How to set up a chocolate project in Sapporo

Hello everyone,

My name is Tim, a Belgian guy in his mid thirties. I have a degree in chemistry, with a passion for Belgian chocolate. I have traveled to Japan 6 times, however my level of Japanese is barely N5. From January until March I was in Tokyo creating and selling my own pieces of specialty chocolate. This was a test phase. Good choice in hindsight with corona breaking loose. I had a partnership with a Japanese friend who had the status of self employed, for me nothing was official, as a testphase towards tastes, packaging, pop up stores is was a perfect construction for me.
Test went well, learned a lot, but couldn't make any further plans because of corona insecurities.
However I still want to unfold those chocolate dreams, I have set the date of early 2022 for myself. For various reasons I will choose Sapporo as base. I will enroll in a language school, with a student visa, to improve that beautiful language, and the visa gives me access to a work permit.
My question is twofold.
I would like to partner up again with someone local, at least someone with a (near)native understanding of the language. Anyone aware of a forum/site where I could find someone interested, someone from the Sapporo area?
Also, I know the work permit allowes me 28h work/week, but it is very difficult to find info on the possibility of starting something myself, or in partnership.
Anyone who can push me in the right direction?
Thanks everyone in advance for their time.

As far as I know, while student visa gives you up to 28 hours/week work permit, this is usually some part-time work that the students pick up, such as helping at a restaurant or at a convenience store, for example, so as to allow students to supplement their living expenses while studying in Japan. If you want to pursue this way, you’d have to ask your Japanese partner to set up a business in his name, and get hired by that company.
If you want to set up your own company/business, that means you’d need a different type of visa, namely, Business Manager/Investor, which comes with different requirements, such as investment, business plans, minimum number of local employees you hire, etc., and is said to be one of the more difficult visa types to obtain.

even if you believe that "nothing was official", you already have an experience of making and selling chocolate with a partner in Tokyo. you need to terminate this relationship peacefully, before you start to think about a new plan.
although you emphasize " it was a test phrase", un-written promise is also valid according to the law,
I have judged you 礼儀を欠いた人間.
why other posters help OP ?

@ken, your response was very rude. I got the impression that OP saying "for me, nothing was official" meant that he didn't operate a business or have a work/business visa, not that he is trying to short-change his friend. Without knowing his relationship with the friend, how can you say he lacks courtesy?

Thank you all for your time and replies. I'm sorry Ken, but you misjudged me completely.
When I said nothing was official for me, that meant I didn't had a work permit. But given the test character of that period, it was perfect. He still is a good friend, got a job because of that project, and is looking forward for a new production, even though I'm going to Sapporo. If it wasn't for covid, things were very different.
The goal of this post was -mainly- to get in touch with someone from the Sapporo area. It was a long shot, it'll be easier to find someone when I'm actually there.
For my other question, I'm awaiting the reply of the language school.
Have a good day!

all business start from a test phrase.
what OP failed to write here is that OP is really trust-able.
that is important in Japan if he really wants to start it. but, he did not mention it, probably because he thinks it is not so critical.