Japan

Franchise regulation

The Small and Medium-Sized Retail Business Promotion Act and Anti-Monopoly Act both affect franchising.

Pre-contractual disclosure requirements

There are disclosure requirements if the franchise is retail or restaurant-related. The franchisor must provide specified information before the agreement is signed, including: the capital of the franchisor and major shareholders, financial information for the past 3 years, litigation relating to the franchisor in the past 5 years, and any requirements relating to the layout and contents of a store.

Registration

No

Other issues

None

Difficulty Rating/Comments