Have you ever thought about the possibility of living in Japan even without any Japanese descent? Unfortunately, many people tend to say that only descendants of Japanese can live there. This turns out to be a big lie! Anyone can live in Japan; you just have to want it and go after it.
For many, it seems impossible to live in Japan without being of Japanese descent, but this is a myth; many foreigners can live in Japan and even obtain Japanese citizenship without any descent.
Of course, being accepted in any other country is not an easy task. All countries have various rules and requirements for living in them. The USA, for example, is much more complicated to live in legally than Japan.
Currently, more than 2 million foreigners live legally in Japan, many of whom do not have Japanese ancestry. The reason people believe that only descendants can live in Japan is that most contracting companies that provide work in factories prefer to choose descendants due to the ease of obtaining a visa.
In this article, we have separated 15 ways for you to manage to live in Japan without the need to be of Japanese descent; some methods are obvious, while others are less known.
Table of Contents
Types of Japanese Visas
The work visa, which lasts from 1 to 3 years, is one of the most sought after, especially by descendants. Foreigners without any descent usually obtain this visa when hired by companies that need people specialized in a certain area.
Another easy way to live in Japan is to obtain a spouse visa by marrying someone of Japanese nationality. Even if you marry a descendant, it becomes easier to find a job and obtain the visa.
One of the most sought-after ways by people who are not of Japanese descent is the student visa. This visa can be obtained through a scholarship or by enrolling in a university or courses in Japan. The opportunity to study in Japan opens doors and allows the chance to work and live in Japan.
The most common visa is the tourist visa, which allows you to stay for up to 3 months in Japan. There is another long-term tourist visa for wealthy individuals who have 30 million yen. Unfortunately, it seems that Brazil is not eligible to apply for this wealthy people’s visa.
If you manage to stay in Japan for 5 consecutive years, you can even apply for a permanent visa or obtain Japanese citizenship. There are many things you need to know to get a visa for Japan, but that is a topic for another article.
1 – Marrying a Japanese
One way to obtain a permanent or long-term visa in Japan is by having a Japanese spouse. For some, this is the easiest and most desired path for Brazilians and Westerners.
Perhaps due to the desire to have an Asian partner or simply because it is one of the easiest ways to live in Japan without depending on jobs and contractors.
There are requirements for living in Japan after marrying a spouse, which include waiting about 3 months for the marriage confirmation. After this period, you can apply for the visa.
Marrying descendants of Japanese can also allow you to reside in Japan; perhaps the requirements are greater, but it is possible even marrying someone from the fourth generation.
2 – With a Tourist Visa
Some people managed to visit Japan for 3 months, the maximum period of the tourist visa, and during that time, they found a job in the country, thus extending their stay in Japan.
It is not that easy to get a company to take responsibility for your stay in the country. This will depend a lot on your skills and contacts, but it is indeed possible to live in Japan even initially using a tourist visa.
Having a command of the language is essential; if you manage to get a long-term visa, you can apply for a permanent visa or citizenship after five years in the country.
3 – Through Universities in Japan
If you manage to enroll in a college or university in Japan, you will be able to live in the country during your undergraduate studies and can stay afterward if you find a job or continue studying.
You can get into a Japanese university if you have money, knowledge of the language, or simply a scholarship or exchange program through a college in your home country.
The Japanese government also offers scholarships at Japanese universities through programs like Mext. I know many Brazilians without descent who lived in Japan thanks to universities.
4 – Student Visa
The student visa is usually obtained by pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Japan, but it can also refer to any type of technical course or even language courses in the country.
Even the Mext scholarships or government programs often enroll people not only in undergraduate programs but also in shorter technical courses.
If you have the means to invest, you can even take a long-term Japanese course while working in the country with a student visa.
5 – Work Visa
Inside or outside Japan, with your skills, you can get a job in the country where employers take responsibility for obtaining your work visa to stay in the country.
It is easier to get a job if you have contacts, fluency in the language, some skill, or education. It is not impossible to obtain a work visa for non-descendants; you just have to want it and go after it!
Japan is a country that needs a lot of foreign labor. Non-descendants have a better chance of getting jobs in offices than descendants, who usually work in factories.
6 – Living in Japan by Starting a Business
One way to obtain a visa to live in Japan is by starting your own company or business. The advantages of working for yourself are endless and it also allows you to obtain a visa for other people.
There are 2 options for opening a business in Japan: individual and corporate. The individual option has fewer taxes and requirements, but it is more complicated to obtain a work visa. The corporate option has some taxes and investments, but it easily allows for a visa for you and an employee.
Unfortunately, starting a company sometimes requires that you already have a business in Brazil or a significant investment. Sometimes expenses can reach 3,000 reais per month, including taxes, offices, and other bureaucracies involved in keeping the business running.
The visa for businesses is called the “Business Manager Visa”; it requires the establishment of an office in Japan with 2 employees and an investment of 5 million yen.
7 – Start-Up Visa
For startups that wish to do business in Japan, overcoming the requirements of the previously mentioned “Business Manager” visa can be a serious challenge.
With the Start-Up visa, you can stay in Japan for up to a year with the support of municipalities, but you need to meet the requirements of the Business Manager visa during that one-year period.
There are specific municipalities that provide the start-up visa; you also need to pass an examination from the municipality and immigration before applying for the Start-Up visa.
8 – Obtaining an Official Visa
Individuals entering the official business of foreign governments or international organizations recognized by the Japanese government and their families receive an official visa. The length of stay varies from 15 days to five years.
We can also mention the diplomatic visa, but it usually lasts for the duration of the activity that the person will carry out in the country. Fortunately, diplomats can enter the country at any time or live in their country’s embassy.
9 – Visa for Cultural Activities
The visa for cultural activities allows for a stay of up to 3 years, depending on the activity you wish to engage in the country.
Qualified teachers in a specific area of art or culture can apply for time in Japan with unpaid activities. Those who conduct research in public or private institutions.
Those who intend to specialize in exclusive Japanese arts and cultures, such as flower arrangement, tea ceremony, and judo. People who wish to receive personal guidance from a Japanese specialist.
10 – Other Types of Visa
There are other types of visas that allow for varying lengths of stay in the country. Many may require the certificate of eligibility, a document that requires dependency on others.
Special skills and competencies in certain areas can facilitate obtaining this visa. Below, we will provide a list of skills described by the embassy itself:
- Foreign cuisine;
- Sports instructors and pilots;
- Processing of precious metals;
- Teacher;
- Visa for Religious Activities;
- Legal or accounting services;
- Doctor;
- Language teachers;
- Theater-related;
- Entertainment and sports;
- Others;
With any other type of visa, depending on the length of stay in Japan, if your focus is to live in the country, you should find a way to stay there or apply for a permanent visa if you exceed the number of years.
Non-descendants living in Japan
Some friends of mine who live in Tokyo made a video explaining all the details of how they managed to live in Japan through work and student visas. I will leave the video below; they are very entertaining, and I recommend following their channel:
During my trip to Japan, I personally met a friend of Luiz Rafael who lives in Osaka and another who lives in Kyoto; neither of them has descent and lives in Japan.
Luiz Rafael even interviewed one of them named Roberto, and I will leave the video of the interview below to quickly dispel the myth that non-descendants cannot live in Japan.
There are many other examples of foreigners who managed to live in Japan without being of Japanese descent. And you? What are you waiting for? Go after your dreams, and you can achieve them!
The people mentioned above are passionate about Japanese culture and have not given up on the dream of living in Japan! You should not give up either! I have realized my dreams and continue to pursue them!
Ways to Live in Japan – Summary and Conclusion
The easiest way is to find a job. To make it easier to get a job without having ancestry, you need to know how to speak Japanese and sometimes English. You also need to be educated or have knowledge in an area that makes a company want you. It is not enough to say, “I speak Japanese!”
Some companies require the Japanese language proficiency test. For this, we recommend studying or taking a course like Japanese Club.
Another simple way is through marriage, but it can be complicated to find a spouse or date long-distance. It is not recommended to marry someone just for the interest in the visa.
The procedures to obtain a spouse visa are secure and do not accept fraud. Another thing that will make it easier for you to obtain any type of visa in Japan is to have a completely clean record; Japan pays a lot of attention to people’s criminal records and their financial conditions to support themselves in the country.
In addition to studying languages and having knowledge in a specific area, doing an exchange program or postgraduate studies will help you meet and make friends who can help you get into a big company.
You can apply for a scholarship to Japan or plan to study there through your own investments. To obtain a scholarship, we recommend reading our article and seeking information from the Japan Foundation, Rotary, MEXT, and Science Without Borders.
If you want to do an exchange to learn the language, attend college, and obtain a visa to live in Japan, we recommend reading the article about Living Japan by clicking here.
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