Municipal Selection of Foreign Entrepreneurs: Appropriate Base Induction

March 8, 2026March 9, 2026

Video Commentary (Japanese)

Video Commentary (English)

Video commentary (Chinese)

TOC

1. introduction: the time when one could become president for 5 million yen is over.

The startup environment in Japan has undergone a dramatic change with the October 16, 2025 legislative amendment. The "management and administration" visa, which previously required a relatively low capital of 5 million yen, has now been transformed into an extremely high barrier to entry, requiring an investment of at least 30 million yen and the employment of at least one full-time employee.

For foreign entrepreneurs, choosing a municipality is no longer just a matter of "choosing an address." During the two-year grace period, we will work together to overcome this enormous obstacle and create a businessSelect a "co-op partner" to rescue you from the Valley of Death.It is the very thing.

2. the impact of the new criteria for the "Management and Administration Visa" revised in October 2025

Why is "30 million yen and one full-time employee" a barrier?

The new system has effectively sealed the small start.

Capital: 30 million yen The ability to raise funds not only from personal capital but also from venture capital (VC) and loans will be tested.
Hiring of 1 full-time employee: 1 The employment of Japanese nationals or permanent residents is mandatory, and the fixed cost of labor is a heavy burden.
Expert confirmation:. The "endorsement" of a small and medium-sized business consultant, certified public accountant, etc. is now obligatory for business plans.

Importance of "start-up visas" as a remedy

The "Start-up Visa (Foreigner Business Start-up Activity Promotion Program)" offered by certain local governments gives you up to two years to prepare for these strict new standards. How you spend these two years can make the difference between success or failure in visa renewal (survival).

3. by municipality: analysis of "ability to fight together" to cross the valley of death together

The support menus of the three municipalities were compared in terms of breaking through the new standards.

municipality	Characteristics / Co-operative style	30 million yen procurement support	Support for hiring one full-time employee	Quality of Expert Confirmation
Fukuoka City	Aggressive, companionable "warriors"	'good work' (equiv. of silver star awarded to children at school) Strong VC linkage	'good work' (equiv. of silver star awarded to children at school) Community Use	'good work' (equiv. of silver star awarded to children at school) Professionals on staff
Tokyo Metropolitan area	Financial "accelerator"	'good work' (equiv. of silver star awarded to children at school) Huge start-up loans	△ self-service	○ Many affiliated professionals
Kyoto (metropolitan area)	Technology-specific "connoisseur	○ Grants and Industry-Academia Collaboration	○ Students and Researchers	○ academic

Fukuoka City - Accompaniment Support Professionals

Official site:https://www.city.fukuoka.lg.jp/keizai/g-startup/business/R7nd/startupviza_2.html

The Global Startup Center, which is well versed in immigration screening standards, will provide muddled support from document preparation to investor matching. The city's network of professionals will also take the lead in "expert verification" of the new standards, providing the most peace of mind.

Tokyo - Unparalleled capital and resources

Official site:https://www.investtokyo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/jp/oursupports/bdc-tokyo/startupvisa.html

The greatest strength of the program is that it can forcefully break through the 30 million yen barrier with a "metropolitan start-up loan. However, it is suited to the elite who can use professionals on their own, as the staff in charge is not in the style of a hand-holding instructor.

Kyoto Prefecture - If you want to use your skills and educational background as a weapon

Official site:https://www.kyoto-obc.jp/startupvisa/kigyou/

For technology entrepreneurs with a "master's degree or higher," whose preferences were clearly defined in last year's revision, the program offers a unique breakthrough in collaboration with universities and research institutions.

By municipality: Foreign Entrepreneurship Support Capacity Score

municipality	comprehensive evaluation	Fundraising (30 million yen)	Recruitment and Matching	Specialist Cooperation	Administrative Flexibility
Fukuoka City	5.0	5	5	5	5
Tokyo Metropolitan area	4.0	5	3	4	3
Kyoto (metropolitan area)	2.0	1	2	4	1

Fukuoka City: 5.0 - The one and only "friend in arms

It is no exaggeration to say that Fukuoka City is the only city in Japan that takes the initiative in assisting in the preparation of "winning documents" that reverse the screening trends of the Immigration Bureau.

Tokyo: 4.0 - Dry "arms dealer

The "weapon (money)" of a line of credit is one of the largest, but it is up to the entrepreneur to decide how to use it. While Kyoto is less closed, such as "only certain types of businesses are accepted," it does not have the "hand-holding passion" of Fukuoka.

Kyoto: 2.0 - Prideful "gatekeeper

Funding (Score: 1):. Kyoto financial institutions are extremely exclusive in their approach to the ¥30 million barrier. The government is also bound by "precedent" and "formality" and tends to reject flexible interpretation. The brand power is strong, though,City "most indifferent" to startups without financial resourcesIt can be a
Flexibility (Score: 1):. It is precisely during periods of radical change, such as the October 2025 legal revision, that flexible interpretation on the ground is required, but the contact points in Kyoto Prefecture and Kyoto City tend to be bound by "precedent" and "formality".Culture of "no first-time visitorsis transparent in the government's response, and is not suitable for a speedy start-up.
Expert Collaboration (Score: 4):. The only saving grace is the quality of the professionals, but that is only the power of the "private (paid) sector".We have not yet reached a system where the government organizes and "co-opts" them.

If Kyoto's government is "rigid," how should entrepreneurs survive?

Doubt the sweet word "subsidy." The Kyoto grant is a "deferred payment". It cannot be the first means of providing the "30 million yen real money" needed for visa renewal.
Don't make the government office the "only place to consult". Local government counselors do not take risks. It is essential to have private sector experts (e.g., administrative scriveners) who know the latest operations of the Immigration Bureau and the "real loan criteria" of the local banks as military strategists.
Using the "Kyoto Brand" as Leverage for Fundraising Rather than relying on Kyoto's government, the strategy should be to use the fact that the company was founded in Kyoto as branding to foreign investors and VCs in Tokyo to bring in foreign currency.

Professional Perspective

You may be surprised at how little Kyoto is rated. However, the '30 million yen barrier' after the legal reform is not so low that it can be crossed only with pretty brochures and promises of subsidies.

What is really needed is 'the passion to beat the bank counter together' and 'the expertise to break down the immigration bureaucracy's difficulties. From this perspective, the current support from the Kyoto Prefectural Government is so cold-hearted that it is like 'handing a map to an entrepreneur wandering in Death Valley and watching over him.

4. not to be deceived by a pretense of support

Please visit the municipality's website to see if the following items are specifically indicated

Loan performance of "how exactly will you raise 30 million yen?
A direct pipeline of "how to introduce Japanese staff

A municipality without these is just a "receptionist". The only people who can hold your hand and fight with you in the valley of death may be practitioners who know the ins and outs of the system.

5. in summary, the choice of location is the very success or failure of obtaining a visa.

In 2026, it is more than ever a "sophisticated business decision" for a foreigner to start a business in Japan.

We don't have the funds, but we have the passion and the plan.Then, Fukuoka City.
Already have funds and need speedThen Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
Advanced skills and degrees.Then, Kyoto Prefecture.

Choosing a municipality is the first business decision that will determine whether you stand alone in Death Valley or run through it with a strong covering fire.

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