Is it actually possible for foreigners to start a business in Japan now?

Meet Ray, an entrepreneur running a ryokan in Toyama. He sits down to talk to us about his experience in the hospitality industry, his interest and move to Japan, and his challenges establishing a business under the government's new regulations. Note: after recording our interview, Ray thought it would be important to discuss his visa status. That segment has been added to the beginning of the interview for context. -- 0:00 Intro 0:50 Ray's visa situation 3:48 30 days to leave 8:46 What now? 11:27 Main interview start: Why Japan? 18:04 Finding a property to buy 23:36 Business manager visa 25:34 Bringing family to Japan 28:46 Coming to Japan for Ray's children 35:39 The real work begins 37:01 Hotel licenses in Japan 40:57 Building a team in Japan 44:28 Setting up a restaurant/bakery 47:57 Navigating the language barrier 53:00 Joining the community in Toyama 56:37 How Ray financed his hotel 59:14 What he's learned since arriving 1:01:32 Why you should visit Toyama -- Follow us: https://unpacking.jp/   / unpacking_japan     / unpackingjapan     / unpackingjapan      / @unpackingjapanshorts   https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://creators.spotify.com/pod/prof... Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/