Last spring, the owner of an Osaka dental clinic put three quotes on the table in front of me. Same brief, same clinic, same ten pages. The first said ¥180,000. The second said ¥650,000. The third said "¥0 upfront" and ¥33,000 a month for five years.
"Which one is the real price?" she asked.
All three, in a way. And that's exactly why "how much does a website cost?" is one of the most confusing questions a business owner in Japan can ask. The website cost in Japan ranges from almost nothing to several million yen, and two quotes with the same headline number can contain completely different things.
I run a small web and IT consultancy in Ashiya, and we quote websites for Kansai businesses every month. So here's an honest breakdown of what websites actually cost in 2026, what pushes the price up, the running costs people forget, and the contract traps I see far too often.
All prices below are in Japanese yen, because that's what you'll see on any quote in Japan, whether you're a local company or an international business setting up here. The ranges are typical market ranges from our experience, not official statistics. Every project is different.
How much does a website cost in Japan? The four price tiers
Roughly speaking, you'll be choosing between four kinds of providers.
1. DIY builders: ¥0 to a few thousand yen per month
Wix, Jimdo, STUDIO (a popular Japanese no-code builder), or a WordPress theme you set up yourself. You pay a monthly subscription or hosting fee, and you do the work.
- Good for: a brand-new business testing an idea, a one-person shop, a simple portfolio.
- The hidden cost: your time. Most owners I talk to underestimate it by a factor of five. Writing, choosing photos, setting up the domain, learning the tool, fixing the mobile layout. And SEO basics are usually left at the default settings.
2. Freelancers: roughly ¥100,000 to ¥500,000
A good freelancer can be excellent value. Many work from templates or customised themes, and the price depends heavily on their experience.
- Good for: small sites with a clear brief, when you already have your text and photos.
- Watch out for: what happens if the person becomes unavailable. Make sure you have the login details, the domain in your name, and a copy of the files.
3. Small agencies: roughly ¥300,000 to ¥1,500,000
This is where SolidTech sits. To give you an honest reference point: our corporate sites start from around ¥300,000 for a 5–10 page site, delivered in 4–6 weeks. A landing page takes 2–3 weeks. The price goes up with custom features, multilingual versions or a lot of content work.
- Good for: SMBs that want a site designed around their business goals, with SEO, mobile performance and a contact flow built in, plus someone to call afterwards.
- What you're paying for: a team (design, development, copy, sometimes photography) and a process, not just a template.
4. Large agencies: often ¥2,000,000 and up
Big production companies in Tokyo and Osaka run projects with brand strategy workshops, user research, project managers and large teams. Quotes in the millions or tens of millions of yen are normal at this level.
- Good for: large companies with complex sites, many stakeholders and a brand budget.
- For most SMBs: you'd be paying for layers of process you don't need.
What actually drives the price of a website?
When two quotes are very different, it's usually because of these factors. Ask about each one.
Number of pages and templates. Ten pages that share one layout cost less than ten pages that each need a different design. Ask how many unique page types are included.
Original design vs. template. A template-based site is faster and cheaper. An original design takes longer but fits your brand and your customers. There's a middle ground: a well-built design system adapted to you. Neither is wrong; just know which one you're buying.
CMS (content management). Can you edit your own news, menu, prices or events? A CMS like WordPress or a custom admin panel adds cost upfront but saves you from paying for every small text change later. For a restaurant client, we built a simple event calendar the staff update themselves. That's worth more than a fancy animation.
Copywriting. This is the most underrated line on any quote. Many cheap quotes assume you provide all the text. If you don't have time to write it, the project stalls for weeks. Professional copy that is written for your customers and for Google is a real cost, and a real difference.
Photography. Stock photos are cheap, but customers can tell. Real photos of your team, shop and work build trust much faster. A professional shoot is an extra line item, but it's usually some of the best money you'll spend. We offer business photography for exactly this reason.
Multilingual versions. Each language is close to a new set of content: translation, layout checks, separate SEO. For businesses targeting inbound tourists or foreign clients, it's essential, but budget for it.
Booking, e-commerce and integrations. Online reservations, payments, LINE integration, member areas, connections to your existing systems. These are where prices can jump, because they're real software, not just pages.
SEO setup. Page titles, meta descriptions, structured data, site speed, Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and a link to your Google Business Profile. Some quotes include this properly; some just write "SEO対策" and do almost nothing. Ask exactly what is included.
The running costs people forget
The build is only the beginning. Here's what a typical small business site costs to keep alive each year. Again, these are common ranges, not fixed prices.
- Domain name: a .com is usually around a couple of thousand yen per year; a .co.jp domain typically costs more, often several thousand yen per year.
- Hosting: shared or managed hosting for a small business site is usually somewhere around ¥1,000 to ¥5,000 per month, more for high traffic or e-commerce.
- SSL certificate (https): often free and included with modern hosting. If someone charges you a large annual fee for a basic certificate, ask why.
- Maintenance and updates: WordPress core, themes and plugins need regular updates for security. Maintenance plans commonly range from a few thousand to a few tens of thousands of yen per month, depending on what's included.
- Content updates: new staff, new services, new prices. Either you do it via the CMS, or you pay per change.
If you skip maintenance entirely, the site doesn't just get old. It becomes a security risk.
Red flags in website quotes
Back to that dental clinic and the "¥0 upfront" offer. Here's what I look for whenever a client shows me a quote.
Lease-style contracts that lock you in for years. Some "free website" deals are actually long-term contracts (often five years or more) where you pay monthly for a site you never really own. If you want to cancel, you may owe the remaining balance. Because these are business contracts, the consumer protections people expect, like cooling-off periods, generally don't apply. Do the math: ¥33,000 × 60 months is ¥1,980,000, for a site that a small agency might have built for a fraction of that.
You don't own your domain. The domain should be registered in your company's name, with you as the owner. If the agency owns it and you part ways, you can lose your address on the internet, along with all your search rankings and the emails tied to it.
You don't own your content. Your text, your photos and your design should be yours to keep. Ask: "If we stop working together, what do I get?" The answer should be clear and written in the contract.
Vague SEO promises. "Guaranteed first page on Google" is a warning sign. Nobody controls Google's rankings. A good provider explains what they'll set up and how you'll measure results.
No breakdown. A single number with no line items makes it impossible to compare. A professional quote lists pages, features, content work and running costs separately.
How to get website quotes you can actually compare
The easiest way to stop comparing apples with oranges is to give every provider the same brief. Before you ask for quotes, write down:
- Your goal. More phone calls? More bookings? Recruiting? Credibility with partners? One main goal per site.
- The pages you need. A simple list is enough: Home, Services, About, Works, News, Contact.
- What you'll provide. Text? Photos? Logo? Or do you need all of that created?
- Features. CMS, booking, online payments, languages, LINE or Instagram integration.
- Your timeline and a budget range. Giving a range isn't a weakness; it helps providers propose the right solution instead of guessing.
Then ask each provider to answer the same questions: Who owns the domain and the content? What's included in maintenance, and what costs extra? How long is the contract, and how do I cancel? Is the price 税込 (tax included) or 税別 (before tax)? That last one alone can explain a 10% gap.
For a deeper look at whether the investment pays off, see our article on the real ROI of a professional website. And if you already have a site and wonder whether it's worth replacing, start with 10 signs your website is losing you clients.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a simple business website cost in Japan?
For a 5–10 page corporate site built by a professional, expect roughly ¥300,000 to ¥1,000,000 with a small agency, less with a freelancer if you provide the content yourself. DIY builders cost less in money but more in time.
How long does it take to build a business website?
A small corporate site usually takes 4–6 weeks from kickoff to launch, and a single landing page 2–3 weeks. The most common cause of delay isn't development. It's waiting for text and photos.
Is a cheap website enough for a small business?
Sometimes, yes, especially at the very beginning. The problem is when a cheap site stays in place for years without SEO, mobile optimisation or a clear contact path. Check what's trending in web design for 2026 to see what visitors now expect.
Does a new website automatically bring customers from Google?
No. A well-built site gives you the foundation, but local businesses also need a complete Google Business Profile, reviews and useful content. Our guide to local SEO for small businesses covers the quick wins, and our online marketing service can handle it for you.
Should I pay monthly or upfront?
Paying upfront and then a modest monthly maintenance fee is usually the most transparent option. Monthly-only plans can work, but only if the contract is short, cancellation is clear, and you own the domain and the content.
The real answer to "how much?"
Back to the Osaka dental clinic. She didn't choose the cheapest quote or the "free" one. She chose the one where she understood exactly what she was paying for, owned everything, and could leave if she wanted to. That's the right way to think about website cost: not "what's the lowest number?" but "what will this site do for my business, and on what terms?"
If you'd like an honest quote, or a second opinion on one you've already received, take a look at our web design service or contact us for a free consultation. We'll tell you what you need, and also what you don't.
