"You need a Japanese subsidiary before you can do anything in Japan" is the assumption most foreign brands start with. It's outdated for the question that actually matters first: does this market respond to what we sell? A surprising amount of genuine market-entry work — PR, a Japanese-language storefront, even marketplace sales and trade shows — can be done remotely, with no entity, before you commit to incorporation. This guide separates what you can honestly do from abroad today from what still needs a Japanese entity or a licensed local specialist.
The old sequence — incorporate, hire, then start talking to the market — was built for an era when a local presence was the only way to be visible in Japan at all. It made sense when distribution, media relationships and payment rails all ran through a physical Japanese office. That's no longer the only path. Press platforms, marketplaces and print production can all be engaged from abroad today, so the question isn't "do we need an entity" as a first step, it's "what's the fastest honest way to find out if Japan wants this." Everything below is organized around that question, not around what sounds impressive on a pitch deck.
What you can do from abroad, honestly
| Activity | Remote status | Real barrier |
|---|---|---|
| PR / press releases | Fully possible | Japan's major distribution platforms accept overseas companies — no entity needed, and the release is published under your own brand. The real barrier is language: it has to be written natively in Japanese, not translated, to get picked up. See how to send a press release in Japan and how platforms compare in our platform guide. |
| Japanese landing page | Fully possible | None structural — it's a production task. See Japanese website for market entry for what a minimum-viable Japanese site needs. |
| Selling via Japanese e-commerce | Possible, high level | Marketplaces like Amazon Japan are built to onboard overseas sellers. Import, customs and labeling rules apply depending on category — work with a customs broker or import specialist rather than improvising this part. |
| Trade shows | Possible | You can exhibit as a foreign company. Booth materials, signage and print collateral can be produced in Japan and delivered directly to the venue floor — no local office required. See our trade show checklist. |
| Regulated categories (food, cosmetics, etc.) | Partially — high level only | Food labeling rules and Japan's Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act (which covers cosmetics) apply. This is genuinely specialist territory — described here at a high level only. This is general information, not legal advice; work with a licensed specialist before you ship or claim anything in these categories. |
The realistic remote market-entry sequence
- One strong Japanese landing page. A place for interested people and journalists to land, in Japanese, before you spend on anything else.
- One natively-written press release. Distributed through a Japanese platform, pointing back to that landing page.
- Measure response. Traffic, inquiries, coverage pickup — real signal on whether the market is interested.
- Trade show, if you have a physical product. A natural next step once there's some signal, still without an entity.
- Only then consider incorporation — once there's a reason: recurring revenue, local hiring, or a regulated category that requires it.
What it costs to test Japan remotely
Fixed, published numbers: a native press release is €980 ($1,100) plus a one-time €290 ($330) platform setup · a Japanese landing page is €2,500 ($2,800) · the combined Market Entry Pack is €3,900 ($4,400) all-in (release, landing page, media kit and setup together). For comparison, a traditional Japanese PR agency retainer typically runs ¥300,000–1,000,000 per month, usually with 6–12 month minimum commitments — infrastructure built for an established subsidiary, not a market test. Full breakdown in our Japan PR cost guide.
When a subsidiary DOES make sense
None of this is an argument against incorporating in Japan — only against incorporating before you know you need to. A Japanese subsidiary starts to make sense once you have recurring revenue in the market, need to hire staff locally, or operate in a regulated category at a scale where local licensing requires a Japanese legal entity. Those are business decisions with legal and tax dimensions — this article is general information, not legal or tax advice, and a licensed specialist (lawyer, tax accountant, or judicial scrivener) should handle the actual incorporation and compliance work.
In practice, the order matters more than the destination. Brands that incorporate first and then look for demand tend to spend months on legal setup, banking and visas before they learn anything about whether Japanese customers or journalists actually care. Brands that test first — one landing page, one release, one measured response — arrive at the incorporation decision with real numbers instead of a guess. Either way, a subsidiary is a tool for scaling something that already works, not a prerequisite for finding out if it will.
Test Japan before you incorporate
Tell us what you're launching — you'll have a concrete scope, price and timeline within two business days. No entity required, no retainer pitch.
Create your free company profile →Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign company send a press release in Japan without an entity?
Yes. Japan's major press-release platforms accept overseas companies, and some allow registration with an overseas address and an English company name. No Japanese subsidiary is required. The real barrier is language: releases need to be written natively in Japanese to be picked up by journalists.
Can I sell on Amazon Japan without a Japanese company?
At a high level, yes — marketplaces like Amazon Japan are built to onboard overseas sellers. But import, customs and labeling rules apply depending on your product category, and these vary case by case. This is general information, not legal advice — work with a licensed customs broker or import specialist before shipping product into Japan.
How much does it cost to test the Japanese market?
As a reference point: a native press release runs about €980 ($1,100) plus a one-time €290 ($330) setup fee, a Japanese landing page around €2,500 ($2,800), and a combined Market Entry Pack €3,900 ($4,400) all-in. Compare that with a traditional Japanese agency retainer, which typically runs ¥300,000–1,000,000 per month with 6–12 month minimum commitments.
How long does remote market entry take?
A realistic timeline from English briefing to a live Japanese press release is 7–10 business days. A Japanese landing page can run in parallel. Trade shows depend on the event calendar, not on entity setup.
When should I set up a Japanese subsidiary?
Once you have recurring revenue in Japan, need to hire local staff, or operate in a regulated category at scale where a local entity is required for licensing. Testing the market is not, by itself, a reason to incorporate.