Process flow for establishing KK with individual shareholders
A KK is the largest type of company in Japan and tends to be used for medium and big companies. It is a form used by such companies as Toyota and Sony. Here we explain the procedures to establish a KK where a foreigner is the initial investor individually. In Japanese KK is called 株式会社kabushiki-gaisha.
Personal seal registration
It is convenient for the person who will become the company’s representative and investor to do personal seal registration
* ahead of time.
*This is allowed only for individuals who reside in Japan
Decide on company outline & make Articles of Incorporation
Basic items about the company are decided such as who the investors will be, the company trade name, nature/items of business, business location,company’s representative structure of board of directors, amount of equity, etc.
Make & certify a sworn affidavit
A Sworn Affidavit is made and certified related to the details of the company’s representative, other directors and its investors.
Articles of Incorporation
Get the company‘s Articles of Incorporation certified at a local notary office.
What are Articles of Incorporation?
Deposit equity funds
Deposit equity funds into an investor’s Japanese bank account.
In case of not having any Japanese bank accounts, you can temporarily deposit the equity funds into our law firm’s bank account for the purpose of establishment registration. See our fees of Trustee service of capital amount for company registration
Make company seal
Make your company’s official seal, which will later become essential as you do business in Japan. The seal is also needed when you apply to for establishment registration.
Apply to Legal Affairs Bureau for establishment registration
Apply to the Legal Affairs Bureau for establishment registration. The seal of the company’s representative is registered with the Bureau.
Receive Certificate of Seal Registration & Certificate of Registered Matters
Registration takes up to a week to complete after applying.
Afterwards you can receive your company’s Certificate of Registered Matters & Certificate of Seal Registration.
Open bank accounts
A Certificate of Seal Registration & Certificate of Registered Matters is required to open a bank account in the company’s name.
Send Company Establishment Notice to tax office & city government offices
After the company is established, notifications related to taxes, social insurance, and employment insurance are sent to government agencies. If a notification is not sent to the tax authorities, the company may lose out on preferential tax treatment.
Services
We’ve prepared the ideal package of services for the company type listed above to help you start your business in Japan. In order to make the process go as smoothly as possible, we’ve prepared a limited list of necessary documents we’ll need so that we can prepare all the rest for you. If you have any questions about these please don’t hesitate to ask.
Required Documents
Items Client Provides
- Passport and home address of the investors
- Passport and home address of Japanese company’s representative and other directors
Items We Prepare
- Articles of Incorporation
- Sworn Affidavit ※
- Minutes of meeting for election of board members.
- Declaration of Capital Deposit
- Registration Application
- Any other documents deemed necessary for each case
※Sworn Affidavit
A piece of writing that a notary public who belongs to the home country of the Representative/other directors/investors of the Japanese company attests to that describes what the person swears to do listed in the company’s formation documents.
Fees
| Fee | Actual Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| KK Establishment Back to Fees |
300,000 yen (tax excluded) | about 220,000 yen* + equity funds |
*＜Details of Actual Expenses＞
Registration & License Tax: Equity ×0.7% (minimum of 150,000 yen)
Articles of Incorporation fee: 50,300 yen
Seal creation cost: about 10,000 yen
Certificate of Registered Matters & Certificate of Seal Registration: 1,900 yen
Postage
Equity funds
FAQ
- Do you always have to establish a branch or chain when doing business in Japan?
- Can a foreigner become a representative of a company run in Japan?
- How much should I put in the company’s equity?
- What are Articles of Incorporation?
- Do you have to deposit and keep the equity money in the bank when establishing a company until the company registration is complete?
- In what situations is it required to make reports or notifications under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act?
