Student-led web studio · Tokyo
See your new website before you pay for it.
For local shops and small businesses around the world. Send us your current site, and we send back a free redesign of your homepage. If you like it, we build the rest and keep it up to date every month.
- $0for your homepage concept. No contract.
- 24htypical turnaround on updates (Care Standard)
Edit
Your edit is live
Problem
Most agencies ask you to pay first and show you later.
You pay before you see anything.
Quotes, contracts and deposits come before a single screen of design.
Small changes take weeks.
A new photo or a price update turns into a ticket, an invoice and a wait.
The site is forgotten after launch.
Old menus, broken links and outdated plugins pile up until it looks abandoned.
We do it the other way around: concept first, then the build, then monthly care.
What we do
Everything your site needs, in one place.
Designed and coded by hand, from the first concept to the monthly updates after launch.
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Websites
A site that sounds like you.
Custom design and code, from a single landing page to a full site. We can also rebuild the site you have now.
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Booking
Bookings, right on your site.
A calendar with double-booking protection and email confirmations, built into your own website.
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Japanese version
Reach visitors from Japan.
A Japanese version of your site, written by native Japanese speakers, not machine translation.
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Animation
Pages that move.
Scroll effects and small details that make a first impression. The blocks at the top of this page are one example.
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Monthly care
We stay with you after launch.
Updates, fixes and security checks every month. Send a request through a form and we handle it.
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Getting found
From visits to customers.
Search basics, analytics setup and a monthly note on what to improve next.
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How it works
From your current site to a new one in four steps.
You see the design before you decide. After launch, Care Standard covers unlimited updates (Care Lite covers one a month).
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Send us your site
Share your current URL, or a few photos if you don't have a site yet, plus a few lines about your business.
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Get a free concept
In about a week, we send a redesigned homepage you can click through. No payment and no contract.
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We build and launch
If you like it, we agree on scope and price. You pay 50% to start and 50% at launch. Most builds take 3–6 weeks.
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We keep it current
On a Care plan, you send changes through a form and preview each one before it goes live.
Time zones
We work around your time zone.
We're on Japan time (JST, UTC+9). Most of our communication is written, so the time difference rarely slows a project down.
- Asia-PacificSydney, SingaporeSame working day. We reply during your business hours.
- EuropeLondon, BerlinShort overlap. Requests sent by early afternoon are done by your next morning.
- AmericasNew York, Los AngelesRequests sent at the end of your day are usually done by the next morning.
Calls are booked in your morning or evening, when our working hours overlap.
What's standard
All of this comes with every site.
Every page designed
Not just the homepage. Subpages and images get the same care.
One consistent style
Shared rules for type, color and spacing across pages.
Room to grow
Add pages later without breaking the design.
Phone, tablet, desktop
Readable on every screen size.
Search engine basics
Titles, descriptions, sitemap and page speed set up.
Multilingual ready
Add English, Japanese or other languages when you need them.
One simple request form
Send all your changes in one place.
You own everything
Domain, hosting and code stay in your name.
Case study
We kept the look customers knew and rebuilt everything underneath.
A family-run futon specialist with a loyal local following. We rebuilt their website, added an online booking page inside the same site, and send improvement ideas every month.
- Site rebuild
- Booking page
- Monthly care
The case study page is in Japanese.
Who we are
A student-led studio, run as a real company.
Northerns is a team of university students in Tokyo who design websites and write the code ourselves. We work in English and Japanese.
We're incorporated as Northerns, Inc. and registered as a university venture with Shibaura Institute of Technology. Contracts, invoices and support go through the company, not through individual students.
- Company
- Northerns, Inc. · est. 2026
- Based in
- Tokyo, Japan (JST, UTC+9)
- Recognition
- Shibaura Institute of Technology Registered Venture
- Languages
- English, Japanese
- Continuity
- Every project is documented and handed over in your name.
Pricing
Simple monthly care. Clear build prices.
Prices in US dollars (USD). Every project starts with a free concept, so you see the design before you decide.
| Item | Care Lite | Care Standard |
|---|---|---|
| MaintenanceDisplay issues, broken links | Included | Included |
| Updates and changes | 1 per month | Unlimited |
| TurnaroundA target, not a guarantee | 2–3 business days | Usually within 24 hours |
| Check-in call | None | MonthlyWeekly in the first 1–2 months |
| Monthly report | None | Included |
| Booking system upkeep | Not included | Included |
| Domain and hosting | In your name | In your name |
One-time builds
- Site refresh
- Rebuild your existing site with a new design
- $690One-time
- Landing page
- A single page for a product, event or campaign
- $1,300–1,700One-time
- Full website
- Multiple pages, built from your free concept
- $2,500–3,300One-time
- Booking system
- Calendar, double-booking protection, notifications and approval. Upkeep is included in Care Standard.
- $1,700–2,500One-time, estimate
Launch pricing for our first clients. Card payments through Stripe, or bank transfer through Wise.
FAQ
Questions clients ask us
Is the concept really free?
Yes. We redesign your homepage and send you a link to click through. If you don't want to go further, you owe nothing and there's no contract to cancel.
Who owns the site, the domain and the hosting?
You do. The domain and hosting accounts are registered in your name, and we hand over the code and access at launch. If you leave a Care plan, the site stays yours.
How do we communicate across time zones?
Mostly in writing, by email or Slack, plus short screen-recorded videos when a change is easier to show than describe. We work on Japan time (UTC+9), and calls are booked in your morning or evening, when our working hours overlap.
You're students. What happens when someone graduates?
Your contract is with Northerns, Inc., not with an individual. Every project is documented so another team member can pick it up, and you always hold the code and accounts yourself.
Can you move my site from WordPress, Wix or Squarespace?
Yes. We rebuild the site on modern code and move your content over. We'll tell you up front if anything, such as a plugin or an online store, needs a different setup.
How do I pay?
We invoice in US dollars (USD). You can pay by card through Stripe or by bank transfer through Wise. Builds are paid 50% at the start and 50% at launch. Care plans are billed monthly.
Can you also make a Japanese version of my site?
Yes. Our team writes the Japanese pages as native speakers, so they read naturally to visitors, customers and partners in Japan.
Start with a free concept
of your homepage.
Tell us where your site lives. We'll reply within 2 business days, Japan time, and send your concept in about a week. No payment and no contract.