Timeline explorer

Registration is a milestone. Operations are the finish line.

Explore a typical sequence and open each stage to see its dependency, owner, and most common source of delay.

Official sources linked at the point of useLast reviewed July 13, 2026Review cadence checked manually each weekBoundary coordination, not regulated advice

01Formation route1-2 weeks

Confirm the intended activity, owners, location, capital, hiring, and residence assumptions before documents are drafted.

Depends on: Business model, ownership, residence plan
Primary owner: Founder + advisers
Common delay: Choosing an entity before the operating facts are clear

02Professional review1-3 weeks

Route registration, immigration, tax, and regulated questions to the appropriate professional owners.

Depends on: Formation route
Primary owner: Licensed professionals
Common delay: Late discovery of licensing, tax, or immigration constraints

03Office and capital plan2-6 weeks

Align registered address, operating office, lease conditions, and the capital payment method.

Depends on: Entity and residence approach
Primary owner: Founder + providers
Common delay: Lease eligibility, overseas signatures, or an unusable payment route

04Formation documents1-3 weeks

Prepare the articles, resolutions, identity evidence, declarations, translations, and payment evidence required for the chosen route.

Depends on: Decisions and evidence complete
Primary owner: Judicial scrivener / lawyer
Common delay: Name, purpose, governance, signatures, or translations changing late

05Company registrationSeveral days to 3 weeks

The company comes into existence on registration for a Japanese subsidiary; processing and certificate timing vary.

Depends on: Complete filing package
Primary owner: Legal Affairs Bureau
Common delay: Corrections, busy registry periods, or missing originals

06Post-registration filings1-4 weeks

Coordinate national and local tax notifications, payroll-office setup, and employer registrations that apply.

Depends on: Registry certificates available
Primary owner: Tax, labor, and social-insurance professionals
Common delay: Unclear fiscal, payroll, or hiring decisions

07Bank and operating setup2-8+ weeks

Prepare a coherent KYC pack; account opening remains the bank's independent decision.

Depends on: Registered entity and business evidence
Primary owner: Bank + founder
Common delay: Weak business evidence, ownership complexity, or address concerns

08Operational launch1-4 weeks

Complete the practical handoff into invoicing, bookkeeping, insurance, payroll, permits, and recurring compliance.

Depends on: Banking, licenses, payroll, contracts
Primary owner: Founder + providers
Common delay: Treating registration as the finish line