Based in London

Connecting Japan and the world, through business.

Bishamon UK supports Japanese companies and founders doing business abroad. From the essentials — company setup, banking, tax — to end-to-end support for new businesses and overseas bases, help for sole traders and individuals, bank account opening (including crypto-friendly banks), inbound support for Japan, trade shows and bringing Japanese products to Europe. We work on the ground, and share what we learn on note.

About us

Working across the UK, Europe and Japan, on a wide range of projects.

LondonLisbonMaltaBudapestHong KongTokyoNara
Connected from London

From our base in London, we act as a partner to Japanese companies, business leaders, sole traders and individuals doing business overseas.

Some projects are practical — incorporating a UK company, opening a bank account, answering a letter from HMRC. Others are ventures: helping European businesses enter Japan, taking a craft product to European buyers, joining a tech conference in Lisbon, or reviving a closed school in rural Nara. From planning through to delivery on the ground, we handle it end to end.

Base
London
Working across
UK · EU · Japan
Language
Japanese & English
The London Eye under a blue sky
London
A yellow tram in Lisbon
Europe
A street in Japan lined with cherry blossoms
Japan
Our base

From London, to Europe and Japan.

Project spotlight

What we’ve been working on

A closer look at one of our recent projects.

Regional revitalisation · Nara, Japan

「遊び」が地方を変える BLUE ROSE × Bishamon UKが御杖村の廃校から挑む、新しい地方創生

Together with BLUE ROSE, we’re turning a closed school in Mitsue Village into a place built around play — a new approach to bringing life back to rural Japan.

Read the story
Journal

Notes from London

What we see on the ground and the projects we’re part of — written regularly on note (in Japanese).

Updated automatically from note See all articles (Japanese)
Services

From first idea to running the business, we stay with you.

We partner with Japanese companies launching new businesses and setting up bases in the UK and Europe — from planning through to day-to-day operations on the ground. We don’t just handle paperwork and leave. As your team in London, we stay with you until the business is up and running. We also welcome enquiries from sole traders and individuals.

How our end-to-end support works

  1. STEP 01

    Plan

    • Market and competitor research
    • Choosing the country and location
    • Business plan and financial model
    • Company structure and tax design
  2. STEP 02

    Launch

    • Incorporation and bank accounts
    • Office and local base
    • Hiring local staff
    • Finding partners and first customers
  3. STEP 03

    Run & grow

    • Accounting, tax and HMRC
    • Local sales and marketing
    • Trade shows and client meetings
    • Expanding to the next market
Skyscrapers in the City of London
Start-up support

New business launch

When you start something new abroad, we work alongside you at every step — from testing the idea to winning your first customers.

  • Business planning
  • Market testing
  • Brand & marketing
  • First customers & partners
Tower Bridge under a blue sky
Your base in Europe

Overseas base setup & operations

Everything you need to set up in the UK or EU — company, banking, tax, hiring — and ongoing support once you are operating.

  • UK & EU companies
  • Banking & accounting
  • HMRC & tax
  • Recruitment
  • IP & trademarks
People strolling by the Thames on a sunny day
Personal support

Sole traders & individuals

Not just companies — we also help sole traders and individuals: starting out as a sole trader in the UK, relocation and visas, tax and HMRC questions, and everyday admin.

  • Sole traders
  • Freelancers
  • Relocation & visas
  • Personal tax & HMRC
  • One-off questions
A bright modern building interior
Bank accounts

Bank account opening

Support opening personal and business bank accounts in the UK and Europe, including bank accounts that can handle crypto assets — from choosing a bank to preparing documents and applying.

  • Personal bank accounts
  • Business bank accounts
  • Digital banks
  • Crypto-friendly bank accounts
  • Document preparation
A pagoda with Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms
Market entry

Taking Japan to Europe

Bringing Japanese products, food and services to European customers — sales channels, partners and test sales.

  • Made in Japan
  • Japanese food
  • Exports
  • Sales channels
A team smiling around a laptop
Hands-on delivery

Projects & events

Exhibiting at and attending trade shows and conferences, tech, FinTech and gaming, and regional projects in Japan.

  • Trade shows
  • Gaming / AI / FinTech
  • Regional projects
  • Project management
Mount Fuji beyond a field of flowers
Advice & support

Inbound to Japan

Advice and hands-on support for UK and European companies and people doing business in Japan — entering the Japanese market, setting up a base, finding local partners, and building services for visitors to Japan. We know both sides, and we stay with you throughout.

  • Entering the Japanese market
  • Japanese entity & base
  • Local partners
  • Inbound tourism business
  • Working with regions

We can help when you want to…

  • Set up a company or base in the UK or EU
  • Launch a new business abroad but aren’t sure where to start
  • Sell Japanese products or services in Europe
  • Hand local admin and tax to a partner you can trust
  • Use trade shows to find European business partners
  • Have someone look after your overseas base on an ongoing basis
  • Start working in the UK as a sole trader
  • Open a bank account that can also handle crypto assets
  • Expand from Europe into Japan
  • Build a business for visitors to Japan
Talk to us about end-to-end support

Have a plan abroad? Let’s talk.

Company or individual, concrete project or just an idea — tell us what you have in mind. We’re happy to talk in Japanese or English.

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