I have some doubts about the new venue’s “annual income of 40 million yen or more” requirement. Who on earth set this? Do they actually understand wealthy individuals (including the difference between income-rich and asset-rich people) and the tax system?

Allow me to answer as Mamiya, a low-income person. I’m sorry if this sounds like I’m asking whether people with an annual income of ¥40 million even exist, but before joining Universe, I had absolutely no connection with anyone like that. Even among current members, there really aren’t that many people who report earning over ¥40 million a year. That’s probably why I imagine they thought people outside Universe’s usual clientele might be able to use the service. That said, annual income isn’t the only thing they’re trying to use as a screening criterion. They probably just wanted to present the clearest, easiest-to-understand guideline. I suspect there are actually plenty of wealthy people who keep a low profile, so perhaps if you could show proof of your total assets or an ultra-rare black card, they might be willing to accommodate you on a case-by-case basis. That may be wishful thinking, though.

Maezawa answers: I don’t know who set the requirement of an annual income of at least ¥40 million, but it’s only natural that: “Self-employed people earning enough profit to make ¥40 million a year wouldn’t set their reported annual income at ¥40 million, because they have no desire to pay unnecessary taxes.” That said, people with even higher incomes may still end up reporting more than ¥40 million, even after tax planning. Perhaps that’s the group they’re targeting. Also, the new location hasn’t opened yet, so I expect various things to change going forward. It’s possible that people earning only ¥20 million a year but with substantial total assets may also become eligible. Of course, that raises the question of how their assets would be verified. So if your annual income is under ¥40 million but you have considerable assets, please feel free to contact us.