How it works
Working with a Japanese company, from abroad.
You should know exactly what happens after you send the first message — including how you pay, what protects your information, and when things arrive.
How it works
From your first message to a delivered file.
No discovery call is required before you get a price. If your request matches a tier, we confirm and start.
01
You tell us what you need
Use the form or email us. Include the company name, product, or question. You will get a reply within one Japanese business day (JST, Mon–Fri).
02
We confirm scope, price and date in writing
A short statement of work: what we will do, what you will receive, what it costs, and when. If your request needs something outside the published tiers, we say so and quote it before any work starts.
03
You pay, and we begin
Bank transfer, credit card or PayPal. Engagements up to $1,000 are paid in full up front; larger ones are split 50% on start and 50% on delivery. An NDA is available at no cost and we will sign yours.
04
We work in Japan while you sleep
Japan is 13–14 hours ahead of New York and 8–9 hours ahead of London. Work you request at the end of your day is often underway before your next one. Longer engagements get a weekly written status update.
05
You receive the deliverable — and one round of questions
Delivered as agreed, in English. Every factual claim is sourced, and we state plainly what we could not confirm. One round of follow-up questions is included at no extra cost.
Practicalities
Payment, confidentiality and timing
How you pay
Methods
International bank transfer, credit card, or PayPal. Bank charges on transfers are yours; we absorb card and PayPal fees.
Terms
Engagements up to $1,000 are paid in full before we start. Above that, 50% on start and 50% on delivery.
Currency
Prices are set in USD. We can invoice in USD or JPY — if you choose JPY, the rate is fixed on the invoice date so the figure cannot move.
Monthly services
The Japan Desk assistant tiers are billed monthly in advance and can be cancelled with 30 days’ notice. There is no minimum term.
Your information
NDA
Available at no charge before you share anything. We will sign yours, or send ours if you prefer — usually the same day you ask.
Who sees your brief
Only the people working on it. We do not publish client names or use engagements as case studies without written permission.
Approaching companies on your behalf
We agree in advance whether we name you or approach on an unnamed basis. Either way we never misrepresent who we are.
Your deliverables
The report and the data in it are yours. You can reuse it internally, in a board paper, or in a funding round without asking us.
Timing
How long each service takes
| Service | Fastest tier | Fullest tier | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese Company Verification | 3 business days | 10 business days | $290 |
| Buyer & Distributor Discovery | 7 business days | 6–10 weeks | $690 |
| On-the-Ground Representation | Within 2 weeks | Book 1 week ahead | $490 |
| Japan Desk — Bilingual Assistant | Start within 1 week | Start within 2 weeks | $490/mo |
| Japan Market Research | 5 business days | Agreed up front | $390 |
| Japan Entry Groundwork | 10 business days | 3 weeks | $890 |
Turnaround is counted in Japanese business days from the day payment clears. On-site work depends on the date of the event or the availability of the location — trade shows in particular should be booked about three weeks ahead.
Start a request
Tell us what you need done in Japan.
You do not need a polished brief. A company name, a product, or a question is enough to get a scope and a price back.
Response time
Within one Japanese business day. Our hours are 09:00–18:00 JST, Monday to Friday — that is UTC+9, with no daylight saving.
Office
708 Altair Akihabara Bldg., 1-8-4 Kanda-Sakumacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0025, Japan
Email
Phone
+81 3-6319-2800 — answered in Japanese first. Email is faster if you write in English.
Confidentiality
We will sign your NDA before you send anything sensitive. Just say so in the message and we will send it back the same day.