“Until now, I have had no connection with Japan. I have only been here on vacation. But now I want to live in Japan. Not just travel, but live there for a few years and experience Japanese life. I also want to start a business.”
“I don’t really know what it’s all about, but I’m interested in starting a business in Japan.”
I’m sure there are some of you reading this article who feel the same way. If so, this article is likely to be helpful to you. In this article, you will learn the following:
- Visas to live in Japan
- To start a business in Japan
- What kind of business can you do?
- Points to note
1. Visas for living in Japan
(1) What is status of residence?
First, let’s briefly review the visas required to live in Japan. This is because it is a very basic matter. If you don’t know even the most basic things, you may not be able to smoothly proceed with what you want to do.
Simply put, what you need to continue living in Japan is a “status of residence.” In general terms, this is a visa. And this status of residence is paired with a specific activity. In short, the key point is what activities you plan to do in Japan.
Strictly speaking, “resident status” and “visa” are theoretically different, but the general public often does not distinguish between the two, and it does not pose a major obstacle to understanding this topic, so from here on we will use these terms without making a strict distinction between them.
(2) Points to check
So, I think it is clear to you who are reading this article. What you want to do in Japan is to run a company, etc. However, there are a few things that you are concerned about. For example, the following points:
- What visa will I need?
- Can we do any business?
- What specific activities are covered by the visa?
If you can clarify these points, you will be able to proceed smoothly from now on. Let me explain in detail below.
2. How to start a business in Japan
(1) Model case: private lodging
A. nice cottage
You are originally from China and live in China. Before the pandemic, you bought some nice cottages in Japan. They are located in scenic tourist spots. You can see the beautiful sea from the balcony. But then the pandemic started. Therefore, the properties you bought with great effort were left abandoned without being able to live or visit. What a waste.
Years have passed since then, and the coronavirus pandemic has finally calmed down. People around the world are starting to travel again, and the hospitality and tourism industry is showing signs of a bright future. In this situation, you may be thinking about making better use of your property in Japan.
Specifically, the property is used like a hotel. It is a business where customers stay overnight and receive a lodging fee. This type of business is called “minpaku” in Japan. A website is created on the Internet to gather customers who want to stay while traveling. Incidentally, this type of business that matches people who want to rent out property with people who want to stay over the Internet is being developed all over the world.
B. Other businesses are also OK
By the way, I have just introduced the private lodging business as a model case, but some of you reading this article may be interested in other businesses. For example, you may want to start a trading company. Don’t worry. From here on, you will find useful information not only for those who want to start a private lodging business, but also for everyone who is interested in starting a business in Japan. Let’s take a look together now to see if you can achieve what you want to do.
(2) What do we need?
A, visa
So then, you might be wondering what you need to do next to start a private lodging business in Japan. This brings us back to the topic of visas. You might be thinking, “I see, I need a visa to start a private lodging business,” but wait a moment. What kind of visa is that?
In fact, there are 29 types of residence status for entering and staying in Japan. Among them, what specific visa is required for a private lodging business? We need to start by identifying that.
B. Business manager visa
The name is simply “Business Manager Visa.” Some of you reading this article may have heard of the name before, while others may be hearing it for the first time. Either way, if you are doing business in Japan, the Business Manager Visa is an unavoidable topic.
So what is a business manager visa? To put it simply, it is a residence status that allows foreigners to do business in Japan. For example, it is necessary to run the private lodging business mentioned in the model case above.
However, the phrase “doing business” may be a bit abstract and difficult to visualize. So let’s take a closer look at the businesses and activities covered by the Business Manager Visa. Of course, this is a must-read for anyone considering a business other than the private lodging business.
3. What kind of business can you do?
(1) There are two types of businesses covered by the Business Manager Visa: “business management” and “management.”
That may not make much sense to you, so I’ll explain it in more detail below using the model cases above.
(2)「Management」
A. Applicable activity
Management, one of the activities covered by the Business Manager Visa, can be simply said to be making important decisions in running a business in a company. For example, in the model case mentioned above, an activity could be deciding to purchase new cottages as the number of customers wanting to stay at the cottages has increased. In short, it is the kind of work that a company president would do.
B, pattern
By the way, this may be a bit of a detailed point, but there are three different types of “operating a business” that I would like to introduce.
- “Establishing an office or other facility in Japan that will serve as the base of operations, and commencing and operating trade or other business.”
- “Participating in the management of trade or other businesses already being conducted in Japan.”
- “To operate a trade or other business in Japan, or to operate such a business on behalf of a person who has commenced such business in Japan.”
（3）「management」
A. Applicable activity
Next, the second activity for the status of residence of the Business Manager Visa, “management,” can be said to be an activity like giving instructions to everyone in the company and acting as a leader. For example, in a bread factory, among many staff members who make bread, you could give instructions such as who is in charge of which line today and what kind of bread to make, and check whether all the staff are making bread properly. It is easy to imagine this as the job of a department manager, factory manager, or branch manager.
B, pattern
Furthermore, there are two patterns stipulated for “engaged in the management of a business.” I have listed them below for your reference.
- “Engaging in the management of a business that has commenced operations in Japan and is currently operating or participating in the management of such a business.”
- “To engage in the management of a trade or other business on behalf of a person who has commenced the operation of such a business in Japan or who is currently operating such a business in Japan.”
4. Points to note
(1) Things you should know
By reading this far, you may have a general idea of what kind of activities you can do with a Business Manager Visa. Some of you may be thinking, “Okay, let’s get started on getting a Business Manager Visa right away!” But wait a minute. It’s a good idea to be aware of some points to note just in case.
In fact, when it comes to the Business Manager Visa, not all “businesses” conducted based on it are OK. There are three points regarding this. It’s a good idea to check them now so that you don’t end up regretting later, thinking “this isn’t how it should have been.” What are the three points? They are as follows.
- Appropriate
- stable
- continuation
We have listed just a few keywords, but what kind of regulations are there specifically? Below, we will explain these three in more detail.
(2) Appropriateness
A. Illegal business is not allowed
「経営・管理」に関する「事業」は、適正に行われるものでなければならないとさ
れています。要するに、違法なビジネスはダメですということです。例えば、モデルケースの民泊については、様々な法的規制があります。それらの規制を無視するような民泊ビジネスは、認められないでしょう。言い換えると、日本において適法な事業であれば、どんなビジネスでもOKです。例えば、飲食店、風俗営業店、中古自動車販売等・・・制限はありません。ちょっと意外な感じがしますね。
B,Fulfilling public duties
There are more things you need to do if you are running a business. It may seem like a very basic thing, but it’s about paying your taxes properly. But that’s not all. In the case of the model private lodging business, you may need to hire staff to make the beds in the guest rooms. If that’s the case, in certain cases you will need to properly enroll in labor insurance and pay the insurance premiums properly.
(3) Stability and continuity
A. Business vision
In addition to the above “appropriateness,” the “business” related to “management” is also required to be recognized as “stable” and “continuous.” In simple terms, “Does the business seem to be able to steadily increase sales in the future?” If the business goes wrong during the period of stay and the private lodging business becomes unsustainable, it will not be recognized as an activity that corresponds to the “management” status of residence.
B, Example of countermeasures
What about the business you want to run? You may be thinking, “I’m fine. I’m confident that I can do it well from now on!” If so, you’d like to clarify this objectively. To do this, it is very important to create a “business plan.” In other words, it means making a plan for the future outlook of your business.
Our company (Touch Administrative Scriveners Corporation) can fully support you in creating a business plan! We were not able to write everything about the business manager visa in this article, but if you apply for support from us, you will be able to get original advice and special information that suits you. Please feel free to use it. We look forward to hearing from you.
