A virtual office service provides a Japanese address for business use—minus the physical space. Also known as virtual address services, you get a business address you can use on your company’s registry certificate without needing to sign a real estate lease. Hence, your business remains compliant in Japan while minimizing overhead.

This physical address listed on your company’s registry papers, tokibo tohon (登記簿謄本), is used for business-related correspondence between the local government and your company, such as tax-related notices and communications from government bureaus regarding compliance, updates on regulations, etc. If your business faces investigative proceedings, this is the address the government will use to inform you of that.

The following business types can use virtual addresses for company registration in Japan: regular joint-stock companies, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, incorporated associations, consulting businesses, non-political organizations, charities, foundations, and sole proprietorships. In brief, most user cases can legally use a virtual office address on their incorporation papers.

Many virtual offices in Tokyo offer a virtual address for Japan but not a virtual mailbox service. So how are they different? Virtual offices (バーチャルオフィス) or share offices (シェアオフィス) in Japan that offer virtual addresses for company incorporation may offer a mail forwarding feature. Yet will stop short of providing you with online access to the mail you receive. A virtual mailbox service in Japan—like MailMate—provides both a virtual address for company incorporation but also online access to the mail received on your behalf.

MailMate's service provides you with a physical mailing address in Japan, securely housed within MailMate HQ. When we receive a piece of mail on your behalf, we systematically scan your mail (outer envelope only) and upload it to our servers. Then you request to have your mail opened, scanned, translated, summarized, or settled—all with 1-click.