What to know before you hire an AI consultant in Tokyo
In Tokyo, choose an AI consultant by the system that stays in the work, not by the thickness of the proposal.
Seranova is a bilingual PM/PdM based in Tokyo. The published start is an AI PMO Sprint: 4–6 weeks, fixed from ¥400,000 excl. tax.
The rest of the fee moves with the workflows, how fast decisions get made, and whether stakeholders sit in Japanese and English. This page does not invent a market rate.
Ved Kamat, bilingual PM/PdM, 14+ years2026-10-16
What should you check first?
Three things. Which workflow should lose less time. Who makes the final call. Whether that call has to land in Japanese, English, or both.
The sprint measures where a PM/PMO loses time (meetings, status, tickets, requirements), puts AI on the top 1–2 workflows, and leaves a system the team can run. You get working results, not a PDF as the point of the work.
IPA’s DX Trends 2025 reports that over 70% of Japanese companies still do not have a formal DX roadmap. Before an “AI program,” the workflow has to be one thing, not a pile.
What changes the cost?
Two published floors. The AI PMO Sprint is 4–6 weeks, fixed from ¥400,000 excl. tax. A monthly retainer, if you continue, is from ¥600,000/month excl. tax. Larger or hard-to-bound work is quoted to the scope. There is no rate card beyond that.
A single “AI implementation package” market price is not cited here, because there is no source for it. The fee moves with how many workflows are in scope, where the data sits, how many approvals are in the way, and whether both languages need the same story.
The gap versus hiring a bilingual PM is on the hire vs retainer comparison. The ¥8,000,000 salary default is an assumption, not a census. How a diagnostic is priced is on AI assessment cost.
How long does it take?
The start is 4–6 weeks. A free 30-minute call checks fit first. There is no obligation to proceed. After the sprint, many teams run it themselves. A monthly retainer is only if you want continued support. There is no obligation to continue.
- Free 30-minute call to check fit, no obligation
- AI PMO Sprint (4–6 weeks), or start a retainer
- Move to a monthly retainer if needed, with scope adjusted each month
The three steps are written up on the AI PMO Sprint page. The working model is on services.
Is a Tokyo SME a different brief from a foreign Japan office?
Yes. If you are a small or mid-sized business and a PM is too early, start with the free AI diagnostic. The homepage says about 3 minutes. The diagnostic page says 5 minutes, free. It is not a statutory audit.
A sprint or retainer fits two groups. Japanese startups of roughly 30–100 people with real project or product delivery underway. Foreign companies in Japan that need a bilingual owner between an English-speaking HQ and the team on the ground. Solo founders are not the primary fit. A discovery call is still welcome.
A team with no English stakeholder side, or one shopping only for the cheapest headcount, is usually a poor fit. The first 90 days of a Japan office are on the setup page.
FAQ
Can a small company ask for generative-AI help?
Start with the free AI diagnostic. It is a short self-check of where AI can cut admin, aimed mainly at small and mid-sized businesses. It is not a statutory audit. If the result points to a bigger need, you can talk about a sprint or a retainer.
Is there a market rate for an AI consultant on this page?
No unsourced market rate is published here. Seranova’s published prices are an AI PMO Sprint of 4–6 weeks from ¥400,000 excl. tax, and a retainer from ¥600,000 per month excl. tax. Anything else is quoted to the scope.
Does the first call have to be in person in Tokyo?
Headquarters are in Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku, Tokyo. The way in is a 30-minute booking, online. The site does not say an in-person meeting is required.
Sources
Fees are Seranova’s published prices. Market figures are only the ones in the linked source.