There are a lot of misconceptions when opening up a business in Japan, and whoever spread such misconceptions is definitely such a weirdo but unfortunately, most of those myths are strongly believed by others. And, here are some of those myths:

You need a Japanese Staff for Your Business

You might have heard many times that one need a Japanese staff in business, but having a Japanese employee is actually not mandatory in doing business in Japan. Whatever your business may be, you can still get a business investor visa even without having a Japanese employee, in fact even if you don’t have any employee other than yourself.

You Need to Pay a Staggering 50,000 Dollars for an Investor Visa

The fact that you are spending a whooping amount of money is really something to think about first. Do some reliable research first before shedding off your hard-earned money. If you don’t need an investor visa for already having another type of visa such as spouse, descendent or working visa, one can open a business at a very minimal cost. Nevertheless, even if you really need a business investor visa, then you are required to invest up to ¥5,000,000, but not pay, which at the current exchange rate is nearly $50,000. However, that ¥5,000,000 must come from abroad into your Japanese bank account so the government can be satisfied enough to know that you are bringing in foreign capital to the country. Your investment can be used to pay office rentals, employees’ salaries or whatever you may need to run your business.

You Need to be Japanese or At Least Have a Japanese Business Partner

This misconception is also widespread but absolutely false. You may simply start a business in Japan as a foreign national and get a long-term visa.

You Need to be a Japanese Resident First

If you don’t want to be a Japanese resident then it’s completely fine. A company owner doesn’t have to be a Japanese resident.

Opening a Business in Japan is Easy

As for many businessmen who have already founded companies in other countries, opening a business in Japan is particularly difficult mainly due to language barrier. Also, the country’s distinct culture sometimes becomes an issue.

Opening a business in Japan is definitely a different game but if you would tailor every single aspect of your business to the Japanese culture, then you will have a bright future in your chosen business.