Insights
The rules that decide whether your business can operate in Japan
Much of what circulates in English about Japanese business and immigration rules is out of date — sometimes by a single reform, sometimes by years. These articles are written from the primary sources: the ordinances themselves and the guidance published by the authority that applies them. Every figure is cited, and every article says when it was last checked.
Japan's Startup Visa After the 2025 Reform: What It Actually Buys You
Japan's startup visa was amended on 16 October 2025 — the same day as the Business Manager reform, and in the same direction. It does not lower the ¥30 million threshold; it changes when you must have reached it, and lets you be in Japan lawfully while you get there. This article sets out what actually changed, the one requirement that is genuinely lower (one year of management experience against three), the provision that makes startup-visa time count toward the Business Manager requirement, and the date that decides which criteria you will face.
Japan's Business Manager Visa: The 2025 Reform and Its Five Requirements
On 16 October 2025 Japan raised the Business Manager visa threshold from ¥5 million to ¥30 million. The larger change is structural: requirements that used to be alternatives now apply together, the "equivalent scale" fallback was deleted, and three conditions were added that did not exist before — Japanese language, background, and an expert-verified business plan. This article sets out all five as the amended ordinance states them, the two conflicting definitions of "full-time employee", and the transition period running to 16 October 2028.
Planning a business in Japan?
Tell me where you stand and I will tell you what the current rules require of you — not what a guide written before the last reform says.
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