Office and house rental fees in Fukuoka are considerably lower than in bigger cities in Japan such as Tokyo and Osaka. According to the statistics published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in 2013, which is the latest available version, an average house rent per one mat [*1] in Fukuoka (¥2,541) is half as expensive as that in Tokyo (¥5,018) and 20% less expensive than that in Osaka (¥3,135). Nevertheless, Fukuoka City kindly offers meaningful financial benefit to foreign entrepreneurs.
Amount and Facilities
Successful applicants are entitled to receive the amounts below in which consumption tax, parking fee, security deposit and insurance etc. are not covered.
Eligibility
According to Fukuoka City, foreign entrepreneurs who will or are planning to establish a business in Fukuoka City and meet all the following requirements are eligible for the subsidy.
(i) Person
• must acquire the “Business Manager” residency status (Startup Visa holders also may submit an application for certification of their business, but must have changed their residency status to “Business Manager” to apply for the subsidy).
• must intend to operate a long-term business in Fukuoka City
• must reside in Fukuoka City
• must not be delinquent on any payments of municipal tax
(ii) Industries
In order to be eligible for the subsidy, businesses must fall under one of the following five industries: 1. Knowledge Creating Industries (semi-conductors, software development, content production, robotics, etc.)
2. Health, Medical, and Welfare Industries (pharmaceutical development ventures, medical technology development, regenerative medicine, welfare equipment development, etc.)
3. Environment & Energy Industries (clean energy development, next-generation power storage technology, global information systems, etc.)
4. Logistics Industries (global SCM services, 3PL services, international delivery, drone logistics development, etc.)
5. Trade Industries (businesses investing in international market opportunities for goods made in Fukuoka, or utilizing Hakata Port and/or Fukuoka Airport, etc.)
Although the application deadline for 2018 has already expired, the application for 2019 will seem to be open around May 2019.
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Notes:
[*1] – One mat or jo is a Japanese measurement unit equivalent to 1.62 m2.
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure that the information on this article is accurate at the time of posting, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ. If you do require advice or wish to find out more about the information provided and related topics, please contact the author.
Text by: Atty. Atsushi Miyake of Miyake Law, Nov. 2018.
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