Grant Thornton Japan

What Grant Thornton Japan does

Grant Thornton Japan is a Japanese professional services firm operating as an independent member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL), the global accounting network spanning 35+ countries. Headquartered in Tokyo (Minato-ku) with offices in Osaka and Yokohama, the firm is organized across seven distinct legal entities covering audit (Grant Thornton Taiyo LLC), tax (Grant Thornton Taiyo Tax Corporation), advisory (Grant Thornton Taiyo Advisors), management consulting (Grant Thornton Taiyo Inc.), human capital and payroll (Grant Thornton Taiyo Human Capital Corporation), accounting outsourcing (Sunrise Accounting International), and network coordination (General Incorporated Association Grant Thornton Japan). The group delivers three core service lines — Audit & Assurance, Tax, and Advisory — with sub-services spanning statutory audits, voluntary IPO audits, information security audits, corporate/international/transaction tax advisory, M&A advisory, forensic & cyber, sustainability advisory, public sector, and human capital management.

The firm traces its origin to 1971, joined the Grant Thornton network in 1988, and underwent substantial corporate restructuring between 1999 and 2015 — including multiple spin-offs (tax, human capital, accounting outsourcing) and three rounds of rebranding culminating in the 2014 unification under the "Taiyo Grant Thornton" identity. Operations are predominantly Japan-focused with cross-border service delivery enabled by Japan Desks in member firms across China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico, Germany, France, the UK, and elsewhere. Subsidiaries hold ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 27001 (information security) certifications relevant to outsourcing and payroll services.

The business model is professional services, sales-led, with engagement-based pricing. GTM relies on partner-led business development, professional referrals, brand reputation, and an active content-marketing ecosystem including seven specialized newsletters, recurring topical seminars, and the cross-country IBR (International Business Report) research series. Primary customer segments include listed companies (statutory/IPO audits), corporations requiring tax and M&A advisory, specialized entities (financial institutions, school corporations, public-interest corporations), and HR/payroll departments; specific customer logos are not publicly disclosed. The firm is a private, partner-track partnership; no funding rounds exist, and financial results are not disclosed.

Name

Grant Thornton Japan

Legal name

一般社团法人太阳格拉ント索顿 (General Incorporated Association Grant Thornton Japan)

Website

https://grantthornton.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Grant Thornton Japan is a Tokyo-headquartered Japanese accounting, tax, and advisory firm (1,001–5,000 employees) operating as a member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, serving listed companies, multinational corporations, financial institutions, and SMEs across Japan and globally via the 35+ country GTIL network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Minato

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Audit and Assurance Services: Legal statutory audits, voluntary audits for IPO preparation, and other audit engagements for diverse range of companies including listed companies, financial institutions, and public interest corporations.
2. Tax Services: Corporate tax, private client consulting, international tax, and transaction tax services addressing various tax-related issues for businesses and individuals.
3. Advisory Services: M&A advisory, business risk services, IT & operations, IPO support, accounting advisory, forensic & cyber, sustainability advisory, and human capital management services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Grant Thornton Japan is a professional services firm that delivers audit and assurance, tax, and advisory services to corporate clients in Japan. The firm provides statutory and voluntary audits, business and international tax compliance and consulting, M&A advisory, IPO support, forensic and cyber services, sustainability advisory, and human capital/payroll outsourcing through its network of member entities.

Product overview

Grant Thornton Japan (太陽グラントソントン) is a member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, providing professional services through three main service lines: Audit & Assurance Services (監査・保証業務), Tax Services (税務サービス), and Advisory Services (アドバイザリーサービス). The Audit & Assurance line includes statutory audits, voluntary IPO audits, and information security audits. Tax Services covers business tax, private client consulting, international tax, and transaction tax. Advisory Services encompasses M&A advisory, business risk services, IT & operations, IPO consulting, accounting advisory, accounting outsourcing (through Sunrise Accounting International), forensic & cyber services, sustainability advisory, and human capital management (payroll and labor compliance). The firm operates multiple entities including Grant Thornton Taiyo LLC (audit), Grant Thornton Taiyo Tax Corporation (tax), Grant Thornton Taiyo Advisors, Grant Thornton Taiyo Inc., and Grant Thornton Taiyo Human Capital Corporation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audit and Assurance Services Legal statutory audits, voluntary audits for IPO preparation, information security audits, and other assurance engagements for listed companies, financial institutions, growth companies, and public interest corporations in Japan.
• Tax Services Comprehensive tax services covering corporate tax (business tax), private client consulting, international tax planning, and transaction tax advisory for domestic and international corporations and high-net-worth individuals.
• Advisory Services Advisory services spanning M&A advisory, business risk, IT & operations, IPO support, accounting advisory, accounting outsourcing, forensic & cyber, sustainability advisory, international professional services, public sector advisory, and human capital management.
• Human Capital and Payroll Services Payroll calculation, social insurance procedures outsourcing, labor consultation, employment contract support, foreign worker compliance, overseas assignment support, organizational restructuring labor support, internal audit assistance, and HR technology solutions including time and attendance management systems.
• Accounting Outsourcing Services Outsourced accounting, financial reporting support, and accounting system implementation services for Japanese and foreign companies, having supported over 250 companies. The entity holds ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant Thornton Japan is a member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, a global organization composed of independent accounting and consulting firms. GTIL serves as the international coordinating entity, with member firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services in their respective countries.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• RSM Seiwa (RSM Japan): Japanese member firm of RSM International, a global mid-tier network providing audit, tax, and consulting services. Comparable international-network positioning and middle-market target segment in Japan.
• HLB Meisei (HLB Japan): Japanese member of HLB International, a global mid-tier accounting and advisory network. Comparable in international-network affiliation and audit/tax/advisory offerings, competing for similar middle-market clients.
• BDO Sanyu & Co. Japanese mid-tier accounting firm member of BDO Global, providing audit, tax, and advisory services to mid-market companies in Japan. Most directly comparable peer given similar mid-tier international-network positioning, scale, and middle-market focus.
• Baker Tilly Japan: Japanese presence of Baker Tilly International, a global mid-tier accounting network. Comparable service mix and target market, though typically smaller scale than Grant Thornton Japan.
• Crowe Toyo & Co. Japanese member of Crowe Global, providing audit, tax, and advisory services. Comparable as another international mid-tier network member firm in Japan competing for the same middle-market listed and IPO-bound company segment.

Emerging players

• Mazars (Japan): Japanese presence of Mazars, an international audit and advisory network. Comparable cross-border advisory capability but typically smaller scale and earlier-stage footprint in Japan than Grant Thornton Japan.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC: Japanese member firm of Deloitte, one of the Big Four, providing audit, tax, consulting, and advisory services to large enterprises and multinationals in Japan. Directly comparable service portfolio and target segments, but at significantly larger scale and with a Big Four brand premium.
• KPMG AZSA LLC: Japanese member firm of KPMG, one of the Big Four, providing audit, tax, and advisory services. Directly comparable offerings and competes head-to-head for statutory audits of listed companies and large cross-border advisory work.
• Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC: Japanese member firm of EY, one of the Big Four, providing audit, tax, and advisory services. Direct competitor for listed-company audits and multinational advisory mandates, with deeper Big Four brand penetration in Japan.
• PwC Japan (PwC Aarata LLC, PwC Consulting Japan): Japanese member firm of PwC, one of the Big Four, providing assurance, tax, and advisory services. Closely comparable in service line structure (audit, tax, advisory) and target segments but operates at substantially larger scale and Big Four positioning.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grant Thornton Japan