Starting February 2, 2026, a revision to Japan’s commercial registration regulations will allow a company or other legal entity to designate a holiday (including weekends and national holidays) as its official establishment date on the corporate register — provided certain conditions are met.
This is a significant change from the past, where the establishment date recorded in the commercial register had to be the date on which the registration application was received on a business day by the Legal Affairs Bureau. As a result, company formation on weekends, national holidays, or other administrative holidays (such as January 1) was effectively impossible.
What Has Changed: Overview of the New Rule
Under the amended commercial registration regulations, applicants for company or corporate establishment registration may now request that the registration date be a specific date that is an administrative agency holiday, such as:
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Saturdays
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Sundays
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National holidays
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Year-end/New Year holidays (e.g., January 1)
This change applies to the registration of the establishment of companies and other legal entities (e.g., stock corporations and limited liability companies).
When the special request is accepted, the specified holiday will be recorded on the corporate register as the company’s date of establishment, even though the actual registration processing takes place on the next business day.
Key Requirements
To use this new system, the following conditions must be satisfied:
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Eligible Entity
The applicant must be seeking registration of an entity whose establishment is subject to formal registration (e.g., a company or other corporate entity). -
Specify the Holiday Date
The applicant must clearly state in the registration application both:-
that they are requesting this special treatment, and
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the desired establishment date (the holiday) they want to be recorded.
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The Date Must Be an Administrative Holiday
The requested establishment date must fall on an official administrative holiday — the day on which government offices (including the Legal Affairs Bureau) are closed. -
File on the Business Day Before the Holiday
The registration application must be received by the Legal Affairs Bureau on the business day immediately prior to the holiday.
This applies whether the application is submitted by in-person filing, postal mail, or online — as long as the bureau receives it within office hours on that prior business day.
How to Indicate the Special Request
In practice, applicants must include a statement such as:
“We request that the registration date be recorded as [specified holiday date] (an administrative holiday).”
Depending on the filing method:
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Paper filing: Add this request in the margin of the registration form.
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Online filing: Enter the request in the “Other Information” field.
Additionally, the specified date must also be written as the company’s official establishment date in the appropriate section of the form.
Practical Considerations
Advantages
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Branding and Symbolic Dates
Companies can choose meaningful dates — such as the founder’s birthday, the first day of a fiscal year, or landmark national holidays — as the official establishment date. -
Flexible Planning
This can assist with planning for fiscal years, group reorganizations, or other strategic corporate milestones.
Important Points
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Processing Still Occurs on the Next Business Day
The Legal Affairs Bureau will process the registration on its next business day, but the corporate register can show the chosen holiday date. -
Coordination with Other Procedures
Be aware that related administrative procedures (e.g., taxation, social insurance) may use the registry-recorded establishment date when calculating deadlines or filing requirements. -
Application Completeness
If the special request is missing or incomplete, or if required attachments are not provided, the registrar may treat the request as if it were not made.
What This Means for Entrepreneurs
This amendment offers greater flexibility for founders, particularly foreign entrepreneurs aiming to align their company’s establishment date with strategic, symbolic, or practical objectives. Whether planning a launch on New Year’s Day or aligning the establishment with a fiscal calendar, the ability to record a holiday as the official date introduces new options for corporate planning in Japan.
About Trust Administrative Scrivener Office
At Trust Administrative Scrivener Office, we support foreign entrepreneurs and business owners with company formation and other corporate procedures in Japan. Starting a company here involves not only preparing corporate registration documents, but also understanding how legal requirements affect strategic business decisions such as establishment dates, tax planning, and ongoing compliance.
We provide tailored assistance for:
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Company formation planning and procedural support
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Coordination of corporate procedures related to immigration and business setup
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Guidance on regulatory requirements and practical considerations for starting a business in Japan
Please note:
The actual filing of company incorporation registration is carried out by a judicial scrivener (Shiho-shoshi) with whom our office works in cooperation.
For tax-related matters, including corporate tax, accounting, and tax filings, we will advise you to consult a licensed tax accountant (Zeirishi).
Our role is to coordinate the overall process, clarify procedural requirements, and support foreign entrepreneurs in navigating Japan’s legal and administrative framework smoothly and accurately.
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Office Name: Trust Administrative Scrivener Office
Email: info@trust-gyosei.com
