How to Change the Corporate Address on Your Touki

Here is how to change company address touki records in Japan.

When your company moves its head office, you must register the new address within two weeks. This registration is called honten iten touki (本店移転登記), and you file it at the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局, houmukyoku).

Whether you're moving to a virtual office address, a coworking space, or a new physical office, the process is the same. This article explains the paperwork, the cost of each filing option, and what to update after the move.

How to change your company address on your touki (6-step quick summary)

• Get board approval, or a director majority, for the new address and move date.

• Hold a shareholders' meeting first if your articles of incorporation must change.

• Fill in the 本店移転登記申請書 (honten iten touki shinseisho) application form.

• Pay the registration tax: 30,000 yen, or 60,000 yen across jurisdictions. Use revenue stamps, a bank payment receipt, or electronic payment.

• Submit everything to the Legal Affairs Bureau for your old address within 14 days.

• Notify the tax offices, municipal office, and social insurance offices. Some deadlines start on the move date, not the registration date.

Moving within vs. outside your bureau's jurisdiction

A quick overview of corporate registries (houjin touki) in Japan

There are many types of registration required to operate a business in Japan. These include 商業登記=shougyou touki (commercial registration), 法人登記= houjin touki (corporate registration), 不動産登記 = fudousan touki (real estate registration), etc.

When a corporation is first established, the following basic information is registered with the Legal Affairs Bureau:

• The company’s trade name

• The address of the head office

• The date of incorporation

• The purpose of the company

• Amount of capital

• Total number of shares authorized to be issued 

• Names of officers

So what happens when your company relocates, an officer retires, or some other change occurs to your basic information? That's up next.

What company changes are you required to update on your touki?

In some cases, you are required to file and update your registry when your company undergoes certain changes. The changes that require paperwork include the following:

• Relocation of the head office

• Change in representative director, company director, or auditor

• Change in trade name

• Change of business purpose

• Change of representative director's address or officer's name

Directors serve two-year terms by default, and auditors serve four. Private companies can extend terms up to 10 years in their articles. Many businesses also save money by downsizing their head office real estate. Either way, expect to update your company registration more than once.

So if your company doesn’t have a dedicated department that deals with this type of paperwork, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the following general procedures for how to make official changes to your company’s touki.

Do you need to change your articles of incorporation first?

Your articles of incorporation (定款, teikan) state where your head office is. Check how precisely they state it before you plan the move.

• Articles name only the municipality. Example: 東京都港区 (Minato-ku, Tokyo). A move inside Minato-ku needs no amendment. The board, or a director majority, decides the exact address and date.

• Articles name the full street address, or the move leaves the municipality. You must amend the articles first. This takes a special resolution, backed by two-thirds of the votes of shareholders present.

When shareholders vote, attach their meeting minutes and a shareholder list (株主リスト, kabunushi risuto) to your application.

Note for godo kaisha (合同会社, LLC): Amending the articles needs every member's consent, unless the articles say otherwise. A majority of executive members (業務執行社員, gyoumu shikkou shain) decides the exact new address. Use the 合同会社 version of the application form.

What paperwork should I file for changing the address on a touki?

Once your board or shareholders approve the move, file at the Legal Affairs Bureau for your current jurisdiction*. The deadline is two weeks from the date of the move. The move date is the later of two dates: the actual move, or the board's approval. You cannot file before that date.

Missing the deadline can lead to a fine of up to 1 million yen for the representative director. These rules apply to both types of move below.

*Note: Jurisdictions do not strictly follow prefecture or city limits. Here is a list of all the Legal Affairs Bureaus in Japan and the areas they preside over.

a. If your head office is staying within your current Legal Affairs Bureau jurisdiction

Submit the form "Application for Registration of Transfer of Head Office of a Stock Company" 株式会社本店移転登記申請書 = kabushikigaisha honten iten touki shinseisho to the Legal Affairs Bureau presiding over your jurisdiction.

• Fill in one 株式会社本店移転登記申請書 with your company name, company number, and new address.

• Attach board meeting minutes, or a document showing a director majority decided the move.

• Attach shareholders' meeting minutes and a shareholder list only if you amended the articles.

• Attach a proxy letter (委任状, ininjou) if another person files for you.

• Affix a revenue stamp for the 30,000 yen registration license tax.

• Stamp the application with the company seal registered at the bureau.

• Submit the documents by mail or at the counter within 14 days of the move.

b. If your head office is moving outside of your current Legal Affairs Bureau jurisdiction

If your new location falls under a different bureau, prepare two copies of the "Application for Registration of Transfer of Head Office of a Stock Company." Submit both to your current bureau at the same time. Your current bureau then forwards the second application to the new bureau.

• Address one application to your current bureau and one to the new bureau. Enter the new address you are moving to.

• On the new bureau's form, state the relocation and its date. You no longer need to copy every registered detail.

• Attach the minutes and other documents to the application for your current bureau only.

• The new bureau's application needs no attachments, except a proxy letter if another person files for you.

• Affix 30,000 yen in revenue stamps to each application, for 60,000 yen total.

• Skip the seal registration form. Since April 21, 2025, the old bureau transfers your registered seal record to the new bureau.

• Apply for a new seal card (印鑑カード, inkan kaado) at the new bureau after registration. Your old card does not transfer.

• Submit both applications to your current bureau within 14 days of the move.

• Send the Japan Post mail forwarding notification so mail sent to your old address reaches you.

OK, but what if Japanese paperwork isn’t your favorite thing? Basically, there are a few ways of going about this. We list all your options in the following section.

3 methods for filing a corporate address change to your touki

There are 3 methods to use for filing your corporate address relocation and updating your touki. They are as follows:

1. Hiring a judicial scrivener

You can request a lawyer or a judicial scrivener (who specializes in touki-related changes) to file the paperwork on your behalf.

• Pros: Accuracy, efficiency, etc. Also bilingual support if you can find a bilingual scrivener or lawyer.

• Cons: The highest cost. freee estimates 50,000 to 120,000 yen in total, including the registration tax.

2. Outsourcing to an online service

Online document services turn your answers into ready-to-file forms. Options include GVA 法人登記 (formerly AI-CON), freee登記, and Legal Script. Fees run roughly 7,700 to 13,200 yen per filing, including consumption tax. You pay the registration tax on top.

You download the documents, stamp them with your company seal, and mail them to the bureau. Check each site's current price before you pay.

• Pros: Less complex than doing it yourself; cheaper than a scrivener.

• Cons: Every service we found works in Japanese only, with no English support.

3. Filing the paperwork yourself

Download all the required forms from the Legal Affairs Bureau site. Fill them in, gather the attachments, and submit them by mail or in person.

You can also file online and make payments electronically. The application needs the representative director's electronic signature. The commercial registration electronic certificate (商業登記電子証明書) works for this. A My Number Card certificate may also qualify, so confirm with the bureau first.

Filing for the first time? The bureau offers free procedure guidance (登記手続案内, touki tetsuzuki annai) by appointment. Each session runs up to 20 minutes by phone, in person, or by video call.

• Pros: The cheapest option. You pay only the registration tax and postage.

• Cons: You need strong Japanese. The forms must match the bureau's examples exactly, and small errors can delay registration.

Filling out the paperwork on your own is complex, even for fluent Japanese speakers, which is why services such as GVA 法人登記 and Legal Script exist.

👉 See also: The Total Guide to Company Formation in Japan

Our experience: GVA 法人登記 (formerly AI-CON)

We recently moved our head office, and we used AI-CON, now called GVA 法人登記. We are not affiliated with them, and we receive no kickbacks.

But—if you asked us point-blank what service we’d recommend, we would point to GVA 法人登記 because they were easy to use and saved us from countless paperwork-induced headaches.

GVA 法人登記 also sells an optional mailing kit with printed documents and a bureau envelope. You can buy the revenue stamps for the registration tax from them too.

What to do after submitting your company's change of address

Filing at the Legal Affairs Bureau is only the first part of the process. Next, you notify several agencies so your tax, social insurance, and employment records show your new address.

Watch the timing. The pension and labor deadlines count from the move date, not the registration date. Check your bureau's posted completion date, and allow extra weeks for a move to another bureau. The bureau cannot issue your certified copy until registration is complete. File early, and ask each office how to proceed if your copy is not ready.

Below is a complete checklist of everything to update after your company’s change of address is registered.

1. Obtain an updated certified copy of the corporate registry (登記事項証明書)

You’ll need a fresh certified copy before filing updates with other government offices. Most government bodies will ask for a copy issued within the last 3 months.

2. Notify the tax office

Submit the change of address form (異動届出書, idou todokedesho) to the tax office for your old address. Since April 2017, you no longer file a copy with the tax office for your new address.

• File on paper or online through e-Tax.

• Attach a certified copy of the updated register if the office asks for one.

• Tick the consumption tax box if you hold a qualified invoice registration number. This updates your invoice registration without a separate form.

After the notice, you file returns and pay taxes at the tax office for your new address. Moves close to your fiscal year end need care, so check timing with your tax accountant.

3. Notify the prefectural tax office and municipal office (市区町村役所)

Your company pays corporate resident tax (法人住民税, houjin juuminzei) and business tax to local governments. File a change notice with:

• Prefectural tax office: File with the office for your new address. For a move to another prefecture, file with both the old and new offices.

• Municipal office: File with both the old and new municipality.

• Tokyo's 23 wards: The metropolitan tax office handles both taxes, so you skip the ward office.

Forms and deadlines vary by municipality. The per-capita part of resident tax is split by the months you had an office in each area.

Moving to a new prefecture or municipality? The new office usually wants an establishment notice (法人設立設置届出書) instead of a change notice.

4. Update the Japan Pension Office (年金事務所)

If your company enrolls staff in social insurance, file within 5 days of the move. The form is the 健康保険・厚生年金保険適用事業所名称/所在地変更（訂正）届.

• Submit it to the pension office for your old address.

• Attach a certified copy of the updated register.

• One form updates both health insurance and pension records.

Moving to another prefecture? Your 協会けんぽ insurance symbol changes. Collect any eligibility certificates (資格確認書, shikaku kakuninsho) from employees and return them to 協会けんぽ.

Employees who had a certificate receive a new one. Employees using a My Number Card as their insurance card get an updated eligibility notice (資格情報のお知らせ) automatically. A move within the same prefecture changes nothing.

5. Update Hello Work (ハローワーク) and Labor Standards Inspection Office (労働基準監督署)

If you employ staff, file both notices within 10 days of the move.

• Labor Standards Inspection Office: Submit the labor insurance change notice (労働保険名称、所在地等変更届) to the office for your new address.

• Hello Work: Next, submit the employment insurance change notice (雇用保険事業主事業所各種変更届) to Hello Work for your new address.

Moving to another prefecture? You close out labor insurance under your current number. Then you file a new labor insurance establishment notice in the new prefecture.

6. Notify immigration if you hold a Business Manager visa

Foreign residents on a Business Manager (経営・管理, keiei kanri) visa must report changes to their company, including a new address. File the notice about your organization (所属機関等に関する届出) within 14 days.

• File online through the Immigration Services Agency e-Notification System, by mail, or at an immigration office.

• Keep your residence card (在留カード, zairyuu kaado) at hand, since the notice asks for its number.

• A late notice can create problems at your next visa renewal.

Check your new office first. Since October 16, 2025, Business Manager visa holders need an independent business office. Virtual offices and rental desks rarely meet this standard.

Current visa holders have until October 16, 2028, to meet the new requirements. Confirm your new location qualifies before you sign a lease or switch to a virtual office.

Employ foreign staff on work visas? Each employee must also report the new address of their contracting organization within 14 days. Remind them, since the notice is theirs to file.

7. Update Japan post (郵便局) for mail forwarding (郵便転送届)

Submit a forwarding notice (転居届, tenkyo todoke) online through e-転居, by mail, or at a post office. Japan Post then forwards mail sent to your old address for free.

• Forwarding lasts one year from the date you file, not the start date.

• Setup can take about a week, so file before the move.

• Mail marked 転送不要 ("do not forward") is not forwarded. Banks and government offices often use this marking.

That last point matters most. Update your address directly with the tax offices, banks, and agencies above, rather than relying on forwarding.

8. Update banks, suppliers, and contracts

The touki address change affects all legal documents, including:

• Business bank accounts

• Payment gateways

• Google Business Profile

• E-invoice / digital invoicing platforms

• Business utilities and telecom contracts

• Leases and service agreements

9. Update internal documents and public listings of change of address

Keep your address updated for consistency and compliance:

• Invoice templates

• Company website footer

• Privacy policies and terms of service

• Employment contracts

• Email account signatures

• Company letterhead

• Business cards (if applicable)

Company address change: Frequently asked questions

What is 本店移転登記 (honten iten touki)?

Honten iten touki is the registration a company files when it moves its head office in Japan. It updates the corporate registration (法人登記, houjin touki), the public record of a legal entity's key details. The register first records these details at establishment, including company name, address, capital, and directors. Anyone can confirm the new address by requesting a certified copy. Each Legal Affairs Bureau posts its expected completion dates (登記完了予定日) on its website. These dates do not cover moves to another bureau, which can take longer.

How much does a company address change cost in Japan?

The registration license tax is 30,000 yen for a move within the same bureau's area. A move to a different bureau's area costs 60,000 yen, because each of the two applications carries 30,000 yen. Online document services add roughly 7,700 to 13,200 yen, including consumption tax. A judicial scrivener typically brings the total to 50,000 to 120,000 yen.

What documents do I need to register a head office relocation?

You need the 本店移転登記申請書 application form and board minutes, or a document showing a director majority approved the move. Add shareholders' meeting minutes and a shareholder list if you amended the articles. Add a proxy letter if another person files for you. For a move outside your bureau's area, prepare a second application for the new bureau.

Can I file a company address change online?

Yes. You can file through the Ministry of Justice online system and pay the tax electronically. The application needs an electronic signature, and the commercial registration electronic certificate works for this. Some filers can sign with a My Number Card certificate, so confirm your case with the bureau. Without an electronic certificate, file by mail or at the counter.

Can I get free help from the Legal Affairs Bureau?

Yes. The bureau offers free procedure guidance (登記手続案内) for people without specialist knowledge. Each session lasts up to 20 minutes by phone, in person, or by video call. You must book ahead, and you can reserve video sessions online at any time. Staff explain how to prepare the application, but you remain responsible for filing it.

What happens if I don't register my new address within two weeks?

The Companies Act requires registration within two weeks of the move. A late or missing filing can lead to a non-criminal fine (過料, karyou) of up to 1 million yen. The court imposes it on the representative director personally, not on the company's assets. An unregistered move also sends official mail to your old address.

What if the representative director also moves home?

The director's home address is on the register, so you must file a separate change within two weeks. The tax is 10,000 yen if the company's capital is 100 million yen or less. Otherwise, it is 30,000 yen. Since October 2024, you can ask the bureau to hide the director's address on public certificates. A foreign director also files a moving-in notice at the new municipal office, which updates the residence card. A director with a driver's license must update it too.

Where can I find a list of English-speaking lawyers in Japan?

Looking for a bilingual lawyer with a certain specialty? Try MailMate's bilingual lawyer directory. You can find English-speaking divorce lawyers, English-speaking corporate lawyers, English-speaking immigration lawyers, and more!

In closing

Now you know how to change company address touki records, step by step. File at the Legal Affairs Bureau within two weeks, and budget 30,000 or 60,000 yen for the tax. Then work through the checklist so every agency has your address updated.

A new office is one of the bigger investments a small business makes. Moving to a virtual office, a coworking space, or a new physical location? Plan the registration before moving day, and the rest will follow.