Most founders start tracking their company filing deadlines in a spreadsheet. They list the deadlines they know about, set calendar reminders, and hope they have not missed anything.
The problem is not the spreadsheet. The problem is knowing what to put in it.
Japan's post-formation filing obligations span multiple agencies and multiple laws. The Companies Act (会社法), the Corporation Tax Act (法人税法), the Health Insurance Act (健康保険法), the Employment Insurance Act (雇用保険法), and others each impose deadlines that a new company must meet. No single government website lists them all.
You create a spreadsheet, research deadlines from various sources, and maintain it yourself.
Pros: Fully customizable. No tool dependency. You can add your own notes and context.
Cons: You must know all the deadlines to list them. Researching across multiple agencies takes hours. If a law changes, you must update the spreadsheet yourself. No validation that your list is complete.
Biggest risk: Unknown unknowns. You cannot track a deadline you do not know exists.
You enter your formation date and entity type. The calculator generates a complete timeline.
Pros: Comprehensive from day one. Covers all agencies. Statutory references included. Updated when laws change. Available in English.
Cons: Focuses on standard filing obligations. Highly specialized industry-specific deadlines (e.g., financial services licensing renewals) may require additional tracking.
| Factor | Manual Spreadsheet | MmowW Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 4-8 hours of research | Under 2 minutes |
| Completeness | Depends on your research | Comprehensive standard coverage |
| Legal references | Self-researched | Built in |
| Maintenance | Manual updates required | Maintained by MmowW |
| Cost | Free (plus your time) | Free |
| Entity-type awareness | Manual differentiation | Automatic |
| Holiday adjustment | Manual calculation | Flagged automatically |
| Risk of missing a deadline | High (unknown unknowns) | Low (systematic coverage) |
Use our free tool to check your compliance instantly.
Try it free →Founder who thought tax notification was "whenever": A spreadsheet-only founder listed the initial registration and bank account setup but did not know about the two-month deadline for the National Tax Agency notification. The calculator would have included this deadline automatically.
HR manager at a new company tracking insurance deadlines: Social insurance enrollment has a 5-day deadline from the first employee's start date. Labor insurance has a 10-day deadline. These are easy to miss when buried in the overall formation workload. The calculator surfaces them prominently.
Company approaching year two without officer renewal: A KK with a two-year director term forgot to file the re-appointment registration. The calculator tracks officer term expirations and flags the renewal deadline before it arrives.
Q: Can I use both the calculator and a spreadsheet?
A: Absolutely. Many founders use the calculator to generate the complete deadline list, then transfer it to their own spreadsheet or project management tool for ongoing tracking. This gives you completeness from the calculator and customization from your own system.
Q: Does the calculator update if I change my formation date?
A: Yes. Simply re-run the calculator with the new date and all deadlines adjust accordingly.
Q: What if my company has industry-specific licensing deadlines?
A: The calculator covers standard formation and compliance deadlines that apply to all companies. Industry-specific licensing requirements (e.g., construction permits, food service licenses) have their own renewal cycles that should be tracked separately. MmowW Scribe's SaaS modules cover some of these industry-specific requirements.
Get your complete deadline timeline — no research required:
Use the Filing Deadline Calculator →
Deadlines identified. Now execute each filing on time. MmowW Scribe provides step-by-step guidance for every submission.
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Ready to file with confidence? MmowW Scribe guides you step by step — ¥22,000/month.
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Open the free tool →MmowW Scribe SaaS integrates compliance tools, documentation, and team management in one place.
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Loved for Safety.
Loved for Safety.