24 years of practice / 1 min from Ichigao Sta., Yokohama
Business Manager visa, Permanent Residence, naturalisation — for founders in Japan.
From founding a company to settling in Japan as a Permanent Resident or Japanese national. We design the business plan and the visa together.
Office hours: weekdays 9:00–18:00 (JST). First consultation free, online or in person.
Important — October 2025 reform of the Business Manager visa. The capital threshold has been raised from JPY 5M to JPY 30M, at least one full-time Japanese / permanent resident / similar employee is now required, and an academic / management-experience requirement and Japanese-language requirement have been added. A three-year transitional period applies to holders as of October 16, 2025 — until October 16, 2028, renewals are evaluated on visible progress towards the new standards. We apply the new rules from the planning stage so the business does not need to be rebuilt at renewal.
For Whom
Who this practice is for
Foreign nationals starting a company in Japan
Trading, IT, food service, real estate, services. Founders aiming to live in Japan on the Business Manager visa.
Highly Skilled Professional candidates
Researchers, advanced technical specialists, senior executives — looking to use the point-based preferential treatment.
Foreign residents aiming for Permanent Residence
Anyone planning to move from a work, business or family status to Permanent Resident.
Long-term residents considering naturalisation
Those who, after many years in Japan, want to settle here as a Japanese national.
Choices
The four major paths
| Status | Duration | Key requirements | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Manager | 4 months – 5 years | Business substance · capital of JPY 30M+ · at least one full-time employee | 10 years of cumulative residence lays the groundwork for Permanent Residence |
| Highly Skilled Professional (Type 1) | 5 years (uniform) | 70+ points (academic, work history, salary, Japanese ability, etc.) | 70 pts for 3 years grants a Permanent Residence fast-track; 80 pts shortens to 1 year |
| Permanent Resident | Indefinite | Good conduct · livelihood · national interest. On-time payment of public obligations | The most stable status. No work restrictions. |
| Naturalisation (Japanese nationality) | Permanent identity | Residence · capacity · conduct · livelihood · single nationality · constitutional loyalty | Acquire Japanese nationality. Voting rights. Original nationality is normally lost. |
Business Manager
Business Manager visa — requirements after the 2025 reform
Securing a business office
An independent work space is required. Virtual offices and shared coworking desks are generally not accepted.
Capital of JPY 30 million or more
The October 16, 2025 reform raised the capital / investment threshold from JPY 5M to JPY 30M. "Show money" (capital that is moved out after registration) is a ground for refusal.
At least one full-time employee
In addition to the applicant, at least one Japanese national, permanent resident, long-term resident, or spouse of Japanese national must be employed full-time.
Degree or 3+ years of management experience
A management-related degree (e.g. MBA), a degree in the business field, or three or more years of practical business-management experience.
Japanese language ability (CEFR B2 equivalent)
Either the applicant or a full-time employee must have a Japanese-language ability equivalent to JLPT N2 or above.
Specialist confirmation of the business plan
A written confirmation of the business plan by a certified management consultant (Chusho Kigyo Shindanshi), certified public accountant or licensed tax accountant. Feasibility is reviewed.
Permanent Residence
Permanent Residence — the four requirements
Residence requirement
10 continuous years of residence in Japan, of which 5 years are under a work or residence-based status. Highly Skilled Professional offers a 3-year or 1-year fast track.
Good conduct
Compliance with the law. Criminal record, traffic violations, exceeding extra-status work limits and similar adverse facts count against the application.
Independent livelihood
Not a public burden, with a stable life expected going forward. Roughly JPY 3M annual income is a working benchmark.
National interest
On-time payment of resident tax, national tax, pension and health insurance over the last several years. Even a single day late can be treated as a negative factor.
Naturalisation
Naturalisation — the six requirements
Residence
General naturalisation: 5+ continuous years of address in Japan, of which 3+ years on a work status as a benchmark. Simplified naturalisation is available for spouses of Japanese nationals (3 years or 1 year).
Capacity
Age 18 or above and legal capacity under the applicant’s home-country law. Some simplified categories waive this.
Good conduct
Tax compliance, traffic record, criminal record. Resident-tax or pension arrears are commonly the direct cause of refusal.
Livelihood
A stable household livelihood is enough — including a household relying on a spouse’s income.
Single nationality
Original nationality is, in principle, lost on naturalisation. Where the home country does not allow renunciation, special exceptions are considered.
Constitutional loyalty
Not planning to overthrow the Constitution of Japan or the government established under it.
Pricing
Indicative fees
| Service | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Business Manager (new / Certificate of Eligibility) | From JPY 300,000 | Includes incorporation of the company, business plan and specialist confirmation. Government fees and specialist confirmation fees separate. |
| Business Manager (Change of Status) | From JPY 250,000 | For changes from Designated Activities (No. 51), Engineer/Humanities, Student etc. |
| Business Manager (Extension) | From JPY 80,000 | Includes review of financial statements, tax status and business continuity. |
| Highly Skilled Professional | From JPY 200,000 | Point calculation, evidence gathering, Certificate of Eligibility. |
| Permanent Residence | From JPY 150,000 | Pre-application feasibility, document collection, reasoning letter, coordination of sponsors. |
| Naturalisation (filing support) | From JPY 200,000 | Translation of home-country documents, CV, guidance on the motivation letter, accompanying applicant to the Legal Affairs Bureau. |
Net of consumption tax. Government fees, specialist confirmation fees and translation / notarisation costs are charged separately. First consultation is free.
Process
How an engagement unfolds
Initial enquiry and consultation
We learn your business plan, current status, family composition and the available residence-status options.
Requirement assessment
We check each requirement for Business Manager / Highly Skilled Professional / Permanent Residence / Naturalisation against your situation, and surface any gaps early.
Engagement and document list
We confirm the scope, fees and timeline in writing, and send the document checklist. We allow time for obtaining home-country documents.
Drafting the business plan, reasoning letter and motivation letter
We prepare drafts and iterate with you. The motivation letter for naturalisation must be in the applicant’s own handwriting, so we only guide on that one.
Filing
Business Manager, Highly Skilled Professional and Permanent Residence are filed by us as Application Filing Agent. Naturalisation requires applicant attendance at the Legal Affairs Bureau; we accompany you.
Examination response and approval
We act as the first responder for follow-up document requests and interview scheduling. We also handle the post-approval notifications and residence card / family register issues.
Languages
Languages we work in
Japanese
Handled by in-house staff.
English
Initial consultation and written correspondence available.
Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and others
Handled through partner interpreters / translators.
Contact
Designing the business and the residence status together
First consultation is free. Tell us about your business idea and current status, and we will outline the choices, the feasibility and the timeline on the same call.
This page is an introduction and does not guarantee any particular outcome. Permission lies with the Immigration Services Agency / the Minister of Justice; we work on pre-application feasibility and on optimising the evidence. Information reflects the position as of mid-2026 including the Business Manager reform that took effect on October 16, 2025. Matters reserved for other professions are outside our scope.