START IN JAPAN

Start a business in Japan, with a clearer plan.

A successful launch may require incorporation, immigration planning, banking preparations, tax registrations and several specialists. KIZUNA helps plan and coordinate the agreed project so you can see the bigger picture.

Describe Your Situation → See project-wide budgets ↗

01 / What to think about before a consultation

What to think about before a consultation

Where will the founders and directors reside?
Which form of business is under consideration (KK, GK or branch)?
Will anyone need a residence status to work in Japan?
What is your intended timeline and which steps have already begun?

02 / KIZUNA

How KIZUNA can help

Clarify the required workstreams and arrange engagement discussions with qualified professionals, subject to availability.
Arrange interpretation, translate routine communications, and organise document requests across workstreams.
Track agreed milestones, dependencies, document requests and handoffs to the planned completion point.

A MORE PRACTICAL GUIDE

Start with the right company structure

Setting up a company, qualifying for a residence status, obtaining banking facilities and beginning operations are different steps. We manage an agreed roadmap across those steps, rather than treating the registration certificate as the end of the project.

THE OPTIONS

Understand your options

GK (Godo Kaisha / LLC)

A common flexible subsidiary form. Establishment documents, governance and notarial requirements differ from a KK.

KK (Kabushiki Kaisha)

A joint-stock company with distinct governance and articles-of-incorporation formalities. Useful where shareholders or investors have specific expectations.

Branch of an overseas company

Not a separate Japanese corporation. Registration, home-company documents, taxation and representation requirements differ.

DOCUMENTS & INFORMATION

What to prepare initially

Founder and shareholder names, nationalities, residence addresses and ownership structure
Identification and evidence of identity/signature as required by the registering professional
Proposed name, business activities, address, fiscal year and planned paid-in capital
Where relevant, parent-company registry/constitutional documents and authorised signatories
Initial information on planned office, hiring, banking and immigration needs

A professional will confirm the complete, case-specific document list. Please do not send passports or financial records in the initial inquiry form.

THE ROADMAP

What happens, step by step

Scope and feasibility

We gather ownership, founders’ locations, intended business, immigration needs and intended launch date; the qualified advisers confirm regulated questions.

Lead: KIZUNA + specialists

Structure and registered particulars

Choose GK, KK or branch; finalise name, purpose, address, founders/directors and funding route with the registration adviser.

Lead: Registration professional

Documents and registration

The professional prepares and submits the necessary registration documents; KIZUNA handles agreed communications and progress updates.

Lead: Registration professional + KIZUNA

Operational readiness

Coordinate tax filings, office and banking preparation, permits and any separate immigration work required for the intended activity.

Lead: Relevant specialists + KIZUNA

IMPORTANT BEFORE YOU COMMIT

Scope, timing and things that can change the budget

A company can be registered in Japan even if all representative directors live overseas; this does not guarantee a bank account or permission to reside in Japan.
Japan’s Business Manager residence requirements must be checked separately. Capital for the business is not a service fee and is excluded from KIZUNA’s published project budgets.
JETRO describes a company-establishment process that can take roughly two to three months after particulars are settled; overseas certificates, banking and visas may add time.

See the estimated whole-project budgets →

Questions people ask before engaging

Do I need ¥30 million to register a GK or KK?

There is no blanket ¥30 million incorporation minimum. The ¥30 million business capital/investment measure belongs to the revised Business Manager residence criteria, which apply separately when relevant.

Does the overall fee pay for my company capital?

No. The project budget is for scoped professional, coordination and ordinary administrative expenses; paid-in capital belongs to the company and is not included.

What does your standard English support cover?

Routine correspondence, bilingual progress updates and the agreed number of ordinary meetings are within the scoped service. Extensive certified translation or additional meetings are separately estimated only if needed.

Sources for this guide

Checked against the linked official guidance on 24 October 2026. This is general information, not an individual legal, tax or immigration determination. Public rules and interpretations can change; a relevant licensed professional must review the current requirements before acting.

THE COMPLETE PICTURE

What might the whole process cost?

We estimate the whole standard project, including the qualified professionals and routine English-language coordination—without charging twice for everyday interpretation or translation.

INDICATIVE TOTAL CUSTOMER BUDGET¥320,000–¥420,000standard GK incorporation, including usual bilingual support

An estimated whole-project cost covering a registration specialist, standard English-language communication, coordination and ordinary filing expenses.

ILLUSTRATIVE COMPLETE PROJECT BUDGET

Example: standard GK incorporation

A single planning example covering the described standard scope, with routine bilingual support already included in the relevant service fee. Not a binding quote.

Licensed incorporation specialistProfessional fee¥200,000

Registration tax, certificates and routine expensesOfficial costs¥74,550

KIZUNA project management + standard bilingual supportKIZUNA (includes routine language support)¥40,000

Estimated consumption tax on taxable feesTax¥24,000

Estimated overall customer payment for this example¥338,550

Routine English-language calls, coordination and ordinary correspondence within the agreed scope are included—not added again as a separate interpretation fee. Filing costs and tax treatment vary by case.

Not included in this illustration

Business capital, unusually extensive certified translations, a residence application, office rental, bank account assistance and uncommon legalisation expenses.

These are market-aligned budget examples, not a fixed quote or a guarantee of outcome. Ordinary English-language coordination, agreed meetings and routine correspondence are already included in the scoped service fees; exceptional or certified translations are quoted separately only if needed. Licensed professionals independently contract for regulated work. You receive an itemised total estimate before paid work begins.

Request a complete estimate →Compare service budgets ↗

Who is responsible for regulated work

A judicial scrivener or other authorised professional handles registration-related professional work. Immigration applications and any legal or tax advice are handled by suitably qualified practitioners under separate engagements.

FAQ

Common questions

Can I incorporate a Japanese company while living overseas?

Company registration and immigration status are separate questions. Japanese official guidance recognises company-registration applications where all representative directors live abroad; practical banking and residence questions still need individual review.

Does registering a company give me a visa?

No. Incorporation does not automatically grant a residence status. Eligibility and applications are assessed separately by immigration authorities.

Will you open a bank account for me?

We can help arrange communication about banking requirements where appropriate, but banks make their own account-opening decisions. We do not promise account approval.

Official starting points

Official guidance may change; check the issuing authority for the latest version.

JAPAN GUIDE