Setting up in Japan?
We handle what comes after incorporation.
Bilingual accounting, tax, and reporting support for foreign companies establishing operations in Japan — led by a Japanese CPA with Deloitte London experience.
Book a Free ConsultationIncorporation is the easy part
Registering a KK (Kabushiki Kaisha) or GK (Godo Kaisha) in Japan takes a few weeks. What catches most foreign companies off guard is everything that follows:
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Tax registrations with strict deadlinesSome notifications are due within weeks of incorporation. Miss them, and you may lose valuable elections — such as blue-form filing status — for your first fiscal year.
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Books that must satisfy two audiencesStatutory books that comply with Japanese tax law — and management reporting your headquarters can actually read.
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A compliance calendar unlike anywhere elseDepreciable asset tax, statutory social insurance filings, consumption tax, information returns — dense, and barely documented in English.
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A language barrier at every stepTax office correspondence, local accounting software, statutory filings: all in Japanese.
The third option
Most foreign companies choose between a local bookkeeper who speaks no English, or an international firm at international prices. We built our practice to sit exactly in between.
Local bookkeeper
- Low fees
- Japanese statutory compliance
- English communication
- HQ / group reporting
- GAAP conversion (IFRS etc.)
Bilingual CPA firm
- Mid-market fees, fixed quotes
- Japanese statutory compliance
- English communication
- HQ / group reporting
- GAAP conversion (IFRS etc.)
International firm
- International price levels
- Japanese statutory compliance
- English communication
- HQ / group reporting
- GAAP conversion (IFRS etc.)
What we do for foreign-owned companies in Japan
Pre- & Post-Incorporation Setup
Entity structuring from a tax perspective (KK vs. GK, branch vs. subsidiary), all initial tax registrations, blue-form election, and accounting system configuration.
Monthly Accounting & HQ Reporting
Bookkeeping compliant with Japanese tax law, plus a monthly English reporting package in your group’s format — including GAAP conversion to IFRS or your local standards.
Japan Tax Compliance
Corporate tax, consumption tax (Japan’s VAT), depreciable asset tax, and withholding filings — managed against a shared compliance calendar, so nothing is missed.
Licensed tax filing and tax representation are provided through our representative’s registered tax accountant (zeirishi) practice.
Ongoing Oversight & Governance
As you grow: internal controls review, group audit support, statutory auditor (kansayaku) services, and IPO readiness if Japan becomes a listing story.
Your first 12 months in Japan
A typical first-year compliance journey for a newly incorporated Japan subsidiary. The red items are the deadlines foreign companies most often miss.
Exact obligations depend on your entity type, capital, and headcount — we map your specific calendar during onboarding.
Why foreign companies work with us
Your CFO talks to a CPA, not a call center
Led by Sho Ikeda, a Japanese CPA and Licensed Tax Accountant with 10+ years at Deloitte Tohmatsu, including 2.5 years at Deloitte LLP in London auditing overseas subsidiaries of multinational groups. We have sat on the headquarters side of the reporting relationship — delivering that view is what we did for years.
One point of contact, both languages
No relay through translators or junior staff. Questions from your HQ finance team are answered directly, in English, by the professional who does the work.
Sized and priced for market entry
Big Four quality standards without Big Four overhead. We serve foreign-owned entities from first hire to first audit — with a fixed quote agreed before every engagement, so there are no hourly surprises.
Frequently asked questions
Should we set up a KK (kabushiki kaisha) or a GK (godo kaisha)?
Both are taxed identically in Japan. A GK is cheaper and faster to establish; a KK carries more prestige with Japanese customers, banks, and future hires. Many foreign-owned subsidiaries — including some of the world’s largest tech companies — operate as GKs. The right answer depends on your customers, hiring plans, and whether a US “check-the-box” election matters to your group. We advise on this before you incorporate, not after.
Do we need a resident director in Japan?
A representative director resident in Japan is no longer legally required for a KK, but in practice a local address and local point of contact are needed for bank account opening and tax matters. We can walk you through the practical requirements during a consultation.
When do tax registrations have to be filed?
Several notifications are due within days to weeks of incorporation (social insurance and local tax offices), and the blue-form filing application — which unlocks significant tax benefits, including loss carryforwards — is due within three months of incorporation, or by your first fiscal year-end if that comes earlier. This is the deadline foreign companies most often miss.
Will we owe Japanese consumption tax from day one?
It depends on how you capitalize the company. A newly established company with paid-in capital of JPY 10 million or more is a consumption taxpayer from its first fiscal year; below that threshold, an exemption may apply for the initial periods. Separately, if you sell to Japanese businesses, your customers will usually expect you to register as a qualified invoice issuer — which also makes you a taxpayer. Capital amount and invoice registration should be decided together, before incorporation.
Can you work with our group’s accounting system and reporting deadlines?
Yes. We regularly deliver month-end close and English reporting packages against group deadlines, and can work in your consolidation system’s format, including GAAP conversion from Japanese GAAP to IFRS or other frameworks.
Do you replace our need for a separate Japanese accounting firm?
Yes — accounting and advisory services are provided by Rayport Advisory Inc., and licensed tax services (tax return filing and tax representation) are provided through our representative’s registered tax accountant practice. One relationship covers both.
Free download: Japan post-incorporation filing checklist
Just incorporated — or about to? Get our English-language checklist of every national and local tax filing due after establishing a Japanese company, with deadlines and responsible authorities.
Talk to us before you incorporate
The most expensive mistakes in Japan market entry are made before the company exists — entity type, fiscal year-end, capital amount, and consumption tax positioning are all easier to get right the first time. A 30-minute conversation costs nothing.
Book a Free Consultation