© Copyright Acquisition International 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

Article Image - Setting up a  Franchise Business in Japan
Posted 2nd October 2015

Setting up a Franchise Business in Japan

Japan is one of the more mature franchise markets and has fully embraced franchising as a means for business growth. Today, the statistics show continuing expansion of franchising in the country.

Mouse Scroll AnimationScroll to keep reading

Let us help promote your business to a wider following.

Setting up a Franchise Business in Japan

Setting up a Franchise Business in Japan

Image

Japan is one of the more mature franchise markets and has fully embraced franchising as a means for business growth. With the increasing popularity of franchising by foreign franchisors in the 1970s, entry into the Japanese market via international franchising became common. Today, the statistics show continuing expansion of franchising in the country.

Today, in Japan, sales revenues by franchised businesses amounted to approximately JPY 23.5tn, an increase of 5.6% (approximately JPY 1.25tn) over the previous year, for the fourth consecutive year of positive growth.

Currently, franchises operate in various industries, among them the food industry (including restaurants, fast food chains and coffee shops), the retail industry (including convenience stores, drug stores and clothing shops) and the service industry (including hotels, private preparatory schools, entertainment facilities and fitness clubs).

In Japan, there is no specific franchise act, however, there are various rules governing franchise businesses in the country, which franchisors must comply with. For instance, when a franchisor intends to negotiate a franchise agreement with a prospective franchisee, the Small and Medium sized Retail Business Promotion Act obliges the franchisor to provide written documentation to the prospective franchisee describing the prescribed items and explaining the contents of the written documents.

Anderson Mori & Tomotsune’s franchise practice team possesses in-depth knowledge of the laws and regulations pertaining to franchising, such as the Small and Medium sized Retail Business Promotion Act, the Act on Prohibition of Private Monopolisation and Maintenance of Fair Trade (Antimonopoly Act), the Trademark Act, the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions.

Mr. Aoi Inoue regularly acts for overseas clients seeking to expand into Japan through international franchising. His support includes structuring, negotiating and drafting relevant documents such as international direct franchise agreements, international master franchise agreements and joint venture agreements. In addition, he supports clients by actively providing advice on legal issues and regulations relevant to franchising. Further, he has considerable expertise in handling franchise litigation and alternative dispute resolution proceedings. Mr. Inoue has been nominated for inclusion in the list of recognised franchise lawyers of the Who’s Who Legal: Japan 2013, 2014 and 2015 published by Law Business Research Limited.

Categories: Finance, Strategy


You Might Also Like
Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Read this month’s CPD Accredited Article to gain CPD Points
Finance
01/06/2016Read this month’s CPD Accredited Article to gain CPD Points

Read this month's CPD Accredited Article to gain CPD Points.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
IBM Announces Planned Acquisition of Promontory to Transform Regulatory Compliance with Watson
M&A
30/09/2016IBM Announces Planned Acquisition of Promontory to Transform Regulatory Compliance with Watson

IBM today announced plans to acquire Promontory Financial Group, a global market-leading risk management and regulatory compliance consulting firm.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Ease The Load: Five Ways AI Can Assist Your Startup Or Small Business
Innovation
23/04/2024Ease The Load: Five Ways AI Can Assist Your Startup Or Small Business

Using AI in your marketing strategy doesn’t have to be overly complex, and it’s usually very accessible - with free to use tools such as Chat GPT.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
What to Think About When Leaving Part of a Death Benefit to a Charity or Organisation whole Life Insurance
Finance
12/12/2022What to Think About When Leaving Part of a Death Benefit to a Charity or Organisation whole Life Insurance

Did you know you can leave part (or all) of your death benefit from a life insurance policy as a donation to a charity or nonprofit organisation? Permanent life insurance policies, such as whole life insurance and universal life insurance, with their guarantee

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
In Debt for the First Time – How Your Business Needs to Treat the New Wave of Debtors
Finance
09/12/2022In Debt for the First Time – How Your Business Needs to Treat the New Wave of Debtors

As interest rates are hiked by ratios not seen in decades, the fallout from slowing economies across the world is likely to hit middle income earners as much, or more, as those on lower incomes. While those at the poorest ends of society are well-versed in bei

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Turnaround Management and Corporate Renewal
Finance
06/06/2016Turnaround Management and Corporate Renewal

Loughlin Management Partners + Co (“LM+Co”) provides comprehensive services to support client companies including interim management, value creation and performance improvement, restructuring and turnaround advisory, and corporate finance.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
What Is GDPR And 5 Regulation Trends That We Can Expect In The Following Years
News
07/10/2020What Is GDPR And 5 Regulation Trends That We Can Expect In The Following Years

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is recognized as the world’s most robust set of data protection rules that strengthen how people can access personal information about them and limit what businesses and other organizations can do with people’s

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
New product Increases Engagement In Games
Finance
06/08/2015New product Increases Engagement In Games

Mobile Engagement Company First to Unite the Power of Predictive Analytics and Mobile Messaging to Target Key Player Groups, Generating Impressive Results Including 11% Decrease in Churn, 18% Increase in Number of Sessions and 50% Increase in Revenue.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Mastering Expansion: Proven Strategies for Scaling Your Service Business
News
15/02/2023Mastering Expansion: Proven Strategies for Scaling Your Service Business

Multiple site expansion of a service company can have numerous advantages, but it necessitates a deliberate strategy.



Our Trusted Brands

Acquisition International is a flagship brand of AI Global Media. AI Global Media is a B2B enterprise and are committed to creating engaging content allowing businesses to market their services to a larger global audience. We have 14 unique brands, each of which serves a specific industry or region. Each brand covers the latest news in its sector and publishes a digital magazine and newsletter which is read by a global audience.

Arrow