It is possible to apply for the change if you can meet the conditions. The size of the restaurant must meet approved guidelines and you must employ at least two full-time staff. At the time you apply, you must have held the "Skilled Labor" visa for at least three years.

You can open a restaurant under individual management, but it is more common to set up a limited company first which requires capital of over three million yen. If you rent a shop, you will need a lot of money to decorate the interior. Of course, this amount will differ according to your location and space.

Even if you meet the above conditions, at present it is still difficult to obtain the Investor/Business Manager visa. You will need to explain how you plan to continue running the restaurant. If your application to change your visa is not granted, you will find further applications become difficult.

I recommend you wait for two years until you can apply for a permanent residence visa. After obtaining this visa, you can freely open a restaurant without restrictions.