Haiku 5.5

Your registered office can be anywhere in Japan, but the factory address determines your food business license (営業許可) and most subsidies. So I've ranked these by plant location. Several local grants also require certification before construction starts, so check timing early.

I checked this against current subsidy listings as of October 8, 2026. Licensing doesn't differ much by location, since the food manufacturing license is issued through the local health center under the Food Sanitation Act. For ambient, sealed products, the MHLW classified 19 new types of processed food as exempt from the sealed packaged food manufacturing license, provided the applicant proves there is no risk of botulism toxin growth without refrigeration. Source: Food Safety News, article on MHLW exemptions (undated)