Incorporating in Japan — whether a kabushiki-kaisha (KK), gōdō-kaisha (GK) or a branch office — requires a registered address (honten shozaichi) before anything else can happen. Your choice of that address has knock-on effects worth understanding early.
What counts as a registered address
Legally, almost anything: a conventional office, a serviced office, many coworking plans, even a virtual office. The commercial registry does not distinguish. Banks and licensing authorities, however, do.
The bank-account reality
Opening a corporate bank account is famously the hardest step for new foreign-owned entities. Banks screen the substance behind the address: a virtual office alone can trigger extra scrutiny or rejection at traditional banks, while a staffed serviced office with your company nameplate reads as real presence. If banking speed matters, budget for at least a serviced office from day one.
Licensed businesses need real space
Certain licences — employment agencies, real estate brokerage, travel, some financial registrations — require physical, exclusive office space and will not accept virtual or shared addresses. Check licence requirements before signing anything.
A practical sequence
Common path for foreign founders: register at a serviced or virtual office, open the bank account, hire the first employees, then move to a conventional lease — and file the address change (a simple registry amendment, ¥30,000–60,000 in fees) once the team is stable. Moving wards in Tokyo changes your tax office too, so many firms deliberately stay within the same ward when they upgrade.