An Indian restaurant owner in Japan has been ordered to leave the country after authorities rejected his business manager visa renewal, forcing him to shut down a restaurant he has operated for nearly two decades.
Manish Kumar, who owns an Indian restaurant in Saitama Prefecture, said Japan’s Immigration Services Agency denied his application under newly tightened immigration rules, bringing uncertainty over his future and that of his family in the country.
According to an NDTV report, Kumar spoke at a protest rally in Tokyo, stating that he was devastated by the decision and deeply concerned about his family’s future, adding that he had been asked to return to India despite his children being born and raised in Japan, speaking only Japanese and having their entire social lives rooted in the country.
His case has drawn attention as an example of growing anxiety among small foreign business owners following sweeping changes to Japan’s business manager visa system introduced last year.
Official data shows that applications for the visa have dropped sharply by 96 per cent since the new rules came into effect in October 2025, with monthly applications declining from around 1,700 to just 70.
According to Japan Times, authorities have stated that the stricter rules were introduced to prevent misuse of the visa as an easy pathway to long-term residency without running genuine businesses, while critics have argued that legitimate small entrepreneurs are being adversely affected by the crackdown.
The revised regulations have significantly tightened eligibility requirements for foreign entrepreneurs seeking the visa. The minimum capital investment threshold has been increased sixfold from 5 million yen, approximately Rs 30 lakh, to 30 million yen, around Rs 2 crore, making it considerably more difficult for smaller businesses to qualify.
Applicants are now required to employ at least one full-time local worker, whereas earlier hiring staff was not mandatory if the capital requirement was met. In addition, applicants or their employees must demonstrate Japanese language proficiency, typically at the JLPT N2 level, according to a KPMG report.
The rules also mandate stricter checks on applicants’ managerial experience or relevant business qualifications, alongside more rigorous scrutiny of business plans, which now require professional certification. Authorities have also intensified verification of tax records and office legitimacy, with home offices reportedly no longer being accepted.
While the Japanese government maintains that these reforms are necessary to curb misuse of the system, concerns persist among foreign entrepreneurs that the measures could undermine long-standing small businesses operating in the country.
First Published on May 17, 2026, 16:01:02 IST
