Ten steps from inquiry to aftercare
You may contact us at any stage. When you commission both design and construction, design, basic planning, and perspective drawings are provided at no charge.
Inquiry and hearing
After you contact us by phone or form, we discuss your aims, schedule, and budget. In some cases we can provide a rough estimate from the form alone.
Property viewing and site survey
Viewings take about one hour. We measure the space, check equipment and remaining fixtures, and take photographs.
Basic design
A plan and design drawings typically take about one week to ten days.
Estimate and colour scheme
Estimates are usually ready within one week after the design. We obtain samples of finishes and materials for review.
Regulatory checks and revisions
We check applicable laws and ordinances and prepare applications. Drawings can be revised as many times as needed.
Cost, schedule, and funding
We propose cost reductions that do not compromise quality, and can share information on leasing and financing. Night work is available.
Contract and detailed design
The contract sets out the scope and warranties. Detailed design usually takes about two weeks. Construction insurance is arranged.
Construction and official applications
Work begins after we greet neighbouring premises. The assigned designer supervises the site. We file the required applications on your behalf.
Handover and inspections
We hand over the premises after final cleaning and a checklist review, and attend official inspections through approval. The operator (or a proxy) must also attend.
Aftercare
We handle even a single light bulb and keep records of consumables. Please contact us after opening, even with small matters.
Published time guides
The durations below are only those written on the current site. Steps without a published duration are marked as such. No additional numbers have been added.
The current site’s FAQ also notes a shortest published case: design in one week and construction in ten days for a 20-tsubo bar. That is an example, not a standard period.
Construction period by type of work
Figures as printed on this site’s gallery category pages. Prices are omitted here.
| Type of work | Construction period (as published) | Source page |
|---|---|---|
| Bar | 1–3 weeks | Restaurants / bar gallery |
| Nightclub / cabaret | 3 weeks–60 days | Restaurants / bar gallery |
| Café, restaurant, or dining | 3 weeks–40 days (one published example: 4 weeks) | Restaurants / bar gallery |
| Japanese cuisine, sushi, or yakiniku | 3 weeks–40 days (one published example: 30 days) | Restaurants / bar gallery |
| Specialty stores | 2–3 weeks | Specialty store gallery |
| Apparel stores | 1–3 weeks | Specialty store gallery |
| Office | Published examples: 3 weeks and 2 weeks | Office gallery |
| Hair salon | Published example: 4 weeks | Hair salon gallery |
| Clinic | 1–4 weeks | Clinic gallery |
| Esthetic and other beauty salons | 1–4 weeks | Salon gallery |
| Dance studio or gallery | 2–3 weeks | Salon gallery |
Official windows that sit around the works
These are not extra construction days. They are filing and inspection points that must be built into the programme, especially for restaurants.
Sources
- Shop Design Laboratory, English process and schedule, opening chart, and gallery category pages — steps, published durations, and construction periods by type.
- Shinagawa City, “To start a restaurant or similar business” — consult the health centre with drawings before construction; apply about ten days before planned completion; inspection, then permit (issuance can take several days).
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Bureau of Public Health, overview of business permits and notifications — submit documents around ten days before planned completion.
- Tokyo Fire Department, tenant-use guidance — seven-day construction-plan and use-start filings.
This guide is not legal advice. It is general information for planning a store in Japan, checked against official sources on 13 November 2026 (JST). Laws, ordinances, fees, and forms differ by municipality and can change. Please confirm the current rules with the competent authorities — for example the local health centre, fire station, building official, Legal Affairs Bureau, or Immigration Services Agency — and with qualified professionals.
Talk through your opening plan
Shop Design Laboratory (Design Directors Co., Ltd.) provides store design and construction as one project in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba. When you commission both design and construction, design, basic planning, and perspective drawings are provided at no charge. Consultations and estimates are free. We can accompany a property viewing and file required official applications on your behalf.
Phone hours: weekdays 9:00–18:00 (Japan time). International: +81-3-6279-3077. You may use the contact form, call, or email us.