Market entry

Is your software company ready for Japan? A 12-question checklist

Answer twelve yes or no questions. Your score shows whether to test first, prepare, or move.

October 2026 · 4 min read

Hiroyuki Oyama

Managing Partner, Wisledge

This checklist is for B2B software companies that are considering Japan. It is not a test you pass or fail. It shows where you stand today and what to do next. Tick each statement that is true for your company right now. Be honest: a low score is useful information, not a verdict.

Product and language

Our product can be demonstrated to a Japanese buyer, in Japanese or with a clear Japanese-language handout.Our key documentation, such as a quick-start guide or FAQ, exists in Japanese or could be translated within weeks.

Demand and customers

We already have Japanese inbound interest, such as Japanese-language inquiries, trial sign-ups or customers from Japan.We can name at least ten Japanese organizations that match our ideal customer profile.

Sales route

We have decided how a Japanese deal would be sold: directly, through a partner, or through a mix of both.Someone at our company is accountable for Japan and has time to give it each week.

Contracts and payment

We know what a Japanese buyer would need in order to sign, including the contracting party and the way they expect to be invoiced.Our standard terms could be adapted for a Japanese customer without a long internal approval process.

Support and operations

A Japanese customer could get an answer to an ordinary question in Japanese during Japanese business hours.Our engineers could receive an escalation from Japan in a clear, structured form.

Commitment

Our leadership has agreed to give Japan at least a year to learn before judging it on revenue.We have a budget for testing Japan that does not depend on early revenue.

Your score: 0 of 12

Tick the statements that are true for your company to see your result.

What the result means

0 to 4: test first. You are at the exploration stage. Avoid heavy commitments such as an entity or a local hire. Focus on finding out whether Japanese buyers want your product, for example through a small number of conversations or a pilot with a partner.

5 to 8: prepare. There is real interest or a foundation, but gaps remain. Close the gaps that block a first deal, usually the contracting route, Japanese-language materials and support, before you scale spend. A written plan helps here.

9 to 12: ready to move. You have the basics in place. The question is sequencing: what to do in the first ninety days, and what can safely wait.

Where to go from here

If your result raises more questions than answers, our Readiness Assessment turns it into a written, sequenced plan for your product. You may also find it useful to read whether you need a Japanese entity to sell software in Japan and how to use your first thirty days.