Contract Management Services

Japanese shoot contracts sit where many forces meet.

They draw on METI support frames, Japan Film Commission guidance, and the Labour Standards Act. They also draw on the agency-led talent system that shapes work with Toho, NHK, and the commercial TV networks. Crew deals, talent deals, location releases, vendor contracts, co-production treaties, and rights clearances each follow their own norms. Small drafting choices can decide whether a shoot in Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka moves smoothly or stalls before cameras roll. Our team works with entertainment lawyers who walk this ground every day for global shoots.

We draft from trade-standard templates tuned to your job. From there we run the talks, signing, and ongoing admin all the way through to wrap.

We sort out late hours rules, rest period needs, and agency exclusivity clauses early. Image and residual rights, plus arbitration frames under Japanese civil code, get settled before they turn into problems. Standard deals turn around in 24 hours. Complex co-production forms often land within two to five business days. We promise a contract frame that guards your shoot from start to finish and keeps ties with Japanese partners intact.

Cross-border co-productions add another layer to manage. Deals that split rights between a foreign producer and a Japanese partner must align treaty terms, revenue shares, and delivery duties. We work with legal teams in each jurisdiction so one clause does not undercut another. Broadcaster and platform deals with NHK, TBS, Fuji TV, or Netflix Japan carry their own delivery and rights terms. We fold those obligations into the contract set early, so financing and distribution stay clear before the shoot starts.

Records and language matter as much as the terms. Every contract is prepared and stored in both Japanese and English, so each party signs a version it can fully read. We keep a single, secure file of executed agreements, releases, and permits for the whole production. That archive supports payroll, insurance claims, and any later rights query. Consumption tax at 10% and currency in JPY are stated plainly, so foreign producers see exactly what each Japanese deal will cost.