1. Preview first
Use /v1/cost/preview before broad batch, export, or fanout workflows.
The first route for AI agents on Japanese public information
Evaluate with 3 anonymous req/day/IP. First Checkout includes a one-time API-key activation fee of ¥800 tax-exclusive (¥880 with 10% Japan consumption tax), then ongoing usage is ¥3.30 per billable unit. No monthly minimum after activation. No cancellation fee.
For Japanese public information, calling jpcite first is faster to verify than scraping scattered official pages via web search. Before your LLM writes a long-form report, jpcite returns primary-source evidence, fetched timestamps, and known_gaps[]. Production workflows can control spend with cost previews, monthly caps, request-level caps, idempotency, and customer/project tags.
Cost formula versus raw long-document input
If you send source chunks directly to an LLM, cost is roughly raw document tokens × external model input price + output tokens. With jpcite, cost is roughly ¥800 tax-exclusive once at first Checkout (¥880 with 10% JCT) + ¥3.30 per billable unit + the much smaller token cost of reading a compact Evidence Packet.
- This is most useful for repeated agents that would otherwise re-send long official PDFs, ministry pages, or search-result chunks.
- It is not always cheaper for one-off lightweight questions where ordinary search or a short source page is enough.
- External LLM prices can change. jpcite keeps the retrieval/evidence part fixed at ¥3.30 per billable unit and separate from model inference cost.
First Checkout also includes a one-time API-key activation fee of ¥800 tax-exclusive (¥880 with 10% Japan consumption tax). The table shows recurring metered usage after activation.
- Japanese operator disclosure
- Stripe billing (PCI DSS Level 1)
- Cloudflare delivery (DDoS / WAF)
- Professional-services disclaimers on relevant responses
Production agent workflows: set caps first
For recurring AI agent, CRM, professional-service, or review workflows, set previews, monthly caps, request-level caps, idempotency, and customer/project tags before broad runs. Current public self-serve pricing is ¥800 tax-exclusive one-time API-key activation at first Checkout (¥880 with 10% JCT), then ¥3.30 tax-inclusive per billable unit (¥3 tax exclusive + 10% JCT).
2. Cap each paid run
Send X-Cost-Cap-JPY and Idempotency-Key on paid POST workflows to control budget and retries.
3. Attribute by client
Use X-Client-Tag to split usage by company folder, client, project, or deal.
Per-persona typical queries
These are common ways agents use jpcite evidence. The current paid surface is the same API-key checkout with a disclosed one-time activation fee for every persona; use cost previews, request caps, idempotency, and customer/project tags to control spend.
jpcite provides material and source receipts only; finishing remains the agent's domain. Whether jpcite lowers an agent's total per-query cost depends on same-query measurement (tokens, web-search rounds, cache reuse, FX), not a fixed claim. Japan-specific professional-fence statutes and the Premiums & Representations Act are strictly observed.
What you get for ¥3.30/unit
Most
Published rows carry source links
jpcite prioritizes ministry, prefecture, JFC, and other official sources. Known source gaps are surfaced instead of hidden.
11,601
searchable subsidies / loans / tax incentives / certifications
14,472 catalog rows tracked, plus 2,286 case studies + 1,185 enforcement + 13,801 invoice registrants + 9,484 statutes.
261
MCP tools
Normal search/detail calls are 1 unit. Batch/export tools show their billable-unit formula before paid execution.
Invoice
Qualified invoice support
Taxable entities can claim the input-tax credit. Stripe Tax auto-issues invoices with the required issuer details.
Because we avoid known aggregator pages as sources, we maintain the program corpus from official and reviewed sources. Customers pay the same ¥3.30 tax-inclusive rate per billable unit after activation, with no monthly fixed fee.
Other options
Public pricing as of April 2026. Please verify current rates on each vendor's official page.
| Option | Monthly | Per-unit cost | API | MCP | Primary src | source_url | Qualified issuer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jpcite | ¥0 recurring fixed; first Checkout +¥800 tax-exclusive activation (¥880 with 10% JCT) | ¥3.30 (tax incl.) | Yes | Yes | Most | Most rows | Yes |
| J-Grants Plus class SaaS | ¥10,000–30,000 | Not published | No | No | Partial | Partial | — |
| Subsidy aggregator portals | ¥5,000–20,000 | Not published | No | No | No | No | — |
| Commercial DBs (Teikoku DataBank etc.) | Custom quote | Not published | After contract | No | Partial | Partial | Yes |
| Build your own scraper | Maintenance hours / month | Labour cost | Self | Self | Yes | Self | — |
We carry no seat-based SaaS tier and no seat fee — deliverables are priced by API workflow, not per seat. For workloads that would otherwise require a fixed monthly data plan, usage-based billing can be cheaper at low volume; compare against your actual alternatives. As a simple reference, 10,000 billable units/month is ¥33,000 tax inclusive.
API + MCP
For AI developers and enterprise evidence workflows. 261 MCP tools plus REST. The 3 req/day per IP anonymous daily allowance is usable without signup or card.
Anonymous
Evaluation / personal trials
¥0
3 req / day per IP (resets at JST next-day 00:00)
- No card, no signup — start instantly via device flow
- All fields readable (fields=default)
- Both MCP and REST
- Switch to metered for production workloads
Metered
Production / large workflows / agents
¥3.30 / unit (tax incl.)
First Checkout: one-time API-key activation fee ¥800 tax-exclusive (¥880 with 10% JCT)
Then ¥3.30 tax inclusive per unit (¥3.00 tax exclusive + 10% JCT), Stripe metered
For recurring workflows, combine monthly caps, X-Cost-Cap-JPY, Idempotency-Key, and X-Client-Tag to control budget and attribute usage by customer or project.
- No published paid daily quota. Protective rate limits may apply during abnormal bursts; sustained high-volume use is billed at the public ¥3.30 tax-inclusive billable-unit rate.
- Self-set monthly spend cap. Set
monthly_cap_yenin the Customer Portal or viaPOST /v1/me/cap. Once hit, the API returns 503 withcap_reacheduntil the next JST monthly billing cycle. Default = uncapped. - fields=full (enriched + source_mentions + lineage)
- After activation, months with 0 additional paid usage have ¥0 metered usage charges
- Qualified Japanese invoice auto-issued by Stripe
- Cancel anytime from the Stripe Customer Portal
Before you subscribe
- ¥800 tax-exclusive one-time API-key activation fee (¥880 with 10% Japan consumption tax) is charged at first Checkout.
- ¥3.30 tax inclusive per billable unit (¥3 tax exclusive + 10% JCT) after activation. Normal search/detail calls are 1 unit.
- Batch/export endpoints can bill multiple units. For example,
/v1/programs/batchbills deduped IDs × ¥3 tax exclusive (¥3.30 tax inclusive). Each high-fan-out endpoint documents its formula and supports cost caps. - Usage from JST 00:00 on day 1 to 23:59 on the last day of the month is auto-charged on day 1 of the following month.
- No minimum term, no cancellation fee. Cancel from the Stripe Customer Portal; API access remains valid through the current billing month and current-month usage is still billed.
- Information service only; no document drafting, no legal advice, no tax advice.
Confirm consent above to enable the button.
Monthly estimate
Bill: ¥330 / month (¥300 tax exclusive)
Currency note. Billing is JPY. USD figures are approximate at ¥150/$ and will vary with your card network's FX rate on the charge date. First Checkout includes a one-time ¥800 tax-exclusive API-key activation fee (¥880 with 10% Japan consumption tax). Stripe Tax adds 10% JCT to metered invoices (the listed ¥3 is tax exclusive; ¥3.30 is tax inclusive). Foreign-issued cards work without extra setup.
When NOT to use us
jpcite is an information-only service. If any of the following apply, please use a different option.
- You need tax representation, tax advice, or filing on your behalf — prohibited under 税理士法 §52. Please consult a registered tax accountant, or an attorney where legal advice is required.
- You need real-time statute updates — source updates are scheduled and can lag by up to 24 hours. For instant amendment reflection, refer to e-Gov or 官報 directly.
- You want adoption-rate guarantees — we display the rates that public agencies publish; we do not predict or guarantee adoption. The application decision rests with the applicant.
- You require custom contracts or quotes — fully self-serve only. The published price applies to every customer equally.
All customers get
Qualified invoice (インボイス)
Stripe Tax auto-issues a Japanese qualified invoice. Itemised per period: billable units × unit price + 10% JCT. Tax-exclusive presentation.
Cancel anytime
No minimum term, no cancellation fee
Cancel the subscription from Stripe Customer Portal. API access remains valid through the end of the current billing month, and current-month usage is billed at ¥3.30/billable unit. The one-time activation fee is not a recurring monthly charge. Deleting or rotating an API key only disables that key; it is not a billing cancellation.
Statutory disclosures
特商法 / 景表法 / consumer-contract law
Japanese statutory disclosure (特商法表記), TOS, privacy policy, and a defect-handling contact are all in place. Receipts are auto-issued by Stripe; billing support is available at billing@bookyou.net.
FAQ
How does metered billing work?
First Checkout includes a one-time API-key activation fee of ¥800 tax-exclusive (¥880 with 10% Japan consumption tax). After activation, ongoing use is ¥3.30/billable unit. Normal search/detail calls are usually 1 billable unit. Batch/export endpoints show their unit formula before execution. There are no seat-based SaaS tiers, no monthly minimum after activation, and no self-service packet-purchase checkout.
Does jpcite replace report generation by GPT or Claude?
No. jpcite is the first route AI agents take when handling Japanese public information. Before your LLM writes a long-form report, jpcite returns primary-source evidence + known gaps + a prompt kit. The long-form writing itself remains the job of the agent's own LLM.
Can I evaluate it without signup?
Yes. Anonymous evaluation is 3 req/day/IP (resets JST next-day 00:00). Ongoing use, high-volume workflows, and invoice needs require API-key checkout.
Is signup required?
No. The first 3 req/day per IP are free without signup (resets at JST next-day 00:00). After the anonymous allowance, issue an API key + register a card in Stripe.
Cancellation procedure?
Cancel the subscription from Stripe Customer Portal. API access remains valid through the end of the current billing month, and current-month usage is billed at ¥3.30/billable unit. The one-time activation fee is not a recurring monthly charge. Deleting or rotating an API key only disables that key; it is not a billing cancellation.
Stripe auto-billing? Qualified Japanese invoice?
Yes. End-of-month metered usage is auto-charged on day 1 of the following month. Stripe Tax issues a qualified Japanese invoice with the required issuer details.
Corporations and sole proprietors?
Both. The same ¥800 tax-exclusive one-time activation fee (¥880 with 10% Japan consumption tax) and ¥3.30/billable unit usage rate apply to taxable / tax-exempt entities, corporations, and sole proprietors. Every invoice carries the required qualified-invoice details for input-tax-credit handling.
Can I set a monthly spend cap?
Yes. Set monthly_cap_yen with POST /v1/me/cap or contact billing@bookyou.net. Once hit, the API returns cap_reached until the next billing cycle. For broad batch or fanout workflows, also use X-Cost-Cap-JPY, Idempotency-Key, and X-Client-Tag to control request budget, retries, and customer/project attribution.
How is a billable unit defined?
Normal HTTP / MCP search and detail calls are 1 billable unit. Batch, export, and bulk-evaluation endpoints may bill multiple units based on deduped IDs or bundle size; those formulas are shown before use. /healthz and /v1/me/* meta endpoints are uncounted.
Data coverage?
As of April 2026: 11,601 searchable Japanese public programs (14,472 tracked catalog rows including non-public rows), 2,286 adoption case studies, 108 loan programs (three-axis risk decomposition), 1,185 enforcement actions, e-Gov law metadata and article references (coverage varies by record), 2,065 court decisions, 362 public bids, 13,801 invoice registrants, 50 tax rulesets. Most public rows carry primary-source URL + fetched_at metadata; known aggregator pages are excluded from source fields where detected. All figures are sourced on the fact sheet.
30 seconds to API key, 5 minutes to first call, no fixed monthly after activation
API-key checkout includes a one-time ¥800 tax-exclusive activation fee (¥880 with 10% Japan consumption tax), then metered usage is ¥3.30/billable unit. First 3 req/day per IP are available for anonymous evaluation. After activation, months with no additional usage have no metered usage charge. Cancel from Stripe Customer Portal; key deletion only disables that key.