The usual sequence
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare sets the national permit and notification system. The local health centre (hokenjo) that has jurisdiction over the premises handles the consultation, application, and inspection. In Tokyo, the Metropolitan Government publishes common forms; special wards, Hachioji, and Machida may use different forms, so the Tokyo Bureau asks you to check with the local health centre first.
Pre-consultation
Bring drawings before construction starts. The health centre checks whether the plan meets facility standards.
Build to the agreed plan
Changes to the kitchen or equipment during the works should be checked again, or the inspection may fail.
Apply
Tokyo asks for documents around ten days before the planned completion date. Application is possible at the counter or through the national online system.
Facility inspection
After completion, an inspector checks the finished premises. If something does not meet the standards, it must be corrected and inspected again.
Permit, then open
Open only after the permit is issued. Issuance can take several days after a successful inspection, so set the opening date with the health centre.
Documents commonly requested in Tokyo
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government lists the following for a new application for an ordinary food business. Always confirm the local list, because special wards may differ.
| Item | Notes from official Tokyo guidance |
|---|---|
| Business permit application | Filed at the health centre that has jurisdiction, or through the Ministry’s Food Sanitation Application System. |
| Drawings of the structure and equipment | Two copies in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government list (a plan showing equipment is typical at ward level). |
| Proof of a food sanitation supervisor | For example a food sanitation supervisor handbook, a cook’s licence, or a completion certificate from the training course. |
| Water-quality test report | Required when the business uses water other than the public water supply, a dedicated water supply, or a simple dedicated water supply (for example tank or well water). In Tokyo, a report from within the past year is requested for renewals in that situation. |
| Application fee | Set locally. Amounts differ by municipality, so they are not listed here. Pay according to the health centre’s instructions. Some online applications still require an in-person fee payment — Shinagawa City notes this. |
| Hygiene management plan | Tokyo says the plan will be checked at application or at the facility inspection. Food businesses are expected to manage hygiene in line with HACCP principles under the amended Food Sanitation Act. |
For a corporation, Tokyo generally confirms corporate existence from the corporate number on the application, so a certificate of registered matters is often unnecessary unless that number is missing or cannot be confirmed. A permit also has an expiry date; Tokyo asks that a renewal be filed about one month before it ends. We do not state a single nationwide validity period, because that is set in each prefecture or city.
The food sanitation supervisor
Appointment
A food-business operator must appoint a food sanitation supervisor (shokuhin eisei sekinisha), with limited exceptions written in the ministry ordinance. The operator must respect that person’s views.
How to qualify
In Tokyo, the standard route is a training course of about six hours, including a confirmation test, run by the Tokyo Food Sanitation Association. Certificates issued on or after 1 April 1997 are valid nationwide.
Course exemptions
Holders of certain licences — including cook, confectionery hygienist, dietitian, and registered dietitian — can be appointed without taking the course. The full exemption list is on the Tokyo Bureau’s page.
Keep knowledge current
The supervisor is expected to take periodic practical lectures so that hygiene knowledge stays up to date. Ask the local health centre about the schedule.
Notifications as well as permits
The 2018 amendment of the Food Sanitation Act, in force from 1 June 2021, revised the list of businesses that need a permit and created a notification system for many other food businesses. If your operation is not on the permit list, a notification may still be required. The ministry publishes the current lists; the local health centre will tell you which procedure applies to your menu and format.
Sources
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, information on business permits and notifications — national system, including the online application system.
- MHLW, Food Sanitation Application System.
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Bureau of Public Health, “Overview of business permits and notifications” — documents, the “about ten days before completion” timing, renewal about one month before expiry, and the note on special wards.
- Tokyo Bureau of Public Health, “Food sanitation supervisor” — duty to appoint, about six-hour course, nationwide validity of certificates from 1 April 1997, and exemptions.
- Shinagawa City, “To start a restaurant or similar business” — pre-construction consultation, application timing, inspection, and several days for permit issuance. (An example of a Tokyo special-ward procedure.)
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.
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