Fees

Transparent, upfront pricing.

Your first 30-minute consultation is always free. Every engagement begins with a clear, written estimate before any work begins — the ranges below are examples to help you plan, not final quotes.

Individuals & Families Companies & Employers Tech Clients How Fees Work

For Individuals & Families

Immigration, labor, housing, and general legal matters.

Service	Structure	Example Range (tax incl.)
Legal consultation	First 30 min free, then per 30 min	¥5,500
Work visa / status change	Flat fee	¥110,000–165,000
Permanent residency	Flat fee	¥165,000–220,000
Naturalization	Flat fee	¥220,000–330,000
Spouse / dependent visa	Flat fee	¥110,000–165,000
Deportation defense / provisional release (仮放免)	Flat + success fee	¥220,000〜 + ¥110,000 on release
Labor disputes (unpaid wages, wrongful dismissal)	8% retainer / 16% success fee of claim	min. ¥110,000 retainer
Housing & tenancy disputes	Flat (negotiation) or sliding scale	¥110,000〜
Inheritance	Sliding scale by estate value	4–8% retainer / 8–16% success fee
Contract review (general)	Flat per contract	¥55,000–110,000

For Companies & Employers

Hiring foreign talent, compliance, and market entry.

Service	Structure	Example Range (tax incl.)
Monthly retainer (顧問契約)	Monthly, tiered by scope	¥55,000〜 / ¥110,000〜
Foreign hire visa sponsorship / COE application	Per applicant	¥110,000–165,000
Work rules / multilingual employee handbook	Flat	¥220,000〜
Company formation (KK / GK)^*	Flat + actual registration costs	¥165,000–330,000 + registration costs^*

* What "actual registration costs" means: this is separate from our service fee — it's the statutory notary and Legal Affairs Bureau fees paid directly to the government, passed through to you at cost with no markup. It varies by entity type and capital amount:

Godo Kaisha (合同会社 / GK): approx. ¥60,000–100,000 — registration tax only (0.7% of capital, ¥60,000 minimum); no articles notarization required.
Kabushiki Kaisha (株式会社 / KK): approx. ¥200,000–250,000 — articles notarization fee (¥30,000–50,000, tiered by capital) plus registration tax (0.7% of capital, ¥150,000 minimum).

We'll confirm the exact figure for your specific capital amount and entity type before you commit to anything.

For Tech Clients

APPI compliance, SaaS contracts, startup legal support, and IP.

Service	Structure	Example Range (tax incl.)
Legal consultation	First 30 min free, then per 30 min	¥5,500
APPI compliance audit	Scope-based or hourly	¥330,000〜 or ¥33,000/hr
Privacy policy / Terms of Service drafting	Flat per document	¥110,000–220,000
SaaS / cloud contract drafting & review	Flat	¥110,000–220,000
Development / outsourcing contract	Flat	¥110,000–165,000
Startup formation package	Flat + actual registration costs^*	¥220,000〜 + registration costs^*
Startup monthly retainer	Monthly	¥55,000〜
IP & dispute matters	Sliding scale or hourly	¥33,000/hr

^* See the registration cost breakdown above — the same GK/KK ranges apply to startup formation.

How These Fees Work

Attorney fees in Japan were deregulated in 2004 — each law office sets its own rates. The ranges above follow our office's fee rules (kept on file per JFBA regulation), and reflect the kind of structure most Japanese firms use: a flat fee for defined-scope matters, or a retainer plus success-fee split tied to economic benefit for disputes and recoveries.

These are examples, not quotes. Actual fees vary by case complexity, urgency, and the economic benefit involved. All amounts shown include consumption tax. Before any work begins, you'll receive a free written estimate and a formal engagement agreement (委任契約書) that spells out the exact fee for your matter.