Business acquisition and residency coordination
for qualified global buyers
Can you move to Japan
by buying a business?
Assess your readiness, understand the capital required, and coordinate a Japanese business acquisition with residency specialists — a route strengthened by Japan's 2025 rule change.
Free · 3 minutes · Personalized capital & gap report · No obligation
The life on the other side
Not a startup gamble.
An open door, already lit.
Somewhere in Japan there is a business that already works — staff who know their craft, customers who return, a retiring owner who wants it to continue. Acquiring it means you begin your life in Japan running something real from day one: revenue on the books, keys in your hand, a community that knows the name over the door.
That is the path this service exists to coordinate.
Why acquisition
The rules changed. The strategy must change with them.
Since October 16, 2025, founding a shell company no longer opens Japan's door. The revised ordinance demands ¥30 million in capital, a full-time employee, proven management experience, and a credible, expert-reviewed business plan.
An acquired company with real revenue, staff, and tax history answers those demands with evidence rather than projections. Meanwhile, a generation of Japanese owners is retiring without successors — willing to pass well-run businesses to committed new stewards.
Read the 2025 rule change
¥30M
Minimum capital now required — six times the former ¥5M threshold.
1.27M
Aging SME owners government estimates warned could face succession uncertainty.
1 hire
Full-time resident employee required — a condition an operating company already satisfies.
A quick self-check
Is this route realistic for you?
Four signals separate serious candidates from wishful thinking. Tap each one that describes you and see a preliminary read — then let the full 15-question check quantify your capital requirement, gaps, and all-in cost.
Take the full Readiness CheckPreliminary read
0 / 4 signals
Early stage — see what would need to change
CapitalFurther review needed
ExperienceFurther review needed
LanguageFurther review needed
CommitmentFurther review needed
Indicative only — the full 3-minute check quantifies your capital requirement, gaps, and estimated all-in cost.
Acquisition Examples
What your budget buys in Japan
Illustrative example profiles based on current market conditions — not brokered offers — each rated for how well its substance fits a Business Manager visa case.
Trading / Wholesale
Business Manager Fit 5/5Food Export Trading Company
Fukuoka · 5 employees
Asking price
¥32M
Est. total investment
¥54M
Hospitality
Business Manager Fit 5/5Licensed Machiya Guesthouse
Kyoto · 3 employees
Asking price
¥28M
Est. total investment
¥52M
Manufacturing
Business Manager Fit 5/5Precision Metal Fabrication Shop
Osaka · 8 employees
Asking price
¥45M
Est. total investment
¥61M
The cost model
Know the whole number, not just the price.
The acquisition price is only part of the picture. Plan the whole structure — purchase price, qualifying capital, working capital, and professional fees — before you commit to a target.
The purchase price paid to the seller does not normally increase the company's paid-in capital.
If the acquired company's qualifying capital is below ¥30M, a separate, professionally structured injection is typically needed on top of the purchase price.
Typical all-in structure · illustrative
- Acquisition price
- ¥15M
- Capital increase to reach ¥30M
- ¥25M
- Working capital reserve
- ¥8M
- Professional fees
- ¥4M
Paid to the current owner for the shares or business.
Injected if the company's existing paid-in capital falls short.
A first-year buffer for payroll, rent, and your own salary.
M&A intermediary, gyoseishoshi, tax accountant, diligence.
Estimated total investment
¥52M
≈ US$347K at ¥150/USD. Indicative only — actual figures depend on the target company and deal structure.
The journey
From first conversation to keys and residency.
- 01
Readiness assessment
A structured review of your capital, management background, sector interests, and timeline against Japan's current Business Manager visa framework.
Outcome
A clear go / not-yet decision and a defined target profile.
- 02
Acquisition target research
We research succession-ready companies matching your profile across listing platforms and professional networks — screening staff, revenue, and visa-relevant substance.
Outcome
A shortlist of 3–8 vetted acquisition candidates with rationale.
- 03
Specialist team assembly
We introduce and brief the licensed professionals the transaction legally requires: a qualified M&A intermediary, a gyoseishoshi for the visa strategy, a judicial scrivener, and an accountant. Each is engaged by you directly.
Outcome
A complete, briefed deal team under a single coordinated plan.
- 04
Coordination through closing & visa
We keep the process moving: sequencing diligence, tracking milestones, aligning the share transfer with your visa timing, and making sure the business plan your immigration specialist files reflects the acquired company's real numbers.
Outcome
An acquisition completed in the right order for residency.
Our role
One coordinator. A full bench of licensed specialists.
Move to Japan Advisory coordinates the process. Regulated legal, immigration, tax, accounting, and transaction services are provided directly by the relevant independent specialists — each engaged by you directly.
Target research
We map succession-ready companies against your budget, sector, and residency objectives, and shortlist candidates worth pursuing.
Team assembly
Qualified M&A intermediaries, immigration specialists (gyoseishoshi), judicial scriveners, and accountants — introduced, briefed, and working to one plan.
Process coordination
From first shortlist to post-closing visa preparation, we keep every specialist, document, and deadline moving in sequence.
Strict boundaries
We never broker deals, negotiate terms, or file applications. Regulated work stays with the licensed professionals you engage directly.
Who is behind this
Built by someone living the succession problem.
A 50-year family business was about to be closed without recovering its value. Our founder intervened and began exploring succession and M&A instead — he is currently supporting that succession and sale process first-hand.
That experience is backed by over a decade in enterprise sales and go-to-market strategy at companies including Salesforce Japan, deep research into Japan's succession market, and a working network of licensed specialists. He works between international buyers and Japanese sellers in fluent English and native Japanese.
- Operated by
- Tenbou Works · Tokyo, Japan
- Scope
- Research & coordination only — never brokerage or filings
Insights
Regulation, explained in plain terms
Visa Rules
Japan's 2025 Business Manager Visa Rules: The Complete Guide for Foreign Buyers
Japan raised the Business Manager visa bar on October 16, 2025: ¥30 million capital, a full-time employee, management experience, and Japanese ability. Here is exactly what changed and why acquiring an existing company can offer qualified applicants a stronger evidence base.
Strategy
Buy vs. Start: Which Path to Japan's Business Manager Visa Actually Works in 2026?
Founding a new company in Japan versus acquiring an existing one — a requirement-by-requirement comparison under the post-2025 visa rules, with realistic costs and timelines for each path.
Costs
How Much Does It Really Cost to Buy a Business in Japan and Qualify for the Visa?
The all-in budget for acquiring a Japanese business under the 2025 visa rules: purchase price ranges by business type, the ¥30M capital rule, working capital, professional fees — with three worked examples.
Questions
What international buyers ask first
Three minutes to know exactly where you stand.
The Eligibility Check maps your capital, experience, and timeline against Japan's current requirements — and returns your required capital, gaps, estimated all-in cost, and next actions.
Check Your ReadinessFree · No obligation · Preliminary assessment only · Your answers stay private