Our website uses  cookies for statistical purposes.

  • Shibuya Dogenzaka Tokyu Building 2F, 1-10-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0043
  • office(at)companyformationjapan.com
  • +81 03-6414-4102
Our Articles

Open a Publishing Company in Japan

Open a Publishing Company in Japan

Japan has a complex publishing industry, with a highly literate population, which, despite the challenges of its language, is extremely educated and energetic. In this article, our company formation advisors in Japan explain a few aspects related to opening a Japanese publishing company.

The players in the publishing industry in Japan

The three players in the publishing industry in Japan are:

• The publishers;

• The wholesalers;

• The bookstores.

When it comes to the publishers in Japan, their numbers are between 3,489 and 2,660 and are found in Tokyo. Anybody can publish a magazine or a book in Japan, without restrictions.

If the publications are distributed by wholesalers and bookstores, it is necessary to acquire an ISBN code. Our company registration consultants in Japan can assist you to open a company in this sector in Japan.

As about wholesalers in the publishing industry in Japan, these were 34 in 2015. Their roles are to physically distribute, to commercially distribute and to effectuate financial functions for publications.

Another role that wholesalers play in this country is to supply and analyze the information and to support bookstores, in terms of display on the shelf and of adoption of different products.

There were registered 13,488 bookstores in Japan in 2015, according to Almedia. A lot of them have started a new business in order to recover from the recession. 

The support program for translation and publishing in Japan

The Japan Foundation offers support in connection to the translation and/or publishing of Japanese works on subjects like humanities, social sciences and arts, as well as publishing books which introduce the culture of Japan in foreign languages.

The foundation offers financial assistance for foreign publishers who want to translate and/or publish books related to the country.

The grant covers a percentage of the translation expenses and/or of the publishing costs, such as paper, plate-making, printing or binding expenses.

Our Japan company formation consultants can offer more details related to this program.

Setting up a publishing company in Japan

To set up a publishing company in Japan, the following steps have to be followed:

– find an office address;

– decide the basic aspects and prepare the necessary documents;

– prepare the Articles of Incorporation;

– notarize the Articles of Incorporation;

– deposit the capital;

– prepare the documents for the registration of the business;

– file the application for the business registration;

– effectuate the tax and insurance related procedures.

In case you would like to know more about the publishing industry in Japan, or for help in setting up a business here, please contact our company formation agents in Japan.

A foreign national who wishes to remain in the country for medium term or long-term purposes related to running the newly incorporated business will receive a residence card. This is a document that grants the status of Japanese residence, and includes information on the status and the period of stay, including whether or not the holder is eligible for employment.