If you run a business in Japan and need to register changes to your company—updating officers, moving your headquarters, or requesting a certificate of registered matters—you may have come across “Touki-net.” Touki-net is the widely used nickname for Japan’s official corporate and real estate registration platform, and understanding how it works can save business owners significant time and money compared to visiting a Legal Affairs Bureau window in person.
What Exactly Is Touki-net?
“Touki-net” is simply an easy-to-remember nickname. The system’s formal name is the Registration and Deposit Online Application System (登記・供託オンライン申請システム), and it has been operated by Japan’s Ministry of Justice since 2011. The platform allows individuals and businesses to submit registration and deposit-related applications over the internet, or through the government’s LGWAN and shared networks, without needing to visit a registry office in person. Through this system, users can file applications, submit requests, and obtain electronic official documents directly from their home or office.
Seven Categories of Procedures Available
Touki-net currently supports seven distinct types of procedures:
- Real estate registration
- Commercial and corporate registration
- Movable property assignment registration
- Claims assignment registration
- Adult guardianship registration
- Deposit procedures
- Electronic notarization procedures
Among these, commercial and corporate registration is one of the most relevant categories for business owners, and it’s the focus of the rest of this guide.
Two Ways to Apply Through Touki-net
There are two distinct methods for submitting applications or requests through the system, and each comes with its own trade-offs depending on what you need to accomplish.
1. Browser-Based “Easy Certificate Request”
The Easy Certificate Request service runs directly in a web browser, requiring no software installation. However, it is limited to procedures that don’t require an electronic signature. For example, requesting a full transcript of a company’s registered history is possible entirely through the browser after a one-time user registration. This option suits people who only need to make specific, straightforward requests occasionally. Note that while the application itself is completed online, the requested documents are still delivered by mail or picked up at a registry window—and depending on the type of certificate, online requests can be cheaper than requesting the same document at a physical counter.
2. Installed Software: “Shinsei-yo Sogo Software”
The Comprehensive Application Software (申請用総合ソフト) is a downloadable application that supports every procedure available through Touki-net, including drafting applications, attaching electronic signatures, and submitting filings. The catch is that this software only runs on Windows, and the data entry process is fairly complex, requiring solid familiarity with registration procedures. As a result, it tends to be used primarily by professionals such as judicial scriveners (shiho shoshi). Anyone unsure about using it can first try the trial version, which lets users explore the interface without submitting an actual application.
Commercial and Corporate Registration Procedures
For commercial and corporate registration specifically, Touki-net supports a range of filings. However, aside from requesting certificates of registered matters (such as a full company history transcript), nearly every other procedure—including changes to a registered head office address, officer changes, changes to a company’s business purpose, or capital increases—requires the installed Comprehensive Application Software. Because this software has a steep learning curve, business owners who only need to file changes once every few years may find it more practical to skip the online system altogether and use alternative methods instead.
Fees and Costs
Registering for the Easy Certificate Request service or installing the Comprehensive Application Software is free of charge. However, individual procedures may carry fees or registration and license taxes depending on the specific filing. For certificates of registered matters, exact online fees are published on the Ministry of Justice’s website. As mentioned earlier, online requests are often cheaper than in-person requests at a registry counter, so businesses that repeat the same type of filing regularly may reduce costs meaningfully by switching to online applications.
Operating Hours Are Limited
Despite being a web-based service, Touki-net is not available around the clock. According to the system’s official operating status page, the service is available Monday through Friday (excluding national holidays and the year-end/New Year period from December 29 to January 3) from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Ministry also notes that scheduled maintenance may cause the system to pause or stop without advance notice, even within these hours.
When Private Services Make Sense
While the Easy Certificate Request tool is convenient, it does have real limitations: restricted operating hours, no option to pay with commonly used credit cards, and a registration process that can feel cumbersome. For instance, if a business urgently needs a certified copy of its registration late on a weekday night, the request has to wait until the system reopens the next business day. This gap has led to the emergence of private-sector alternatives that operate outside these constraints, offering 24/7 access and standard credit card payments for a simpler registration and checkout experience—useful for businesses that just need to get a request in as quickly as possible, with the physical document following on the next available business day.
Final Thoughts
Touki-net remains the official gateway for handling registration matters in Japan, and for occasional certificate requests, the browser-based option is often all a business owner needs. For more complex commercial registration changes—like officer updates or head office relocations—the installed software offers full functionality but demands a level of comfort with registration procedures that many business owners simply don’t have time to develop. Weighing how often you’ll need to file, and how comfortable you are with the more technical software option, will help determine whether Touki-net is the right tool for your situation or whether working with a professional, or a private supporting service, makes more sense for your business.
References
- Ministry of Justice, Registration and Deposit Online Application System (Touki-net), https://www.touki-kyoutaku-online.moj.go.jp/
- Ministry of Justice, Easy Certificate Request Service Overview, https://www.touki-kyoutaku-online.moj.go.jp/whats/kantan/summary.html
- Ministry of Justice, Comprehensive Application Software Overview, https://www.touki-kyoutaku-online.moj.go.jp/whats/sogosoft/summary.html
- Ministry of Justice, System Operating Hours and Status, https://www.touki-kyoutaku-online.moj.go.jp/condition.html
- Ministry of Justice, Registration Certificate Fees, https://www.moj.go.jp/MINJI/TESURYO/index.html