Office Relocation Schedule in Japan: Work Flow and Keys to Success

• Update:2025/4/15

You may have been selected by your company to be in charge of an office relocation, but you may not know where to start because it is all new to you.

When relocating an office, it is very important to consider what the purpose of the move is, such as reducing costs or creating a comfortable working environment. After determining your objectives, you should schedule your office relocation.

In this article, we will explain the key points to keep in mind to ensure a successful relocation, in addition to a sense of schedule and work flow for office relocation.

The sense of schedule for office relocation is 6 months to 1 year.

Relocating a company’s office requires much more preparation than simply moving offices, including selecting a new office and moving company, and packing up belongings. Notification of cancellation of the current office and restoration work must also be performed.

The estimated timeline for an office relocation is six months to one year, including preparation time. It is advisable to start planning the office relocation more than six months in advance and proceed with the preparations in an orderly manner so that the relocation can take place without delay on the scheduled relocation date.

However, the actual office relocation schedule will vary depending on the size of the office and the details of the relocation. It is important to consider in advance how long and how much preparation will be required for relocation in your company’s case, and consider the schedule for office relocation.

Office relocation work flow according to schedule

To ensure that your office relocation goes smoothly, you should plan ahead with an understanding of the actual work required for the office relocation and its flow.

Below is an overview of the relocation workflow when preparations are made 6 to 8 months in advance, as a guide to a sense of schedule for office relocation.

6-8 months in advance｜Determine objectives and create schedule

The first step is to clarify the purpose of the office relocation.

The purpose of the office relocation should be set by identifying issues and problems with the current office. As an example, if the company has grown in size and the office has become too small, the objective should be “to relocate to a larger office”.

Once the objective has been determined, set the conditions for the new office. For example, “a space with enough desk space” or “a conference room that can be used by multiple teams at the same time.

Once the objectives of the office relocation and conditions for the new office have been set, a schedule for relocation preparations is created, working backwards from the date the new office will be open for business.

4-6 months in advance｜Termination notice of current office and selection of new office

Six months prior to office relocation, send a termination notice for the current office and confirm the restoration of the space to its original condition. Office building contracts generally set the cancellation notice period at around 6 months prior to the move, so do not forget to send a cancellation notice.

In parallel with the termination notice for the current office, select a new office. When selecting a new office, it is important to consider not only whether the property itself can fulfill the purpose of the relocation, but also the rent and the surrounding environment.

Once a new office is selected, the office layout is considered. In addition to soliciting internal requests for office design, interior design, desk layout, etc., the layout should take into consideration the functionality of the office and the ease of working for the employees.

If office layout is difficult, one option is to rely on a professional office relocation company.

2-4 months prior to move｜Selection of necessary fixtures and movers

Four months prior to office relocation, office fixtures and office equipment must be selected. Consider whether the fixtures needed for the new office will be moved out of the current office or whether new ones will be purchased.

Once you have some idea of the amount of goods to be moved, you will decide on a moving company. Select a moving company for your office relocation based on the following points.

• Can the company handle large items such as office fixtures and office equipment
• Can the company schedule an appointment on the desired move date
• Does the company offer a waste pickup service
• Can the moving fee fit within the relocation cost budget

If you want to keep moving costs as low as possible, it is important to get a good price quote. Submit a request for estimates to several moving companies and check the breakdown of each cost before choosing the one that makes sense for your budget.

Some moving companies offer optional services such as waste collection and installation of telephone and Internet lines. It is recommended to check the options as well, as it may be less time-consuming than hiring another specialized company.

When actually making a request, it is not only important to consider the low cost, but also the quality of after-sales service and the extensive experience in office relocation, which will help you select the best moving company.

Also, two months prior to the move, arrange for the relocation of telephone lines and request restoration work for the current office. It is also advisable to start preparing relocation greeting cards to be delivered to clients and customers around two months prior to the move.

Same day – 2 months prior to the day of the event｜Construction and delivery of new office space and submission of various notifications

Two months prior to the office relocation, construction of the new office and delivery of newly purchased fixtures will proceed.
The main construction work includes the following.

• Interior work such as ceilings, floors, walls, etc.
• Electrical work such as adding outlets
• Telephone and internet opening, etc.

Basically, the construction of a new office is carried out by several specialized contractors. In particular, the Internet installation work should be arranged as early as possible, as it can take up to one month in some cases.

Sending greeting cards and submitting various notifications must also be completed by the day of the move.
The main notification documents and addresses for office relocation are as follows.

• Notification of change of address to bank
• Application for transfer registration to Legal Affairs Bureau
• Notification of change of address to tax office, notification of establishment, transfer, or discontinuation of payroll office, etc.
• Notification of change (correction) of name/location of business office covered by health insurance and welfare
• Pension insurance to pension office
• Notification of change of name and location of labor insurance to Labor Standards Inspection Office
• Notification of address to prefectural tax office Notification of change of address to the Prefectural Taxation Office
• Notification of various changes of employment insurance employer’s office to the Public Employment Security Office, etc.

It is recommended to prepare a checklist in advance to ensure that no omission is made in procedures and notifications.

After relocation｜Restoration work and office operation

After moving to the new office, the old office will be restored to its original state and vacated.

The details of the restoration work may be specified in the lease agreement you signed when you rented the office. In some cases, the scope of restoration work and the contractor are specified, so it is a good idea to confirm these details in advance.

It is also important to promote improvements to the office through operations in the new office. We will conduct surveys and interviews with employees to determine if there are any facilities or spaces in the office that are difficult to use, or if there are any obstacles to business operations, in order to identify and improve problem areas.

Points to keep in mind for a successful office relocation

Office relocation requires a lot of preparation, time, money, and effort. To ensure the success of your office relocation, there are three key points to keep in mind.

Summary

The sense of schedule for office relocation is generally six months to one year, but in reality it varies depending on the size of the office and the details of the relocation. If you want to proceed with a comfortable schedule, reserve about one year for the preparation period.

During the preparation period, it is important to first clarify the purpose of the relocation. Then, the selection of a new office and moving company, notification of cancellation of the current office, confirmation of restoration work, etc., should be carried out in parallel.

Since office relocation not only requires a certain length of time but also involves a lot of procedural work, it is a good idea to establish a schedule while organizing work items and processes with a checklist.