Free guides for buying a franchise and franchising your business in Japan, plus the latest articles from the Quality Franchise Association.
Practical guides to buying a franchise in Japan: choosing a brand, due diligence, costs, finance and local rules.
View all articles GuidesStep-by-step guides to franchising your business in Japan: readiness, legal documents, fees, recruitment and local regulation.
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Confidentiality obligations protect a franchisor’s know-how, but they can also restrict access to advice you need before investing. Check what information is covered, whether you can share it with advisers and what happens after the agreement ends.
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The terms you sign up to may not remain unchanged throughout your franchise agreement. Learn how to check the franchisor’s powers to change terms, notification and consent procedures, and arrangements for additional costs before committing.
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Advertising contributions need scrutiny beyond the amount charged: you also need to know how the money is used and reported. Here is how to clarify your share of central advertising and local promotional costs before joining a franchise in Japan.
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If you cannot secure finance or premises and your business never opens, will your application or franchise fees be refunded? Here are the refund terms to check before paying, and how to structure agreements at each stage of preparing to open.
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Even if you join a franchise through a company, a personal guarantee from its representative may put household finances at risk. Learn how to check the debts covered, liability caps, conditions for claims and release procedures before signing.
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A franchise agreement may not continue on the same terms after it expires. Here are the renewal arrangements, notice deadlines, fees and grounds for non-renewal to check before joining a franchise in Japan.
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Decide how far franchisees may sell online before recruitment begins. This article explains how to set rules that protect quality while respecting franchisees’ independence, rather than relying on blanket bans.
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If you require franchisees to refurbish premises or replace equipment, you need to plan not just why the work is necessary, but who pays and when it happens. This article explains what to agree before signing and how to test the process at company-owned outlets in Japan.
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How should you assess a prospective franchisee’s finances, operating arrangements and understanding of business management? This guide explains how businesses preparing to franchise can establish assessment criteria and approval procedures.
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Pre-opening training needs clear completion standards, not just a set number of days. Define who must attend, how skills will be assessed, who pays for retraining and what happens if someone does not pass.
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Are you requiring franchisees to use the same prices as your company-owned outlets? Review how you communicate recommended prices, handle discounts and configure pricing systems to support compliance with Japan’s Antimonopoly Act.
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Even an arrangement called a ‘licence agreement’ may qualify as a specified chain business under Japanese law. Before franchising an existing business, check the six criteria against how the proposed arrangement will work in practice.
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Daikoku Denki’s RoboCube robotics and programming classes for primary school children will exhibit at Franchise EXPO in Osaka on 18–20 November 2026, as the brand seeks to expand its franchise network beyond its origins in Aichi Prefecture.
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JFA’s survey for the 2025 financial year reports domestic franchise chain sales of ¥30.4874 trillion across 257,934 outlets. These figures combine franchised and company-owned outlets, making it important for prospective franchisees to understand the scope of the data.
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DREAM PONY has outlined post-signing support for Brand物販Plus franchisees, with weekly online meetings and chat-based advice on listings, customer service and product selection.
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