Website design quotes in Japan – how to read them, and how to get ours with a free demo

Why website design quotes in Japan vary so much

Two quotes for the same "ten-page company site" can range from a few hundred thousand yen to several million. As a general guide, a small template-based site in Japan typically runs a few hundred thousand yen, a custom-designed corporate site often falls around 500,000 to 2,000,000 yen, and larger or feature-heavy sites go higher. The main drivers:

• Design approach: an adjusted template or a layout designed from scratch for your brand
• Pages: how many, and what counts as a page – home, inner pages, blog list, forms
• Copy and photos: supplied by you, or written and shot by the agency
• CMS and features: news updates, booking, online sales, multiple languages
• After launch: whether maintenance, update work or marketing support is included

Before judging a price as high or low, check what is in it and what is left out. For typical budgets, see website cost in Japan.

Reading a website quote line by line

Line names differ between agencies, but most Japanese quotes (見積書) break down into these items. Here is what to check for each:

• Direction / project management (ディレクション費): meetings, scheduling and quality checks, often 10–20% of the total. Ask who will actually manage your project
• Planning and wireframes: designing structure and the path to an inquiry. If this line is missing, check whether you are expected to plan the pages yourself
• Design: usually priced separately for the home page and inner pages. Check how many concepts you get and how many revision rounds
• Coding and CMS setup: confirm mobile layouts are included and which parts you can edit yourself
• Copywriting and photography: "client-supplied" (お客様支給) means preparing materials is your job
• SEO basics and tracking: page titles and descriptions, GA4 and Search Console setup
• Hosting and domain: setup fee, yearly cost and whose name the contracts are in
• Maintenance: what the monthly fee covers – number of updates, backups, CMS updates – and the contract length

A quote that only says "production, complete set" (制作一式) is hard to compare and tends to grow later. Ask for an itemized breakdown with the scope of each line in writing.

Comparing quotes: a checklist

Request quotes from two or three agencies using the same brief, then put the answers side by side in a simple table:

• Same number of pages, with the same content on each
• Design revision rounds included, and the cost of extra rounds
• Who prepares copy and photos
• Time to launch, and how many days are planned for your reviews
• Monthly fees after launch, minimum contract term and cancellation terms
• Domain, hosting and GA4 accounts registered in your name
• Copyright and usage rights for the design and files

Be careful with very low setup fees paired with long monthly contracts. Over the full term they can cost more, and early cancellation may carry a penalty. How specific the proposal is and how clearly your questions are answered also tell you a lot. More on this in how to choose a web agency.

What to prepare before requesting a quote

Accurate quotes need clear input. A one-page brief with the points below, sent to every agency, gets you quotes you can actually compare:

• Goal: inquiries, bookings, recruiting or online sales – the one action you want more of
• Pages: a rough list, e.g. about, services, pricing, FAQ, contact
• Materials: whether you have logo files, photos and text
• Updates: which pages you want to edit in-house and how often
• References: two or three sites you like, and why
• Budget and timing: a rough budget range and your target launch date

Sharing a budget range feels awkward, yet it lets agencies propose what fits. The full process is covered in how to order a website.

How UNANOBO quotes: free demo first, then the numbers

Picturing a finished site from a list of numbers is hard for anyone. So before you commit, UNANOBO builds a free demo site around your brand. You open it on your computer and phone, send feedback, and then receive a scope and quote based on the structure you have actually seen.

The quote lists the page structure, the work included and the options for running the site after launch, item by item, so you can compare it directly with other agencies. Domains, ad and analytics accounts stay in your name. The founder handles every project personally, from the first demo to growth after launch, and everything runs by message in Japanese or English.