If you are thinking about incorporating a company in Japan, you will quickly find that the standard choices for incorporation are either a kabushiki kaisha (hereafter “KK”) or a godo kaisha (hereafter “GK”). While both are limited liability, each has certain characteristics which may make one or the other more attractive to you when considering which type to incorporate.
(Gomei-kaisha and Goshi-kaisha are also types of corporate entities permitted under the Companies Act of Japan, but both are rarely chosen since equity participants bear unlimited liability.)
The KK is one type of corporate entity which can be incorporated under the Companies Act of Japan.
Through the incorporation of a KK, the investors (either individuals or corporations) become shareholders of the new company and each shareholder assumes limited liability up to the amount which they have invested. Shareholders acquire the right to vote at company shareholder meetings and receive dividends from company earnings. The KK has a much longer history than a GK and other forms of corporate entities and therefore is by far the most common and well-known type of business entity in Japan. If recognition is important to your business model, the KK is probably better for you.
The GK is a new type of corporate entity introduced with the enactment of the Companies Act in 2006, which places emphasis on the personal relationship between company members, and is characterized by giving the company considerable flexibility with respect to methods of decision making with respect to operations, distribution of profits and other internal matters.
While the investors in a KK are referred to as “Shareholders”, the investors in a GK are known as “Members,” and in principle each Member in addition to executing operations, possesses company representative rights. (It is possible to designate executional powers and representative rights to specific Members.) Members of a GK have limited liability; similar to the shareholders of a KK, and each Member’s liability to the company is limited to the amount which they have invested.
The GK is characterized by relatively simple setup and operations as compared to a KK and startup costs are not as much as that needed to incorporate a KK.
You can also choose a Limited Liability Partnership to do business in Japan. A Limited Liability Partnership (hereafter “LLP”) is not a corporation, but a partnership composed of the equity participants. This is limited liability, like a KK and a GK. An LLP is characterized by the fact that members can carry on the management of the LLP and decide how the members divide up the profits. Taxes are imposed on profits allocated to equity participants. If you want to change an LLP into a KK, you need to dissolve the partnership and establish a KK.
法人の種類
もし日本で会社設立を考えているなら、株式会社あるいは合同会社の設立が一般的な選択肢になります。どちらの会社も有限責任となり、どのタイプの会社を設立するか考慮する場合、それぞれに利点となる特徴があります。
（合名会社と合同会社も法人として日本の会社法により認められていますが、出資者が無限責任を負うこととなるため、めったに選択されることはありません。）
株式会社は会社法で定められた法人の一つです。株式会社の設立を通して、出資者（個人あるいは法人）は株主となり、出資した分を限度とした責任を負います。株主は株主総会で投票し、会社の利益から配当を受け取る権利を得ます。株式会社は合同会社やその他の法人よりもはるかに長い歴史があるため、最も一般的でよく知られた法人の形です。もし印象が大切なビジネスモデルであれば、株式会社が適しています。
合同会社は２００６年の会社法の制定で導入された新しい形の法人です。社員の人間関係に重点をおいており、会社の意思決定、運営、利益の配当その他内部事項につきかなりの柔軟性があることが特徴です。
株式会社では出資者は株主と呼ばれるのに対し、合同会社の出資者は社員になり、原則としてそれぞれの社員が業務を執行し、会社を代表する権利があります。（業務執行社員や特定の社員に代表権を与えることも可能です。）合同会社の社員は株式会社の株主と同じように有限責任であり、それぞれの社員の会社への責任は会社に出資した限度になります。
合同会社は株式会社と比べ設立や運営が比較的シンプルであり、設立費用も株式会社ほどはかかりません。
有限責任事業組合という選択もあります。有限責任事業組合(以下LLP)は法人ではなく出資者からなる組合です。株式会社や合同会社と同様有限責任です。LLPは組合員がLLPの運営をすることができ、利益の分配を決めることができるという特徴があります。税金は組合員に分配された利益に課せられます。もし、LLPを株式会社にしたい場合は、組合を解散して株式会社を設立する必要があります。
Incorporating in Japan！英語で解説 会社設立 