SMARTSTART JAPAN

Setup Your Business in Japan

All-in-One Support for Setting Up Your Business in Japan!

Company Registration

Business Manager Visa

Bank Account Creation

Business License + More!

Book Your Free 30-Minute Consultation!

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Years Experience

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Companies Incorporated

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Business Manager Visas

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Industries Served

Trusted Across Borders
We've helped founders launch from:

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Setting Up a Business in Japan? These Real Mistakes Cost Clients Thousands

Big firms charge big fees. Cheap firms miss critical details.
We offer expert-level support in setting up a business in Japan, business manager visa, tax, and labor filings - without the bloat or beginner mistakes. Here's what we've helped real clients recover from.

Operation improvement for your Business in Japan

Wrong Entity: Lost Control of Company

I am a stock owner on paper, but this document is not enforceable because we chose the wrong entity type when setting up a business in Japan.

Business manager visa application for Japan

Visa Denied: $2,000 in Fixes

"My incorporation expert did not know the business manager visa requirements, put down the wrong information and we need to spend $2k to fix everything."

Bank application for your business in Japan

Blacklisted by Banks: 6 Month Delay

"I didn't know I would get blacklisted after my first application from other banks."

Insurance Filing for your business in Japan

Missed FEFTA Deadline

"Our Japanese scrivener did not know what FEFTA was and they did not make the application with the required time."

Tax filing for Your Business in Japan

Overpaying Japanese Taxes

"We lost 2 years of tax exemption, because our scrivener did not know how capital impacts consumption taxes."

Getting Office for you business manager visa in Japan

Sold My Collection to Cover Visa Capital

"Our 'expert' did not know we could use our new Japan home to meet visa capital requirements and I sold my card collection to meet requirements."

Founders Discussing setting up a company in Japan
Hire expert for your incorporation in Japan needs
Founder finished with company setup in Japan

We Can Handle Standard and Special Cases

We help founders with setting up a business in Japan with the right structure, accurate documents, and no overlooked details—right from the start.

  • Everything in One Place

    Company registration, business manager visas, tax filings, banking, and licenses - handled by one experienced team.

  • Special Cases Handled Smoothly

    We support clients from harder-to-approve regions (Africa, the Middle East), and ensure compliance with FEFTA, CFC rules, and can serve as your temporary director.

  • Additional Services

    We handle tax filings, work rules, real estate contracts, virtual offices, and even business phone setup - so you can stay focused on growth!

SMARTSTART JAPAN

What Makes
Smart Start Different
From the Rest

Women showing 4 reasons for a business manager visa in Japan

Native English Support

Communicate clearly with native English, Japanese, and Korean-speaking staff - no misunderstandings, no awkward translations.

Transparent, Affordable Pricing

Save 30-50% on your setup costs since everything is done in-house!

Global Client Support

Not from a Western country? No problem, we handle clients from all 6 continents (excluding Antarctica)!

Revenue Growth Freebies

Access sales training for Japan, quarterly client gatherings, and a personalized 1-on-1 session on growth after setting up a business in Japan.

Industries We Serve

We've supported entrepreneurs and teams from around the world in setting up a business in Japan and securing business manager visas. These are just a few of the industries we've worked with:

  • Real Estate

  • Technology

  • Export Industry

  • Restaurants & Cafes

  • Consultants

  • And More!

Book Your Free 30-Minute Consultation!
Founders applying for Business manager visa in Japan

How It Works

We help foreign entrepreneurs and corporations get off to a Smart Start in the Japan market!

1

Reach out to us

Get in touch and provide some details about your business and your goals to help get things moving more smoothly.

2

Free Consultation

Let's discuss what is the right entity for you and what service you need and don't need based on your situation and provide you an accurate estimate.

3

Prepare Documents

We will start preparing the documents needed for setting you up. We will also create a Japanese stamp on your behalf and guide you through the incorporation process.

4

Submit Documents

Once the documents are prepared in Japanese, we will submit them on your behalf in person to the tax, immigration, labor, and other government authorities. We will mail you the results. Simple and easy.

What Our Clients Say

Navigating the process of starting a business and applying for the Business Manager Visa in Japan felt complex and daunting. TJ made it manageable by providing clear, step-by-step guidance, ensuring my GK entity was established smoothly. His expertise continues to guide me through the visa process with an easy-to-follow roadmap. TJ's responsiveness and dedication to my specific needs have been invaluable, and I highly recommend him for anyone starting a business in Japan.

Testimonial for Incorporation in Japan

Daniel Stokes 
Insuri Shield G.K.

Starting a business in Japan while living on a U.S. military base felt incredibly complicated, almost like being in two places at once! I honestly didn't know where to begin. Then I found Tyson and TJ. They were quick to respond and provided insightful guidance, truly understanding my unique situation. Their support was a game-changer, giving me the confidence to build something real and lasting, even from that unusual starting point. They patiently walked me through every step, helping me set up my company and plan for life after the base. 

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Maricel Demotts
Radiant Ascent G.K.

Video Testimonial

Working with TJ gave me the time and the confidence I needed to start my own company in Japan, even while working a full-time job. It was convenient to just work with one person throughout the incorporation process, and TJ was highly responsive, informative and supportive the whole way. We are now working towards the Business Manager Visa. If you're like me, and you believe in your vision but are having trouble finding just how to start a business in Japan, I highly recommend working with TJ.

Testimonial for setting up a company in Japan

Jay Lewis
Cine G.K. 

I literally had no idea where to start on creating a K.K. company, and everyone else on social media made it seem like it was an obvious thing! I reached out to Tyson and Teh-Jin and they guided me, step-by-by. They offered options, suggested what I would need, and what I wouldn't need. They're quick, responsive, always helpful, and there's nothing I felt I couldn't ask. There's so much to learn, but knowing I can ask is helping me focus on what I do best, and leaving the rest to them.

Testimonial for setting up a KK in Japan

Francis Fung
KiFor K.K 

I was applying for Japanese government subsidies and needed someone I could fully trust who understood the Japanese systems and could guide me through each step. Fortunately, I found TJ Yoon. He helped me translate documents, conduct research, analyze the market, and secure the subsidies. Thanks to his support, we achieved results that could positively transform our business. If you're exploring applying for Japanese subsidies, I highly recommend TJ.

Testimonial for a applying government subsidy in Japan

Ali Motahari
Medic Translate K.K.

Video Testimonial

Tyson and T.J are an absolute lifeline for trying to start something on your own in Japan. After living here for three years I still struggle to navigate all the paperwork so trying to do my own incorporation was beyond me. We managed to become official pretty smoothly. From helping with the incorporation to honest, frequent communication every step of the way it's been a huge help. They even introduced me to an amazing developer!

Testimonial for Setting up a company in Japan - Smartstart Japan

Sydney Seekford
Menuwiz K.K.

Video Testimonial

Ready to get your business setup and running in Japan with us?

Join founders from six continents who've launched in Japan with clarity and confidence.

Book Your Free 30-Minute Consultation!

About Us

Tyson Batino photo, Japan Incorporation expert
Co-Founder | USA

Tyson Batino

Tyson Batino is a resident mentor for 500 global and is advising 35 companies on scaling their business in Japan by upgrading their marketing, sales, team, and operations. One area he noticed is that many companies lack good back office systems and it slows them down and makes it harder to get loans, investment, or acquired in the future.

A Photo of TJ Yoon, Co-founder Smartstart Japan
Co-Founder | Japan

TJ Yoon

TJ is our expert who will handle all fulfillment. He was born in Japan and moved to Australia while in junior high school and stayed until he graduated from UNSW, a top 5 university in Australia. He has successfully incorporated more than 50 companies and more than 50 loan and subsidy applications. TJ can help guide you through the process of setting up a business in Japan and more

Frequently Asked Questions

About Us

Three main reasons : We can do everything in-house thereby giving you lower costs, native English, and eliminate the risk of making a big mistake using a Japanese vendor who only understands one area,but not all areas of incorporation and setting up and getting settled as a foreign business owner.

Japanese incorporation experts only understand incorporation, but don't deeply understand the business manager visa, bank account, and other areas of setting up a business. For example, we help real-estate owners to use their homes to meet the 5 million business manager visa requirement, this is something that most Japanese experts won't know and we spend a lot of time finding loopholes and unique methods to aid our clients.

Agencies who cater to foreigners often outsource work and therefore, their costs are often 30 - 50% higher than ours since they have to cover their margins and management costs. Smart Start Japan is just a few smart people who know how to do a lot with less, so cut out the middleman and work directly with us.

We do everything in house. TJ has incorporated more than 30 businesses in Japan and has a lot of experience helping those from overseas with incorporation and business manager visas. The problem with working with Japanese vendors is that one person can only do one area and you have to work with a team of them. TJ is that special person who can do everything himself, so you have one person who understands all the different parts, which explains our 100% success rate for incorporation, bank account, and business manager visa.

Company Setup

Yes, we can! However, please note that you would not be able to apply for subsidies and loans. You can still apply for the business manager visa though. Have more questions, please reach out to us.

Yes, Japanese law requires that any business incorporated in Japan must have a registered physical address within the country. This can be a rented space, office address, or even your own home. We can also share some places that you could rent for an affordable price. For long-term visa holders, you can use a virtual office space. Using your home gets VERY complicated and you will need professional help from us to prevent you from the nightmare of fixing things.

The time it takes to incorporate a business can vary, but typically it takes about 1 - 2 weeks for a G.K and 2 - 4 weeks for a K.K as of 2025 depending on the jurisdiction and the complexity of your business structure and your response speed and clarity of your business idea and structure. You can expedite this process by having a notarized document of your name, address in your home country or for those living in Japan, having your seal registered at city hall and an original certificate ready to send to us.

Yes, that is a service that we provide for clients for an extra cost. Our plan is to  incorporate your business and then transfer the representative director title to you.

Costs can vary based on the type of incorporation, state or country of incorporation, and additional services required. We provide transparent pricing and cost-effective solutions for all types of businesses.

G.K costs around 60,000 yen for government fees + 10,000 yen for the stamp, and 40,000 yen in person filing fee (free with online submission - which we can do for you)

K.K costs around 200,000 yen for government fees + 10,000 yen for the stamp, and 40,000 yen in person filing fee + 50,000 for the notary).

Our fees are separate from these and we can make a stamp on your behalf.

Yes, we can. However, please note that we may have to charge an additional fee of 165,000 - 330,000 yen depending on your country to handle more complexity. We usually handle a special case once every 2 months.

Visa

We have a 100% success rate for the business manager visa, and can help you as well. We are applying for business manager visas each month, so we know what immigration wants. We also charge around 30,000 yen less than the standard market rate.

You will need 5 million yen capital, a private office, and we could possibly use your home office to meet the private office requirements of the government. We can also use your house to help meet capital requirements.

Yes, we can. However, depending on the city, we may pass you off to one of our partners who is an expert for that city. Please note the startup visa is not for standard businesses. Real estate, restaurants, export businesses, table top cards, are not tech businesses. The startup cities want exponential growth companies with tech.

It can take around 4 - 7 months, based on May 2025 data. We highly recommend getting the incorporation done as soon as possible because we can only apply for your visa after your company has been incorporated.

Yes, we can. However, if your partner is not a legal spouse, please reach out to us to discuss alternative methods to bring them over to Japan.

Additional Services

Yes, we can help you get a JFC loan and we have helped more than 20 companies get a loan.

Yes, we have helped companies get a recruiter, accommodation, restaurant license and more…

Yes, we have a 100% success rate for creating a bank account. We have helped many companies with creating a bank account in Japan.

Yes, we can do that and year-end tax adjustments for employee salaries.

Yes, we can file on your behalf after the incorporation process is done.

Yes, we can.

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