Startups in Fukuoka, Japan: 2027 guide

Startups in Fukuoka: the short answer

Startups in Fukuoka get a city government that has backed founders since 2012, a startup visa run by the city itself and one-stop help for foreigners. Fukuoka ranks #240 of 1,000 cities in our startup city ranking (StartupBlink 2024 ecosystem scores). The city reports more than 1,400 companies founded through its Startup Cafe and more than ¥52 billion raised by them (as of December 2025), plus the highest business opening rate among Japan’s designated cities seven years in a row. The hard part for foreign founders in 2027 is national: since October 16, 2025 the Business Manager visa needs ¥30 million in capital, a full-time employee and Japanese ability.

Is Fukuoka a good place to start a startup in 2027?

Yes for founders who want a Japanese base with real local support, and who can raise or bring serious capital. Software, space and deep tech already have local success stories, and the city’s startup visa explicitly covers fintech, semiconductors, software, robotics, health, green tech, logistics and trade businesses. Fukuoka also suits founders selling into Japan and Korea, since the city’s priority list includes businesses using Hakata Port and Fukuoka Airport.

Fukuoka suits bootstrapped solo founders less well in 2027. The ¥30 million capital rule and the employee requirement put a high floor under any foreign-founded company, and most local programs, forms and investor meetings run in Japanese.

What does the Fukuoka startup ecosystem look like?

Fukuoka has built its scene on purpose since the city declared itself a “Startup City” in 2012. Here is who does what:

• Startup Cafe: the city’s one-stop desk for anyone thinking about starting a business, open since October 2014, with free consultations, expert advice and seminars.
• Fukuoka Growth Next: the public-private startup hub the city opened in April 2017. It runs hands-on support before and after founding, fundraising help and matching with investors and corporates in Japan and abroad.
• Global Business Support (GBS): the city’s one-stop support center for foreign entrepreneurs and the first stop for the startup visa.
• National Strategic Special Zone: Fukuoka became a “Global Startup and Job Creation” special zone in May 2014 and a national Global Startup Hub City in July 2020, which gives it room to test deregulation.
• Kyushu University: the national research university whose emeritus professors founded iQPS.
• Local companies: Nulab, founded in Fukuoka in 2004, builds Backlog and Cacoo and now has offices in Tokyo, Singapore, New York and Amsterdam. iQPS, founded in 2005 by emeritus professors of Kyushu University, builds compact radar satellites in Fukuoka and plans a 24-satellite constellation by May 2028.

Where do founders in Fukuoka find funding?

• β Venture Capital: a Kyushu-based VC that lists 99 portfolio companies and closed its fourth fund, the β2024 Fund, with institutional investors and regional companies.
• Japan Finance Corporation (JFC): the state lender for small businesses. Its new business and startup loans go up to ¥72 million for women, people under 35 and people 55 or older who are starting a business or within about seven years of starting.
• Fukuoka City loans: the city offers long-term, low-interest loans for founders through its business finance programs, and founders who complete its certified startup training get extra benefits.
• Angels and corporates: Fukuoka Growth Next runs matching with domestic and foreign investors and companies.

How do you register a company in Japan?

Most startups choose a kabushiki kaisha (KK), the stock company investors expect, while some small teams pick a godo kaisha (GK), Japan’s LLC. You register either one at the Legal Affairs Bureau under the Ministry of Justice.

The registration and license tax is 0.7% of capital, with a minimum of ¥150,000 for a KK and ¥60,000 for a GK. For a foreign founder, remember the visa math: a Business Manager visa now needs at least ¥30 million in paid-in capital, and at that level the KK registration tax comes to ¥210,000.

What taxes does a startup pay in Japan in 2026?

National corporate tax, from the National Tax Agency:

• 15% on the first ¥8 million of annual income for companies with capital of ¥100 million or less (17% in years when income tops ¥1 billion).
• 23.2% on income above ¥8 million, and for larger companies.

Local corporate taxes come on top. JETRO calculates these combined effective rates for business years starting on or after April 1, 2026:

Company and income	Effective rate
Capital ¥100 million or less, income up to ¥4 million	21.94%
Same, income ¥4 million to ¥8 million	23.73%
Same, income above ¥8 million	34.43%
Larger companies	30.64%

JETRO computes those figures without the deduction of the new Defense Special Corporate Tax, which applies from business years starting on or after April 1, 2026: 4% of corporate tax above a ¥5 million annual deduction. Most early-stage startups stay under that deduction.

• Consumption tax: 10%, with a reduced 8% for food and newspaper subscriptions.
• Change announced for 2027: the Cabinet decided on September 15, 2026 to cut the consumption tax rate on food for two years, from April 1, 2027 to March 31, 2029. The NTA has published draft forms and guidance, and the cut takes effect once the Diet passes the bill.
• R&D credit for small companies: 12% to 17% of R&D spending, capped at 25% of corporate tax plus extra headroom for fast-growing R&D budgets (NTA No.5444).

Which visa can a foreign founder use to move to Fukuoka?

Fukuoka runs its own Startup Visa. Let’s break it down:

1. Talk to Global Business Support (GBS) and submit your business plan through it.
2. The city reviews it with outside experts and issues a confirmation certificate (fee: ¥300).
3. You apply for a Certificate of Eligibility at the Fukuoka Regional Immigration Services Bureau and enter Japan with Designated Activities status, initially one year, up to two years.
4. You meet the city or GBS at least once a month while you set up an office, incorporate and hire.
5. You switch to the Business Manager visa once you meet its requirements.

That last step is where the October 2025 reform bites. Under the Immigration Services Agency rules in force since October 16, 2025, a Business Manager applicant needs:

• ¥30 million or more in capital (up from ¥5 million).
• At least one full-time employee who is a Japanese national or a resident with permanent, spouse or long-term resident status.
• Japanese at roughly JLPT N2 / CEFR B2 level, from the founder or that employee.
• A relevant master’s, doctorate or professional degree, or three years of management experience (time on the startup visa counts).
• A business plan checked by a licensed SME consultant, CPA or tax accountant.

Startup visa certificates issued after the reform fall under these new rules when you switch.

Pros and cons for founders in Fukuoka

Pros

• A city-run startup visa with a two-year runway to prepare.
• One-stop support for foreign founders at Global Business Support.
• Strong city backing: Startup Cafe, Fukuoka Growth Next and special zone status.
• The highest business opening rate among Japan’s designated cities seven years running, so founders find peers fast.

Cons

• The ¥30 million capital rule and employee requirement for the Business Manager visa.
• Japanese is the working language of business and government.
• A smaller VC pool than Tokyo, so larger rounds come from Tokyo or abroad.

What does Fukuoka offer women founders?

• Women’s Startup Seminar: Fukuoka City’s Women’s Startup Seminar 2026 at the AMIKAS gender equality center ran five Sunday sessions in June and July for ¥6,000, with free childcare. It counts as certified startup training, which unlocks extra benefits for founders who register a company in the city.
• JFC loans for women: up to ¥72 million for women starting a business or within about seven years of starting, at a special interest rate (JFC).

FAQ about startups in Fukuoka

Does Fukuoka have a startup visa?

Yes. The city confirms your business plan and you get Designated Activities status for up to two years to set up your company, then you switch to the Business Manager visa.

How much capital does a foreigner need to start a company in Japan in 2027?

The Business Manager visa needs at least ¥30 million in capital since October 16, 2025, plus one full-time employee, Japanese ability and management experience or a relevant degree. Existing holders have until October 16, 2028 before renewals must meet the new rules.

What corporate tax does a small company pay in Fukuoka?

JETRO puts the combined national and local effective rate at 21.94% on the first ¥4 million of income and 23.73% up to ¥8 million for companies with capital of ¥100 million or less, rising to 34.43% above that.

Where do foreign founders get help in Fukuoka?

Global Business Support (GBS) handles consultations for foreign founders, Fukuoka Growth Next supports startups before and after founding, and the city’s Startup Cafe advises anyone starting a business.

Sources (checked October 2026)

• Fukuoka City: Startup Visa (English)
• Fukuoka City: Startup support portal and results
• Fukuoka City: Women’s Startup Seminar 2026
• Immigration Services Agency: Business Manager criteria from October 16, 2025
• National Tax Agency: Corporate tax rates (No.5759)
• National Tax Agency: SME R&D tax credit (No.5444)
• National Tax Agency: Registration and license tax (No.7191)
• National Tax Agency: Consumption tax rates (No.6303)
• National Tax Agency: Food consumption tax cut site
• National Tax Agency: Defense Special Corporate Tax overview
• JETRO: Overview of corporate income taxes
• Ministry of Justice: Registering a stock company
• Japan Finance Corporation: Loans for women, young and senior founders
• Fukuoka Growth Next
• β Venture Capital
• Nulab
• iQPS
• Kyushu University

MeanCEO Index for Fukuoka 🚀

Fukuoka is less famous abroad than Tokyo or Osaka, and it keeps gaining ground as a supportive base for women founders. Here is how the city measures up on the MeanCEO Index, across ten factors that shape life and business for founders.

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1. Weather ☀️

• Score: 7/10
  • Fukuoka has a mild climate with plenty of sunny days, especially in spring and fall. Winters are warmer than in much of Japan, and summers get humid.

2. Location 🏖️

• Score: 9/10
  • Fukuoka sits on Hakata Bay, with beaches within easy reach and warm water for swimming in summer. It is a great place to relax and recharge.

3. Women Friendly 👩‍💼

• Score: 8/10
  • Japanese culture is traditional, and support for women founders keeps growing. Fukuoka City runs its own startup seminars for women, with free childcare.

4. Foreigners Friendly 🌍

• Score: 6/10
  • Fukuoka is becoming more welcoming, especially in the startup community. Local attitudes toward making friends with foreigners still have room to improve, and the language barrier is real.

5. English as a Business Language 📚

• Score: 5/10
  • Japanese dominates business, which makes life harder for non-Japanese speakers. The startup scene uses more English than the rest of the city.

6. Delicious Cuisine 🍣

• Score: 9/10
  • Fukuoka is famous for its food, from a celebrated ramen culture to fresh seafood. Local cooking offers healthy and delicious options, onions appear in some dishes, and the fresh seafood earns the city extra points!

7. Ease of Getting Married and Starting a Family 💍

• Score: 6/10
  • The dating scene is lively, with many attractive, health-conscious people. Cultural norms around dating differ from Western ones, which complicates some relationships.

8. Medicine 🏥

• Score: 7/10
  • Medical facilities are good, appointments come without long waits, and costs vary. Healthcare is reliable and well organized.

9. Ease of Transportation & Traveling 🚍

• Score: 8/10
  • Fukuoka has a well-developed public transport system, including subways and buses. Its international airport connects to many destinations, which makes travel convenient.

10. Startup Mindset 💡

• Score: 7/10
  • The startup scene keeps developing, with growing acceptance of failure as part of building a company. The conservative wider culture still makes people more cautious about risk than in established startup hubs.

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MeanCEO Index Score: 71/100 🎉

Fukuoka keeps rising as a supportive destination for women founders! A mild climate, a pleasant city and a collaborative community make it stand out for anyone starting a company. Language barriers and traditional norms remain, and city programs keep opening new doors for women entrepreneurs.

Here’s to new beginnings in Fukuoka! 🚀