Hi all. I’ll attempt to keep this as short as possible. I’m a conservationist with my own US nonprofit dedicated to wildlife conservation. This nonprofit in turn manages my projects in different areas around the world.
I’ve been interested in moving to Japan for a couple of years now, and want to make the leap. My idea is to found a nonprofit in Japan, partner with local conservationists, and essentially create my own job (I would be able to procure funding), as well as contributing something beneficial (ecological conservation).
Has anyone in the group ever had experience setting up a nonprofit in Japan? From what I have read, it seems deceptively simple, at least for the “General Associations” (the process in the US was a long one). I’m researching on my own, but I thought that perhaps it would be helpful to talk to someone who already went through the process. I understand that it is legal for foreigners to be on a Board of Directors for a nonprofit, but I am having a hard time finding info to determine if having a nonprofit could help get a business/long-term visa.
Thanks in advance.
3 comments
I note that public interest corporations are included in the list of example companies that could sponsor one for a business manager status of residence. https://www.isa.go.jp/en/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri07_00092.html
I suppose then your challenge would be similar to other hopeful business managers. You’ll need to have a specific and detailed plan for what your organization will be doing *in Japan*, and for why you would need to be here in Japan to execute it.
I’ll echo u/dalkyr82 in that you’ll want to discuss your plan with local lawyers.
Perhaps you’d also want to reach out to NPOs like DonguriNoKai and see if perhaps your interests align. https://www.dongurinokai.or.jp/. I’m sure setting up shop with an existing NPO would be much simpler than trying to grow your own from scratch.
Some non-mod commentary:
>From what I have read, it seems deceptively simple, at least for the “General Associations”
It *is* fairly simple.
The issue for you is going to be that “Starting a nonprofit” =/= “Getting a visa”. You can’t just start a business (including nonprofits) and then turn around and immediately sponsor a work visa for an employee.
There’s a specific visa for doing that called the Business Manager Visa, but it’s unclear if a nonprofit would qualify under that visa. That’s the “talk to a lawyer” part.
First of all, there are non-profit organizations located in Japan, and I know someone who is a foreigner with no Japanese skill that did an internship at one of those organizations. It may be possible to start one, considering there are organizations in English. I don’t know the name of the organization unfortunately.
I’ll link some articles that may be useful to learn about how it works in Japan and a bit about the culture too.
[https://mihotanaka.medium.com/how-to-launch-a-non-profit-organization-in-japan-b5f02b1d0ba7](https://mihotanaka.medium.com/how-to-launch-a-non-profit-organization-in-japan-b5f02b1d0ba7)
[https://blog.gaijinpot.com/setting-up-an-npo-in-japan/](https://blog.gaijinpot.com/setting-up-an-npo-in-japan/)
Before you register, it would be wise to consult an immigration lawyer and make sure you come to Japan on the proper VISA before spending your time and money.