Your trusted legal partner for investment and assets in Japan
Top-tier and international-firm experience, delivered directly and personally. We help clients with inbound investment into Japan and cross-border succession — in fluent English. Where big firms and consultancies are costly and slow, we offer the same expertise with reasonable fees and real agility.
Established in September 2024, we’ve marked our second anniversary — and in a demanding market we’ve had the privilege of being trusted by international high-net-worth individuals and the Japan operations of reputable global companies. We’re grateful to earn that trust, one relationship at a time.
What sets us apart from other firms
Rare among boutique practices: the pedigree of a leading international firm, combined with the agility and reasonable fees that large firms and consultancies simply cannot offer.
An International-Firm Pedigree
16 years training at leading domestic and major international (gaishi) law firms — the kind of top-tier background you rarely find in a solo or boutique practice. You get that expertise directly.
Currently Advising Foreign Companies
This isn’t past experience on a résumé — we advise foreign companies and high-net-worth individuals to this day. That means current, real-world command of the cross-border issues your matter involves.
Half the Cost, Same Quality
International firms typically bill USD 1,000+ per lawyer per hour. We deliver the same caliber of advice at less than half the price — no bloated teams, no unnecessary overhead.
Agility Big Firms Can’t Match
No committees, no layers, no slow turnaround. You work directly with the lawyer and get fast, flexible responses — the nimbleness that large firms and consultancies structurally cannot provide.
Truly Bilingual
Communicate directly with your lawyer in fluent English — no translation layer, no misunderstandings, no meaning lost between you and Japanese law.
One Team, Full Speed
For each matter we assemble a dedicated team of specialists — tax advisors, accountants, patent attorneys, judicial scriveners, and local counsel abroad — and move at top speed, all coordinated through a single point of contact.
How we help cross-border clients
Large firms and consultancies are expensive and slow to move. We deliver the same senior-level expertise with the agility and reasonable fees that international matters actually need.
Inbound Cross-Border Transactions
Everything you need to invest in Japan, acquire or combine businesses, and start operating here — with a bilingual lawyer guiding each step and coordinating tax, accounting, and registration specialists in one place.
- Inbound investment into Japanese companies
- Venture & startup investment
- Cross-border M&A
- Business Succession in Japan
- Company / subsidiary formation in Japan
- Market-entry structuring & regulation
- Japanese law governed contracts / negotiations
For example: investing in or acquiring a stake in a Japanese company or venture, executing a cross-border M&A or business succession, or setting up a legal entity to launch your business in Japan.
Cross-Border Succession, Wills & Family Trusts
Estate and inheritance matters that span Japan and another country — handled in fluent English, with the sensitivity these family matters deserve. We also design and draft family trusts (kazoku shintaku) as a flexible tool for asset management and succession.
- General advice on Japanese inheritance law
- Family trust (kazoku shintaku) design & drafting
- Will drafting under Japanese law
- Will execution for Japan-based assets
- Support for overseas heirs
- For non-Japanese-speaking clients abroad
- Estate administration & probate coordination
For example: you hold assets in Japan and want a family trust structured and documented to manage and pass them on — or you need a valid will and its execution — or you are of Japanese descent living abroad, not confident in Japanese, and need help putting these arrangements in place.
Strategic Legal Consultation & Guidance
Not every need starts as a defined case. Thinking of doing business in Japan but unsure where to begin — what options you have for establishing a presence here, or how adjacent matters like tax, accounting, and immigration fit together? This is where we help you think it through, before anything becomes a formal engagement.
Many firms only step in once there’s an actual matter to bill, and some offer only light, sales-driven hand-holding. A consulting firm, meanwhile, advises without a lawyer’s grounding. We bring nearly two decades of legal practice — and the professional network built across that career — to give you clear, legally-grounded guidance, and to connect you with the right trusted specialists when you need them. It’s the service our clients tell us they value most.
Past consultations have ranged widely — from someone who ran into trouble while traveling in Japan, to a family member seeking to understand Japan’s criminal justice system after a relative was arrested here, to a company facing a problem in the middle of a transaction with a Japanese counterparty.
- Where & how to establish a presence in Japan
- Tax & accounting considerations
- Immigration & visa guidance
- Introductions to vetted professionals
- Trouble while traveling in Japan
- Understanding Japan’s criminal justice system
- Problems with a Japanese counterparty
- Grounded in ~20 years of legal practice
- Efficient, network-driven advice
What clients come to us with
A few examples of the questions and situations we’re asked to help with — so you can picture how we might help you. Details are generalized to protect client confidentiality.
“I want to start a business in Japan — what types of company can I set up, what do incorporation and the procedures cost, and do I need professionals like a tax accountant? I’d like to understand the whole picture first.”
How we helped
We walked the client through the entity options available in Japan — such as a kabushiki kaisha (KK) and a godo kaisha (GK) — comparing their setup costs, procedures, and trade-offs. We then mapped out where adjacent specialists fit in (for example, a tax accountant for tax structuring and a judicial scrivener for registration), giving a clear end-to-end picture before any commitment.
“A family member caused a traffic accident while traveling in Japan and was arrested by the police. Could you explain how the Japanese criminal justice system works — and can someone go to visit them at the police station?”
How we helped
We explained how Japan’s criminal process works — arrest, the detention timeline, questioning, the role of the prosecutor, and what to expect at each stage — in plain English for the family. We also arranged to visit the detained individual at the police station, so they were not left alone and unsupported in an unfamiliar system.
“Our counterparty is a Japanese company and the contract is governed by Japanese law. For the negotiation, we’d like advice on how Japanese law treats certain specific clauses.”
How we helped
We reviewed the clauses in question under Japanese law, explained how they would actually be interpreted and enforced, and flagged where the drafting favored the counterparty. We then gave the client concrete negotiating positions and alternative wording — so they could push back with confidence rather than sign on unfamiliar terms.
“We’ve set up a company and launched our business in Japan, and now we’re looking for a Japanese-law legal adviser we can consult day to day — for corporate secretarial work, ongoing maintenance, and running the business.”
How we helped
We stepped in as the client’s go-to Japanese-law adviser on a retainer basis — handling corporate secretarial and ongoing maintenance matters (board and shareholder formalities, routine filings, contract and employment questions) and being available for the everyday questions that come up as the business runs. One trusted point of contact, in English, whenever they need it.
“My parent owns real estate in Japan, and I’d like to understand how Japanese inheritance law applies to it. I’d also like support with preparing a will covering that property.”
How we helped
We explained how Japanese inheritance law would apply to the property — heirs, statutory shares, and the procedures involved — and how that interacts with the family’s situation abroad. We then supported the preparation of a valid will covering the Japanese real estate, so the parent’s wishes are clearly documented and the succession can proceed smoothly.
“We’re considering a deal with a Japanese company and would like a company search done. We’re also looking at a transaction with a particular individual — can you introduce a credit agency that can support a credit check and background check?”
How we helped
We carried out a company search on the corporate counterparty — confirming its registered details and corporate standing — and explained what the results meant for the proposed deal. For the individual, we introduced a trusted credit-reporting agency from our network to handle the credit and background check, and helped the client read the findings in the context of the transaction.
The right expert for every need
After we hear you out, we take the time to understand and analyze what you actually need, then advise on the best way to approach it. Not every concern can be solved by a lawyer alone — so, drawing on the relationships built over nearly 20 years of practice, we bring in the right professional for your matter and coordinate them on your behalf.
Top-firm quality, at half the price
We believe in transparency. Here is the standard hourly rate that applies to most matters — set deliberately at half of what the same work would cost at an international firm.
Applied as the standard rate across most engagements; it may be higher depending on the nature and complexity of the matter.
This rate is precisely half of my final hourly rate during my years at a leading international law firm — the same caliber of work, without the international-firm price tag.
On a budget? Let’s find a way.
If cost is a concern, we can put together a proposal with a per-matter estimate and adjust the scope to fit your budget. Many engagements can be structured as a fixed fee rather than hourly.
The most important thing is simply to take the first step. Reaching out costs you nothing — there is no charge to ask about our scope of work or to receive an estimate.
Ask Us — It’s FreeFor overseas individual clients, we ask for an initial deposit (retainer) upon engagement, sized to the matter. The specific amount is set in your engagement agreement — so you’ll know exactly what to expect, with no surprises.
Rates are exclusive of tax; Japanese consumption tax may apply depending on the circumstances. Final fees are confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Daisuke Shimodaira
For 16 years I trained and practiced at leading domestic and international law firms, and worked in-house at two companies as a member of both the legal and business teams. That combination gave me something rare: the technical rigor of a top firm, paired with a real understanding of how businesses actually operate.
At major-name firms, fee structures and service scope are rigid — and many clients told me they felt they couldn’t ask for the flexible, everyday support they truly needed. I founded DS Law Office to be exactly that: the approachable, experienced lawyer you can turn to for anything, big or small.
For each matter, I personally lead a hand-picked team of trusted specialists — tax advisors, accountants, patent attorneys, and local counsel abroad — so the right experts move together and your work gets done at the highest speed.
“A lawyer you can consult about anything — one who stays close to your business and takes even the smallest question seriously.”
Beyond the brief: working alongside your business
Daisuke Shimodaira was recently profiled by Just Legal, the legal-sector media of recruitment firm Just Search Group. The interview traces his path from an international law firm to in-house practice and, finally, to founding DS Law Office — and explains how that path shapes the way we work with clients.
Running alongside the business, beyond the usual boundaries
Interview with Daisuke Shimodaira, Representative Lawyer
From training at a demanding international firm, to seeing decisions from the inside as in-house counsel, to building a practice where judgment and accountability go hand in hand — and what that means for the clients we serve today.
The original article is in Japanese.
The path that shaped our practice
Trained at an international law firm
Seeking early responsibility and cross-border work, he began his career at an international firm — learning to deliver uncompromising work product on cutting-edge matters for demanding clients.
Moved in-house
Working inside companies, including in the energy sector, revealed what outside counsel rarely sees: how decisions are really made, and the full business context behind every legal question.
Founded DS Law Office in 2024
Not to gain freedom, but to build a practice where he makes the calls and owns the results — accountable directly to clients rather than to internal targets.
What this means for you
Involved from day one
We don’t wait to be called when a contract needs drafting. We work with you from the earliest stage — even site selection and business planning — so our advice reflects your actual business.
Options to move forward
Spotting risks is only half the job. Grounded in an understanding of your whole business, we show you practical paths to keep moving — not just reasons to stop.
Relationships built to last
We treat legal work as a service. Careful work on every matter, and genuine care for each client, matter more to us than short-term billing.
On why he chose to go independent:
“I simply felt it was the healthier way to practice.”— From the Just Legal interview (translated) Talk to Us — It’s Free
Simple, transparent, and free to start
Inquiries about our scope of work and fee estimates are always free. Reach out with confidence.
Get in Touch
Send us a message in English describing your situation. No obligation, and your inquiry stays confidential.
Free 15-Minute Consultation
In a free 15-minute consultation, we talk through your situation and give you an overview of how it can be approached, what options exist, and the likely path forward. Consultations are held online as a rule; in-person meetings are available for clients in Tokyo.
Clear Estimate
You receive a transparent quote or retainer plan, so you know exactly what to expect.
We Get to Work
Direct, responsive support from your lawyer — by phone or email, in fluent English.
Before formally accepting an engagement, we carry out a client identity verification (KYC) check in accordance with applicable laws and the requirements of the bar association. Your information is handled in strict confidence.
Got a question? Just reach out!
Tell us about your business, concerns and your legal needs — whether you’d like an inquiry about scope & fees or want to request a 15-minute free consultation. We’ll respond promptly in English.
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OfficeToranomon Hills Business Tower 15F
1-17-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-6415 - Hours9:00 – 18:00 · Closed Saturdays & Sundays
- AccessDirect connection to Toranomon Hills Station (Hibiya Line); also near Toranomon Station (Ginza Line)
- FormatOnline as a rule; in-person available for clients in Tokyo
Send an Inquiry
Inquiries about scope and fee estimates are free of charge.