How much does it cost to distribute one press release in Japan?

Platform distribution alone starts around ¥30,000 (≈ $200 / €190) per release on Japan's largest platform. Professionally handled end-to-end — native Japanese writing, overseas account setup, distribution and an English report — expect roughly €1,000–2,500 per release from a specialized service, versus ¥300,000+ per month for a traditional Japanese agency retainer.

How much do Japanese PR agencies charge per month?

Traditional Japanese PR agency retainers typically run ¥300,000–1,000,000+ per month, usually with 6–12 month minimum commitments, and most work primarily in Japanese. That model suits established subsidiaries, not market-entry tests.

Can I save money by just translating my English press release?

Translation-only is the most expensive cheap option: fees of ¥15,000–50,000 buy you a release that reads foreign, gets skipped by journalists, and wastes the ¥30,000 distribution fee on top. Native rewriting by a Japanese PR writer is what makes the distribution fee worth paying.

What does a complete Japan launch (PR + landing page) cost?

As a reference point, fixed-price market-entry packages combining a natively written and distributed release with a Japanese landing page and media kit run around €3,900 as a one-time cost — compared with ¥300,000+/month retainers plus separate web production quotes (often ¥300,000–800,000 for a Japanese landing page from domestic production companies).

How Much Does PR in Japan Cost? Transparent 2026 Price Guide for Foreign Brands

Japanese PR pricing is famously opaque — most agencies quote only after meetings, in Japanese. Here are the real numbers, so you can budget before you talk to anyone (including us).

¥30,000+platform fee, one release

¥300k–1Mtypical agency retainer /month

€1,000–2,500one release, professionally handled

6–12 mocommon retainer minimums

The four ways to buy PR in Japan

Option	Typical cost	Best for	Watch out for
DIY on a Japanese platform	from ~¥30,000 / release	Companies with a native Japanese writer in-house	Japanese-language requirement; account setup for overseas entities; a badly written release wastes the fee
Translation-only + DIY	¥15,000–50,000 translation + platform fee	Honestly: almost no one	Translated releases read foreign and get skipped — the cheapest option that reliably fails
Traditional Japanese agency retainer	¥300,000–1,000,000+ / month, often 6–12 month minimum	Established Japan subsidiaries with ongoing news flow	Overkill for market entry; most agencies work primarily in Japanese; slow onboarding
Fixed-price market-entry service	€980 per release + one-time €290 setup; €3,900 Market Entry Pack	Foreign brands testing or entering the market	Scope is fixed — big ongoing programs eventually justify a retainer

Where foreign brands overspend

Paying a retainer to test the market. A 6-month ¥500,000/month commitment (¥3,000,000) to find out whether Japan responds to your product — when one properly executed release plus a Japanese landing page answers the same question for under €4,000.
Translation instead of native writing. The ¥30,000 you "save" costs you the entire distribution's effect. See our format guide for why translated releases get filtered instantly.
Japanese landing pages from domestic production houses. Quotes of ¥300,000–800,000 for a single page are normal in Japan's web industry. Good work, but heavy for a market test.
Skipping the media kit. ¥0 spent here silently caps your coverage: an interested journalist lands on an English-only site and moves on. A Japanese media kit is the cheapest coverage multiplier there is.

What we charge (since transparency is the point)

Fixed prices, published: Press Release €980 per release (native rewriting + distribution + English report — platform fee included) · one-time setup €290 (waived in the Market Entry Pack) · Japanese LP €2,500 (hosting included) · Market Entry Pack €3,900 (both, plus media kit and Japanese SNS launch posts) · Retainer €2,000/month only if you have monthly news flow — we'll tell you honestly if you don't need it. Full details on the packages page.

Budget rule of thumb: a serious first release in Japan should cost you €1,000–2,500 all-in. Below that, something essential (native writing, usually) has been cut. Above ¥300,000/month, you're paying for infrastructure you don't need yet.

Get an exact number for your launch

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Frequently asked questions

How much does one press release in Japan cost?

Platform fee from ~¥30,000; professionally handled end-to-end, roughly €1,000–2,500 including native writing, setup, distribution and reporting.

How much are Japanese agency retainers?

Typically ¥300,000–1,000,000+ per month with 6–12 month minimums — built for established subsidiaries, not market entry.

Can I just translate my English release to save money?

It's the most expensive cheap option: the release reads foreign, journalists skip it, and the distribution fee is wasted. Native rewriting is what makes distribution worth paying for.

What does a complete Japan launch cost?

As a reference, release + Japanese landing page + media kit runs about €3,900 fixed — versus a retainer plus ¥300,000–800,000 domestic web-production quotes.