I want to move to Japan to start a business. What do I need?

Let’s talk about visas.

In order to start a business in Japan, unless you hold a spouse of Japanese national or other visa without work restrictions, you are going to need to apply for a ‘Business Manager’ visa.

Usually, it is recommended to establish your company and then apply for a visa.

However, as somebody not currently living in Japan it is not possible to establish a company in Japan. How then is it possible to get the business manager visa you might ask. It’s simple. We apply for the business manager visa in order to set up a company.

A visa in order to start up a company? Yes.

In this case it is possible to apply for a 4-month business manager visa. This might seem like a very short visa, and it is but it is ideal as it gives us two things.

First, the time to come to Japan and physically set up an office etc. And secondly, it gives us the ability to get a registered address in Japan.

Unlike somebody with a tourist visa, a holder of the 4-month business manager visa is classified as a resident in Japan and thus has a legally registered address in the country. This means bank accounts can be set up and crucially you are able to officially register your business with the legal affairs bureau in Japan.