BUSINESS & COMPANY
Company formation and the Business Manager status
When a foreign national starts a company in Japan, incorporation and the status of residence look like two separate procedures. They are in fact a single design. Where the capital came from, securing the office, what the business plan actually says — if any one of these gives way, the status is refused. We take on both as one continuous piece of work.
What we handle
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Incorporation (articles of incorporation, electronic notarisation)
Come to us from the point of deciding the company name, business purpose, capital and governance structure. Because we prepare the articles electronically, the ¥40,000 stamp duty on paper articles does not arise.
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Business Manager status of residence
We demonstrate the continuity and stability of the business through the plan and its supporting evidence, and work through whether the figures are more than paper and whether the expected trade is concrete.
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Checking the office requirement
A room in your own home is not accepted as a rule. The stated purpose in the lease, the independence of the space, signage and equipment — we check the points that get examined before you sign.
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Drafting the business plan
What you sell, to whom, at what cost, and what is left. We present the substance of the business in a form the examiner can follow.
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Explaining the origin of the capital
Where the capital came from is always asked. We assemble the remittance records and any gift into an account that runs in order of time.
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Structuring for regulated industries
Where the business needs a licence — construction, staffing, food service — we work backwards from the licensing requirements to set the stated purposes in the articles and the structure to match.
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Post-incorporation filings
We guide you through the filings due to the authorities after incorporation. For tax and social insurance we work with partner professionals.
HOW IT WORKS
How we work
- 01
Get in touch
Call us or use the form. We will arrange a time to talk.
- 02
First consultation (60 min, free)
We listen to your situation and set out the options and the likely outcome. If a case is difficult, we say so plainly.
- 03
Scope and fee
We set out what we will take on and what it costs, and begin only once you agree.
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Gathering and drafting
We tell you which documents are needed and prepare the application together with the written explanation and supporting materials.
- 05
Filing and result
We file with the authority and respond to any request for further material. When the result arrives we contact you and explain what comes next.
QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
- How much capital do I need?
- Incorporation itself is possible with ¥1, but for the Business Manager status the capital is treated as an indicator of the scale of the business. What matters is not only the figure but whether you can account for where the money came from. Let us look at your circumstances.
- Should I incorporate first and then apply for the status?
- That is the order, but the design comes first. Discovering after incorporation that the requirements are not met is expensive to undo. Talk to us before you incorporate.
- Can you handle the registration as well?
- The registration filing itself is the work of a judicial scrivener. We take on the articles and their notarisation, and the design either side of it.
- Can I form a company without living in Japan?
- Incorporation is possible, but obtaining the Business Manager status and running the business from Japan carries separate requirements. The route depends on what you are trying to achieve, so tell us that first.
What we can and cannot do
Drafting the articles of incorporation, arranging their electronic notarisation, preparing business plans and applying for licences all fall within the work of an administrative scrivener. Registration filings are the work of a judicial scrivener, tax returns that of a tax accountant, and social insurance procedures that of a labour and social security attorney.
RELATED ARTICLES
Articles on this area
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A PARTNER FOR LIFE AND BUSINESS
We think through the future that lies beyond the paperwork — with you.
Your first 60-minute consultation is free. By phone or through the form, tell us where you stand.
〒260-0028 4 min walk from JR Chiba Station South Exit
Open 10:00–19:00 (occasional closures)
Weekends, holidays and evenings by advance appointment (please contact us early)