Hello everyone.
Is it possible to open a company (sole proprietorship or KK) while being a student in Japan? I am a graduate student residing in Japan. Isn’t it contradict the maximum 28 hours per week I allowed to work part time? (currently don’t have part time job)
Thanks
🙂
3 comments
I would recommend consulting with an “immigration lawyer” about it.
My (possibly incorrect) understanding is that you would first need to switch from your current visa, to a business manager visa. A schoolmate of mine in university was a silent partner of a small cafe that he established, and had shared that it was one of the first things he was required to do.
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Speaking simply and generalized, it’s technically possible for anyone to register a company in Japan, whether or not they’re a resident here.
Practically speaking, however, if you made a KK company with you as the Representative Director (代表取締役), you wouldn’t actually be able to perform the duties of a manager on a student visa status.
For the most part, the three main statuses of residence that are able to manage companies are Business Manager / Manager visas, Spouse visas, and Permanent Residence.
In the situation you described, you would be an employee, not a manager. So, even if you were a shareholder of the KK, someone else would need to be the Representative Director, and that person would be your “boss.”
Again, technically, a Representative Director can also be someone who lives outside Japan, but if that person is the only director, they wouldn’t be able to open a bank account for the KK in Japan, since they’re a non-resident.