Director’s Greetings

Director and Chairman Shotaro Ishihara


Our group started in Penang in 1999 as a local travel agency, supporting Japanese long stay and study in Malaysia. In 2003, we became the first Japanese-affiliated company to become an official agent for the Malaysian long-stay visa (MM2H), and since then we have helped over 2,000 Japanese people obtain MM2H visas.

I have also supported many Japanese families with studying in Malaysia, making use of my own experience of raising children in Malaysia. As a pioneer in the field of Malaysian real estate, we have also been promoting the appeal of Malaysian real estate since 2007. In the beginning, there was limited information on long-stay, study and real estate for Malaysia in Japan. In 2011, I published the book, ‘The No.1 Candidate Country for Escape from Japan: Malaysia’ (Publisher: Chikuma Shobo) in Japan to inform people in Japan about the long-stay, study abroad and real estate situation in Malaysia.

Since then, many people have come to Malaysia to stay and study, and to rent or buy property. The number of Japanese living in Malaysia has increased significantly over the past 10 years, and there is now a demand for various services related to local life, such as local insurance consultations and asset management advice.

To meet this new demand, we have become an authorised agent of Tokio Marine Malaysia and Hong Leong Insurance to handle various types of insurance since 2018. We have also become an investment agent for Public Mutual, the largest local mutual fund company, to handle financial products.

Since the beginning of 2020, Malaysia has been suffering from the pandemic and foreigners are no longer allowed to enter Malaysia, forcing many of our employees to work from home. We have used this opportunity to conduct a complete update of the company’s website.

The main points of this update are: ① adding and updating of information on study abroad information which is in high demand; ② adding information on Sarawak MM2H visa and Residence Pass for expatriates as a method of long-term stay other than MM2H; ③ new pages on asset management and local taxes; ④ new page on incorporation due to increasing enquiries on business expansion; and ⑤ updating information on Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru, ⑥ creating new pages on useful information and products for local life, etc.

We hope that through this update of our website, we can continue to be of service to you in your long stay journey in Malaysia.

We have also updated our Japanese website covering all aspects of real estate in Malaysia. Please also refer to our website for the latest information on Malaysian real estate and many other properties.

Director and Chairman Shotaro Ishihara

Director’s history

Shotaro Ishihara

Born 1958, Gunma, Japan. Graduating from Keio University and William & Mary Graduate School of Business Administration (MBA), USA. After working as a manager at a securities firm and venture capital company in Japan, he moved to Penang, Malaysia in 1992 to develop and manage a golf course, and in 1999 established Tropical Resort Lifestyle Sdn Bhd (a travel agency) to support Japanese people to stay and study in Malaysia.

In 2003, became the first Japanese company to become an official MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home Programme) agent, and by 2020 had obtained MM2H visas for over 2,000 Japanese nationals.

Started broking Malaysian real estate in 2007 and joined the Apamanshop network in Japan in 2009; established Cosmos Plan Sdn Bhd in 2012 and transferred the real estate division of Tropical Resort Lifestyle Sdn Bhd to Cosmos Plan Sdn Bhd; established Cosmos Plan Sdn Bhd in 2011.

Director of the Japanese Association of Penang from 2002-2007, published ‘Malaysia: The No.1 Candidate Country to Escape Japan’ with Chikuma Shobo in 2011, passed Malaysia’s national real estate brokerage exam in 2017, and was the first Japanese to pass the national real estate brokerage exam in Malaysia.

He has given lectures on Malaysia Long Stay, Study Abroad and Real Estate at seminars for the Long Stay Foundation, Tourism Malaysia, Asahi Shimbun, JTB, Kinki Nippon Tourist, (NPO) Study Abroad Association, Mitsui Fudosan Realty, Tokyu Livable etc. He has also been featured in numerous Japanese TV and magazine articles.

Obtained Malaysian permanent residence in 1998. Married to a Malaysian woman and raised five children in Malaysia.

 

In June 2011, published ‘Malaysia, the No.1 Candidate Country for Escape from Japan’ (Chikuma Shobo).