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Start with the supplier’s exact Japanese legal name and 13-digit Corporate Number (法人番号). Check the number, registered name, and head-office address in Japan’s National Tax Agency (NTA) Corporate Number Publication Site. If the supplier provides a qualified invoice registration number, verify that separately on the NTA invoice issuer site. These checks confirm records and tax-registration details—not that the company is currently trading, can fulfill your order, or is creditworthy.
How to verify a Japanese company before placing an order
- Ask for the identifiers. Request the Japanese legal name as registered, its 13-digit Corporate Number (法人番号), and its registered address. If the supplier issues qualified invoices, ask for the invoice registration number too. A corporate invoice 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.
- Search the NTA Corporate Number Publication Site. Search by the 13-digit number when possible, then compare the registered name and head-office address with the supplier’s details. The English NTA site supports number, name, and address searches, but English name and address information appears only for entities that registered English indications. A missing English result does not by itself mean the company does not exist. Try the Japanese site using the Japanese legal name or number. Because name searches can use partial or prefix matching, confirm a name-only match against the number and address.
- Check registration details with the Ministry of Justice. The online registration information search can look up a company by name, location, or Corporate Number. The Ministry says this search displays only those identifying fields. For fuller registered particulars, request a registered-matters certificate (登記事項証明書); the Legal Affairs Bureau explains how to request one online for delivery by post or collection at a selected office.
- Verify any invoice registration number separately. Use the number itself in the NTA Qualified Invoice Issuer Publication Site, not a company-name search. Compare the result with the supplier and the proposed transaction date. For a corporation, public information can include its corporate name, head-office address, registration number, registration date, and cancellation or expiration date.
- Match the order and payment details. Compare the legal name, Corporate Number, and registered address with the order confirmation, contract, invoice, and named bank beneficiary. If payment instructions change, confirm the change through contact details obtained independently from a known official company channel—not just by replying to the message announcing it.
- Resolve mismatches before paying. Pause if the name, number, address, or payment beneficiary does not match, or if the supplier will not provide the requested documentation. Contact the company using independently sourced details. For a substantial order, consider professional legal or credit diligence.
What each check can tell you
| 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 details only where the entity registered English indications. | Current trading activity, ability to fulfill an order, or creditworthiness. |
| MOJ online registration information search | Matching registered identity fields | Name, location, and Corporate Number. | Other registration particulars; the Ministry says those are not available through this search. |
| Registered-matters certificate | Formal confirmation of registered particulars | An official certificate requested through the Legal Affairs Bureau. | Active order-taking, performance, or creditworthiness. Current fees and processing times are not stated in the cited guidance. |
| NTA invoice issuer publication site | Checking a qualified invoice registration number | Public registration details, including cancellation or expiration information. | General company operating status, solvency, product quality, or order fulfillment. |
Why a registry record is not proof the company is trading
Japan’s commercial and corporation registration system provides public notice of core particulars such as company names, addresses, and officers. The Ministry of Justice explains that legal personality follows registration of establishment and that registered information is expected to be kept accurate. A registry record is therefore useful evidence about legal registration, but it does not show that a supplier is currently accepting orders or able to complete yours. See the Ministry of Justice overview.
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The corporate-number lookup is an identity tool, not an all-purpose operating-status or credit database. A registered-matters certificate gives a more formal record of particulars, but it is still not a performance guarantee. Likewise, invoice registration is a separate tax-status check: an active registration does not prove solvency or fulfillment, and a company’s lack of invoice registration does not by itself prove that it is fake.
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What to do when a search returns no result
- If the English NTA search finds nothing, try the Japanese registered name or the 13-digit number on the Japanese site; not every entity has English name and address indications.
- If a name search shows a possible match, compare the Corporate Number and registered address before treating it as the supplier.
- If the supplier cannot provide an identifier or its details conflict across records and order documents, do not assume the mismatch is harmless. Pause and verify through independently sourced company contact details.
- If the supplier has no qualified invoice number, treat that only as the absence of that separate tax-registration confirmation—not proof of nonexistence.
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