Yes, when a Japanese company signs an agreement governed by English law without an establishment in England and Wales. Japan's banks, trading houses and lessors are long standing users of English law documentation, and the process agent clause travels with it as standard.
Japan's English law patterns
Japanese megabanks and regional lenders participate heavily in London syndicated facilities, the sogo shosha trading houses contract for commodities and projects under English law, Japanese lessors finance aircraft and ships on English law documents, and ISDA Master Agreements connect Tokyo desks with London counterparties. In each case the Japanese party, where it has no England and Wales establishment, is asked to appoint an agent for service here.
Precision and predictability
Japanese legal and documentation teams value process certainty, and the appointment provides exactly that: a fixed fee published in advance, from £125 per year, a defined turnaround of two to three working days for the letter of appointment, confirmation usually within 24 hours, and JPY invoicing with no UK VAT for overseas clients. The nine hour time difference means instructions sent from Tokyo in the afternoon are processed the same UK day.
Appointing from Japan
Due diligence uses standard corporate documents, correspondence runs in English by email, and scanned letters reach your solicitors immediately with originals couriered to Japan where required. Aircraft and shipping teams will find the sector detail on our aircraft lease and shipping pages. Begin at the order form.