Japan Market Entry Advisory
The representative, Yasuhiro Maruyama, joined the Japan entity of a foreign-affiliated SaaS company as its first administrative hire, building internal policies and business processes from the ground up. Drawing on this hands-on experience, Edo Partners supports overseas companies entering the Japanese market, from entity establishment through the brokerage of office leases and acquisitions and the coordination of specialists needed for setup. He also brings experience as a domestic institutional investor, and works bilingually in English and Japanese. Alongside structuring the legal entity, it is equally important to decide, up front, the right sequence between securing an office and arranging housing for relocating staff.
Who This Is For
- Overseas companies sending relocating staff to Japan ahead of or alongside setting up a legal entity or office
- Overseas companies considering the establishment of a subsidiary or branch in Japan
- Foreign-affiliated companies already in Japan considering the acquisition or leasing of office or facility real estate
- Executives or staff seeking an English-capable point of contact on the Japan side of the entry process
Not a fit if: you already have Japanese specialists (judicial scrivener, tax accountant) under contract and only need real estate introductions (see Real Estate Brokerage); you already have a Japanese entity and only need corporate housing (see TokyoExpat); or you only need general sales or lease brokerage (see the Brokerage page).
What We Provide
- Organizing entry structure options (representative office, branch, or subsidiary)
- Introduction and coordination of partner specialists needed for incorporation (judicial scrivener, administrative scrivener, tax accountant)
- Brokerage of office and business-use real estate acquisition and leasing
- Housing for relocating staff (handled by TokyoExpat). In the initial consultation, we help determine which comes first — entity setup, office, or housing
- Japan-side point of contact (initial English-language liaison, bridging documentation)
- Organizing the licensing process and introducing specialist partners (we do not handle licensing applications ourselves)
- Organizing hiring policy and introducing recruiting agencies (we do not provide paid recruitment services ourselves)
- Consultation on building corporate finance structure post-entry (see Corporate Finance Consulting)
“Single point of contact” means one representative coordinates the process — it does not mean we handle registration, tax, visas, licensing, and hiring entirely in-house.
What We Do Not Provide
- Corporate registration itself (handled by our partner judicial scrivener)
- Tax filing or tax planning (handled by our partner tax accountant)
- Visa or residence status application services
- Post-entry bookkeeping or accounting services themselves (consultation on structure only)
- Paid recruitment services or licensing application services themselves
Process
- Hearing on entry objectives and business content
- Determining the right sequence — staff relocation, office, or entity setup
- Organizing entry structure options (representative office / branch / subsidiary)
- Introduction and team assembly of necessary specialists (judicial scrivener, tax accountant, etc.)
- Selection of office or facility real estate, if needed
- Support through incorporation and contracting
- Ongoing consultation on post-entry financial structure, if desired
FAQ
Can you handle corporate registration itself?
Registration itself is handled by our partner judicial scrivener. Edo Partners organizes the entry strategy, brokers real estate, coordinates the specialist team, and serves as the Japan-side point of contact.
Which should we choose — representative office, branch, or subsidiary?
This depends on your business content, tax treatment, and future expansion plans. We organize the options for your situation during the initial hearing.
Can you also help with real estate other than offices, such as staff housing?
Corporate housing and luxury rentals for expat executives are handled by our brand TokyoExpat.
Can you advise on post-entry accounting structure too?
Yes, we support structure planning and advice. For details, see Corporate Finance Consulting.
Can you also help with licensing or hiring?
We organize the approach and identify referral partners. Applications and licensed recruitment services are handled by the respective specialists.
Next Step
If you’re considering entering the Japanese market, please contact us via Contact with your business content and objectives. The initial consultation is free.