhqcy890 / Mobile: 16625410105)We will arrange professional managers to answer your questions and provide professional advice andFull one-on-one service ↓↓↓

03.Maintenance of Japanese companies (annual audits, tax preparation)

I. Annual review and update of registered matters

Japanese companies are required to submit matters such as change of deposit and change of shareholders/directors to the Legal Affairs Bureau every year and complete the registration within the deadline, or face fines.

II. Bookkeeping and Tax Returns (current system in 2026)

1. Fiscal year: Can be set by yourself, commonly January 1 - December 31st.
2. Accounting: In accordance with Japanese GAAP (J-GAAP or IFRS), transaction documents, bank statements, invoices, etc. must be retained.
3. Tax Returns:
   • Corporate tax return: once a year, within 2 months from the date of the company's final accounts (renewable).
   • Consumption tax filing: quarterly or annual, depending on the annual sales volume
   • Tax at source (personal income tax withholding): with employees or payments made abroad are subject to withholding.

No operating company: "zero filing" financial statements are still required and cannot be left blank.

If you have Japanese company registration, bank account opening, other overseas company registration, overseas structure construction, cross-border e-commerce tax compliance needs, you can scan the code to add our online customer service!(WeChat: jxhqcy890 / Mobile: 16625410105)We will arrange professional managers to answer your questions and provide professional advice andFull one-on-one service ↓↓↓

04.Filing and Compliance Matters to be Aware of When Investing in Japan

Attention is required if Mainland enterprises invest in the establishment of Japanese companies and involve cross-border funding:

1. ODI filing: Holding ≥ 10% or injecting funds, need to be filed in the NDRC, MOFCOM, and OFAC to ensure the legal remittance of funds and repatriation of profits. 2026 OFAC's review of repatriation of overseas profits will be more stringent, and any failure to file will result in a back-tax at the rate of 25%.
2. Return investment: If a Japanese company establishes a subsidiary or merges or acquires in the Mainland, it is required to apply for relevant approvals according to the regulations on foreign investment access.
3. Transfer Pricing: Transactions with related parties should comply with the requirements of Japanese tax law and prepare contemporaneous information documents.

As of January 2026, Japan, where the rule of law goes hand in hand with openness, is becoming an important destination for manufacturing, technology development and branding. However, the establishment and operation of a company involves many aspects such as legal affairs, taxation, banking, etc., and the compliance requirements are meticulous.

If you have Japanese company registration, bank account opening, other overseas company registration, overseas structure construction, cross-border e-commerce tax compliance needs, you can scan the code to add our online customer service!(WeChat: jxhqcy890 / Mobile: 16625410105)We will arrange professional managers to answer your questions and provide professional advice andFull one-on-one service ↓↓↓