Memory of Doing Business in Japan

Step-by-step process for hiring a first employee in Japan and registering social insurance, plus obligations around health checkups, BYOD security, and candidate background checks.

Visa service rates in Japan: attorneys up to ~500,000 yen, 行政書士 typically 200,000-300,000 yen, and named lawyers' specific prices for BM, COE, and family filings.

行政書士 handle bureaucracy and visas while 司法書士 handle registry filings; business plans for a startup visa run 15-20 to 100+ pages depending on format, and for a BM visa must be entirely in Japanese,…

How a new company can voluntarily elect taxable-operator status to reclaim consumption tax on startup purchases, the 2-3 year lock-in rules, and the accounting-cost break-even point.

AGM legal basics for a Japanese KK: statutory deadlines, standard agenda, deemed resolutions for small shareholder bases, minutes requirements, storage, and director-registration follow-up.

SBI Sumishin is the usual first-choice bank for foreign startups but has no direct SWIFT and charges heavily for a separate remittance-receiving service; regular SMBC requires an in-person,…

The blue declaration gives up to 650,000 yen deduction (e-Tax, double-entry) versus 100,000 yen on the white form; switching requires filing by March 15 (or within 2 months of starting a new…

A director's salary must be registered within 3 months of founding and cannot be changed mid-year without losing its tax deduction (with an exception for deteriorating performance); bonuses must be…

The company founding date and flexible fiscal year, the full post-registration notification checklist, corporate tax filing timing, rules on changing a director's salary (including zero salary), and…

Exit tax thresholds, dividend vs. director-salary taxation, and the paperwork and 14-day insurance switch when moving from employment to sole-proprietor status.

How non-permanent resident status, remote-work income, and the 5-year mark for full tax residency and CFC rules apply to visa holders in Japan.

Overview of Japanese tax rules that matter for visa planning: non-permanent resident taxation, full residency after 5 years, exit tax, and CFC rules.

Overview of licensed activities relevant to visa business plans: secondhand dealing, travel agencies, imports, online gambling restrictions, sanctions evasion, and mobile bathing services.

How Japanese banks treat beneficial-ownership disclosure, foreign co-owners, the informal 6-month rule, and account freezes tied to Business Manager visa status.

Japanese company registration rules on name uniqueness, director address changes, notarization, and Japan's first-to-file trademark system.