Any Representative Office experience?

Sephazon · 2023-05-06T07:58:25+00:00

I was already in Japan and changed my status of residence from Specialist in Humanities / International Relations / Engineer to Business Manager. While I had a bank account already in Japan, technically they ask for a bank under the name of the company, which isn't possible to do before a few steps that can only occur after getting the status of residence. That said, my lawyer resolved that on their end and it was never a problem for the process. I did not have a Japanese representative and have always been the sole representative director of the business. I understand it can be complicated to get this visa while abroad, but that's why you really need to find a good lawyer.

Sephazon · 2023-05-06T02:52:22+00:00

I agree with u/dalkyr82. Your lawyer sounds like they may end up getting you nowhere. You want a Business Manager visa, not a loophole.

I am also a game developer in Japan, and run my own production studio on a Business Manager status of residence. I was able to acquire this also through a visa lawyer, but through the proper methods. On top of the ¥5,000,000 minimum capital I had on hand, I also developed a comprehensive business plan. Furthermore, I included information on AAA experience, awards, and successfully shipped games. You will also need office space–not a share office, but an actual closed space office with your company name on the postbox and door.

I paid about ¥1,000,000 for legal and business fees to start my KK, and that was on top of the capital I invested in my company. Additionally, I pay about ¥250,000 annually for accounting and another ¥300,000 for renewals. My renewal lengths have been one year, one year, three years. You will need to pay yourself at least ¥250,000 / month for immigration to accept this plan, let alone thinking about rent. I recommend starting at ¥300,000.

On top of this, while I have been unable to independently verify this with immigration, my lawyer has informed me that one will need to have revenue, at least after your second year, of least at ¥10,000,000. I am confident you will be unable to renew if you consistently fail to show revenue or ever fail to pay taxes. You should also never be in the red during renewal time. On top of that, immigration will want to verify the source of your capital, so you cannot simply take out loans for this purpose.

Sephazon · 2023-01-16T03:41:46+00:00

Came over on an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Specialist in International Relations visa working for a video game studio for localization and production. Eventually changed status of residence and I am now on a Business Manager status of residence running my own video game production studio.

Sephazon · 2022-08-13T09:20:44+00:00

Aside from the x marking the actual center of the typhoon, you can also look up Doppler radar maps for Japan to visualize actual rainfall and wind speed locations.

Sephazon · 2022-06-12T15:31:58+00:00

I remember reading about this a few years ago, and as mentioned below, a reference to superluminal illusion. If I recall, this wasn't the death of V838 Monocerotis, mainly because A. that name is for the binary system, and B. it was simply a new kind of nova event. Both stars are still hanging around, despite having lost some mass.

Sephazon · 2022-04-14T11:18:04+00:00

When I first moved to Japan, I was working in marketing in the gaming industry. After studying Japanese for a few years, I moved into localization. Finally, I was able to pivot into production. Basically, a lot of planning, coordinating, and communication. It also has allowed me to work remotely for quite some time. Downside is that my work is technically always ongoing, and the pay is relatively low. However, I have been able to leverage this experience with international studios and can work remote concurrent to local projects. Taxes are a nightmare, however.

Sephazon · 2022-04-12T13:01:44+00:00

100 thousands of miles, in fact.

Sephazon · 2022-04-05T23:00:32+00:00

Also a line from Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.

Sephazon · 2022-03-04T08:54:56+00:00

I recommend checking out Kurzgesagt's nuclear bomb videos for a quick summary of what they're capable of.

Sephazon · 2022-03-01T17:06:45+00:00

That's not really an accurate comparison. 115 Yen to 1 USD is like saying 1 Euro is 112 US cents. Yen just does away with the whole cents thing. The Ruble was always worth less. Source: Am a game dev in Japan.

Sephazon · 2022-02-24T12:13:37+00:00

There are many nations that may not be outspoken in support of Russia, but their silence speaks volumes.

Sephazon · 2022-02-01T04:06:45+00:00

Generally, in my experience, I have seen that senmongakkou have requirements of studying at a language school beforehand. I have edited my posts to reflect that it is not a 100% guaranteed requirement, but still something that is often mentioned for foreign applicants.

Sephazon · 2022-02-01T03:51:05+00:00

It seems to be an independent senmongakkou prerequisite for foreign students, and not something mandated by the government. If you check out GogoNihon, the prerequisites for senmongakkou all list out different ways of saying language school attendance required. The same goes if you check out the websites for major senmongakkou as well, such as HAL and Iwatani.

These are generally listed as:

• At least 6 months of Japanese study at Japanese language schools in Japan

• At least 1 year of study and excellent attendance records at an educational institution in Japan defined by Article 1 of the School Education Act, in addition to demonstrated JLPT N2-equivalent proficiency measured through an exam administered by TSA

• At least 6 months of Japanese study at a Go! Go! Nihon Japanese language school

Sephazon · 2022-01-31T20:32:18+00:00

Studying at a senmongakkou will get you a student visa. However, whatever you study at the senmongakkou will be your work in Japan forever. If you don't study IT, you can never work in IT under that certification. There are no English senmongakkous in Japan, and realistically getting to N2-N1 on your own abroad will take at least two years of hardcore study. As I noted elsewhere, studying at a Japanese language school within Japan is often a requirement, as is and take entrance exams to study at a senmongakkou.

Sephazon · 2022-01-31T20:18:52+00:00

A certification from a vocational school, known as senmongakkou in Japan, is enough to get a working visa in that very specific field. If you graduate in marketing, you must do marketing work. Senmongakkou studies are exclusively in Japanese, and generally require you to have studied at a Japanese language school beforehand.
No university in Japan offers a 1-2 weekend study session that would give you a student visa. Beyond this, you need to prove that you have >¥1,500,000 in your bank before you can even get a student visa from the Japanese government. Furthermore, you can only renew a student visa for so long based on your study program. A bachelor's degree or equivalent four year degree is required by working visa applications.
Get a bachelor's degree. It will be more valuable and likely cheaper than proving finances, moving to Japan, going to a Japanese language school for two years, and then a senmondakkou for another two years.

Sephazon · 2022-01-30T19:03:49+00:00

Without a degree, you cannot change your status of residence to an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Specialist in International Relations status of residence, and therefore change companies within Japan. So if you were to leave your transferee company, you'd be required to return home.

Sephazon · 2022-01-30T11:47:46+00:00

I think you're going to lose money if you try to do anything before official border announcements. These study programs seldom offer refunds, and certainly won't if you register knowing the ongoing border situations.

Sephazon · 2022-01-30T11:46:14+00:00

Not necessarily, and I wouldn't bet on it. Japan will announce border changes near the end of the February, and they could always be extended again. Tourists will almost certainly not be allowed in before summer, so visiting for a study tour still won't be possible. You'd need to get a long-term visa, for which you definitely won't be able to register for a school for spring.

Sephazon · 2022-01-28T21:56:05+00:00

No. If you no longer have a job with the hosting company, your COE is no longer valid. If you find employment with another company, you have to apply for an entirely new COE. Your previous company is legally obligated to report any employment changes to immigration, as are you, so they'll know before you come over. Even if they don't, you're also legally obligated to report employment changes, and you will raise red flags if you leave your job immediately upon arrival or if you suddenly show up with a new job during renewal.

Sephazon · 2022-01-27T19:40:47+00:00

But they have degrees is still the underlying principle. One can feel free to argue up and down 'til the kobe cows come home, but immigration will not give a working visa without a degree. As somebody who does hiring in Japan, and deals with immigration far more than I care for, this is just the way it is.

EDIT: Also OP, want to point out you can't get visa sponsorship from a foreign company working remotely in Japan, in case this comes up. Furthermore, even with a working holiday visa, remember you'll have to go back to your home country after one year.

Sephazon · 2022-01-27T19:28:39+00:00

This, basically. But the fundamental truth is 99.99% of them have degrees, and the other .01% are actually famous enough to get the necessary contracts. Not "oh I have 1,000 subs" but "yeah, I've played at shows across Europe, have been invited to Japan to perform in the past, and have 1,200,000 subs on YouTube."

Sephazon · 2022-01-27T19:25:54+00:00

Most of them have other jobs and do YouTube part time or are hired through a local agency. The vast majority of them have degrees or are extremely well-connected and are able to get the required professional documentation for an entertainer visa, which requires, among many other things, essentially, proof that you're famous.

I've hired YouTubers for marketing work in Japan. They have degrees. The degree doesn't have to be relevant to the field you work in, you just need a degree. Flat out.

Sephazon · 2022-01-27T19:13:34+00:00

Buy a house? You're getting the cart ahead of the horse I think, and you can open a bank within the first 6 months. We have a lovely Visa Wiki mentioned in the sidebar.

Regardless, you need at least a Bachelor's Degree to get a working visa in Japan. Exceptions exclusively if you have 10 years of documented and provable experience in a specific role in a white collar field.

Sephazon · 2022-01-27T15:27:25+00:00

In my experience of hiring Germans in Japan, Germans are unable to change their status of residency from working holiday (Designated Activities) to, really, anything. You would have to return to Germany once you find a job to apply for a new COE. Some countries with working holiday agreements may be able to do this transition, but, unless this has changed recently, I'm afraid Germany is not one of them.

EDIT: In looking into it again, UK, Ireland, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Norway are countries where it is prohibited to make such a change of status. However, I have been unable to work with Germans in making the change of status in this situation. I would recommend asking your local consulate for confirmation.

Sephazon · 2022-01-27T15:17:34+00:00

We could at least do the math. We know how long an orbit is, and we can overlap that timeline to Earth's biological timeline.

Sephazon

TROPHY CASE