TL;DR. Japan has two systems for company verification: the free NTA Corporate Number (Houjin Bangou) lookup for basic identification, and the Ministry of Justice Legal Affairs Bureau registry (Touki) for official corporate extracts. The NTA system is free, has a partial English interface, and provides a public API. Official Touki extracts cost JPY 331 to JPY 600 (~USD 2.20 to USD 4.00) and are in Japanese only. Foreign buyers can access both systems without a Japanese identity document.
What is the official Japan business registry?
Japan does not have a single unified company registry in the same way as Singapore’s ACRA or the UK’s Companies House. Corporate data is split across two government systems operated by different ministries.
The primary registry for official corporate extracts is the Legal Affairs Bureau Corporate Registry, operated by the Ministry of Justice under the Commercial Code and the Companies Act (Kaisha-ho, enacted 2006). The online portal, Touki-Net (登記ねっと), is at touki-kyoutaku-online.moj.go.jp. This system issues the Tokibo Tohon (登記簿謄本), the full certified extract of a company’s registered record, and the Tokibo Shohon (登記簿抄本), a partial extract. These are the documents courts, banks, and counterparties in Japan treat as authoritative.
The second system is the National Tax Agency (NTA) Corporate Number Disclosure Site (国税庁法人番号公表サイト), at houjin-bangou.nta.go.jp. This is free and publicly accessible, providing a 13-digit Corporate Number (Houjin Bangou) assigned to every legal entity in Japan. The NTA site returns the registered trade name, registered address, entity type, and current status, but not the full filing record.
For listed companies, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) operates EDINET (電子開示システム), Japan’s equivalent of the SEC EDGAR system. Listed company annual reports (Yukashoken Hokokusho), proxy statements, and material event filings are searchable at disclosure2.edinet-fsa.go.jp.
What can you search?
NTA Corporate Number site (free):
- Search by Corporate Number (13-digit), company name (Japanese or English), or registered address
- Partial name match is supported for Japanese names; English name search works for companies with registered English names
- Returns: Corporate Number, trade name, registered address, entity type (kabushiki kaisha, godo kaisha, etc.), date of registration, and status (active, dissolved, merged)
- Historical name and address changes are shown
Ministry of Justice Touki-Net (paid):
- Search by company name (Japanese) or Corporate Number
- Returns: full corporate extract (Tokibo Tohon) covering registered name, address, purpose clauses, share capital, shareholder structure, directors and representative directors, statutory auditors, date of incorporation, and any pending court orders
- Summary certificate (gaiyo-sho) available for a lower fee
- All documents are in Japanese; no English translation is provided
EDINET (free, listed companies only):
- Search by company name, securities code, or EDINET code
- Full text search across filed documents
- Available filings include annual reports, quarterly reports, shareholder disclosures, insider trading reports, and shelf registration statements
How much does it cost?
| Document | Cost (JPY) | Cost (USD, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate Number lookup (NTA) | 0 | Free |
| Touki Summary Certificate (gaiyo-sho) | 331 | ~USD 2.20 |
| Tokibo Tohon, full extract (Touki-Net) | 480-600 | ~USD 3.20-4.00 |
| Seal Impression Certificate (inkan-shomeisho) | 390 | ~USD 2.60 |
| Counter application at Legal Affairs Bureau | 600 | ~USD 4.00 |
All prices are based on Ministry of Justice published schedule as of May 2026. JPY/USD conversion used: 150 (approximate; verify at point of purchase). Payment on Touki-Net is via credit card, internet banking, or ATM payment (konbini).
EDINET filings are free with no account required.
Do you need a local account or ID?
For the NTA Corporate Number site, no account or Japanese identity document is required. The search is fully open.
For Touki-Net (Ministry of Justice), a registered user account is required to download documents. Account creation requires an email address and credit card. No Japanese identity document (My Number card, driver’s license, or residence certificate) is required from foreign applicants. The registration form and system interface are in Japanese only.
For EDINET, no account is required. Full-text document viewing and download are available without registration.
Is the website in English?
No. All three systems are primarily in Japanese. The NTA Corporate Number site offers a limited English-language interface covering basic search functionality, and company names/addresses are displayed in both Japanese and English where the company has registered an English name. The Touki-Net portal and document outputs are Japanese only. EDINET has no English interface, though some listed companies file bilingual annual reports that include English text.
Foreign buyers who do not read Japanese will face practical barriers navigating these portals and interpreting the extracted documents.
What’s the turnaround time?
For online applications via Touki-Net, the Tokibo Tohon is available for immediate download after payment. Processing typically takes a few minutes from submission to download availability during business hours (Monday to Friday, 08:30-21:00 JST).
Counter applications at a physical Legal Affairs Bureau office are also immediate in most cases, though peak periods can add a short wait. Postal applications take 3-5 business days.
EDINET documents are available instantly, as they are pre-generated at the time of filing.
Is there an API?
Yes, for the NTA Corporate Number system. The NTA provides a free Web-API for the Corporate Number disclosure data, documented at houjin-bangou.nta.go.jp/webapi. The API returns Corporate Number, registered name, address, entity type, and status in XML or JSON format. No API key is required. Bulk download of the full Corporate Number dataset (CSV, approximately 8 million records) is also available from the NTA site.
The Ministry of Justice Touki-Net does not offer a public API for registry extracts. EDINET provides an API for listed company filings, documented at edinet-api.edinet-fsa.go.jp.
For compliance platforms needing Japanese registry data at scale, integrating the NTA API for initial identification and then using the Touki-Net portal or a local data supplier for full extracts is the standard approach.
What you legally cannot do
The Ministry of Justice Terms of Use for Touki-Net prohibit:
- Reproducing or redistributing certified registry extracts commercially without authorization
- Automated bulk downloading of Tokibo Tohon documents
- Using the system to build a secondary commercial database of Japanese company records
The NTA permits bulk download of the Corporate Number dataset for commercial use under its open data terms, provided the NTA is credited as the source and users do not represent the data as independently verified.
EDINET filings are public disclosures. The FSA’s terms permit use for research, analysis, and compliance purposes, subject to the restriction that filings not be reproduced in a way that misrepresents their origin or creates user confusion.
Compliance buyers using these systems for CDD, UBO verification, or AML screening are within the permitted use scope of all three portals, provided purpose is documented.
Practical tips for foreign users
- Use Corporate Number as the primary identifier. Japan’s 13-digit Corporate Number is stable across name changes and is consistent across the NTA, Touki, and EDINET systems. Always record it when starting a due diligence file.
- Company names require careful matching. Japanese companies may have registered names in kanji, katakana, or hiragana, plus an English name that differs from a common romanized version. The NTA site returns all registered name variants, which is the reliable source.
- Entity type matters. A Kabushiki Kaisha (KK, joint-stock company) has different disclosure obligations than a Godo Kaisha (GK, equivalent to an LLC) or a Yugen Kaisha (YK, a legacy form closed to new registration since 2006). Director disclosure requirements differ.
- Representative Director is the operative title. Japanese KKs typically have multiple directors, but the Representative Director (Daihyo Torishimariyaku) is the individual legally empowered to bind the company. Confirm this title in the Tokibo Tohon, not just the director list.
- Paid-up capital (Shihon-kin) is disclosed and visible. It is part of the standard Tokibo Tohon. Note that paid-up capital in Japan can legally be set as low as JPY 1 for a KK since the 2006 Companies Act reform, so it is a weak indicator of financial standing.
- Dissolution vs. liquidation. A company may show as “dissolved” (kaisan) but still be in the liquidation process. The Tokibo Tohon will show both the dissolution date and whether a liquidator (seisan-nin) has been appointed. “Liquidation complete” (seisan-kekkan) is the final state.
- NTA Corporate Number is your free starting point. The 13-digit Corporate Number (Houjin Bangou) is assigned at registration to every legal entity in Japan and is consistent across NTA, tax, and registry databases. The NTA lookup site has a partial English interface and a free public API (XML or JSON). Use it before committing to a paid Touki-Net extract.
- FATF grey list status. Japan completed its FATF Mutual Evaluation in 2021 with a satisfactory rating, though follow-up on certain technical recommendations was required. Japan is not grey-listed as of May 2026. See fatf-gafi.org for current country standing.
Alternatives if you cannot access the registry directly
The language barrier and multi-system architecture make direct access to Japan’s registries genuinely difficult for non-Japanese-speaking buyers.
- Local data suppliers (see section below): Tokyo Shoko Research and Teikoku Databank both produce English-language company reports that include the core registry data plus credit risk scoring.
- EDINET for listed companies: English is not available, but many large-cap Japanese listed companies file English-language annual reports (Integrated Reports) voluntarily alongside the Japanese statutory filing. Check the company’s investor relations page for the English version.
Local data suppliers
If you need a packaged report rather than a raw Touki extract, Japan has a small set of established providers:
- Tokyo Shoko Research (TSR) (tsr-net.co.jp). Founded 1892, one of Japan’s two largest commercial credit bureaux. Covers over 10 million domestic companies and 600 million global entities. Provides credit risk scores, payment track records, director history, and M&A support data. Widely used by Japanese banks and trading companies for counterparty risk.
- Teikoku Databank (TDB) (tdb.co.jp). Japan’s other major credit bureau, founded 1900. Provides corporate credit investigations, financial analysis, and market research. Strong in manufacturing sector coverage. Frequently cited in Japanese courts as a reliable source for company financial standing.
- Riskmonster (riskmonster.co.jp). A specialist credit risk platform used by approximately 40% of Japanese listed companies and their affiliates. Provides credit ratings (RM-rated), anti-corruption compliance screening, and API-based data integration. Positioned as a compliance-first provider rather than a general information broker.
Use the Ministry of Justice Touki-Net for the authoritative legal filing record. Use TSR or TDB when you need payment behavior, litigation history, or credit scoring layered on top of the registry extract. Riskmonster is the choice when you need API-integrated ongoing counterparty monitoring.
FAQ
Can a foreign company access Japan’s corporate registry without a Japanese identity?
Yes. The NTA Corporate Number site is fully open and requires no account. Touki-Net requires a registered account, but account creation does not require a Japanese identity document. A foreign credit card and email address are sufficient for Touki-Net access. EDINET requires no account at all. The practical barrier is language, not legal access restriction.
What is the Corporate Number (Houjin Bangou) and how is it different from a company registration number?
The Corporate Number is a 13-digit identifier assigned by the National Tax Agency to every legal entity registered in Japan. It is distinct from the registration number issued by the Legal Affairs Bureau (which identifies the specific registry office and ledger). For compliance purposes, the Corporate Number is the more useful cross-system identifier because it is consistent across NTA, tax, and registry databases.
Where do I find a Japanese company’s directors and shareholders?
Director information, including the Representative Director, is in the Tokibo Tohon obtained from Touki-Net. Shareholder information for listed companies is in the annual report (Yukashoken Hokokusho) on EDINET. Shareholder information for private companies (non-listed KKs) is not publicly filed in Japan; it must be obtained from the company directly or from a commercial credit bureau such as TSR or TDB.
How current is the registry data?
The NTA Corporate Number site is updated when the company submits a change to the Legal Affairs Bureau, typically within a few days of the change event. The Tokibo Tohon is a certified snapshot as of the date of issue. EDINET filings are available the same day they are submitted by the company.
Is Japan on the FATF grey list?
No. Japan passed its FATF Mutual Evaluation in 2021 and is not on the FATF grey list as of May 2026. Japan is a FATF member country. For current status, check fatf-gafi.org.
What is the difference between a Tokibo Tohon and a Tokibo Shohon?
A Tokibo Tohon (謄本) is a full certified copy of the company’s entire registration record, including all historical changes. A Tokibo Shohon (抄本) is a partial certified extract covering only specified items (for example, current directors only, or current address only). For compliance purposes, the Tohon is the correct document as it shows the complete history of the entity.
Does Japan have a beneficial ownership (UBO) register?
Not in the same form as the EU’s beneficial ownership registers. Japan introduced a beneficial owner recording requirement for companies under the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (2023 amendment), but this is maintained internally by companies and financial institutions, not as a publicly searchable register. UBO identification in Japan requires a combination of the Tokibo Tohon, shareholder register inquiry, and where applicable, EDINET large-shareholder disclosures.
Last verified: May 2026. Sources: National Tax Agency (houjin-bangou.nta.go.jp), Ministry of Justice Touki-Net (touki-kyoutaku-online.moj.go.jp), Financial Services Agency EDINET (disclosure2.edinet-fsa.go.jp), FATF (fatf-gafi.org).