
Register Your Business
After selecting the most suitable corporate structure for your business entity,
the next step is to proceed with the registration of your business.
Below is a general overview of the process involved in registering your business.
Determine Essential Corporate Matters
The first step in registering your business would be to determine the following essential corporate matters:
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Company name
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Office address
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Business Purpose
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Capital Amount
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Number of shares to be issued at incorporation
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Fiscal Year
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Board of Directors
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Auditors (if applicable depending on the chosen entity structure)

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Prepare the Articles of Incorporation
The Articles of Incorporation (Teikan: 定款) are the foundational rules and regulations that defines a company’s structure and governance in Japan. They include essential details such as the company's trade name, the address of its head office, the timing of shareholders' meetings, the fiscal year-end, and the number of board of directors.
Another critical element of the Articles of Incorporation is the name of the founder (Hokkinin: 発起人). The founder is the individual who makes the initial investment and manages the administrative tasks necessary for incorporation. Depending on the company’s structure, the founder becomes either a shareholder (in the case of a Kabushiki Kaisha, or KK) or a member (in the case of a Godo Kaisha, or GK).
To finalise the Articles of Incorporation, the founder must affix his seal (Inkan: 印鑑) on the documents. This step is an unique and essential part of Japanese incorporation procedures. For more details, you may refer to our article ( What you need to know about Japanese Seals (Inkan) .
Certification of Articles of Incorporation
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For a KK, it is mandatory to have the Articles of Incorporation certified by a notary public (Koushounin: 公証人). This certification must be conducted by a notary public. Affiliated with the local Legal Affairs Bureau (Homukyoku: 法務局) who ensures that the document meets all the legal requirements.
In contrast, the Articles of Incorporation for a GK do not required certification by a notary public. This makes the incorporation process for a GK simpler and less costly.
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Registration of Incorporation
Once the Articles of Incorporation have been certified and authenticated (as required for a KK),the next step is to proceed with the registration of incorporating the business.
To complete the incorporation registration, you must prepare and submit the Application for Registration of Incorporation (Tōroku Shinseisho: 登録申請書) to the Legal Affairs Bureau. Along with the application, some of the supporting documents (other than the Articles of Incorporation) to be submitted together include:
Date of Incorporation
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Letters of Acceptance by Initial Directors and Statutory Auditors (Shunin Shodakusyo: 就任承諾書)
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Signed by appointed directors and auditors to confirm their acceptance of their roles
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Certificate of Paid-In Capital (Kinsen Shomeisho: 金銭証明書)
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Proof that the initial capital has been deposited into a bank account
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Seal Registration Certificate (Inkan Toroku Shomeisho: 印鑑登録証明書)
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A certificate proving the registration of the founder’s seal (Inkan: 印鑑)
After submitting the application, the Legal Affairs Bureau will typically complete the examination within about one week, provided there are no errors or deficiencies in the submitted documents.
It is important to note that the official date of incorporation is the date when the application for registration is filed; it is not the date when the examination of registration is completed. If you intend to set a specific incorporation date for your company, it is essential that you submit the application on a specific date as desired.
Obtain the Certificate of Registered Company Information and Company Seal Impression Certificate
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Once the registration of the incorporation has been completed, a Certificate of Registered Company Information (Tokibo Shohon: 登記簿謄本) can be obtained from the Legal Affairs Bureau. This certificate serves as an official document on the incorporation of your business entity and thereafter, to be presented for the purposes like opening a corporate bank account in Japan and other administrative matters.
In some cases, the Company Seal Impression Certificate (Inkan Shomeisho: 印鑑証明書) will also be required. To ensure smooth processing of various administrative tasks later on, companies are advised to obtain both certificates immediately after the incorporation registration.

6STEPS
Here we explain each task divided into six steps
If you are considering expanding your business to Japan, please contact Quantum Accounting Inc. for a free consultation during the planning phase or general consultation (available in both English and Japanese). Quantum Accounting's professionals are experts in accounting, tax, legal, and labor issues. Our goal is to provide you with a one-stop professional firm for all the services you need to expand your business into Japan.
We are confident that we can help you. For further information, please contact from CONTACT US.