Tourism business in Japan: Opportunities, requirements, and company formation procedures.

According to the data of Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)In 2025, Japan is expected to welcome 42,68 million international visitors, a 15,8% increase compared to 2024, and the first time the number has exceeded 40 million in a single year.

This is the highest number since Japan began tracking international visitors, demonstrating the country's growing appeal to tourists worldwide. The sharp increase in visitor numbers also translates into a greater demand for businesses providing travel services, tour bookings, guides, transportation, and specialized tourism products.

Not only did the number of visitors increase, but the total spending of international tourists in Japan also reached a new record high.

According to the Consumer trend research According to data released by the Japan Tourism Agency, total spending by international tourists in 2025 is expected to reach approximately 9.455,9 billion yen, a 16,4% increase compared to the previous year.

This shows that the Japanese tourism market is not only expanding in scale but also has increasing economic value. For newly established travel companies in Japan, this is a positive sign because tourists tend to be willing to pay more for quality services, experiential tours, and personalized travel products.

The growth of the tourism industry is not a short-term trend but is part of the Japanese government's long-term development strategy.

According to the National Tourism Promotion Basic Plan approved by the Japanese Cabinet in 2026, the government aims to achieve the following by 2030:

• Attract 60 million international visitors each year.
• Tourism revenue reached 15.000 trillion yen.

Compared to the 2025 figures, the number of international visitors is still approximately... 40% growth potential to achieve the target by 2030. This shows that the tourism industry will continue to receive investment and support from the Government for many years to come, creating more opportunities for new businesses to enter the market.

One notable aspect of Japan's tourism industry is the relatively diverse composition of its international visitors.

According to the JNTO statisticsIn 2025, the largest source markets for tourists to Japan will include:

• Korean
• Chinese
• Taiwan
• Mỹ
• Hong Kong

In addition, the number of visitors from many other countries is also growing strongly. By 2025, Uc surpassing the milestone for the first time. 1 million visitors, while Mỹ first time crossing 3 million visitors.

Not being overly dependent on a single market allows the Japanese tourism industry to be more resilient to economic fluctuations or policy changes in individual countries. At the same time, it also provides an opportunity for businesses to develop a wider range of products tailored to different international customer groups.

In addition to the goal of increasing the number of international visitors, the Japanese government is shifting its focus to Improving the quality of tourism industry growth.

According to the guidelines in the National Tourism Promotion Master Plan, policies in the coming period will focus on:

• Developing sustainable tourism.
• Increased spending by international tourists.
• Attracting tourists to areas outside of traditional tourist centers.

This orientation opens up many opportunities for businesses to establish travel companies in Japan, especially those developing experiential tourism products, community tourism, themed tours, or exploring new destinations in local areas.

Instead of competing directly with large businesses in Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto, new businesses can choose niche segments with lower competition levels but still benefit from the government's tourism promotion policies.

This is the highest category, allowing for all types of business activities, including organizing all-inclusive tours abroad.

• Licensing authority: Minister of Tourism Department (観光庁長官)
• Limit: International package tours, domestic package tours, customized tours, tour arrangements.
• Margin (営業保証金): 70.000.000 yen, if joining a travel association (弁済業務保証金分担金): 14.000.000 yen
• Minimum benchmark assets (基準資産): 30.000.000¥
• Mandatory appointment of a travel operations manager.

Category 2 participants are not allowed to organize their own all-inclusive overseas tours, but they are free to organize all-inclusive domestic tours nationwide (without regional restrictions).

• Licensing authority: Governor of the province where the headquarters is located (主たる営業所の所在地を管轄する都道府県知事)
• Allowed: We organize and sell all-inclusive domestic tours (no regional restrictions, applicable nationwide); accept tour orders both domestically and internationally; and provide travel arrangement services both domestically and internationally.
• Deposit: 11.000.000 yen if you join the association: 2.200.000 yen
• Minimum benchmark assets: 7.000.000¥
• Mandatory appointment of a travel operations manager.

Tier 3 only allows organizing all-inclusive domestic tours within the vicinity of its office location (not nationwide like Tier 2), but customized tours and arranged services are not limited by region.

• Licensing authority: Governor of the province where the headquarters are located
• Allowed: The company organizes and sells all-inclusive domestic tours, but only within the city where its office is located and surrounding areas; it accepts tours on order and provides travel arrangement services without geographical limitations (both domestic and international).
• Licensing authority: Governor of the province where the headquarters are located
• Deposit: 3.000.000 yen if you join the association: 600.000 yen
• Minimum benchmark assets: 3.000.000¥
• Mandatory appointment of a travel operations manager.

This category has the lowest financial requirements, making it suitable for startups focusing on local experiential tourism. Unlike category 3, all three types of services (domestic package tours, customized tours, and arranged services) are limited to the area surrounding the office location.

• Allowed: They offer all-inclusive tour packages, accept tour orders, and provide travel arrangement services, but all three types of services are limited to the city where their office is located and surrounding areas.
• Licensing authority: Governor of the province where the headquarters are located
• Deposit: 150.000 yen if you join the association: 30.000 yen
• Minimum benchmark assets: 1.000.000¥
• Mandatory appointment of a travel operations manager.

Travel agencies do not organize tours themselves but only perform services authorized by another travel company (旅行業者から委託された業務).

• Allowed: Performing travel services as authorized by another travel company, not organizing tours independently.
• Licensing authority: Governor of the province where the headquarters are located
• Minimum margin/standard assets: Not required
• The appointment of a travel operations manager remains mandatory.

This applies to accommodation establishments (hotels, ryokan, etc.) that are recognized in the tourism development plan.

• Allowed: Performing services authorized by other travel companies, but limited to the recognized tourist area and only for guests staying at the establishment.
• Margin / Standard Assets: Not required
• Person in charge: They can be replaced by someone who has completed the training course; they do not necessarily have to be an official travel operations manager.

Before applying for a travel agency business registration, the company must have already established a company in Japan, usually a joint-stock company (株式会社) or a limited liability company (合同会社).

In the company's charter (定款) and legal entity registration certificate, the business purpose must clearly state whether it is tourism business or travel agency business in accordance with the Law on Travel Business. If this information is missing, the application will be rejected, and the business must amend its charter and re-register before submitting the application for a license.

This is the condition that the licensing authority checks most carefully, to ensure that the company has the capacity to compensate customers should any problems arise. It consists of two elements:

• Minimum required assets: calculated using the formula: total assets minus non-performing assets (bad debts, intangible assets such as trademarks), minus total liabilities, minus the deposit amount. The required amount varies depending on the registration category, from 1.000.000 yen to 30.000.000 yen;
• Business deposit or alternative contribution if joining a travel association (equal to 1/5 of the original deposit).

When establishing a travel company in Japan, businesses need to meet the requirements for personnel managing travel operations. According to Japanese law, each... business office Each travel company or travel agency must appoint a qualified Travel Operations Manager to oversee and manage its business operations.

Travel agency managers are responsible for ensuring that office operations are conducted in accordance with regulations, including explaining terms and conditions, providing necessary information to customers, processing travel service contracts, and controlling service quality.

The person appointed to this position must pass the national certification exam for travel industry professionals organized by the Japan Tourism Agency. Depending on the scope of operations, the company needs to select personnel with the appropriate certification:

• Comprehensive Travel Business Management Certificate (総合旅行業務取扱管理者): for businesses operating both international and domestic tours;
• Domestic Travel Agency Management Certificate (国内旅行業務取扱管理者): applicable to businesses that only operate tourism products within Japan;
• Regional Travel Service Management Certificate (地域限定旅行業務取扱管理者): suitable for businesses that only organize tours within a specific region, city, or locality.

Therefore, before establishing a travel company in Japan, businesses need to clearly define the type of tourism business they intend to operate—international, domestic, or regional—in order to select management personnel with appropriate certifications, ensuring compliance with licensing requirements and legal operation in Japan.

Here are some points businesses should keep in mind:

• If the office handles international tours, the appointed person must possess a comprehensive certificate.
• A person can only be listed as the manager for one entity. a single office, not allowed to manage multiple branches simultaneously.
• Offices with 10 or more employees responsible for travel services must appoint at least two travel operations managers.
• After being appointed, the manager must attend a training course organized by the travel association every five years.

This is usually biggest barrier For newly established companies, especially those owned by foreigners, the exam is conducted entirely in Japanese and requires in-depth knowledge of travel law, geography, and transportation operations.

The Law on Travel Business stipulates 11 cases in which registration applications are subject to mandatory rejection, the most common of which include:

• Previously had their travel agency or tour operator license revoked, and less than 5 years have passed since the revocation date.
• Previously convicted of imprisonment or fined for violating the Travel Business Law, and less than 5 years have passed since completing the sentence.
• Being a member of a violent organization (according to the Law on Prevention of Unlawful Conduct by Members of Violent Organizations), or having left such an organization less than 5 years ago.
• Having committed fraudulent acts in the travel industry within the 5 years prior to submitting the application.
• Minors who lack full legal capacity may have legal representatives who fall into one of the above categories.
• Individuals with limited capacity due to mental/physical issues as defined by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, or individuals who have been declared bankrupt and have not yet had their rights restored.
• For legal entities: if any member of the management board falls under the above-mentioned categories.
• It is not possible to demonstrate that a valid Travel Operations Manager can be appointed to each office.

In addition to the legal, financial, personnel, and eligibility requirements mentioned above, businesses need to prepare the following practical conditions to ensure their application is approved and the company operates legally in Japan:

• Fixed business office (営業所): has a physical addressRegistration is not permitted at virtual addresses or regular residential apartments (depending on provincial regulations).
• Appropriate residency status If the representative is a foreigner: a valid Business/Management visa (経営・管理) is usually required, separate from the travel agency registration procedure, but mandatory for legally operating the company in Japan.
• Price list and terms and conditions of travel contracts (旅行業約款) The license must be publicly displayed at the office after it is granted.

For foreign investors wishing to directly manage businesses in Japan, a Business/Management Visa (経営・管理ビザ) is one of the most important requirements.

Since 16/10/2025The Japanese Immigration Bureau has implemented new standards to curb the practice of establishing businesses solely for the purpose of obtaining residency status. Compared to before, the requirements for this type of visa have been significantly tightened.

Of these changes, the requirement to raise the capital threshold from 5 million yen to 30 million yen is considered the most significant. Although the Travel Business Act only requires a lower standard asset level for some types of licenses, foreign investors must still meet the capital requirement if they need to apply for a Business-Management Visa to directly operate a business.

Therefore, many businesses choose to appoint a Japanese national or a long-term resident as their legal representative, while the foreign investor holds the role of shareholder or capital contributor.

According to regulations, each business office Travel agencies must have at least one full-time Travel Agency Operations Manager (旅行業務取扱管理者).

To obtain this certificate, candidates must pass a national examination conducted entirely in Japanese, covering travel law, tourism geography, transportation operations, and various other specialized knowledge areas.

For foreigners new to Japan, obtaining certifications on their own is often not feasible in a short period of time. Therefore, most businesses have to recruit personnel who already have certifications or collaborate with experienced professionals in the industry. This is one of the biggest challenges regarding personnel when establishing a travel company in Japan.

When applying for a travel agency business license, enterprises must demonstrate that they meet the required standard asset level (基準資産額).

Determining the standard asset value is not based solely on the registered capital but must also be reflected in the balance sheet prepared according to Japanese accounting standards. Certain types of assets or receivables may not be accepted by regulatory authorities when calculating financial capacity.

For newly established businesses or investors unfamiliar with the Japanese accounting system, preparing financial documents in accordance with regulations often requires the assistance of an accountant or local expert.

After establishing a company, businesses need to open a bank account to conduct financial transactions and complete various subsequent procedures.

However, Japanese banks typically conduct thorough due diligence on newly established businesses, especially those with foreign investment.

In addition to legal documents, banks also consider many other factors such as:

• The duration of residence of the representative in Japan.
• Physical office address
• Business plan
• The long-term viability of the business

If the account opening process is delayed, it can also affect the business's progress in depositing funds, paying fees, and completing the application for a travel business license.

One of the key requirements for establishing a travel company in Japan is that the business must have a physical business location.

And according to the official guidelines of the Japan Immigration Bureau on the revised Business-Management visa standards (effective from October 16, 2025), businesses must have suitable office Given the scale of operations, using a residential property as a business office is, in principle, not permitted.

Meanwhile, the commercial real estate market in Japan has many unique characteristics. Many landlords require businesses to have a guarantor who is a Japanese citizen or legal entity, and to demonstrate financial capability before signing a lease agreement.

For foreign investors unfamiliar with the local market, finding an office that meets legal requirements, is cost-effective, and conveniently located often takes considerable time.

Yes. Vietnamese citizens can establish and own travel companies in Japan without needing Japanese citizenship. The deciding factors are the residency status that allows for business operations and the completion of travel business registration. Those from Vietnam often also need a Business Manager Visa.

It's not advisable. Both the regulations for registering a tourism business and the regulations for Business-Management visas (after the 2025 amendments) require a physical, independent office location. Virtual offices often fail to meet this requirement and are likely to result in applications being rejected during the initial assessment phase.

There are no regulations regarding the minimum registered capital required to establish a travel company in Japan. However, to obtain a travel business license, businesses must meet standard asset and deposit requirements, with specific amounts varying depending on the license category, specifically:

If a foreign investor intends to apply for a Business Manager Visa to directly manage a company in Japan, it should be noted that the visa application may require the business to meet a minimum capital contribution requirement as stipulated by current regulations. This is a visa requirement and does not replace the standard asset and deposit requirements when applying for a travel agency business license.

In addition to financial requirements, businesses also need to budget for company formation, office rental, personnel recruitment, accounting, and operating expenses. Therefore, the total capital required will depend on the size and business model of each enterprise.

GLA assists businesses in consulting on financing options suitable for each type of travel license, helping them prepare the necessary financial resources and optimize costs right from the start.

Yes. Businesses typically need a clearly defined business location to register as a legal entity and meet operational requirements.

A company's address in Japan serves not only the purpose of business registration but also affects:

• Application for a license.
• Opening a bank account.
• Reputation with partners.
• The possibility of obtaining a business management visa.

Some newly established businesses may opt for small offices or shared offices (depending on the case), but they need to ensure compliance with legal regulations and tourism industry requirements.

Yes. Japan requires each business office Travel agencies must have a designated Travel Operations Manager responsible for overseeing tour business operations, ensuring compliance with legal regulations, managing contracts with customers, and handling any arising issues.

Businesses can utilize internal staff or recruit individuals with appropriate certifications in Japan.

Businesses can handle the procedures themselves if they have a good understanding of Japanese law and a local team. However, for foreign investors, using professional support services can help:

• Shorten the time it takes to set up a company.
• Minimize errors in documentation.
• Understand the licensing requirements for the tourism industry.
• Support is provided in accounting, tax, and operational matters after establishment.

Especially for industries with specific requirements, such as tourism, proper preparation from the outset will help businesses avoid incurring modification costs in the future.

With experience in supporting businesses to expand their international operations, GLA provides comprehensive consulting and support services for company formation in Japan, helping businesses optimize the process from initial preparation to actual operation.