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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Start with the supplier’s Japanese legal name and 13-digit Corporate Number (法人番号), then match them against Japan’s official corporate registry information. If the supplier provides a qualified invoice registration number, verify it separately with the National Tax Agency (NTA). These checks confirm registered identity and, where relevant, tax registration—not that the company is actively trading, financially sound, or able to fulfill your order.
What a registry check can—and cannot—tell you
Japan’s commercial and corporation registration system provides public notice of core corporate particulars, including names, addresses, and officers. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) explains that registration establishes a corporation’s legal personality and that registered information is expected to be kept accurate. A registry result is evidence that a registered record exists; it is not proof of current sales activity or the ability to complete a particular transaction. MOJ: Commercial and Corporation Registration
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Likewise, a corporate-number search is not a credit check. A secondary provider, Corpus, cautions that registry and invoice data do not constitute credit checks and that insolvency-related information may not appear when a business fails. Its description of when failure might show in its own data is not a real-time government insolvency service. Corpus: company verification
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How to verify a Japanese company before placing an order
- Ask for the supplier’s identifiers. Request its Japanese legal name as registered, 13-digit Corporate Number, and registered Japanese address. If applicable, also request its qualified invoice registration number. For a corporation, that number commonly consists of the letter “T” followed by the Corporate Number, but verify the number the supplier actually gives you rather than assuming it is registered. NTA Corporate Number Publication Site
- Search the NTA Corporate Number Publication Site. Search by the 13-digit number if you have it; this helps distinguish entities with similar or translated names. Compare the result’s registered name and head-office address with the supplier’s details. The site also supports name and address searches, including partial and prefix matching, so do not treat a name-only match as conclusive.
- If the English search has no result, try Japanese. The NTA’s English listings show English names and addresses when an entity has registered English indications. A missing English result alone does not establish that the Japanese entity does not exist. Search the Japanese site using the Japanese legal name or the corporate number, then compare the registered address. NTA Corporate Number Publication Site
- Use the MOJ search for a second identity match. The MOJ online registration information search allows lookup by company or corporation name, location, and corporate number. Its guidance says the search reveals only those identifying fields—not other registration particulars. MOJ online registration search guidance
- Request a registered-matters certificate if you need formal particulars. A 登記事項証明書 (registered-matters certificate) is the route for fuller registered details. The Legal Affairs Bureau describes requests online, with delivery by post or collection at a selected office. Fees and processing times are not stated here; confirm current arrangements through the Bureau. A certificate documents registered particulars, not active trading or order performance. Legal Affairs Bureau certificate request guidance
- Check any invoice registration number separately. Search the number—not the company name—in the NTA Qualified Invoice Issuer Publication Site. For a corporation, public information can include its name, head-office address, registration number, registration date, and cancellation or expiration date. Compare the details and validity for the proposed transaction date. NTA: information in the invoice issuer publication site and NTA: why the site searches by registration number
- Match the transaction and payment details. Compare the registered legal name, Corporate Number, and address with the order confirmation, contract, invoice, and named bank beneficiary. If payment instructions change, verify the change through contact details obtained independently from an official company channel—not only by replying to the message announcing the change.
- Pause if important details do not line up. If a name, number, address, or payment beneficiary conflicts with the records, or the supplier will not provide the identifiers or certificate you reasonably need, resolve the discrepancy before paying. Contact the company using independently sourced details. For a substantial order, consider professional legal or credit diligence.
Which official check should you use?
| Check | Best for | What it provides | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| NTA Corporate Number Publication Site | Initial identity check | Corporate Number, registered name, and address; English name and address appear when English indications are registered. | Active trading, creditworthiness, or ability to fulfill an order. |
| MOJ online registration search | Matching basic registered identity fields | Name, location, and Corporate Number. | Other registration information; MOJ says those particulars are not available through this search. |
| Registered-matters certificate | Formal confirmation of registered particulars | An official certificate requested through the Legal Affairs Bureau. | Current trading activity or performance; fees and processing time are not stated in the cited guidance. |
| NTA invoice issuer publication site | Checking a supplied invoice registration number | Public registration details, including cancellation or expiration information. | General company status, solvency, product quality, or fulfillment. The lookup is for invoice registration validity. |
How to interpret a missing result or absent invoice registration
- No English corporate-number result: Search in Japanese by legal name or use the 13-digit number. English publication depends on whether the entity registered English indications.
- No invoice registration result: Confirm that you entered the supplier’s number correctly and that it is the invoice registration number. A missing or absent qualified invoice registration is not, by itself, proof that the business is fake.
- A live registry or invoice record: Treat it as confirmation of the relevant registered identity or tax status, not as evidence that the supplier is currently accepting orders, solvent, or reliable.
- A mismatch between records and payment instructions: Do not rely on the registry match alone. Independently confirm the intended contracting party and beneficiary before sending money.
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