How to Write a Business Plan for a Japan Business Manager Visa: Template Structure + Common Pitfalls

In a nutshell: The business plan (事業計画書 / じぎょうけいかくしょ) is the single most important document in a Japan Business Manager Visa application. It is not just a formality. It is your one real chance to prove to Immigration that the business is viable and that you are capable of running it. Since the new standards took effect in October 2025, the business plan must also be evaluated by a qualified expert before submission. This guide walks you through how to write it.

Why the Business Plan Can Make or Break Your Application

Many applicants assume the key points in a Business Manager Visa review are capital and office space. They think that once the money is in place and the office is leased, the rest is straightforward.

That is a dangerous misunderstanding. After the October 2025 rule change raised the minimum capital requirement from ¥5 million to ¥30 million, having the money in place is already a major hurdle by itself.

But even if you prepare the full ¥30 million, capital and office space are still only threshold requirements. Meeting them simply gets you through the door. What actually determines whether your application is approved is the business plan. Under the new rules, that business plan must also be reviewed by a designated expert before it can be filed.

What Is the Immigration Officer Looking For?

Immigration officers (審査官) review a large number of applications every day. They are not investors, so they will not be persuaded by vision alone. They are also not industry specialists, so they are not going to study your technical details in depth. Their core concerns are much simpler:

Is this business real? (真実性) - Is it an actual business, not a shell company created just to obtain a visa?
Can this business continue operating? (継続性) - Will it survive, rather than run out of cash and collapse in a few months?
Is this person actually capable of managing it? (経営能力) - Will the applicant genuinely run the company as a manager?

When they read your business plan, they are trying to answer those three questions quickly. If even one answer feels uncertain, weak, or inconsistent, the result may be a denial or a request for additional documents.

In other words, the real function of a business plan here is not just “business planning.” It is a persuasion document. You are using logic, data, and reasonable assumptions to remove doubt from the officer’s mind.

For the full application process and basic eligibility requirements, read our complete guide and eligibility requirements guide.

⚠️ October 2025 Rule Change: The Business Plan Must Be Evaluated by an Expert

This is the single most important change affecting business plans under the new standards, so it deserves its own section.

What Changed?

From October 16, 2025, a Business Manager Visa application must include an evaluation opinion from a designated expert for the business plan. In practical terms, that means you can no longer just draft the plan yourself and submit it. A qualified professional must review it, sign off on it, and confirm that the plan is reasonable from both a business and financial perspective.

Who Is Qualified to Do the Evaluation?

Immigration recognizes only the following three categories of experts:

Certified SME Management Consultant (中小企業診断士 / ちゅうしょうきぎょうしんだんし): a national qualification for business diagnostics and management consulting
Certified Public Accountant (公認会計士 / こうにんかいけいし): equivalent to a CPA, with expertise in accounting and financial review
Licensed Tax Accountant (税理士 / ぜいりし): tax specialists, many of whom also advise on business operations

Important: if your administrative scrivener (行政書士) does not also hold one of the qualifications above, they cannot act as the evaluation expert. Preparing and filing visa documents is one thing. Evaluating the reasonableness of the business plan is a separate legal role.

How Does This Work in Practice?

The typical workflow looks like this:

You, or your administrative scrivener, drafts the business plan.
You engage a qualified expert.
The expert reviews the plan, focusing especially on whether the financial projections and business model are realistic.
The expert issues a written evaluation opinion and signs or seals it.
You submit the evaluation opinion together with the business plan to Immigration.

Cost Impact

The expert review is not free. Depending on the complexity of the plan and the professional’s fee level, you should expect an additional cost of roughly ¥50,000 to ¥200,000. A simple trading company plan may fall in the ¥50,000-¥100,000 range, while a more complex multi-business structure may cost ¥150,000-¥200,000.

This is now a mandatory expense, not something you can realistically avoid. On the positive side, the review process often catches weaknesses in the plan before submission, which means you are effectively paying for professional pre-screening as well.

Higher Expectations for Content Quality

Because the plan now has to pass expert review, unsupported “made-up” numbers are much less likely to slip through. The expert will typically check:

Whether the revenue forecast has a reasonable basis
Whether the cost structure makes sense
Whether the cash plan is likely to break down
Whether the business model is internally consistent

That is ultimately a good thing. In the past, many applicants submitted plans with numbers that did not hold up under scrutiny. With expert review now required, approval prospects improve if the underlying plan is genuinely solid.

⚠️ Important: Legal Boundary for Drafting Assistance

The business plan itself is a factual business document, so you may write it yourself or get help from others. But if the work involves official immigration application forms submitted to the Immigration Services Agency, such as the Certificate of Eligibility application, only a licensed administrative scrivener or lawyer (弁護士) may prepare and file those on your behalf. If an unlicensed person drafts immigration application forms for compensation, that may violate the Administrative Scrivener Act (行政書士法第19条).

The safest practical division of work is:

Business plan content: drafted by you, or jointly with an administrative scrivener, then reviewed by an expert
Visa application forms: prepared and filed by an administrative scrivener

Practical Advice

Book the expert early: Do not wait until the plan is finished before looking for one. Confirm availability first.
Ask for referrals from your administrative scrivener: Many offices already work with tax accountants or Certified SME Management Consultants, which makes the process more efficient.
Evaluation is not automatic endorsement: If the expert sees major weaknesses, they may require revisions before issuing the evaluation.
Transition period for current holders: If you already hold a Business Manager Visa, renewals filed before October 2028 do not require expert evaluation. But new-rule applications, including first-time applications, require it from October 16, 2025 onward.

Standard Structure of a Business Plan (Template)

Immigration does not prescribe a fixed format for a business plan, but extensive practice has shown that the following seven-part structure is the most widely accepted. Writing in this order is usually the safest approach:

Section	Core Question	Suggested Length
① Business Overview	What exactly is the business?	1 page
② Founder / Manager Profile	Why are you qualified to do this?	0.5-1 page
③ Market Analysis	How large is the market, and what is the competitive landscape?	1-1.5 pages
④ Business Model and Revenue Structure	How will the company make money?	1-1.5 pages
⑤ Three-Year Financial Forecast	Do the numbers make sense?	1-2 pages
⑥ Staffing Plan	Who will you hire?	0.5 page
⑦ Risk Analysis and Countermeasures	What happens if things go wrong?	0.5-1 page

As a rule of thumb, keep the main document to around 8-12 A4 pages excluding attachments. If it is too short, it looks superficial. If it is too long, the reviewer may lose patience.

How to Write Each Section

① Business Overview (何をやるか)

This is the “elevator pitch” of the plan. After reading this page, the reviewer should understand exactly what business you intend to run.

What to include:

Company name and incorporation date, or planned incorporation date
A one- or two-sentence description of the main business
The products or services you will provide
Your primary target customers
Business location and operating format

A strong example:

The company will operate a cross-border e-commerce business between China and Japan, selling household goods sourced from China to Japanese consumers through its own website and third-party platforms. The target customers are Japanese women aged 25 to 45, with a focus on practical lifestyle products at competitive price points.

A weak example:

The company aims to serve as a bridge between China and Japan by integrating the strengths of both countries to build a comprehensive, multi-layered cross-border business ecosystem for a new era of international trade.

The problem with the second version is obvious: it is full of big words and gives no real information. After reading it, the reviewer still does not know what you sell or who you sell it to.

Key point: Be concrete. Then be even more concrete. Do not substitute abstract language for factual description.

② Founder / Manager Background and Qualifications (なぜあなたがやるのか)

This section answers a crucial question: why are you the right person to run this business?

What to include:

Educational background and academic specialization
Employment history, especially experience relevant to the proposed business
Professional certifications or technical skills
Past management or business ownership experience, if any
Industry contacts, partnerships, or other relevant networks

Core principle: Your background and your proposed business should form a clear logical chain.

A strong example:

The applicant has eight years of experience in the IT industry in China, including three years leading technical architecture for a cross-border e-commerce platform. After coming to Japan, the applicant worked for two years at a Japanese IT company and gained familiarity with Japanese consumer behavior and business practices. This startup combines the applicant’s technical background with a practical understanding of both markets.

A weak example:

The applicant graduated from university, has worked hard since coming to Japan, is passionate about entrepreneurship, and is confident of success.

Passion is not a qualification, and confidence is not evidence of management ability. Immigration is looking for factual support, not motivational language.

③ Market Analysis (市場規模・競合・ターゲット)

The purpose of market analysis is to show that the market opportunity is real and that you understand it.

What to include:

Market size (市場規模):

How large is the relevant market in Japan, and what is the growth trend?
Cite the source of the data, such as government statistics or industry reports

Target customers (ターゲット):

Are your customers individuals or businesses?
What is the customer profile: age, location, needs, and buying behavior?
Why would they choose your company?

Competitive analysis (競合分析):

Who are your main competitors?
What differentiates your business from theirs?

Recommended data sources:

Industry statistics from METI (経済産業省)
Consumer data from the Statistics Bureau of Japan (総務省統計局)
Public reports from market research firms such as Yano Research Institute (矢野経済研究所)
Annual reports from relevant industry associations

④ Business Model and Revenue Structure (どうやって稼ぐか)

This section should allow the reviewer to understand immediately how the company will make money.

What to include:

Revenue sources: what are you selling, and how are you charging for it?
Supply chain or service flow: the full path from spending money to earning money
Pricing strategy: why is your pricing set at this level?
Customer acquisition channels: where will customers come from?

A simple visual business model diagram is highly recommended. A chart with arrows showing the flow of goods, money, and information is often far clearer than long text.

⑤ Three-Year Financial Forecast (売上・経費・利益の推移)

You should provide the following table:

Profit and Loss Forecast (損益計画) - 3 Years:

Item	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3
Revenue (売上高)
Cost of Sales (売上原価)
Gross Profit (売上総利益)
Total Operating Expenses (販管費)
Personnel Costs (人件費)
Rent (家賃)
Communication / Miscellaneous Expenses
Operating Profit (営業利益)

Cash Flow / Funding Plan (資金計画) - monthly for at least the first year: Show monthly inflows, outflows, and the ending balance so that Immigration can see the business is unlikely to run out of money halfway through the year.

⑥ Staffing Plan (雇用計画)

What to include:

Planned staffing at incorporation, including yourself
Duties and requirements for each role
When you plan to add more staff
Approximate salary levels

Important: The staffing plan must match the revenue forecast. If the plan projects ¥50 million in annual sales but shows only you working alone, the reviewer may doubt that the figures are real.

⑦ Risk Analysis and Countermeasures

List 3 to 5 major risks, each paired with a concrete response strategy:

Market risk: Demand is weaker than expected -> add alternative customer acquisition channels and adjust the product lineup
Funding risk: Slow accounts receivable collection -> reserve working capital and identify financing options
Operational risk: Supplier problems -> prepare backup suppliers
Regulatory risk: Regulatory changes -> build a compliance response plan
Staffing risk: Difficulty hiring -> consider outsourcing arrangements

The point is to show that you have thought through what happens in a downside scenario.

How to Build the Financial Forecast

Core Principle: Build Bottom-Up, Not Top-Down

Wrong method (top-down):

“Japan’s e-commerce market is worth ¥20 trillion. If I capture just 0.001%, that means ¥20 million in revenue.”

Correct method (bottom-up):

“My website is expected to attract XX visitors per day. With a conversion rate of X% and an average order value of ¥XX, expected daily revenue is ¥XX.”

Step-by-Step Approach

Step 1: Calculate revenue

Determine your unit price -> estimate customer volume with a clear basis -> unit price × quantity = revenue
Keep Year 1 conservative, Year 2 moderately higher, and Year 3 reasonably higher again

Step 2: List expenses

Fixed costs: office rent, your executive compensation (役員報酬), employee salaries, social insurance, accounting and advisory fees, etc.
Variable costs: procurement, shipping, platform fees, and similar costs
Initial investment: renovation, equipment, incorporation costs, and other startup expenses

Step 3: Check whether the numbers are reasonable

Does the gross margin fit normal industry ranges? (Restaurants: roughly 60-70%; trading businesses: 20-30%; IT services: 50-70%)
Is your own compensation realistic? (A common range is about ¥200,000-¥300,000 per month)
A first-year loss can be normal, but Years 2 and 3 should show a path toward profitability
How long will your capital last? Ideally, at least six months or more

Figures Immigration Pays Particular Attention To

Executive compensation (役員報酬 / your salary): this affects whether your own living situation is sustainable
Speed of capital burn: if a ¥30 million capital base is mostly consumed within a few months, Immigration will seriously question your management ability
Revenue growth logic: sharp jumps in revenue require strong supporting explanations
Break-even point: if the business remains in the red for all three years, sustainability will be questioned

Industry-Specific Points to Watch

Trading Business (貿易業)

Main focus: supplier relationships; attach letters of intent or cooperation agreements if available
What Immigration cares about: stable sourcing and clear sales channels
Important note: food imports may require permits under the Food Sanitation Act

IT / Web Services

Main focus: technical capability and existing project track record
What Immigration cares about: where your customers will come from
Important note: write in language a non-technical reviewer can understand

Restaurant Business (飲食業)

Main focus: store location, menu pricing, and table turnover
What Immigration cares about: your plan for obtaining a food business permit (食品営業許可)
Important note: allow for a 3-6 month ramp-up period; do not assume full occupancy from month one

Real Estate Business (不動産業)

Main focus: licensed real estate transaction manager qualifications (宅建士) and business security deposit planning
Important note: a real estate business requires a license, so the plan should explain how and when you will obtain it

Common Reasons Business Plans Fail

The business description is vague or overly abstract - “Doing China-Japan trade” is not a business plan.
The numbers are contradictory or obviously unrealistic - for example, projecting ¥30 million in revenue with only one worker.
The founder’s background has no real connection to the proposed business - for example, opening a high-end Japanese restaurant with no food service experience.
The company clearly looks like a shell created just for visa purposes - no real customers, no real business relationships.
The plan is copied from a template and lacks business-specific detail - outdated market data, or content that does not match the actual operation.
Required licenses or approvals are not addressed - especially in regulated industries.
The Japanese writing is unclear or disorganized - it is better to write in Chinese and have it translated professionally than submit poor Japanese.

Writing It Yourself vs. Hiring an Administrative Scrivener

Writing It Yourself

✅ You know your own business best, it costs less, and the drafting process forces you to clarify the business logic
❌ You may not understand Immigration’s review logic, formatting may be weak, and Japanese ability may be a limitation

Hiring an Administrative Scrivener

✅ Professional experience, standardized document format, and support through the full filing process
❌ Fees of roughly ¥150,000-¥300,000, quality varies, and some offices over-rely on templates

Recommendation

Good Japanese ability, some experience -> write the first draft yourself, then have an administrative scrivener review it
Limited Japanese, first-time application -> use a qualified administrative scrivener, but stay deeply involved in the content
In all cases -> every figure and every sentence in the plan should be something you can explain clearly yourself

Quick tips for choosing an administrative scrivener:

Ask how many Business Manager Visa cases they have handled
Confirm exactly which services are included in the fee
Chinese-language support is convenient, but should not be your only criterion

FAQ

Q1: Does the business plan have to be written in Japanese?

No. It is not strictly mandatory. You can draft it in Chinese and attach a Japanese translation. In practice, a Japanese version or bilingual Chinese-Japanese submission is recommended. The translation quality matters. Do not submit raw machine translation.

Q2: How long should the business plan be?

Around 8-12 A4 pages is generally appropriate. Quality matters far more than length.

Q3: Is it acceptable to forecast a loss in the first year?

Yes. A first-year loss is often realistic. What matters is that the loss level is reasonable, the business has enough funding to absorb it, and the later years show a path to profit.

Q4: Can the business plan be changed later?

Once submitted, you cannot revise it freely. You can provide supplementary explanation if Immigration asks for additional materials. After the visa is granted, some difference between plan and actual operations is normal, and updates can be reflected at renewal.

Q5: What if I do not have customers yet? How do I forecast revenue?

You can present projected revenue, but it must be based on a reasonable calculation method. Letters of intent are even better if you can obtain them.

Q6: How should the ¥30 million capital be reflected in the business plan?

Show a clear allocation in the funding plan: for example, office setup ¥X, equipment investment ¥X, personnel reserve ¥X, procurement funds ¥X, working capital ¥X. With capital at this level, you need a clear deployment logic rather than vague statements.

Q7: How should a jointly founded business be described?

Explain each founder’s role and capital contribution ratio clearly. Each person’s responsibilities should be substantive, not nominal.

Q8: Can I include multiple business activities in the same plan?

Yes, but it is usually better to focus in depth on one or two core businesses. If you include too many, Immigration may question what the company is actually trying to do.

Q9: Under the new rules, who exactly can provide the required expert evaluation?

Any one of the following: a Certified SME Management Consultant, a Certified Public Accountant, or a Licensed Tax Accountant. If you already work with a tax accountant for bookkeeping or tax filing, ask whether they can also handle the business plan evaluation.

Q10: Roughly how much does the expert evaluation cost?

Anywhere from about ¥50,000 to ¥200,000, depending on the complexity of the plan and the professional’s fee structure. It is best to request quotes in advance and compare options.

Q11: Can I find the expert myself, or do I have to use someone introduced by my administrative scrivener?

You can find the expert yourself. The only requirement is that they hold one of the accepted qualifications. In practice, though, an introduction through your administrative scrivener is often more efficient because communication is easier.

Q12: Do existing Business Manager Visa holders also need expert evaluation?

There is a transition period. Existing Business Manager Visa holders renewing before October 2028 do not need expert evaluation. But applications under the new rules filed on or after October 16, 2025, including first-time applications and changes from other statuses, must include it.

Recommended Next Steps

Draft a rough version in Chinese first without worrying about format. Just get the business idea onto the page.
Reorganize it using the structure in this article and add market data and financial projections.
Ask someone familiar with your industry to review it and tell you whether the business sounds credible.
If you plan to hire an administrative scrivener, bring your rough draft to the consultation. It will make the process much more efficient.
Use our document checklist tool to confirm the status of your other required materials.

📘 Complete Guide - Full visa application process 📋 Eligibility Requirements Guide - Detailed breakdown of each requirement 🔄 Renewal Documents Guide - What to prepare for renewal after getting the visa

This article is based on publicly available information from Japan’s Immigration Services Agency and practical application experience. It is provided for general reference only and does not constitute legal advice. For case-specific guidance, consult a qualified administrative scrivener or other licensed professional.