How to choose a web design agency in Japan – criteria, red flags and contracts

Three things to decide before you compare agencies

Knowing what matters to your business makes it much easier to choose a web design agency. With clear priorities, you judge proposals on substance and stay less swayed by a polished pitch.

• Goal: inquiries, bookings, job applications or online sales – the action you want more of
• After launch: will your staff post news and products, or should the agency handle updates too?
• Budget view: compare the setup fee alone, or the total cost over roughly three years including maintenance

The third point is easy to miss. A low setup fee with a high monthly fee can cost more within a few years. Give every candidate the same brief and ask for quotes on the same scope. For the main types of providers, see web design companies in Japan, and for the trade-offs between solo designers and firms, freelancer vs agency.

What to compare between agencies

These are the points where agencies really differ. Ask each candidate the same questions and write the answers down – the gaps become obvious.

• Proposal quality: do they understand your business and customers, and talk concretely about structure and the path to an inquiry?
• Itemized quote: pages, design, copywriting, photos, CMS setup and basic SEO listed separately
• Platform: a widely used CMS such as WordPress, Shopify or BASE, or a proprietary system only they can edit
• Your contact: who handles the project, and is it the same person during and after the build?
• Communication: response times and channels that suit you – email, chat, calls, English or Japanese
• Post-launch support: how to request changes, what it costs and how fast they respond

Our guide to website quotes in Japan explains how to read an estimate and what each line item typically covers. A simple comparison table also makes the decision easier to explain to colleagues.

Red flags to catch before you sign

Most contract disputes over websites could have been spotted before signing. If you hear any of the following, take the paperwork home and decide later.

• "Zero setup cost" paired with a five- or seven-year term and a heavy cancellation fee
• A lease-style contract where you keep paying for the remaining term even if you stop
• The domain or hosting registered in the agency's name, with no clear transfer process
• A proprietary CMS that only they can edit and no agreed way to export your content
• Promises of a number one ranking or guaranteed sales
• A quote that only says "package" with no breakdown
• Pressure to sign today for a discount

Lease-type website contracts in particular are a frequent source of complaints in Japan. When something is unclear, ask the agency to point to the clause and confirm the answer in writing.

Contract clauses worth checking

A web design contract decides who does what when something goes wrong. At minimum, check how these clauses are written.

• Copyright: who owns the design, copy and photos after delivery
• Domain and hosting: registered to your company, with logins handed over
• Deliverables and acceptance: what counts as delivered and how long you have to review
• Revisions: how many rounds are included and what triggers extra fees
• Defect liability: how long bugs found after launch are fixed free of charge
• Maintenance: what the monthly fee covers, response times, minimum term
• Termination and handover: notice period, any cancellation fee, how data and accounts are returned

Under Japanese copyright law, the creator keeps the copyright unless the contract transfers it. If you want ownership, the contract should explicitly include the adaptation rights in Articles 27 and 28 of the Copyright Act, so you can modify the site freely later. Moral rights cannot be transferred in Japan, so contracts usually include a clause that the creator will not exercise them. Stock photos and fonts carry their own licenses, so check those terms too. For a large or unusual contract, a short review by a lawyer is money well spent.

Stay free to switch later

Whether you can move to another provider later depends almost entirely on what you secure at launch. Make sure you hold the following:

• Login to the domain registrar, with your company listed as the registrant
• Admin accounts for hosting and the CMS
• Ownership of GA4, Search Console, Google Business Profile and ad accounts
• Source files for the logo and design, and a list of the photos used
• A way to make a full backup of the site

With these in hand, a handover to a new agency is routine. If you are already unhappy with your current provider, see how to switch web agencies for the steps.

How UNANOBO works: see the result and the terms first

Before you commit, UNANOBO builds a free demo site around your brand. You judge the work on your own site, on your computer and phone, and decide whether to go ahead once you like what you see.

The process is simple: free demo, feedback, launch, growth. The founder handles every project personally, so you have one contact from the first demo to improvements after launch. Everything runs by message, in Japanese or English. Your domain, analytics and ad accounts stay in your name, and the site is built on widely used platforms such as WordPress, Shopify or BASE.