Aoyama Professionals · Tokyo
Internship as the entry point. Three paths as the exit.
Tokyo internship that graduates AI-native operators inside real Japanese host SMEs. Pick a path: hireable, freelanceable, or founder-track via visa switch.
Three paths out
Hireable. Freelanceable. Founder-track.
The same internship, three exit paths. Pick the one that matches your visa, your portfolio, and your appetite for risk.
Hireable
Convert your internship into a full-time role with the host SME or another Japanese employer. Engineer/Specialist visa pathway.
~50% of cohort exits this way
Freelanceable
Leave with a portfolio of deployed AI work for one or more Japanese SMEs. Continue freelancing on Engineer/Specialist visa or transition to a Business Manager visa.
~25% of cohort exits this way
Founder-track
Use the internship to validate a Japan-market AI venture, then convert your visa to Startup Visa (1 year) → Business Manager (renewable). Conditional on visa approval, not guaranteed.
Conversion depends on individual circumstances; no public Tokyo Metropolitan transition data exists
Visa outcomes depend on individual circumstances and immigration discretion. APRO maps the pathway and provides documentation support. We don't issue visas — Japanese immigration does.
Academy curriculum
Pick an industry. Deploy AI inside it.
Three industry verticals where Japan's METI demand is concentrated. Pick one, learn the playbook, deploy inside a host SME.
Industry verticals (paid Academy)
Manufacturing
Predictive maintenance, defect detection, supply-chain forecasting, JIS-compliant documentation. METI ranks manufacturing #1 for 2026 AI demand (45% of subsidised hires).
Finance
Credit modelling, fraud detection, investor reporting, FSA-compliant disclosures. 32% of 2026 METI demand. Japanese-first prompts and bilingual deliverables.
Healthcare
Patient-flow optimisation, MHLW-compliant records, drug-interaction screening, telemedicine triage. 28% of 2026 METI demand. Privacy-first, regulator-aware.
Role tracks (loose pool)
Open to all applicants. Less structure, more flexibility — for interns who already know what they want to build.
The visa pathway, mapped
We're the only Tokyo placement that maps your visa exit alongside the internship. Both routes are conditional, neither is guaranteed — but both are provable.
Startup Visa (founder route)
If you build a viable business case during the internship, we support a Tokyo Metropolitan Startup Visa application. One year initial, then transition to Business Manager visa once the company meets the capitalisation and employment thresholds.
Conditional · ~20–30% conversion per MOJ data
Engineer/Specialist visa (hire route)
If you convert into a full-time role with the host SME or another Japanese employer, the standard Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa is the typical path. We don't sponsor — your employer does.
Conditional · employer-sponsored
Visa outcomes depend on your nationality, the host's hiring decision, your business case (founder route), and immigration policy at the time of application. APRO does not guarantee visa approval; APRO does support the application.
How it works
From application to internship in five simple steps
Apply
Submit your application
Interview
Brief video call
Match
Paired with host company
Onboard
Week 0 preparation
Start
Begin your internship
Apply
Submit your application
Interview
Brief video call
Match
Paired with host company
Onboard
Week 0 preparation
Start
Begin your internship