We go to the Hakuba public health office in person.
Maybe you're searching for how to open a hotel in Japan, a Hakuba vacation rental license, or what's involved in converting a house into a rental here. In Japan, renting out a chalet, cabin, or holiday home — as a whole property, not a shared room — is a regulated accommodation business under the Ryokan Business Act, and it needs a permit from the local health office before you can accept a single booking.
The right time to talk to us depends on where you are: still designing, or already holding — or about to hold — the deed.
Talk to us before your design is finalized. A newly built chalet or holiday home has to meet the same facility standards as any other licensed property — guest room floor area (7㎡ per room minimum, 9㎡ if the room has a bed, plus a per-guest allowance of 3.3㎡ without a bed or 4.5㎡ with one), bathrooms that aren't visible from outside, a running-water handwashing basin at each toilet, and corridors and stairs that meet evacuation-width rules — and those standards are easier to build in than to retrofit.
New construction also goes through its own building confirmation (kakunin) process, and the ryokan permit application needs a copy of the completion inspection certificate issued at the end of it. Fire safety tends to be where projects lose the most time: required equipment — fire alarms, evacuation signage, flame-resistant curtains and carpets, extinguishers, and in some cases sprinklers — has to be planned in from the start, and the fire department has to sign off before you can apply for the permit itself. We recommend bringing your floor plan to the health office and fire department together, early. Because a ground-up build is a different project from renovating an existing property, we assess cost and timeline individually rather than quoting a general figure.
Confirm this before you sign a purchase agreement. If the property doesn't currently meet the standards above, or the change of use hasn't been checked against the Building Standards Act, that's something to find out before you own it — not after. For an existing house being converted, the paperwork depends on how much floor area is changing use: over 200㎡ requires a formal building confirmation procedure, while 200㎡ or less needs a licensed architect's certificate instead. Older Hakuba properties can also fall into cases where little or no building-confirmation paperwork is needed at all — see our full guide for the complete breakdown.
If you're buying a property that's already operating as licensed accommodation, note that the existing permit does not automatically transfer to a new owner on sale, inheritance, or merger — a separate transfer/succession application is required, and both the incoming owner and the facility itself have to meet current requirements. We recommend having this conversation before the purchase, not after.
Much of this process happens in person: sitting down with the Omachi Health Office, and separately with the local fire department, to go through your floor plan before anything is finalized. We're based in Hakuba Village, inside the area the Omachi Health Office covers, so those meetings happen face to face rather than by phone from elsewhere in Japan.
You also deal with us directly, in English — not through a layer of translation. And because we handle the ryokan permit application, the fire code notifications, and the water pollution filing under one office, you're not coordinating three separate specialists yourself; we manage the sequencing and the deadlines between them.
Correspondence is mainly by email and video call, so this works for owners who aren't based in Japan. A local management company able to reach the property within about 10 minutes is required as an on-site contact — we can talk through how that's arranged for your property at the consultation stage.
From Ryokan Business Act permit applications to all associated regulatory filings, our firm handles every step of the licensing process in Hakuba Village and the Omachi Health Office jurisdiction.
We handle all permit applications under the Ryokan Business Act — covering Hotel, Ryokan, and Simple Lodging categories. From pre-consultation at the Omachi Health Office to document preparation, submission, and on-site inspection attendance — full service through to permit issuance.
We obtain the Fire Code Compliance Certificate (mandatory for the ryokan permit application), file all required notifications, confirm equipment requirements, attend the fire department inspection, and advise on flame-retardant labelled furnishings required under Fire Service Act Article 8-3.
If your property includes bath facilities, kitchen equipment, or laundry facilities, you must file a Specified Facility Installation Notification with Nagano Prefecture at least 60 days before construction begins. We prepare and submit this filing on your behalf.
Hakuba is one of Japan's fastest-growing inbound hospitality markets. We offer full English-language consultations, document explanations, and correspondence. We support non-resident investors through the full permit application process in English.
Navigating Japan's hotel licensing system requires understanding specific legal terms. Here we explain the key concepts you'll encounter when opening a hotel or ryokan in Hakuba.
Japan's primary law governing accommodation businesses. The 2018 reform merged the Hotel and Ryokan categories into a single "Hotel/Ryokan" category, leaving two practical permit categories: ① Hotel/Ryokan and ② Simple Lodging. A permit from the prefectural governor (via Omachi Health Office for Hakuba) is required. Operating without a permit is a criminal offense.
A permit category under the Ryokan Business Act suitable for guesthouses, hostels, and small lodges. The key requirement is a minimum total floor area of 33 sqm for guest rooms (or 3.3 sqm × number of guests for properties with fewer than 10 guests). Popular for boutique Hakuba lodge operators.
A mandatory document attached to the Ryokan Business permit application, certifying that the facility complies with Japan's fire codes. Process: apply to the local fire department with floor plans → on-site inspection → certificate issued approximately 1 week after inspection. Without this certificate, the health office will not accept your ryokan permit application.
Under Fire Service Act Article 8-3, hotels and ryokan must use flame-retardant certified products (bearing the official Bouen label) for curtains, carpets, and fabric blinds. This is a legal obligation — non-compliance constitutes a fire code violation. Verification must be done during the interior construction phase.
Facilities under Japan's Water Pollution Prevention Act that may discharge wastewater, including hotel baths, laundry equipment, and kitchens. Installation requires filing a notification with Nagano Prefecture at least 60 days before construction begins. One of the most commonly overlooked requirements for new hotel operators in Japan.
The designated government office under Nagano Prefecture handling Ryokan Business Act permits for Hakuba Village, Otari Village, Omachi City, Ikeda Town, and Matsukawa Village. All pre-consultations, submissions, and facility inspections for ryokan licensing in this region go through this office.
Required when converting an existing house (or similar building) to ryokan-business use where the change-of-use floor area is 200 sqm or less and no building confirmation procedure is required. An architect certifies that the building complies with building-code-related regulations. A joint MHLW/MLIT notice dated May 28, 2026 reinforces this requirement at the time of ryokan permit licensing.
| Service | Key Scope of Work |
|---|---|
| Ryokan Business Permit (Hotel / Ryokan) | Pre-investigation · Omachi Health Office consultation · Document preparation & filing · Facility inspection support · Permit receipt |
| Ryokan Business Permit (Simple Lodging) | Hakuba, Otari, Omachi and surrounding areas |
| Fire Code Notifications (Full Set) | Pre-consultation with Ohoku Fire Department · Use Commencement & Equipment Installation Notifications · Fire Code Compliance Certificate · Inspection attendance |
| Water Pollution Prevention Act Filing | Facility confirmation (baths, kitchen, laundry) · Filing preparation · Nagano Prefecture submission · 60-day deadline management |
| Registered Particulars Change Application | Changes to capacity or facility equipment after permit acquisition. Pre-consultation with health office recommended before renovation work begins. |
| Permit Transfer / Succession Application | Change of permit holder due to sale, inheritance, or merger. Early consultation recommended before executing a sale agreement. |
* Government filing fee: Nagano Prefecture revenue stamp ¥24,000 applies to both Hotel/Ryokan and Simple Lodging permits (separate from our fees).
* Specialists including lawyers, tax accountants, architects and judicial scriveners can be introduced upon request.
Common questions we receive from foreign investors and international operators looking to open hotels or ryokan in Hakuba Village.
When converting an existing house into ryokan-business use, the required documentation depends on the total floor area subject to the change of use:
A joint notice from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (dated May 28, 2026) reinforces that this compliance confirmation is required at the time of licensing, even for properties of 200 sqm or less that do not need a building confirmation procedure. We recommend preparing the architect's certificate early.
Our office handles the preparation and collection of all required documents on your behalf.Whether your property is inside or outside our usual service area, feel free to reach out. Please use the inquiry form below and we will respond promptly.