Japan will tighten the Business Manager visa for foreign entrepreneurs by raising the required capital to 30 million yen, adding a requirement for at least one full‑time employee, and introducing experience, education and upper‑intermediate Japanese language criteria, with expert review of business plans; applicants whose ventures lack real activity will be rejected, and the measure takes effect on the 16th after the amended order is published. The government says the changes curb misuse of residency for relocation and notes the current rules are relatively lax compared with other countries. Separately, the immigration authority reported a record 3,956,619 foreigners living in Japan as of end‑June, representing 3.2% of the population and expected to reach about 4.15 million by year‑end.