FOR ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE JAPAN
First branch, First step.
We help you set up your first branch in Japan. Starting with a Japanese introduction, we work alongside you until people and routines in Japan can carry your work forward.
Free introductions are written by HIUP from public information. Your team can correct them at any time.
What you get
For nonprofits, companies and other organizations outside Japan that want people in Japan to understand their work, reach them, and take part.
Explain who you are, in Japanese
Translation alone rarely tells people in Japan why your work matters or how to join it. We write a Japanese explanation from your own materials: your purpose, what you actually do, who it is for and how people can take part.
Before anything goes live, you receive an English version of the same text, so your headquarters can check every fact and approve the wording.
Give people in Japan a way to reach you
A LINE inquiry button and FAQ on your introduction page answer the questions people ask first. An AI assistant replies only within content you have approved, and passes anything new or sensitive to your team.
When you need a person to reply, a Japanese-speaking staff member can handle email for you within agreed hours (Standard and above).
Keep your headquarters in the loop
Inquiries are forwarded to your headquarters by email, in English. Short updates show what people in Japan are asking and which answers could be added to the FAQ.
Decisions stay with you. We record how things are handled, so your team can understand the situation and choose its next step: continue with us, take it in-house or hand it to someone else.
A person, not just a tool. We work alongside you until you can run your Japan activities yourselves. The website, form, FAQ and AI are there to support that work, not to replace it.
AI guidance and HQ forwarding start from Starter. The free introduction is a simple page only.
Why LINE matters for inquiries in Japan
LINE is the messaging app most people in Japan already use. Its operator, LY Corporation, reported more than 100 million monthly users in Japan at the end of December 2025. Many businesses and local services in Japan take questions through LINE, so a LINE button lets people ask a short question in Japanese, in an app they know, instead of writing an email or filling in a form in English.
From Starter, we set up your own LINE Official Account and run it on Yells, HIUP's LINE platform. AI answers routine questions within content you approve and forwards the rest to your HQ.
Source: LY Corporation, 29 January 2026 (in Japanese) ↗. Monthly users are accounts that opened LINE on a smartphone at least once in the month. · Yells (yells.hiup.jp) ↗
What a free introduction looks like
A short Japanese article on HIUP's introduction listing. We write it from public information, sometimes before we first contact you, and keep it up to date with your team's corrections.
- Overview, activities, photos and a link to your official website
- Sources and the date we checked them are shown on the page
- Clearly marked as HIUP's own article, not your official site
- Your team can correct, add to or remove it at any time
- It does not include a dedicated site, inquiry handling or AI assistant
ハーバーライト・ラーニング（架空）
地域の図書館と協力し、大人向けの読み書き講座をオンラインと対面で開いている団体です。
公式サイトを見る（英語） ↗
From a first introduction to your own Japan branch
Most organizations do not need everything at once. Start where you are, move forward when it helps, and stop at any stage. By “branch” we mean a working base of people and routines in Japan, not a legal entity.
- 01 · FreeBe introducedA Japanese introduction page lets people in Japan find and understand you for the first time.
- 02 · StarterOpen your Japan baseA LINE inquiry button and FAQ on your introduction page, with AI first-line replies on Yells, connected to your headquarters.
- 03 · StandardRespond with peopleYour own Japanese website, and a Japanese-speaking person who replies, checks with HQ and writes down how to handle each case.
- 04 · PlusBuild your first branchA Japan-side lead plans activities, coordinates people and partners, and forms your team.
- 05 · Your teamRun it yourselvesRoutines, records and handover notes stay with you, so your team can carry on.
Who you'll work with
Sho Asai
CEO, HIUP LLC. · Tokyo, Japan
Running activities on the ground in Japan
For about 11 years, from its early days, Sho was involved with KIF Japan, the Japan organization of an international nonprofit headquartered in Los Angeles, eventually serving as its Secretary General. His work included:
- Recruiting and interviewing volunteers and assigning roles
- Working with 90+ volunteers on Discovery Tours across Japan
- Coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassies, chapters and local partners
- Scheduling, flight arrangements, event preparation and on-site operations
- Japan-side headquarters functions, meetings and website management
Responsibilities as described by Sho. KIF Japan's achievements as a whole belong to the many people involved.
Building the tools ourselves
HIUP is Japan's first Brevo Master Partner. We publish Japanese-language information about Brevo and support Japanese teams with setup and operations. We build websites, forms and AI tools in-house, so the person who understands your situation is also the one who sets things up.
Plans
Start free. Move to a paid plan only if and when it helps. Prices are monthly, in Japanese yen, with no setup fee, paid by card through Stripe. Prices are final: no Japanese tax is added for organizations outside Japan. Starter has no minimum term; Standard and Plus have a 3-month minimum. After that you can cancel any time, and your plan ends at the end of the current billing period.
Free
¥0
Be introduced in Japanese.
- A Japanese introduction on HIUP's listing, written by HIUP from public information
- Overview, activities, photos and your official link
- Sources and the date we checked them, shown on the page
- Your team can correct, add to or remove it at any time
Not included: a dedicated website, inquiry handling on your behalf, AI assistant, custom design.
Request a free introductionStarter
¥10,000 / month
No setup fee · No minimum term
Open your own Japan base.
- Initial interview and design
- A LINE inquiry button and FAQ added to your introduction page
- Your own LINE Official Account, set up by HIUP and run on Yells (yells.hiup.jp) ↗
- AI first-line replies in Japanese within content you approve
- Inquiries forwarded to your HQ by email, with an AI English translation
- Ongoing updates to your page information and FAQ
- An automatic short report every two weeks on what people are asking
Good to know: replies to forwarded inquiries come from your team.
Ask about StarterStandard
¥100,000 / month
No setup fee · 3-month minimum
Respond to people in Japan with a person.
- Everything in Starter
- A Japanese website built from your materials
- Email replies in Japanese by a Japanese-speaking staff member as needed, for up to 30 inquiries a month
- Checking with your HQ before replying on new topics
- Written response procedures and manuals
- Regular reports on inquiries, in English
- Video calls available as a separate option
Good to know: each inquiry includes its follow-up emails. If you regularly need more than 30 a month, we will suggest Plus.
Talk to us about StandardPlus
¥250,000 / month
No setup fee · 3-month minimum
Build your first branch in Japan.
- Everything in Standard
- A dedicated Japan lead for 10 hours a month to move your activities forward
- Activity plan, roles, team size and budget design
- Coordination with your HQ, partners and local people
- Managing progress with your members in Japan
- Standard routines and handover documents
Quoted separately: recruiting, staff pay, event and travel costs, professional services.
Talk to us about PlusNo plan includes unlimited support. Paid plans are optional and can be changed as your activities grow.
Options for your next step
Not every organization needs these. Each option is discussed case by case and quoted separately from your monthly plan. We cannot guarantee sponsorship, participants or staffing.
Event planning and operation
When a seminar, workshop or community event would help people in Japan experience your work, we plan it with you: the purpose, schedule, venue, speakers, announcements and registration, and the day itself.
Afterwards you receive a short report on what happened and what people said, to decide whether and how to continue.
Working with partner companies
Local companies sometimes want to support activities that their customers or communities care about. We help you find where your goals overlap, approach potential partners, and agree on roles such as venues, speakers or in-kind support.
We keep your organization's funds, partner contributions and our fees clearly separate.
Building your Japan team
As activities grow, someone in Japan needs to own them. We help you decide what roles you need, how volunteers or staff will work together, and how meetings, records and decisions will run.
The goal is a team that can keep going without us, with routines and handover notes in your hands.
FAQ
What does the free introduction include?
A simple Japanese page on our listing with your overview, activities, a photo and your official link. Inquiry handling, AI guidance and a dedicated site are not included.
Do we have to move to a paid plan?
No. Paid plans are optional.
Can we communicate in English?
Yes. All communication with your headquarters is in English, by email. We reply to new requests within 3 business days. Inquiries from Japan are forwarded with an AI English translation.
How do we pay, and how do we cancel?
Paid plans are billed monthly by card through Stripe, with no setup fee. Prices are final: no Japanese tax is added for organizations outside Japan. Starter has no minimum term; Standard and Plus have a 3-month minimum. After that you can cancel at any time with no cancellation fee, and your plan ends at the end of the current billing period. Prices are set in Japanese yen; we show an approximate amount in your currency, and the final amount appears at checkout.
Can HIUP publish an introduction before we approve it?
Yes, for the free introduction. It is HIUP's own article based on public information, with sources and the date we checked them, and it is clearly marked as not your official site. Tell us what to correct, add or remove, and we will update it. Websites we build under paid plans go live only after your HQ approves the content.
How is the free page different from a Starter website?
The free page is a short introduction on HIUP's listing. Starter adds a LINE inquiry button and FAQ to that same page. Inquiries go to your own LINE Official Account, run by HIUP on Yells (yells.hiup.jp): AI answers within content you approve and forwards the rest to your HQ. A dedicated Japanese website is part of Standard.
Is a “Japan branch” a legal entity? Do you set one up?
No. By branch we mean a working base of people and routines. Company registration, visas, tax and legal matters need licensed professionals, and a legal entity is not required to start with this service.
Can you guarantee members, visitors or donations?
No. We make it easier for people in Japan to understand you and reach you, but we cannot guarantee results.
Request a free introduction
Takes about two minutes. We reply by email in English. Interested in paid support? Use the same form and choose your interest.
- Submitting does not create a contract
- Already introduced on our listing? Ask us to correct, update or remove it
- Photos and detailed texts come later