Japan citizenship

I am seeking residency in Japan to become a citizen. I have a set income to rely on and don't necessarily need to find a job there to survive. It is more than enough to live comfortably. I would like to start a business possibly, but don't want to be rushed in doing so in order to remain in the country. I'm 50 and would go the English teacher route, but I think companies and schools are looking for someone much younger. Any ideas?

Thank you!

Before I start - I'll just confirm that others on this forum know more than I. Some people may also hold some very strong opinions on this thread (including myself) so just take them with a grain of salt.

You mentioned that you want to become a Japanese citizen. Before you do this - I would look very intently into what is required, how long it takes along with your ramifications. I may be incorrect - but I don't think Japan allows dual citizenship so you would have to rescind your current citizenship.

To be honest - Japan is not really a country which easily accepts people coming to live and work there just because they want to. There normally has to be a purpose, need or skill which you can provide that is in demand in Japan. This is potentially your greatest weakness. Teaching English in a cram school may be below you both intellectually and potentially academically (I'm assuming that you have a university degree with marketable skills and experience in your home country). To put it simply - there needs to be a reason to give you a work visa.

Pay and working conditions for English tutors are best described as not ideal. Your age might be a problem - it might not. I don't know and others have a better understanding of this than I.

The only people who have become Japanese residents that I personally know have become married and have a VERY strong connection with the local community. Others will know more than I. Being able to read, write and communicate in Japanese to a reasonable level will probably be key as well.

Japan also has a quickly aging society and adding new citizens when are closer to the retirement age is probably not on the top of their wish list. Japanese people will know more than I.

I have a friend who got PR and is not married to anyone (Japanese or otherwise.)

They came to Japan as a JET right out of college and then got a job doing localization for a well known video game company and has been the project lead for a decently well known series of games since the 2nd game in the series. They have been working for the same company in Japan for almost 20 years. They were rejected the first time they applied for PR, waited 5 years and then received PR at around year 15 I think. They are completely fluent and they now own a condo in Osaka. They have not yet become a Japanese citizen, they just have PR status.

I do know some other people with PR in Japan, but like @Mfedley said, they are all married to Japanese women and have children. All of them are also fluent in Japanese.

And like @Mfedley said, I do believe Japan doesn't allow dual citizenship. I know several people who have given up their Japanese citizenship as well as people who I suspect are going to give up their US citizenship at some point, because their lives are in Japan.

I would be very careful about teaching English in Japan. Places like Geos or Nova treat English teachers pretty similarly to retail workers in the US, with no consistent days off, no consistent hours, low pay, no health insurance, and no real support. The JET program through the Japanese government is great, but requires participants to be 37 and under and pre Covid was extremely competitive.

You can become an English teacher at 50. Some (maybe many) schools and companies are definitely looking for younger people (usually graduates in their 20s), but there are those who will take basically anyone to fill the role. Which is kind of a red flag and is related to something others have already hinted at: the work sucks and they will pay you pretty much as little as they can get away with. You should probably do your own research on what the job actually entails because crucially, most "English teachers" aren't real teachers at all. So if you decide it's something you really want to do then I suppose that's fine, but it's definitely not the kind of job most people would want at 50.

Bear in mind that the naturalisation process takes a good amount of time even in the best case scenarios. Without being too morbid, you aren't going to be getting any younger. Do you think you could stick it out at an Eikawa or worse, as a dispatch ALT long enough to become a citizen? Honestly with this in mind going to Japan as a business owner/investor is probably your best option, provided money is no object.

And if money truly is no object then you may find that the whole thing is not worth the hassle at all, and that buying a property in Japan that you can freely travel to and from is a much better option. There are enough difficulties when a teenager comes on here and asks questions like this, let alone a 50 year old. I hope you find a solution that appeals to you but frankly I think it will be difficult and you will have to make some concessions somewhere.

I am seeking residency in Japan to become a citizen. I have a set income to rely on and don't necessarily need to find a job there to survive.
There is no residency category for someone with money that is not working/student. Having money does get you in. So, you need to get a status of residence under one of the different categories.
https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/long/index.html
At 50, unless you are already an English teacher, sounds a poor option to me having seen many threads and posts about the industry.

I'm no expert on this subject, but I have consulted with an attorney and I'll be going to Japan in early 2023 to prepare for setting a small business. Even though I'm not seeking for citizenship, we all will be starting from the exact same place. You must first obtain visa for long-term stay. My understanding is generally there are 3 paths to take: marriage/family, employment, or starting a business. Then work yourself up to permanent residency, or if you stayed in Japan long enough and meet the requirements, you could go for naturalization.

Anyway, if you're very serious, you should consult with immigration attorney for reality check before you do anything that could turn out to be a big waste of time and money. Many offer free initial consultations.