The Immigration Services Agency announced on the Feb 2nd that, in order to enable foreign nationals referred to as "digital nomads," who work remotely using IT without being tied to a specific country or location, to engage in activities in Japan for an extended period, it has unveiled a new system proposal that allows for a stay of up to six months under a "Designated Activities" visa status, given certain requirements.

On June 16, 2023, the Japanese government decided at a cabinet meeting on the 'Grand Design and Action Plan for a New Form of Capitalism 2023 Revised Version' to 'To attract international remote workers (“digital nomads”), identify and study issues, including visa and residency status, and a system will be established within this fiscal year (April 2023 to March 2024),' paving the way for its realization.

Visas for digital nomads have been introduced in countries across Europe and Asia, and from January 1, 2024, South Korea has also introduced a remote work visa that allows for stays of up to two years. Japan has been lagging behind in the implementation of visas for digital nomads.

Under New Form of Capitalism, specifically, the following initiatives are being undertaken:

• Investment in people through structural wage increases, labor market reforms, and re-skilling

• Promotion of public-private investment in future growth sectors such as green transformation (GX), artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, biotechnology, and quantum computing

• Facilitating the entry and exit of companies, including nurturing startups"