The Verdict: Need More Info
You have until 16 October 2028 to meet the new rules, and renewals before then depend on how the business is doing. Plan the capital increase now, and consider whether permanent residence is reachable sooner.
In the transition, the Immigration Services Agency looks at actual performance and whether the business is on course for the new standard. Since 16 October 2025 the Business Manager status needs ¥30 million in capital, at least one full-time employee who is Japanese or otherwise settled (permanent resident, spouse or child of a Japanese national, long-term resident), three years of management or CxO experience or a relevant master's degree, the ability to run the business in Japanese at about B2, and a business plan confirmed by a professional.
Raising capital from ¥5 million to ¥30 million has the longest lead time.
Permanent residence ends the renewal cycle, and Business Manager time counts towards it: ten years normally, one to three under the highly skilled points system, which reaches managers with five years' experience and ¥40 million income. A tightening announced for 1 October 2026 may change the conditions; we could not confirm it had been published.