Search the company name
Agency: Legal Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice
Under the Japanese Company Laws, entrepreneurs may not file an application for incorporating a company if the same company name and head office address are already registered. There is no need for entrepreneurs to check the uniqueness of the company name and make the name reservation at the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice. Entrepreneurs usually check if the proposed company name and head office address has been registered. This can be easily be checked through books or personal computers installed and offered for searching at the Legal Affairs Bureaus or online at http://www1.touki.or.jp/gateway.html.
Time and cost: Less than 1 day (online procedure), no charge
Make a company seal
Agency: Seal maker
A company seal is required by law: Article 20 of the Commercial Registration Act. The associated fee is JPY 10,000 for machine-carved seal or JPY 20,000 for hand-carved seal. The company seal must be registered at the Legal Affairs Bureau at the time of the incorporation under the Commercial Registration Act. An entrepreneur usually files the registration of the company seal as well as the registration of incorporation of the company with the competent Legal Affairs Bureau.
Time and cost: 3 days, JPY 10,000 – JPY 20,000
Register the company at the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice
Agency: Legal Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice
To apply for registration, the entrepreneur must submit supporting documents with the application to the Legal Affairs Bureau headquarter or any of its branch offices designated in major cities, including:
- Articles of incorporation (signed by 5 entrepreneurs who contributed capital);
- Application of seal registration;
- Letter of proxy (if company is registered by a lawyer or a judicial scrivener);
- Personal seal of the executive member;
- Proof of paid-in capital (bank statement or letter from the company’s representative certifying the receiving of capital contributions);
- Proof of address;
- Confirmation of appointment of the company representative;
- Confirmation from company representative that he agrees to the appointment.
Additionally, the company’s seal must be registered at the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice upon registration of the company. The Certificate of corporation seal registration costs Yen 450.
Once the filed documents are reviewed and approved, the company applies for the issuance of a company registration certificate. Normally, a judicial scrivener completes this registration procedure on behalf of the company.
By virtue of the amended Commercial Registration Regulations in force since June 2004, company registration applications can be submitted online. To do so, the user must first obtain an electronic signature or a digital certification. There are two types of digital certifications: data file and IC card. The user must purchase an IC card reader to use the IC card system.
Time and cost: 3 days, 0.7% of the capital amount or JPY 60,000, whichever is higher plus Yen 450 for the Certificate of corporation seal registration
File the notification of company incorporation and the opening of a payroll office and apply for the approval of blue tax returns
Agency: National Tax Agency
A notification of the company incorporation must be filed to the Tax Agency (District Tax Office) within 2 months of the incorporation date. The notification of opening a payroll office must be filed within one month of the opening of a payroll office.
As of January 2016, 13-digit “corporation identification numbers” (houjin bangou) must be indicated on (a) the notification of company incorporation, (b) notification of the opening of a payroll office and (c) application for the approval of blue tax returns.The application for the approval of blue tax returns must be filed either within 3 months of the incorporation date, or a day prior to the end of the first fiscal year, whichever comes first.
Applicants can submit their application either online or in person.
Time and cost: 1 day, no charge
File the notification of commencement of business at the local tax office
Agency: Local tax department of Tokyo Metropolitan Government
A notification of commencement of business must be provided to the relevant authorities. If the head office of the company is located within Tokyo’s 23 wards, the company must file a Notification for the Commencement of Business at the tax office of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government within 15 days of company incorporation.
If the head office of the company is located outside Tokyo’s 23 wards, the company must file a Notification of Incorporation at the tax office of the municipal government and the tax office of the prefectural government within 1 month of company incorporation.
Time and cost: 1 day, no charge
File the labor insurance notifications and employment rules
Agency: Labor Standards Inspection Office
Employees are automatically provided with labor insurance as soon as they are hired. Labor insurance usually includes employment and worker’s compensation insurance.
Upon recruitment, the company must file without delay the following documents at the competent Labor Standards Inspection Office:
- Notification of the application for labor insurance within 10 days of the insurance coverage commencement date;
- Notification of the approximate insurance contributions within 50 days of the insurance coverage commencement date;
- The rules of employment (once the company hires 10 or more employees);
- Certificate of Registered Matters (Certificate of Company Registration).
Time and cost: 1 day, no charge
File the applications for health insurance and public welfare pension
Agency: Japan Pension Service
As soon as the company and its employees are covered for health insurance and public welfare pension, the company must file the following documents at the Social Insurance Office within 5 days of the business insurance coverage commencement date:
- Notification of the acquisition of insured status
- The insurance details covering Health and Employee Pension insurance
- Certificate of Registered Matters (Certificate of Company Registration)
Time and cost: 1 day, no charge
File the company application for employment insurance
Agency: Public Employment Security Office
The notification of the company’s application for employment insurance must be filed at the Public Employment Security Office within 10 days of commencement of employment by the company.
When a new employee is recruited, he/she is automatically insured under the company’s employment insurance. The company must thus file a “Notification of Acquisition of Insured Status under Employment Insurance” at the Public Employment Security Office by the 10th day of the month immediately consecutive to that of the employee’s appointment date.
Time and cost: 1 day, no charge
