On October 16, 2025, Japan rewrote the rules of the Business Manager visa.

Effective October 16, 2025, Japan raised the Business Manager visa requirements substantially: minimum capital or investment increased from ¥5 million to ¥30 million (about USD 200,000); applicants must employ at least one full-time employee who is a Japanese national or lawful permanent-type resident; applicants need at least three years of business management experience or a relevant master's degree; the applicant or a full-time employee must have Japanese language ability around JLPT N2; and business plans must be reviewed by a qualified professional such as a certified administrative procedures legal specialist (gyoseishoshi) or SME consultant.

An operating company can already satisfy the hardest new conditions with evidence instead of projections: it has real revenue and tax filings that support a credible business plan, and it typically already employs full-time staff (meeting the one-employee requirement). Note that the price paid to the seller for shares does not normally increase the company's paid-in capital — if the target's qualifying capital is below ¥30 million, a separate capital injection or other professionally structured funding is typically needed. Even so, an operating company gives you a far stronger evidence base than starting a brand-new company from zero.

Plan for total deployable capital of roughly ¥40–80 million (about USD 270,000–540,000): the ¥30 million minimum capital/investment requirement, plus acquisition costs for a small company (many succession-driven sales list between ¥5–30 million), any capital injection needed to reach the qualifying threshold, professional fees for M&A intermediaries, immigration specialists, and accountants, and working capital for your first year of operation.

The stricter standards apply at renewal as well, subject to transitional arrangements. Existing holders who built their status around the former ¥5 million threshold face significantly harder renewals, which is why many are now considering acquiring or expanding into businesses with real employees and revenue before their next renewal date.

You can apply yourself, but the 2025 rules effectively require professional involvement: business plans must be confirmed by qualified experts, and in practice a certified administrative procedures legal specialist (gyoseishoshi) prepares and files most successful applications. Note that only licensed professionals may prepare immigration filings for compensation in Japan — which is why Move to Japan Advisory coordinates specialists rather than filing applications.

Japan has a deep pool of succession-driven sales: government estimates have warned that roughly 1.27 million aging SME owners could face succession uncertainty, and only a fraction of those companies will be suitable or available for acquisition. Deal flow appears on Japanese M&A platforms such as TRANBI and Batonz, through regional succession support centers, and via private broker networks — but nearly all of it is listed only in Japanese, which is the gap coordination services bridge for international buyers.