Japan Business Manager Visa JPY 30 Million Requirement — How Immigration Actually Calculates It

The answer may be more complicated than many people expect

Last updated: May 20, 2026

A common misunderstanding

Many people assume the revised Business Manager visa rule simply requires preparing JPY 30 million.

However, recent FAQ guidance suggests the calculation may depend heavily on business structure.

Corporate entities and sole proprietors may be treated differently

According to the FAQ:

• Companies: paid-in capital or contribution amount may be reviewed
• Sole proprietors: office expenses, employee salaries, equipment investment and other business assets may be considered

This suggests the same "JPY 30 million" figure may operate differently depending on structure.

Not everything may count

The FAQ also indicates that:

• capital reserve
• retained earnings
• certain accounting items

may not automatically qualify as business assets for this purpose.

Another overlooked point

Combining assets from multiple companies may not satisfy the requirement.

Immigration may evaluate each business independently.

Final thoughts

The revised Business Manager standards appear more detailed than many expected.

Understanding how Immigration actually calculates business scale may become increasingly important.