Has anyone received the INDIVIDUAL/SPECIAL permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the “Student” status of residence?

Hi everyone,

I will be moving to Japan in October (student visa) and I am a sole proprietor / freelancer who makes income from a digital marketplace. Since most of my sales come from previous work, my responsibilities mostly rely on management and periodic updates which takes no more than 5 hours a week.

However, even though my working hours are low, it is very hard to prove this as I don't have any contracts where my hours are clearly stated. This means that I will have to apply for the case-by-case special permission to engage in a side hustle of this nature.

I am curious as to whether anyone on this subreddit has received this permission whilst in a situation where they can't exactly prove working hours. I assume that most monetized YouTubers, content creators, and digital marketplace owners rely on this, but for some reason, I have not yet seen someone talk about their personal experience. Additionally, I have not seen anyone mention any limits when it comes to income – I've seen plenty of talk about the hour limit, but nothing about an income cap if your freelance work is high-paying but low-effort. Would love to hear some personal stories!