The Business Manager Status Is No Longer Just an Investor Visa

Many people think that investing in and setting up a company is enough to get the Business Manager status. Under the law, though, it has long since stopped being a simple investor visa.

1. From "Investor / Business Manager" to "Business Manager"

The status used to be called "Investor / Business Manager." A 2014 amendment renamed it "Business Manager" and dropped the assumption that the company must be foreign-owned. The focus shifted from investment to actual management.

2. Is it a problem if the owner is rarely in Japan?

Since the change, how the business is actually run has become central to the review. If the company is in Japan but the owner stays overseas for long periods while others make the key decisions and run the business, renewal may become a problem.

That is because the Business Manager status does not make you a company owner in Japan; it is a status for carrying out management activities in Japan.

3. Higher requirements from October 16, 2025

The new rules added:

• Capital or equivalent of at least ¥30 million
• At least one qualifying full-time employee
• A certain level of Japanese-language ability
• A doctoral, master's or professional degree in management or a field related to the business, or at least three years of management experience
• Professional review of the business plan, among others

So it can no longer be understood as "invest, set up a company, get the visa." What is required is actually running a business in Japan with a certain scale, stability and continuity. The question is not only whether you are the owner, but whether you are managing the business in Japan.

If a Japanese company is funded by an operating parent company overseas, the source of funds and the substance of the business are usually easier to show with objective documents, which can help in practice.

With the stricter rules, reviews focus more on how the company actually operates and on the applicant's own management activities. If you run a company in Japan on the Business Manager status and your renewal is coming up, book a free consultation.

Understanding Japan through law.

This article provides general legal information, not legal advice on any individual case. Please consult us about your own situation; for disputes or litigation, consult an attorney.