Joint Ventures

— Latest update: July 2022 —

The joint venture is one of the most implemented approaches in trying to enter a foreign market, the Japanese one included. 

Advantages include shared costs and shared risks. These types of ventures are especially useful when it comes to Japan, as having established partners can make or break an entry in Japan, which is notorious for having a unique business environment.

Japan Center for Economic Research, Why is Japan’s inward FDI so low?, 2017

Joint ventures are recognized by the Japanese law as subsidiary companies, which can either be a limited or an unlimited partnership. Foreign firms tend to rely more on limited ones in order not to be personally responsible for the subsidiary’s debts. There are two kinds of limited partnerships, which are:

• Joint-stock Corporation, or Kabushiki Kaisha (KK)
• Limited Liability Company, or Gōdo Kaisha (GK)

The unlimited partnerships, as rare as they may be, fall under the following categories:

• Unlimited Partnerships, or Gōmei Kaisha
• Limited Partnerships, or Gōshi Kaisha

JETRO, How te set up business in Japan - Section 1. Incorporating Your Business
June Advisors Group, Setting Up an Office / Company in Japan

Table of Contents

• Kabushiki Kaisha and Godo Kaisha
  • General Information
  • Pros and Cons of Kabushiki Kaisha and Godo Kaisha
  • Main Differences Between Kabushiki Kaisha and Godo Kaisha
  • Setting Up a New Business
    • Incorporation Process
    • Business Licenses and Permissions
    • Work Visas
• Recent Trends in EU-Japan Joint Ventures
• International Joint Ventures
  • Main Factors Contributing to the Success of International Joint Ventures
    • Case Study: All Nippon and Lufthansa Cargo
    • Case Study: Aichi Sky Expo
    • Case Study: Prismadd Japan Co., Ltd.
  • Main Factors Contributing to the Failure of International Joint Ventures
    • Case Study: Vodafone Japan
    • Case Study : Successful end of a JV
• Expert Reports & Webinars
• Annual Reports
• Further Reading
• Relevant Organisations and Trade Fairs