I know the minimum is technically 5 million yen, but realistically I imagine it’s a bit more than that. So I’m wondering, for those that moved on this type of visa, how much did it *actually* cost you? What type of business did you do?
I’d also appreciate info from anyone who had proof of that capital but got rejected–I’ve heard that simply having that and the other basic requirements is not necessarily enough to get the visa, but that having more capital helps (which makes sense).
2 comments
>I know the minimum is technically 5 million yen, but realistically I imagine it’s a bit more than that.
The number is a ***minimum*** of 5 million yen. They will be looking at your business plan and making the capital determination from that. You’re required to have enough money to actually make your business happen. A low-overhead “knowledge” operation like a software consultancy is going to require less investment than a restaurant, for example.
>I’ve heard that simply having that and the other basic requirements is not necessarily enough to get the visa
The money is the *least* important aspect of the process. What’s more important is the aforementioned business plan. They’re going to check for a few key factors:
#1: Viability. They want to see that the business has a decent chance of succeeding. Do you have experience running the sort of business you’re proposing? Are you positioning the business correctly, both in the market and in terms of physical location? Like, if you want to start an Anime cafe in Nemuro, Hokkaido… They’re going to look at you funny. Likewise if you decide to start a cat psychiatry operation. Like all business plans and investments everywhere, it needs to have a chance.
#2: Necessity. They’re going to check and see if the business needs to exist *in Japan*. Are you going to be contributing to the Japanese economy? Are you going to serve Japanese clients, and/or hire Japanese people? If you want to start a solo software consultancy that only services clients in Zimbabwe, they’re going to ask why you’re setting up shop in Japan.
Web dev consultancy + SaaS business. 7.5m initial capital. Keep under 10m for tax purposes. Spent a good amount of time on the business plan, which is invaluable since you need it to open a corporate bank account as well.