Looking to leave the U.S.? Japan’s Digital Nomad Visa offers a way to explore the startup ecosystem

The six-month period provides ample time to look beyond the sushi and scenery and build connections to identify opportunities in the country’s growing startup ecosystem

Japan welcomed 3.1 million visitors in June, setting a record for monthly tourist visits, and that boom looks set to continue. Most of those visitors are drawn by the usual reasons to visit—the food, the rich culture that fuses the traditional and the modern, and the natural beauty—but Japan is also looking to attract high-paying knowledge workers through its new Digital Nomad Visa, introduced in March this year. This six-month visa, twice the length of a standard tourist visa, allows remote workers to immerse themselves in an underexplored facet of Japan, its growing startup ecosystem