Using JETRO for Japan Market Entry — A Guide for Life Science and Healthcare Companies
JETRO (the Japan External Trade Organization) is the Japanese government's core agency for promoting inward investment, and it offers overseas companies a wide range of free services for entering the Japanese market. When entering the Japanese market, making full use of both your home-country support organizations and JETRO is a good first step. This page gives an overview of the main information and support JETRO offers to life science and healthcare companies, with links to the primary sources for the details.
Contents
- What JETRO is
- Where to start: your nearest JETRO office
- Invest Japan Business Support Center (IBSC)
- The "Business Manager" residence status special measure
- Setting Up Business and Experts Finder
- Finding Japanese partners: J-Bridge
- Japan Entry Acceleration Program (JEAP)
- Market and sector information for life science
- Life science clusters in Japan
- Related JPRO Pages
1. What JETRO is
JETRO is an Independent Administrative Institution under Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). It promotes trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world, and one of its central roles today is supporting overseas companies as they enter and expand in the Japanese market.
A few points are worth knowing at the outset:
- Free support. Most of JETRO's services for foreign and foreign-affiliated companies planning to invest or establish a base in Japan are provided free of charge (a few services are partially charged), though some require you to contact JETRO first and meet certain conditions.
- A wide network. JETRO operates a global network covering over 50 countries.
- A facilitator. JETRO provides information and facilities, and can introduce you to government bodies, local governments, experts, and universities through its network. (For matching with Japanese companies specifically, see J-Bridge and JEAP below.)
Source:
- "JETRO's Support" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/jetros_support/
- "Our Support Services" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/jetros_support/support.html
2. Where to start: your nearest JETRO office
The point of contact for overseas companies is a JETRO office. When you begin considering entry into Japan, the first step is to contact your nearest JETRO overseas office (in your own country). Many services assume that you contact JETRO first, and this is also the entry point to the IBSC, J-Bridge, and JEAP described below. Information and consultation are also available online.
Source:
- "JETRO Worldwide" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/jetro/worldwide/
3. Invest Japan Business Support Center (IBSC)
The IBSC is JETRO's one-stop support base, located in six cities in Japan (Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, and Fukuoka). Experienced bilingual staff and experts provide market and industry information, guidance on establishing a base (registration, visa, tax, labor, and legal matters), and introductions to service providers and specialists, mostly free of charge (partially for a fee). For companies establishing a base, a free temporary office (up to 50 business days in principle) is also available. Use of the IBSC requires prior consultation and JETRO's certification as a supported company.
Source:
- "Invest Japan Business Support Center (IBSC)" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/jetros_support/ibsc/
4. The "Business Manager" residence status special measure
When an overseas company establishes a subsidiary or branch in Japan and manages it, the manager needs the "Business Manager" residence status, which normally requires securing an independent office space. For companies receiving JETRO's investment support, a special measure treats the use of a coworking or shared office as meeting this requirement (subject to conditions such as applying within three years of establishing the Japanese subsidiary or branch, and one person per company in principle; individual entrepreneurs are not covered).
Source:
- "Invest Japan Business Support Center (IBSC)" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/jetros_support/ibsc/
5. Setting Up Business and Experts Finder
JETRO provides, in English, the information needed to establish a base in Japan — including the incorporation flow, cost estimates, and the laws and regulations on company setup, visas, taxes, and human resources. It also offers "Experts Finder," a directory for finding foreign-language-capable specialists and service providers, such as attorneys, patent attorneys, tax accountants, consultants, and lab facilities. Note that the listings are not verified by JETRO, so you should select and verify providers yourself.
Source:
- "Setting Up Business" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/setting_up/
- "Experts Finder" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/setting_up/directory/
6. Finding Japanese partners: J-Bridge
J-Bridge is JETRO's platform for supporting collaboration (business and capital alliances) between overseas companies and Japanese companies; it is not a channel for sales expansion. Its focus fields explicitly include life sciences and healthcare, such as regenerative medicine, gene therapy, biotech, healthtech, and drug discovery. Participation is by invitation and subject to review, and applications are made through your nearest JETRO overseas office.
J-Bridge is by invitation and involves a review process; you apply through your nearest JETRO overseas office. Once accepted, your company information and collaboration needs are translated into Japanese and posted on the Japanese platform. Its purpose is collaboration, so it does not work for sales-channel expansion. For meetings that need interpretation, JETRO supports communication with online translated captions.
Source:
- "J-Bridge: Co-create the Next Value" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/j-bridge.html
7. Japan Entry Acceleration Program (JEAP)
JEAP is JETRO's acceleration program for supporting overseas startups entering Japan, run within the Invest Japan and J-Bridge frameworks. Started in FY2025, the FY2026 edition focuses on regenerative medicine, cell therapy, and gene therapy (with the support of the Forum for Innovative Regenerative Medicine, FIRM). It consists of online mentoring on Japan's market, regulations, and reimbursement; networking with CDMOs, CROs, and experts; and on-site visits and a Demo Day in Tokyo and Osaka. Participation is free. The theme, schedule, and application window change each year, so check the announcement page for the current year.
Source:
- "Apply Now: Regenerative medicine companies for Japan Entry Acceleration Program 2026" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/newsroom/2026/596d2181915cac22.html
8. Market and sector information for life science
JETRO's Invest Japan site has pages dedicated to market and policy information for the life science sector, along with a free English-language report. You can grasp market size, government initiatives, and regulatory trends in English as background for your entry decision.
Source:
- "Life Science" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/attractive_sectors/life_science/
- "Government Initiatives (Life Science)" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/attractive_sectors/life_science/government_initiatives.html
9. Life science clusters in Japan
Japan has life science clusters where pharmaceutical, medical device, and regenerative medicine companies and research institutions gather, letting you start close to partners, labs, clinical settings, and academia. JETRO supports the attraction of foreign companies to these regional ecosystems.
Source:
- "Initiatives for attracting foreign/foreign-affiliated companies to regional ecosystems in Japan" JETRO https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/jetros_support/localgovernments/