The Business Manager status lets you run a company in Japan — but a major 2025 rule change raised the bar sharply, moving the effective capital requirement from ¥5 million to the ¥30 million range and adding staffing and language conditions. It is now a route for funded businesses, not visa-driven paper companies.
Key facts
- Capital (post-2025)
- ¥30 million (from 2025-10)
- Previous threshold
- ¥5 million (historical)
- Physical office
- Required (no virtual)
- Staffing
- Full-time employee required
- Family
- Spouse & children permitted
What foreign founders actually run (2026)
| Business type | Entry reality and required licences | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trade / used-car export | The classic lane — channels back home are the moat; buying used cars or goods needs the kobutsusho licence from the police station | P2J estimate |
| Restaurants | The most numerous and most brutal; food-business permit plus a one-day hygiene-manager course; the real killers are rent and staffing | P2J estimate |
| Asian grocery / sundries | Site selection follows the compatriot community; imported food goes through Food Sanitation Act import procedures | P2J estimate |
| Guesthouses / real estate | Minpaku needs the private-lodging notification (180-day cap) or a ryokan licence; brokering for foreign buyers needs the takken licence | P2J estimate |
| Recruitment / SSW support org | Placing compatriots into jobs needs the paid-referral licence; registered support organizations must register with the Immigration Services Agency | P2J estimate |
| Cross-border e-commerce / IT | Capital is the easy part — the substance screening is the hard one: a real office and provable commerce, contracts, inventory, bank flows | P2J estimate |
| Study / travel services | Travel-agency work needs registration plus a security deposit; study agencies live on partnership agreements with schools | P2J estimate |
What changed in 2025 — and why it matters
For years, ¥5 million in capital plus an office was enough on paper, and a cottage industry of visa-driven shell companies grew around it. The revision effective October 16, 2025 ended that model: the capital bar is now ¥30 million, at least one full-time employee is required, and language/qualification elements were added. Existing holders have a transition window until October 2028 to meet the new bar at renewal. The message is clear — this status is now for people actually operating a funded business in Japan.
What examiners actually look at
- Money that is real and traceable. Capital parked briefly in an account is spotted; source-of-funds documentation matters.
- Premises that fit the plan. A one-desk serviced office claiming to run an import business with inventory will fail the smell test.
- A business plan an accountant would sign. Revenue model, market, hiring plan. Renewals then test the plan against reality — see the cost side in Cost of living in Tokyo when budgeting your own pay.
Who should consider other routes
If your goal is simply to work in Japan flexibly, this is now an expensive way to do it. High earners may reach management-track freedom faster via Highly Skilled Professional; early-stage founders should check startup-visa programs under Designated Activities; employees moving with a company belong in the standard work-visa map.
The picking logic: compatriots are the first customers, the information gap is the moat
The table above is not an idea list — it is settled fact, validated thousands of times; walk any station district with a Chinese, Vietnamese or Nepali community and these are exactly the businesses you find. Two rules run through it: the first customers are almost always the compatriot community (grocers, restaurants, recruiters, remittance counters all follow it), and the core edge is almost always the information or channel gap between you and your home country (used-car export, cross-border e-commerce, study agencies). For the Business Manager screening, a glamorous concept earns nothing — examiners want provable commerce and books that survive; a grocery with clean monthly flows out-approves a customer-less “AI consulting” deck every time. Run your personal survival line in the savings calculator first, then decide how much working capital to hold beyond the capital requirement.
Japanese you will use on this page (tap ▶)
| 経営・管理の在留資格について相談したいです。 Keiei kanri no zairyū shikaku ni tsuite sōdan shitai desu. I would like to consult about the Business Manager status. | |
| 事業計画書はこれです。 Jigyō keikakusho wa kore desu. Here is my business plan. | |
| 資本金の証明はこの書類でいいですか。 Shihonkin no shōmei wa kono shorui de ii desu ka. Is this document acceptable as proof of capital? | |
| 必要な書類を教えてください。 Hitsuyō na shorui o oshiete kudasai. Please tell me which documents I need. | |
| 結果はいつ頃わかりますか。 Kekka wa itsu goro wakarimasu ka. When will I know the result? | |
| 手数料はどこで払いますか。 Tesūryō wa doko de haraimasu ka. Where do I pay the fee? |
Audio synthesized with VOICEVOX:Meimei Himari at standard pace for shadowing; real conversations run faster and carry accents.
Common mistakes & warnings
- Requirements changed substantially in 2025 and transitional details vary by case. Confirm the current thresholds directly with the Immigration Services Agency or a gyoseishoshi before spending money on incorporation.
- A serviced-office address without real, exclusive premises is a classic ground for refusal — immigration checks the office physically exists and fits the business.
- First grants are typically short (often 1 year, with 4/6-month grants in some cases). Renewals hinge on the business actually operating — revenue, payroll and tax filings are reviewed.
- One "business" is strictly off the table — charging to handle visa applications. Immigration paperwork is the legal monopoly of gyoseishoshi and lawyers — unlicensed paid processing is illegal, so cross the "help compatriots with visas" idea off on day one.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to invest the capital before applying?
Yes. The capital must be real, documented and already in the company (or committed per the current rules) at application time, with a traceable source.
Can I work in my own restaurant/shop day-to-day?
Your role must be management. Standing in the kitchen or serving customers full-time contradicts the status — plan staffing so your documented duties are running the business.
Is there a smaller-scale alternative?
Some startup-support programs (regional startup visas under Designated Activities) offer a 6–12 month runway with lower initial requirements, designed to bridge into Business Manager. Check whether your target municipality runs one.
Official sources
This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Immigration rules change; always confirm details with the official sources listed above before making decisions.