PROCESS
From Consultation to Opening
Ten steps from your first message to opening day. Talking to us before you sign a lease makes it much easier to plan costs and dates.
SCHEDULE
Timeline counted back from opening day
- 4 months before openingConsultation, choosing candidate properties, pre-lease check
- 3 months beforeSigning the lease, hearing and budget allocation, layout proposal
- 2.5 months beforeSite survey, construction drawings and estimate, prior consultation with the health center and fire department
- 2 months beforeContract, shared schedule, construction application to the building
- 1.5 months beforeConstruction starts (demolition, groundwork, equipment, finishes)
- 1–2 weeks beforeConstruction complete, health center and fire checks, touch-ups
- 1 week beforeHandover, delivery of fixtures and equipment, staff training
- Opening dayOpen!
STEPS
Ten steps
- STEP1
Consultation (LINE, email or phone)
same dayTell us your business type, the property (or the area you are looking in), your target opening date and budget.
- STEP2
Pre-lease property check
1–3 daysFrom the listing drawings and photos, we check power, water, gas, exhaust, fire safety and the building's construction rules, and give you a cost range.
- STEP3
Hearing and budget allocation
1–2 weeksWe hear about your concept and operations, and split the budget between interior, equipment, signs, furniture and a contingency.
- STEP4
Layout proposal and rough estimate
1–2 weeksA first layout of seats and circulation, with a rough estimate by work item.
- STEP5
Site survey and detailed meetings
1 day or moreWe measure the site and confirm equipment, materials and the building's rules.
- STEP6
Construction drawings and estimate
2–4 weeksConstruction drawings and an itemized estimate with quantities and unit prices. Conditions for possible extras are written in advance.
- STEP7
Contract and shared schedule
about 1 weekAfter signing, we share a schedule counted back from your opening day, including inspections and deliveries, and apply to the building for the work.
- STEP8
Construction
2–6 weeks (depending on size)Demolition, groundwork, equipment and finishes. We report progress with photos and record hidden parts before they are covered.
- STEP9
Inspections and handover
3–7 daysHealth center and fire inspections, touch-ups, and handover with the photo records.
- STEP10
Opening and after-care
after opening, tooWe stay in touch after opening for adjustments, additions and repairs.
PERMITS
Permits and notifications to check
Food business license — restaurants, cafés, takeout
Apply to the public health center. Consult with your drawings before construction; the premises are inspected before the license is issued.
Beauty salon registration — hair salons, eyelash salons
Notify the public health center and have the facilities checked. Workroom size, lighting, ventilation and materials have standards.
Clinic opening notification — clinics
Notify the public health center (within 10 days of opening for a clinic opened by an individual doctor). X-ray equipment needs its own notification.
Notification before use — all businesses
Notify the fire station before you start using the premises. In Fukuoka City, the fire bureau asks for this at least 7 days before use and for consultation at the planning stage.
Building rules — tenant spaces
Most buildings set work hours, delivery routes and B work done by designated contractors. Drawings may need the building's approval.
General information as of September 2026. Rules and procedures can change, so check with the relevant office (public health center, fire station, Fukuoka City). Applications are made by the owner; the drawings used for prior consultations are prepared as part of our design work.
GLOSSARY
Japanese terms you will hear
- Tsubo (坪)
- A Japanese unit of floor area: 1 tsubo ≈ 3.3 m² (about 35.6 sq ft). Rents and interior costs are often quoted per tsubo.
- Skeleton (スケルトン)
- A unit handed over as bare concrete, with no finishes or equipment.
- Inuki (居抜き)
- A unit leased with the previous tenant's interior and equipment left in place. It can save cost and time, but check what actually works before you sign.
- Zosaku joto (造作譲渡)
- Handing over the previous tenant's fixtures and equipment, sometimes for a fee. Leased items belong to the leasing company, not the previous tenant.
- Genjo kaifuku (原状回復)
- Returning the premises to the condition agreed in the lease when you move out. Commercial leases often require more than residential ones.
- A, B and C work (A・B・C工事)
- How work is divided in Japanese commercial buildings. A: done and paid for by the owner. B: requested and paid for by the tenant but done by the owner's designated contractor (e.g. air conditioning, fire systems). C: done by the tenant's own contractor at the tenant's cost.
- Hokenjo (保健所)
- The public health center. It issues food business licenses and checks beauty salons and clinics. Consult it with your drawings before construction.