Visas for writers in Japan

I make a comfortable living as a freelance writer and I would like to reside in Japan as much as possible.

I have in the past occasionally worked on projects with Japanese people in Japan, but I mostly write for companies in the west via telecommunication. However, I do hope to keep building connections with the goal that my primary employment will be in Japanese media someday. But in the meantime...

An artist visa seemed like a decent idea - but from what I've seen, I would need consistent sponsorship from a Japanese company which I don't think I can get right now. Is this visa simply not available to freelancers even if they can support themselves?

My other option would be to take up/continue a Japanese cultural art and attempt to obtain a cultural activities visa. Does this seem feasible? I will be able to support myself financially while meeting the visa's requirements.

I could also probably easily find an job teaching English and get a work visa. But why work more than I have to?

Can anyone offer any advice?

When the immigration laws of Japan were drawn up, there was no such thing as remote or online working, so there was no category that assumed such work style. The Japanese authorities have visa types for people who need to be in the country, be it to work (for a Japanese company located in Japan), to study at a language school/university in Japan, to stay with a spouse who is Japanese or a permanent resident or a non-Japanese on job assignment/study program to Japan, etc. So if you don't need to be in Japan, there is no visa category for that.

Artist visa would require a consistent employer/sponsor, and English teaching job with a sponsor means you need to work for an English language school, probably full-time. Cultural activities means you want to pursue a field in Japanese culture at a very advanced level - do you currently have any field that you've been learning?

Immigration is very strict in Japan, so you can't just show up and continue your current life there. As the first poster says, it's expected that there is a reason that you need to be in the country.

Visas are based on a need to be in Japan, not income. If, however, you can find a Japanese company who can sponsor your visa as a writer (or more likely as a proofreader or editor) under the Specialist in Humanities category you can possibly still work from home on a freelance schedule while living in Japan.

I don't know how continuing freelance contracts with companies abroad while also working for a Japanese company in Japan would be handled tax-wise or how immigration would feel about it, but it would be theoretically possible to do both, though it would increase your workload unless you let go of some of your current clients.