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Managing a Company in Japan

A foreign national wishing to start a new business in Japan can apply for a “Business Manager” visa (status of residence).

An applicant wishing to obtain a “Business Manager” visa must meet the following requirements.

1. Their company must have an office in Japan for conducting business. If the company has not yet begun conducting business, it must have secured a facility in Japan for use as an office.
2. The scale of business must meet one of the following conditions.
1. The company must have at least two full-time employees residing in Japan other than executives or managers.
2. The total amount of capital or funding must be at least 5 million yen.
3. The company must be deemed to have a scale equivalent to either a or b above.
3. If the applicant will be a business manager, they must have three or more years of experience in business administration or management (including time spent in specialized study of administration or management in graduate school) and they must be paid an amount of compensation equal to or greater than a Japanese person would be paid for the same work.

A holder of a visa (status of residence) that does not place restrictions on their activities may freely select the business format they desire and engage in business.