Kumamoto City Startup Visa (Japan) — Complete 2025 Guide for Foreign Entrepreneurs

If you want to start a business in Japan but you are not yet ready to meet the full Business Manager requirements, Kumamoto City’s Startup Visa program (officially: Foreign Business Startup Activity Promotion Program) can provide a structured path.

Kumamoto City launched this program after receiving approval from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and established a dedicated support desk at XOSS POINT. in Kumamoto. The program allows eligible foreign entrepreneurs to enter or stay in Japan under a Designated Activities (Startup Preparation) status while preparing to meet the Business Manager requirements within a defined time frame.

This article explains the system in detail—overview, Kumamoto’s conditions, required documents, application steps, timelines, and key compliance points—so you can understand what is needed before you apply.

What is the “Startup Visa” in Kumamoto City?

Kumamoto City’s Startup Visa is a two-step process:

1. Kumamoto City review (plan confirmation):
   You receive support to prepare and submit a “Startup Preparation Activity Plan”. If Kumamoto City determines that you are likely to meet the Business Manager requirements within 1 year (up to 2 years maximum), the city issues a Confirmation Certificate. 

2. Immigration review (status approval):
   With the Kumamoto City certificate and other required materials, you apply to the immigration office. If approved, you receive Designated Activities (Startup Preparation) status. 

Kumamoto City clearly notes that the city-issued confirmation certificate can support your immigration application, but it does not guarantee approval by immigration. 

Who can use this program?

Kumamoto City states the program is for foreign nationals who:

• intend to start a business in Kumamoto City, and

• are expected to switch to Business Manager status within 1 year (up to 2 years maximum). 

The program can also be used by foreign nationals who are already in Japan under certain other statuses. 

Kumamoto City’s Q&A also notes that the consultation desk can support applicants in English.

Target business fields in Kumamoto City (and how to think about them)

Kumamoto City lists fields that are eligible under this program, including:

• Semiconductors / AI / IoT / ICT

• Life science / wellness

• Agriculture / fisheries / food tech

• Manufacturing (traditional and advanced)

• Culture / art / content

• Environment / energy

• Social business

• Tourism

• Other areas the mayor recognizes as necessary 

Important:
Applicants should first clearly define what business they intend to start (products/services, customers, operations, timeline). Then they should confirm whether that business fits one of Kumamoto City’s listed fields (or can reasonably be positioned under “other areas recognized by the mayor”). The program is not designed as “choose a category first”; it is designed to assess whether your planned business activity is suitable for the program and feasible within the required preparation period. 

Why Kumamoto is attracting attention right now

Kumamoto has become one of Japan’s most watched regions for international business—especially in technology and manufacturing—because of major semiconductor-related investment and ecosystem development.

• In 2024, Reuters reported that TSMC planned a second plant in Japan, raising total investment in its Japan venture to more than $20 billion, with Kumamoto as the key location. 

• TSMC’s own announcement (JASM) stated it planned to begin construction of a second fab and described the expected production scale and supply-chain impact in Kumamoto. 

For foreign entrepreneurs, this matters because large-scale industrial investment tends to generate demand for supporting services, supply-chain solutions, specialized B2B services, innovation partnerships, and global talent—especially in and around the fields Kumamoto City lists as target areas. 

Step-by-step process in Kumamoto City

Step 1: Apply for support at the consultation desk (required)

Kumamoto City requires applicants to use the designated consultation desk to receive support in preparing the plan and application documents. 

The consultation desk is located at:

• Kumamoto Morito-Shin Plaza (くまもと森都心プラザ), 2F

• Business support facility: XOSS POINT. 

It is open weekly on a specific weekday and time window, and applicants must generally reserve in advance through the official form.

Step 2: Submit your “Startup Preparation Activity Plan” package to Kumamoto City

You submit the required forms and supporting documents listed below. 

Step 3: Interview (in principle, in-person)

Kumamoto City states that the review generally includes an interview with the applicant. 

Step 4: Receive the Confirmation Certificate (if approved)

• If your plan is confirmed, Kumamoto City issues a Confirmation Certificate (generally as electronic data via email, etc.). 

• Kumamoto City indicates an estimated timeframe of about 2–3 weeks after the interview when documents are complete, though it can take longer depending on volume, missing documents, or additional requests. 

• The certificate has a 3-month validity period for immigration submission. 

Step 5: Apply to Immigration for Designated Activities (Startup Preparation)

With the certificate and required materials, you apply to the immigration office (Kumamoto branch). Kumamoto City notes that applicants should confirm the correct jurisdiction based on address. 

Required documents (Kumamoto City plan confirmation stage)

Kumamoto City provides a list of required documents. The key items include:

A) Official application forms

• Application for confirmation

• Startup preparation activity plan 

• Activity schedule / roadmap

• Applicant CV / resume 

• Pledge document

B) Housing proof (for the first year)

• Proof showing where you will live for one year after landing / status change (e.g., a lease contract copy, etc.). 
  Kumamoto City’s Q&A further explains examples such as: lease contracts, applications, proof of booking for long-stay accommodations, or documents for staying with acquaintances plus proof of that person’s residence. 

C) Funds proof (living costs + contingency return travel)

• Proof of funds to cover living expenses and your startup preparation activity, plus return travel cost if your preparation cannot continue. 
  Kumamoto City’s Q&A notes a reference level of around 5 million JPY as a guideline for confirming sufficient funds (actual needs vary by household and business plan). 

D) Proof you meet the “Startup Visa notice” criteria

Kumamoto City requests documents proving you meet the relevant national notice requirements (examples include corporate registry documents, degree certificates, etc.). 

E) Passport copy, and other documents as needed

• Passport copy

• Any other documents the mayor deems necessary 

Who can submit the application package?

Kumamoto City states that submission can be made by:

• the applicant, or

• a qualified lawyer / administrative scrivener (gyoseishoshi) who has filed the appropriate immigration application intermediary notification, with additional conditions when the applicant is outside Japan. 

After you obtain Designated Activities (Startup Preparation)

Kumamoto City explains that after immigration approves your Designated Activities status, you must:

• report promptly to the consultation desk, and

• attend monthly progress interviews (in principle) during the preparation period. 

Kumamoto City also indicates that during progress checks, you may be asked to provide materials such as bank statements, contracts related to office leasing or employment, corporate registry documents, articles of incorporation, etc. 

If you are not conducting business-related preparation activities or you do not attend the required meetings, the program notes there is a risk that your Designated Activities status could become invalid. 

Renewal (up to 2 years total) and changes

Kumamoto City describes that the Designated Activities (Startup Preparation) period can be extended up to a maximum of 2 years through renewals (with the program specifying half-year renewal steps). 

If key information changes (such as residence or contact details), you must submit the required notification documents through the program’s process. 

Key compliance points (what many applicants misunderstand)

Based on Kumamoto City’s published Q&A and program description:

• The city’s confirmation certificate helps, but immigration approval is not guaranteed. 

• Applicants must show realistic feasibility to meet Business Manager requirements within the permitted period. 

• Applicants should prepare sufficient funds in advance. 

• Ongoing monthly progress checks mean you should plan for consistent, verifiable preparation activity, not “waiting until later.” 

How our office can help (Business plan + COE/Immigration support)

Kumamoto City’s Startup Visa is not only “forms + attachments.” It is a system designed to evaluate whether your plan has a high likelihood of reaching Business Manager status within the required timeframe, and whether your preparation activities can be verified.

Trust Administrative Scrivener Office supports foreign entrepreneurs with:

• Business plan development and structuring (service definition, customers, pricing, costs, operational plan, timeline, risk management)

• Document preparation support for Kumamoto City submission (organizing evidence for housing/funds, strengthening feasibility explanations, preventing omissions)

• Immigration applications including COE support (Designated Activities → future Business Manager pathway design)

• Preparation guidance for the later stage: Business Manager status change / renewal, including office setup requirements and practical documentation strategy

If you are considering Kumamoto, we can help you decide the most appropriate route:

• apply directly for Business Manager, or

• use the Kumamoto Startup Visa as a structured preparation pathway.

References (official pages used in this article)

• Kumamoto City: “Foreign Business Startup Activity Promotion Program (Startup Visa) has launched” (last updated Oct 27, 2025). 

• Kumamoto City: “Q&A on the Foreign Business Startup Activity Promotion Program (Startup Visa)” (last updated Oct 27, 2025). 

• Kumamoto City PDF (management/support framework; XOSS POINT. / JETRO involvement). 

• TSMC / JASM announcement on Kumamoto expansion (Feb 6, 2024). 

• Reuters coverage on TSMC investment expansion in Japan/Kumamoto (Feb 6, 2024). 

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