Business Setup Guide
Among the ways foreigners or foreign entities can setup their businesses in Japan are the following: subsidiary companies, branch offices, and representative offices. Each form of business has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, and we will explain to you the legal, financial, and labor implications of these.
Incorporation Services
Shiodome Partners provides incorporation and registration services for subsidiary companies and branch offices of foreign entities. We will introduce to you the process of incorporation, from the flow of incorporating the widely common joint-stock company, to management services (nominee services).
Accounting, Payroll, and Legal Services
Shiodome Partners provides various management support services for foreign entities. From SMEs to large-scale enterprises, we are well-versed in providing support to different business. We can provide your business a variety of services, including accounting, tax, payroll, labor, legal, and visa-related services.
Business Setup FAQs
Through a Q&A system, we provide explanations from the forms of business setup in Japan, the flow of company incorporation in Japan, how bank transactions in Japan work, and Japan visas; to accounting and taxation, human resources, legal matters; and even Shiodome Partners’ support structure.
PKF International
Shiodome Partners is a Japanese member of PKF International, where we offer accounting and business advisory services from a global viewpoint. PKF was founded in 1969 by firms from the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada and Australia. It has grown to include offices in major cities all over the world.
Advice Column
Shiodome Partners provides a wide range of information regarding foreign entities entering the Japanese market, covering a variety of cases and situations. We hope to provide foreign entities a better understanding of Japan business expansion.
A Team with a Range of Licensed Professionals
Shiodome Partners is made up of a range of qualified individuals, from certified public accountants licensed in Japan and the United Stated and certified public tax accountants, to lawyers, judicial scriveners, certified social insurance and labor consultants, and administrative scriveners. With each member having a diverse background in their own fields, we are well-versed in providing support to the different needs of clients depending on their situation.
Japan Business Setup Consulting with a Sense of Urgency
With a relatively young average age, Shiodome Partners is made-up of consultants who are light on their feet. A sense of urgency can be a deciding factor when it comes to consultancy services; this is why we provide business support promptly, deQcisively and without delay.
Japan Business Setup Consulting with Multilingual Support and an International Network
Shiodome Partners’ team includes bilingual staff who are proficient in major languages such as English and Chinese. We extend further our range of services as part of the PKF International network of firms. In addition to communication with the local community, we provide services that would satisfy the needs of our client.
Rich Experience in Cross-border Transactions and International Taxation
We have recently seen an increase in foreign enterprises establishing business operations in Japan, as well as employees being transferred to Japan-based businesses. At Shiodome Partners, we have team members who are well-versed when it comes to cross-border transactions and international taxation, providing a one-stop support service to our clients.
Our Members
Before founding Shiodome Partners Group, Kengo Maekawa conducted statutory auditing of publicly listed corporations for Shin-nihon Audit Corporation, a member firm of Ernst & Young. Mr. Maekawa focused on auditing and IPO under the domestic audit and IPO departments.
He later established Shiodome Partners Group in 2008 as the President and Representative Director. Currently our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Maekawa is a Certified Public Accountant in both Japan and the United States.
He later established Shiodome Partners Group in 2008 as the President and Representative Director. Currently our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Maekawa is a Certified Public Accountant in both Japan and the United States.
He worked at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC and PricewaterhouseCoopers Hong Kong/China before establishing Lockhart Accounting Office in 2015. Lockhart Accounting Office later merged with Shiodome Partners Tax Corporation in 2019, with Mr. Tsuchiya becoming a senior partner. He is a Certified Public Accountant (Japan / USA) and Certified Public Tax Accountant.
Before joining Shiodome Partners Group in 2011, Mr. Hasegawa worked at an accounting firm. In 2015, together with earning his Tax Accountant certification, he became a senior partner of Shiodome Partners Tax Corporation. He is serving as the Chief Managing Officer of the of the Tax and Accounting Services Department, our core department.
Jun Kurozumi previously worked at BDO Tax Co., a member firm of BDO International. He engaged in many accounting, tax, and personnel and labor operations with English as the basic language in the corporate management departments of foreign-affiliated Japanese corporations. In 2012, he joined Shiodome Partners Group. He is a US Certified Public Accountant.
Flow of Consultation
Inquiry
Kindly contact us via mail or through call. In certain cases where it would be difficult to provide free consultations, we will notify you of the consultation fees during the first meeting. Feel free to inquire with us regarding this.
Consultation
For consultations regarding business setup in Japan, in practice we would prefer to meet with you personally to discuss the matter. However, we only ask this of our client at their convenience.
Our Proposal
Following our consultation with you, we will prepare our proposal outlining the services we can offer your company as well as our suggestions regarding your concerns about business setup. This is where we provide you with our fee quotation.
Finalizing Contract
We will prepare a contract based on the proposal and fee quotation we have provided you. Once the contents of the contract have been confirmed, we shall enter into the contract.
Start of Support
Once the contract has been finalized and put into effect, we shall promptly and flexibly begin the business setup consulting based on the proposals made.
Who is Shiodome Partners Group?
Established in 2008, Shiodome Partners Group has grown together with its clients as a firm employing a wide range of professionals ranging from certified public accountants and certified public tax accountants, to lawyers, certified social insurance and labor consultants, judicial scriveners, and administrative scriveners. Currently we have expanded our firm to include 150 consultants.
At the core of Shiodome Partners Group is the Shiodome Partners Tax Corporation, which operates as a Japanese member of PKF International’s network of professional firms. We support not only foreign clients who are considering expanding into Japan, but also clients who are expanding outward from Japan to further grow and develop their business activities.
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Consultation
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Success Stories
Words from our Clients
“When we ventured into Japan, we were looking for a firm that is a member of a global network that can provide tax, accounting, human resources, and cash management services. Since we cannot communicate in Japanese, we needed English support. We found Shiodome Partners online, made an inquiry and requested service from the company. Even after our company was established, Shiodome Partners continued to provide one-stop services related to our company operations. Thank you, Shiodome Partners, for your continued support.”
“We are a midsize business operating a manufacturing and IT business in China. We wanted to establish a wholly owned subsidiary in Tokyo, Japan and expand our products to the Japanese market. Shiodome Partners was recommended by people who were deeply pleased by their services. We inquired with them about expanding our business in Japan. Shiodome Partners has a number of Chinese staff, so we were able to communicate very smoothly. We felt reassured because of the great deal of very helpful information they provided. We sincerely hope to continue receiving Shiodome Partners’ support.”