Watch the full interview above — or read the key takeaways below. Updated with 2026 rule changes.
Thinking about moving to Japan — or building a business here — but not sure where to start? You are not alone. Every week we speak to people who have spent months researching Japan online and still feel stuck, because the real answers are buried in Japanese bureaucracy, cultural nuance, and the kind of hard-won knowledge you can only get from someone who has lived it.
This post is built around a wide-ranging conversation between Ziv Nakajima-Magen — our COO and a 13-year resident of Fukuoka — and a guest with a deep interest in Japan’s startup and relocation scene. They covered everything from renting as a foreigner and opening a business bank account to finding a Japanese business partner and navigating the visa process. Here are the most useful parts, distilled for you — and fact-checked against Japan’s latest 2026 regulations.
First Things First: Japan Is Not Just Tokyo
If you have been picturing life in Japan as life in Tokyo, there is a whole other world worth knowing about. Fukuoka — where our team is based — is Japan’s largest city in the west, with a population of approximately 1.7 million people. It is the primary gateway to Japan from Southeast Asia, and it punches well above its weight in terms of food, culture, and quality of life.
Compared to Tokyo, Fukuoka offers a lower cost of living, a friendlier pace, and — crucially for anyone considering a move — nature within 15–20 minutes of the city centre. Beaches, hot springs (onsen), and hiking trails are all an easy trip away.
💡 NB Insight Fukuoka’s mayor has been actively positioning the city as Japan’s leading startup hub — offering subsidies, a dedicated international entrepreneur support desk, and a streamlined visa pathway for qualifying companies. If you are considering Japan for a business launch, Fukuoka is worth putting at the top of your shortlist.
Renting in Japan as a Foreigner — Honest Expectations
Renting is the area where foreigners face the most friction. Some agents will tell you — politely but directly — that they do not have apartments for foreigners. The core issue is not hostility but conflict avoidance. The practical steps that improve your chances significantly:
- Secure a resident card (在留カード — zairyu card) as soon as you arrive.
- Build at least 3–6 months of documented income history from a Japanese employer or business.
- Have a Japanese guarantor (保証人 — hoshonin) — a Japanese spouse, partner, or colleague dramatically improves your chances.
- Work with a bilingual agent or support company who can present you to landlords in the most reassuring possible light.
🎌 Cultural Note Japanese landlords are not trying to discriminate — they are trying to avoid problems. Their concern is almost never about who you are, but about whether they will be able to communicate with you if something goes wrong. Presenting yourself through a Japanese intermediary addresses that fear directly. It is not a workaround — it is how the market works.
Starting a Business in Japan as a Foreigner
The good news: incorporating a company in Japan is a surprisingly clean process. With a lawyer or administrative scrivener (行政書士 — gyosei shoshi), you can have a legally registered company within approximately one month. Non-residents can incorporate. There are no nationality-based restrictions on business formation.
The harder part begins once you have the certificate of incorporation.
Opening a Business Bank Account
Traditional Japanese banks are extraordinarily conservative — even for Japanese business owners. For foreigners, the scrutiny is even more intense. The practical workaround that now works well: start with an online bank. Japan’s newer digital banks (such as Rakuten Bank, PayPay Bank, and GMO Aozora) have far more flexible onboarding and are increasingly foreigner-friendly. Once your business has 6–12 months of transaction history, a traditional bank becomes more accessible.
💡 NB Insight The gap between what the Japanese government legally permits and what Japanese institutions practically allow is the defining challenge of doing business here as a foreigner. Nippon Bridge exists precisely to bridge that gap — navigating the boots-on-the-ground realities that no government website will ever tell you about.
Finding a Japanese Business Partner
Unless you are running a business entirely for a non-Japanese audience, a Japanese business partner is not optional — it is essential. You bring the international vision, the capital, and the global network. Your Japanese partner brings the trust, the language, and the cultural authority. Together, you can go anywhere.
Visas, Residency & the Business Manager Pathway
Japan offers a structured pathway for foreign entrepreneurs: the Business Manager Visa (経営・管理ビザ). This visa grants the right to live and work in Japan as the operator of a registered Japanese company — and it is one of the most reliable pathways to long-term residency (永住権 — eijuken) available to foreign nationals.
📋 October 2025 Rule Change — Stricter Requirements The Business Manager Visa was significantly revised in October 2025. The updated requirements are:
- ¥30 million minimum paid-in capital (increased from ¥5 million — a 6x increase)
- At least one full-time Japanese national employee with documented Japanese language ability
- 3+ years of management experience OR a relevant Master’s or Doctorate degree
- A dedicated physical office — home offices and shared addresses are no longer accepted
- A certified business plan reviewed by a qualified professional
If you are not yet ready to meet these requirements, the Startup Visa has been extended to a 2-year preparation period — giving you time to build your business case and capital before applying for the full Business Manager Visa.
These are significant changes — and they make professional support more important than ever. Nippon Bridge works with qualified immigration lawyers and administrative scriveners who specialise in helping foreign entrepreneurs navigate this process from day one. Book a free consultation to understand what your specific pathway looks like.
What Life in Japan Is Actually Like — For a Foreigner
Japan offers a quality of life that is genuinely difficult to find anywhere else: safety, cleanliness, extraordinary food, public transport that runs on time to the minute, and a culture that values consideration for others above almost everything.
But it is also honest work to build a life here. You will encounter situations where — no matter how good your Japanese becomes — you will always be perceived as a foreigner first in many contexts. That is not a reason not to come. It is just the truth, and it is better to know it upfront than to discover it after you have packed up your life.
Japan rewards patience, cultural curiosity, and a genuine willingness to meet people halfway.
🎌 Cultural Note The Japanese phrase “deru kugi wa utareru” (出る釘は打たれる) — “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down” — applies to Japanese people navigating Japanese social norms. As a foreigner, you are already visibly different — and ironically, this can give you a kind of social freedom that locals do not have. What matters most is showing genuine respect and curiosity for the culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Business Manager Visa requirements in 2026?
As of October 2025, the Business Manager Visa requires: ¥30 million in paid-in capital, at least one full-time Japanese national employee, 3+ years of management experience or a relevant postgraduate degree, a dedicated physical office, and a certified business plan. A 2-year Startup Visa is available as a preparation pathway.
Is Fukuoka a good city to live in as a foreigner?
Very much so. With 1.7 million people, Fukuoka is Japan’s largest western city — more casual, affordable, and accessible than Tokyo, with everything from beaches to mountains within a short trip. It is also home to the Nippon Bridge team and is increasingly popular with international entrepreneurs and remote workers.
Three Things to Take Away
- The legal framework in Japan welcomes you. Foreign founders and foreign residents are permitted and increasingly welcomed. The complexity is practical, not legal — and it is entirely navigable with the right support.
- Culture is not a barrier — it is a skill. The most successful foreigners in Japan are not the ones who spoke the best Japanese. They are the ones who understood the culture well enough to work with it — finding Japanese partners, intermediaries, and allies who could bridge the gap where it mattered most.
- You do not have to figure it out alone. Nippon Bridge exists because flexible, English-language support for living and doing business in Japan has been genuinely missing. We have made the mistakes already. We are here so you do not have to.
Ready to Make Japan Your Next Chapter?
Whether you are planning a move, exploring a business opportunity, or navigating the new 2026 rules — we offer a free 30-minute consultation with no pressure and no commitment. Ask us anything. Book Your Free Consultation →
