Sector Guide · Visa and Tax
English Google Maps and AI Checklist for Visa Specialists and Tax Accountants in Tokyo
Foreign residents in Tokyo may ask ChatGPT or Google for "an English-speaking visa specialist" or "a tax accountant who works in English". AI answers about local services can name only a few businesses.
General information, not legal or tax advice. We are not lawyers, gyoseishoshi or tax accountants.
Wording about licensed services is regulated; check with your 行政書士会 or 税理士会 before publishing.
The Short Answer
Make your English facts complete and consistent:
- What you handle (and what you don't)
- Which languages you work in
- How fees are set
- How to book a first consultation
- Whether you meet online
- Where the office is
Use the correct English title for your license.
Keep public pages factual and general, written or checked by the licensed professional, and published under their name.
Not sure where you stand? Get a free snapshot or see a sample snapshot.
Why It Matters
- Business websites were the source of 42% of local AI citations in one study. Source: BrightLocal, local AI visibility study (September 2026) and directory sources article (August 2026; same data; US, UK and Australia, not Japan).
- In one large study outside Japan, AI answers about local businesses named about 2 to 4 businesses on average. Source: Same BrightLocal study as above.
- 52.3% of people in Japan aged 15 to 69 use generative AI to search. Source: CyberAgent GEO Lab, Japan survey, August 2026 (n=9,278).
Key Takeaway
If your English facts are thin, the answer may name someone else or get your details wrong.
The Facts AI and Clients Look For
| Fact | Where It Should Appear | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Your License, in Correct English | Google profile description, website | For 行政書士, the federation's English title is "Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialist (Gyoseishoshi)"; "administrative scrivener (gyoseishoshi)" is also common. "Visa specialist" only next to the license title. For 税理士, "Certified Public Tax Accountant (zeirishi)" |
| What You Handle, and What You Don't | Website service pages, Google services | e.g. visa types or tax filings you take on; say when a matter needs a lawyer (bengoshi) instead |
| Languages | Google profile, website | Which consultations can be fully in English |
| How Fees Are Set | Website | Your own fees, stated plainly; no comparisons with other offices |
| First Consultation | Website, Google booking link | How to book, online or in person, how long it takes, what to bring |
| Hours and Location | Google profile, website | The same everywhere; nearest station and floor |
| Office Name | Google profile | The real-world name, in one script only |
Wording Rules to Keep in Mind
| Rule | Do | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Titlessource 1 | Use your license title, and check English titles with your 行政書士会. | Presenting yourself as a lawyer or a law office: a gyoseishoshi is not a bengoshi (attorney-at-law), and only bengoshi may. "immigration lawyer" or "attorney" in English: it can mislead readers and may break that rule, even if other sites use it. |
| Advice Stays With the Professional | Explain the process in general terms in public FAQs. | Giving advice on a reader's own case. Any promise of an outcome such as approval or a tax saving: never make one. |
| Fees and Comparisons | Check your own association's current rules. | Advertising that compares you with other offices, or that is untrue, misleading or exaggerated: both professions' association rules ban it. |
| Avoid "No.1", "best" and "cheapest". | ||
| Reviews | Ask every client the same way for honest feedback, with no reward. | Any reply that confirms someone was a client: never send one. |
Sources for This Section (1)
- 弁護士法 第74条.
How We Work With Licensed Offices
- What We Do
- We draft only: you check every page, correct it, and publish it under your own name.
- We write plain-English drafts about how your office works: languages, booking, what to bring, how fees are set.
- We keep your Google profile and listings correct in English, and reply to reviews in general terms only.
- Our AI work is in English. The Japanese side is limited to your Maps listing.
- What We Don't Do
- We never give legal, immigration or tax advice.
- We never prepare, translate or check application documents or tax returns.
- We don't supply anything about visa or tax rules, processing times or eligibility: it is written or checked by you.
- We work with Manager access to your Google profile, never your password, and we don't handle client case files or personal data.
See Services for what Step 1 and the monthly retainer include, and the work guarantee.
Common Questions
Can You Write Our Visa or Tax Articles for Us?
We draft plain-English FAQ and service pages about how your office works. You check them, change what you need, and publish them under your name.
Anything about visa or tax rules, and any advice on a specific situation, is written or approved by you.
Why Does AI Call Some Gyoseishoshi "immigration lawyers"?
Because some websites use that phrase, and AI repeats what it reads.
Using the correct title consistently on your own pages and profile gives AI accurate wording to quote.
Can You Promise We'll Be Recommended by ChatGPT?
No. Nobody can honestly promise that. We guarantee the work, not the result, and we report how often AI names you out of a stated number of answers. See how we measure.
We Already Write English Articles. Is That Enough?
Articles help, but the basic facts (languages, booking, fees, location) also need to be clear on your Google profile and service pages, because that is where AI looks for detail.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
See What AI Says About Your Office
Send your office name and Google Maps link. We ask ChatGPT and Google's AI two questions an English-speaking client would ask and check your listing. Free, no obligation. More: Who We Help, FAQ, and the full guide.
