Get the Help You Need When Starting a Business in Japan

(All 47 prefectures, rolled out two each week since June of 2020. Continually growing, continually updated.)

As Last updated: June 1, 2020

One of the most difficult questions to answer for non-Japanese wanting to start a business in Japan is where do I go for help? This problem is compounded when proficiency in Japanese is lacking or non-existent. It doesn’t have to be that way. There are resources. There are people and agencies that want to help you. I’m going to help you find them.

Hi, I’m Doc Kane

I live in Kobe with my wife and our giant adorable Huskie named Chiro.

Together we’re co-founders of Maplopo, an indie publishing company with the aim of helping introduce Japanese literature to the wider English-speaking world. To date, we’ve published works by DAZAI Osamu, SAKAGUCHI Ango, and NAKAJIMA Atsushi. We’ve got a lot more on the way.

We’re entrepreneurs, just like you. So let’s put our heads together and help one another out.

Oh, one last thing for now. I’m a one man show for the moment, so the sort of research you’ll find below takes time. That’s cool with me, as long as it’s cool with you. Because it’ll take awhile. In between my writing, teaching and consulting work, I aim to add at least two prefectural pages each week of the year in 2020. First, is my home prefecture of Hyogo, followed by Osaka. After that… the sky is the limit. Maybe Fukuoka? Fukui? Niigata? You tell me… reach out any time via email. I’m always here –> [email protected]

Cheers,
D